Korean Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Experiences and Learning in an Online Collaborative Partnership with Elementary School Children

This article presents the possibilities, benefits, and challenges perceived by Korean preservice elementary teachers who experienced the use of email as an instructional tool in collaborative online exchanges with elementary school children. The purposes of this exchange were two-fold: 1) to provide the preservice teachers with the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of teaching children and interacting with them via technology 2) to practice judicious use of L1 while simultaneously developing English skills that will be needed when teaching English. The findings show how the preservice teachers experience email as an instructional tool from a teachers’ point of view. The findings further illustrate how connecting children with preservice teachers by using a simple email tool in a teacher education program can empower both preservice teachers and children in various ways.