Fire and Ice Frequently Asked Questions
Download PDF VersionWhat schools can participate and what are the requirements? Any K-12 school can participate in Fire and Ice, and no school is left behind because of geography, resources, or special needs. The only requirements are that the school signs our Project Commitment Letter and pays the application fee (if applicable).
What ages are the students? Fire and Ice students are typically 9 to 14 years old (which translates approximately to grades 4 to 9 in North America). However, Fire and Ice is able to accommodate students from almost any age.
What equipment is needed to participate? Each school must have at least one computer, webcam, microphone, good speakers, projector, and a minimum Internet connection speed of 28.8 kbps.
My school is post-secondary. Can we participate in Fire and Ice? Yes, the majority of our Fire and Ice schools to date have been K-12. However, we have also received interest from post-secondary schools to participate, and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Can we use more than one computer during the Fire and Ice live events? Absolutely! In fact, this is highly recommended. During the live events, we found that students are most engaged when they are divided into groups of two or three, and when each group has access to its own computer workstation or laptop.
We have an electronic whiteboard. Can we use this during the live events? Yes, although it is not mandatory. The electronic whiteboard helps increase student interaction during the live events.
What is the first step of the process? Typically, the process begins as follows:
- Teachers choose the Fire and Ice project that best matches their interests and curriculum requirements
- School signs Project Commitment Letter
- Fire and Ice regional coordinator and participating schools review project outline in introductory online meeting
- Teachers participate in one-hour training session on two platforms: TIGed (asynchronous) and Elluminate Live! ® (synchronous)
- Students sign Internet Safety Contracts
Does Fire and Ice provide me with the tools? Yes, we provide access to Fire and Ice classrooms in Elluminate Live! and TIGed.
How do I learn to use those tools? Teachers participate in a one-hour training session with their regional coordinator to learn the basics on how to use these tools. It’s very easy, and the teacher is supported at all times by their regional coordinator.
Is TIGed safe for my students? Yes, Fire and Ice’s TIGed class is private, requiring each teacher and student to login using a password. In addition, the teacher sees all activities and postings by their students. The site is also moderated by the coordinators on a regular basis.
How do you address language barriers? In some cases, schools are matched according to a common language they share. In other cases, schools are matched based on a second language that their students are learning. For example, a school in the U.S. that is learning Spanish is matched with a native Spanish-speaking school in South America.
However, we also match schools who do not share a common language because we find this promotes a more interesting cultural experience for the students. In this case, we use translators and interpreters for the live events. For any asynchronous collaboration that occurs in TIGed, we encourage the schools to use free online translation resources wherever possible, including www.freetranslation.com and http://es.babelfish.yahoo.com/. These tools are far from perfect, but the students generally have fun trying and gain a far greater cultural experience in the process.
How do you manage time zone issues? We try to match schools in the direction of North/South, as opposed to East/West. For example, North American schools are typically matched with South American or West African schools, while European schools are matched with East African schools, and Australian schools are matched with Asian schools.
Does Fire and Ice provide us with a Project Outline? Yes, every school receives a Project Outline (including timelines). The Outline serves as a general guideline only. We recognize that teachers and students can often recommend more interesting and engaging activities than we can, so the Project Outline is flexible to accommodate these changes as required.
How much does it cost to join Fire and Ice? The annual fee is $500 per school (Canada and U.S. schools can pay in their local currencies). This fee enables the school to participate in unlimited Fire and Ice projects over the course of the year.
Note: there is no charge for schools that are based in economically-challenged regions or deemed by Fire and Ice as “schools-in-need.” Contact Fire and Ice to see if your school would be deemed a “school-in-need.”
What does this fee include? The annual fee enables Fire and Ice to deliver the most interactive and collaborative experience possible for our schools. The fee covers the school’s technology platform usage, the cost of the regional coordinator to manage the project, and translation and interpreter costs. Your fee also enables one school from the developing world to join Fire and Ice.
What is the suggested number of students per class? This decision is left up to the teacher. However, our experience has shown that by having between 15 to 30 students per class, student interaction and engagement is maximized during the asynchronous and synchronous activities. That said, some Fire and Ice schools in the past have included as many as 70 to 80 students.
How do schools collaborate with each other? Schools collaborate with each other using two platforms: asynchronous (TIGed for blogging, discussions, picture upload, etc.) and synchronous (Elluminate Live! virtual classroom/web conferencing software). Both platforms are fully moderated and technically supported by our Fire and Ice regional coordinators.
Can we use other tools to collaborate? Yes, schools are free to use any tool that they are comfortable with (i.e. Skype, MSN Messenger, Outlook, etc.). However, the regional coordinators are currently only able to support TIGed and Elluminate Live!
How many live events is my school expected to attend during the project? Typically, each school will participate in approximately three live events per semester with their partner schools. These events give students the opportunity to give PowerPoint presentations and have rich, interactive dialogues with each other in real-time.
Do we need to do technical tests? Yes, approximately 2-5 days prior to each live event, teachers are required to attend a brief 20-minute test run, using the exact equipment that will be used during the live event. This helps mitigate the risk of problems occurring in the live event.
How will my regional coordinator be of service to me? Your regional coordinator will train and support you on the tools, help schedule your live events, oversee the Project Outline to ensure milestones are being met, and moderate the technology platforms.
What happens if my school completes the Fire and Ice project successfully? Schools who successfully complete the projects receive the Fire and Ice Leadership Award, in which they are honored with a plaque or certificate. In some cases, “schools in need” (mostly from the developing world) are presented with new computer equipment, sponsored by donors. Fire and Ice teachers are also recognized for their contributions and receive a certificate of completion.
As a teacher, what commitment is expected from me in the project? Fire and Ice recognizes that teachers are some of the busiest people in our society and have many demands placed upon them. Therefore, the Fire and Ice regional coordinators will do their best to provide outstanding support to teachers from project start to finish. However, in return, Fire and Ice expects a serious commitment from its teachers and their respective schools by:
- Ensuring that Permission Letters are signed by all participating Fire and Ice students
- Paying the annual fee (if applicable) in a timely manner
- Being responsive and accessible to their regional coordinator
- Attending all training and orientation sessions, and practicing using the collaboration tools outside of those sessions
- Actively participate in all planning meetings, test runs, and live events
- Giving reasonable notice to the regional coordinator if plans change and a meeting or event needs to be rescheduled
- Actively encouraging collaboration amongst their students in the two platforms with their partner schools
- Delivering creative and inspiring project outcomes, to the best of the class’ abilities
What happens if my school drops out from the project, or if I’m unable to meet my project milestones? Your partner schools take their project very seriously and will count on you to do the same. For this reason, Fire and Ice has a zero-tolerance policy for schools whose participation fades or ceases while the project is still in progress. Such schools will be immediately removed from the project without refund and will no longer be permitted to participate in future Fire and Ice projects.
How do classes prepare for the live events? Each class typically prepares a short PowerPoint presentation and a script. In preparation for the event, teachers are strongly encouraged to rehearse with their students, as well as stimulate questions to ask. If bandwidth permits, schools may also wish to use some of the more advanced Elluminate communication features, such as the webcam or the video launch.
Can we participate in another Fire and Ice project? Absolutely! Your school is free to participate in as many Fire and Ice projects as you like.
Our school is thinking of coordinating a field trip to our partner school in the future? Does Fire and Ice facilitate this? Not really. We leave that up to the schools to coordinate, and we assume no liability for such visits. However, we strongly endorse such visits. There is no better way to conclude your Fire and Ice project and complete the cultural exchange than when your students can eventually meet their counterparts face to face. Visiting schools from other parts of the world is truly an experience of a lifetime.
Fire & Ice is an award-winning project founded in July 2006 by Elluminate senior managers Stace Wills and Dan Rickard. Since inception, Fire & Ice has hosted numerous live events with schools spanning six continents, including those in some of the world’s most remote areas including the Brazilian Amazon, rural West African areas, and the Australian Outback. The project has been featured by a variety of local and international media, including CBC Business News (Canada), CNN.com, CTV News (Canada), Fast Company Magazine, Rio TV Sul (Brazil), and others.
Stace Wills,Founder, Global Coordinator
Dan Rickard, Founder
Jules Anicet Ouedraogo, Coordinator, West Africa
Mayte Esponda, Coordinator, Latin America (Spanish-speaking countries)
Valmir Azevedo, Coordinator, Brazil, Mozambique and Portugal
Cindea Hung , Coordinator, Asia Pacific
- Born:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Current Home:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Background:
Finance and Marketing - Languages Spoken:
English (native), some French and Spanish, learning Portuguese. - Countries Lived in:
Canada, Poland. - Countries Visited:
40+ countries in South America, Africa and Europe. - Most Memorable Fire and Ice Experience:
presenting the Fire and Ice Leadership Award to a village school in remote part of Brazil in Feb 2008, interacting with the local teachers and students, and observing the educational impact that we helped their community achieve. - Persons I Admire:
Fire and Ice teachers and students. Undoubtedly, these are some of the busiest people in the world, but few people take action to create meaningful change like they do. - Words to Live By:
"think globally, act locally"
- Born:
Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada - Current Home:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada - Background:
Research and Development - Languages Spoken:
English (native), Bahasa Indonesian, learning French. - Countries Lived in:
United States, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. - Countries Visited:
Too many to count. All continents, except Antarctica. Extensive travel throughout Asia and the Middle East. Getting to know South America and Africa. - Most Memorable Fire and Ice Experience:
Helping students in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso share ideas with students in Calgary, Alberta Canada, and listening to them sing their respective national anthems. - Persons I Admire:
My Dad, for taking a chance the dragging the entire family overseas in the early 70’s. He continues to show me that we are citizens of the world before anything else, and to look past the horizon when seeking knowledge. - Words to Live By:
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world". -Gandhi.
- Born:
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Current Home:
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso - Background:
Electronics, Computers Science - Languages Spoken:
French (native), English, Moorée (local language). - Countries Lived in:
Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger. - Countries Visited:
Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Niger, Chad, Senegal, Guine Bissau, Guine Conakry, The Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Ethiopia, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, United States. - Most Memorable Fire and Ice Experience:
Helping students of Les Violettes in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso share ideas with students of Belfast Elementary school in Calgary, Alberta Canada. - Persons I Admire:
Reverent Père Dominique NOTHOMBE for his love for the poor, as well as its assistance to the many people in giving them spiritual lighting for a happy and fulfilling life. - Words to Live By:
Action speaks louder than words.
- Born:
Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina - Current Home:
del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Background:
Education, translation, social psychology - Languages Spoken:
Spanish, (native), English, Italian. - Countries Lived in:
Argentina - Countries Visited:
Many South American countries, USA and Mexico and many European countries. - Most Memorable Fire and Ice Experience:
Attending to a meeting in which participating schools from Brazil's Amazon, Canada, the U.S. and Argentina discussed environmental issues. - Persons I Admire:
Enrique Riviere, (Pichón). He was a doctor and psychoanalyst who was brought from Switzerland to Argentina when he was very little and developed the theory of dialect process in groups. This theory considers that all contributions are important when working in groups: "The more heterogeneous is the group the more homogeneous is the task" - Words to Live By:
is always something to learn from others.
- Born:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Current Home:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Background:
Language and Literature - Languages Spoken:
Portuguese (native), little French and Spanish - Countries Lived in:
Brazil - Countries Visited:
Canada, Norway, Netherlands - Most Memorable Fire and Ice Experience:
Participating, even as an observer, in the Burkina Faso Ceremony, held in Le Petit Seminaire de Pabré, October 23rd, 2008. The whole event was beautiful, but the choir made up of the students of the Seminaire touched us all. - Persons I Admire:
Those, professionals or not, who care about life in its diverse forms and, through their actions, make a difference. - Words to Live By:
"Moderation in all things" (Ovid)
- Born:
Taichung, Taiwan - Current Home:
Kaohsiung, Taiwan - Background:
Education - Languages Spoken:
Chinese (native), English - Countries Lived in:
Taiwan - Countries Visited:
Too many to count! - Most Memorable Fire and Ice Experience:
The Me and My Community Live Event in June, 2008. I was so touched, and all of the participants developed a harmonious friendship after that event. Also, the Organic Garden Live Event in June, 2008. Being an observer of that event, I later made a recording for it, and that was my first impression about Organic Garden.
"Sun is delighted to sponsor the Elluminate "Fire and Ice" series of interactive network events as part of the Learning Across Borders Initiative. Our two companies are both deeply committed to the creation of next-generation immersive virtual classrooms on the net, and to bring students together to discuss the ideas that will shape our collective future."
Immersive Technologies Global Education & Research, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
"Fire and Ice has a very innovative and interesting proposal. It favours not only the use of technology, but it also allows poor students to access information, to do research, and to get to know other ways of learning on the web. Besides, Fire and Ice's power to promote interchange among schools from different cultures, in different countries, makes time and physical distances short for experience and learning exchanges."
"Participating in Fire and Ice has allowed us to apply the pedagogical strategies of collaborative projects in our school curriculum, integrating such areas as natural science, social sciences, art, humanities, Spanish Language, and English – all bridged by the discipline of information and communication technology. The whole process was highly enriched by the opportunity to connect synchronously and asynchronously with students and teachers from all over the world, going beyond boundaries and discovering in our colleagues the same desire to learn, to know, to find solutions for the different problems we face, from different contexts. This exchange, with all the tools Fire and Ice made available to us, allowed us to build a sense of belonging, knowing that we are all part of this global multicultural village.”
"It was very rewarding and innovative for our school to participate in Fire an Ice. It is the first time we participated in a project in which what is happening on our planet “matters to all of us” as a real need. Our participation also gives us the chance of contacting other schoolmates from different countries who are sharing the same needs in terms of climate change. Lastly, it was a great chance to improve our knowledge and use of IT tools."
"Our school is very happy and grateful to Fire and Ice for allowing us the opportunity to participate in this international educative collaborative project, which contributed to our teaching–learning process in a very innovative and creative way and which let our students "learn how to learn".
"Ha sido para nosotros la oportunidad de entender como las tecnologías de la comunicación están al alcance de las escuelas, sean cuales sean nuestras condiciones, porque nos une un objetivo común que hace que las dificultades se aminoren, y más en este acompañamiento que hace posible que sedes educativas como las nuestras, de bajos recursos, logren estar conectadas, y activas desde una plataforma que se convierte en un lugar mágico de encuentro en pro de una participación en colaboración. Somos afortunados!!"
"Ha sido un proceso participativo bien interesante, que plantea oportunidades diferentes no solo para los estudiantes, sino también para los docentes, padres de familia y comunidad en general, donde se involucran conocimientos que mantienen expectantes a los participantes, llevando consigo aprendizajes desde los lineamientos que permite hoy el proceso de globalización, aprovechando la tecnología de la Información y la Comunicación, que hoy exige integrar los procesos educativos."
"...participar en el proyecto es tener la posibilidad de que alumnos, docentes y padres de familia trabajen y aprendan de una forma diferente con mucha expectativa y motivación de conocer jóvenes y docentes de diferentes latitudes por medio de las tecnologías de información y comunicación en donde más niños y niñas se quieren vincular."
"Through the Machinto project, students have developed a deep understanding of the effects of war on children. With Elluminate's Fire & Ice events, the students can expand their friendships, share their thoughts, and extend their knowledge to others in a live, interactive and engaging way."
"What a great session to show how small contributions can reach a long way and to contrast this world we live in. I also applaud the generosity of the Elluminate staff and LCS with the rewards ... gives us all a good deal of hope as someone mentioned in the chat last night "among all the gloom and doom".