The Teachers

Ibu Wahyuni

Pak Peter

 

How the project first began

• A sample of the first letters between Peter Lelong in Hobart Tasmania and Wayuni in Malang, Java
  On Tuesday evening May 14th two days after the arrival of Yos Ginting from the University of Tasmania in Java the first mail from an elementary school in Malang, East Java appeared on my screen. It is the first contact after a twelve months struggle to achieve a reliable link betwen our tow cities. Yos Ginting an Indonesian National completing his Doctoral Thesis at the University of Tasmania travelled to Malang on Saturday May 11th. With the expertise of Yos and his intimate knowledge of Indonesia this was our best opportunity in which to reestablish our electronic mail project after the difficulties experienced during the past twelve months. The following mail between myself and my colleaque in Malang are posted on this page to share the development and hopefully some of the excitiement generated in this unique project. We believe this to be the first teacher to teacher and student to student link between Indonesia and Australia.

  Tuesday May 14th 1996 First letter from Yuni in Malang and reply from Peter Lelong in Hobart Tasmania
  Peter thank you for your parcel. I receive it on 12 may 1996. the computer is already fixed by Pak Yos so I think we can continue our program from now. Thank you very much.
  This is only a test on this computer

  Yuni
  
  Sri Wahyuni Sekolah Dasar Percobaan IKIP Negeri Malang - Indonesia Internet: wahyuni%sdnp.mlg.ac.id@mce.ac.id

   

  Dear Wahyuni What wonderful news! It is so nice to have a message from you. My class and Iare really looking forward to our electronic mail project together. Please let Pak Yos know how pleased I am to have you writing to us.
  I hope Pak Yos might be able to bring back some photos of you and your children. My students will be so pleased to know we can now work with each other. Do you have any special ideas that you would like to work on with my class and myself before you begin your holidays? Is the computer now in your school?
  I shall wait for another letter from you to make sure that we are correctly linked via our computers.
  Your good friend

  Peter Lelong
  PS Please excuse me for not writing to you in Indonesian. Your English is very good.

  Yuni - June 1st 1996
  Dear Peter,
  I reciveived your letter on Saturday morning. I have no difficulty but I have to become used with the new computer.
  My students still have their quarter examinations to decide whether they promoted to a higher class or not.
  After that they have a long holiday from 15 June - 15 July, we will do our program of work together either during the holidays or after thr holidays if we cannot ask the students to be at school,-They usually have holiday with their parents somewhere.
  Did you received our letters via air-mail.

  Kind regards
  Yuni

  Peter - June 1st 1996
  Dear Yuni,
  WONDERFUL to hear from you. I shall write you a more detailed reply tomorrow. I just want you to know I received your letter. We should try to write to each other during the students holiday to plan our programme of work for when they return from their holidays.
  Many people are interested in what you are doing with your students in Malang. You should be very proud of your achievements! I shall write tomorrow with some ideas for our electronic mail project..
  Your good friend
  Peter

   

  Importance of the personal touch
  After a number of weeks of sending mail to Wahyuni in Malang without any reply, contact was made with Eko who provided Wahyuni's phone number so that a call could be placed to her home on Sunday June 16th.

  Wahyuni had been extremely busy tying up the final days of the Indonesian school year. There had been some difficulties in making the connection using the Macintosh computer now placed in the Principal's office at her school. However she now had a four week vacation in which to practise using the electronic mail and to test whether she was able to send and receive mail unassisted.

  In any such project using electronic mail, experience has shown that the personal contact between the organising teachers is of enourmous benenfit. I had met with Wahyuni in 1995 during my visit to Malang where the Macintosh computer was delivered to Wahyun's school. Speaking with her by phone on Sunday proved how important such personal contact can be.

  Wahyuni spoked enthusiastically on the phone about the project we were planning between our two classes. She spoke of making a further attempt using the electronic mail facilities now in her school. We shall then be able to plan a full six week programme of work to begin on July 15th 1996.

  Success at last!
  >From indogtw!mce.mce.ac.id!mymac!wahyuni@bputih.indo.net.id Mon
  Jun 17 22:12:59 1996
  Date: Mon, 17 Jun 1996 12:12:34 +0800
  Subject: Letter to Pak Peter
  

  Dear Peter
  Hello it is nice to see you via e-Mail I just sent my students letters. It was from Angkie. She wrote it before she went away. We have a long holiday until July 15th.
  As I promised you on the phone I will write to you on Wednesday. But today I have some spare time before I go to Maiun to see my nieces so I am sending some letters today. I will send more to you on Wednesday.
  Salam
  Yuni
  

  Reply 19/6/96
  Dear Yuni,
  Today is Wednesday morning and I am writing to let you know that I received the last two letters you sent to me on Monday morning. The girls in my class are now busy writing some letters to the children in your class. I should have been able to send you a number of letters before the children at your school come back to school on July 15th.

  Our first letter will include information on the height, weight favourite food and other information. If you are able to send me all the information on each child in your class when they start school later in July then we will create a graph of all the information in our mathematics lessons.

  Later we will send some information on native animals of Australia and some recipes that demonstrate traditional food in Australia. Perhaps we can swap recipes and have a day at our schools where we cook the meals that we have sent to each other. It would be fun to hear how your children enjoy some of the Australan dishes.

  The girls in my class are planning to have an Indonesian meal at a local restaurant in Hobart. All the parents of the children also join us for the meal.

  I am preparing a video of the girls in my class to send to you soon so that the children in your class can see who we all are. Would it be possible for the children in your class to also prepare a video to send to us telling us their names and any other information they might like to tell us?

  I have sent a letter to Pak Eko telling him that I am hoping to send $200 (AUSTRALIAN) in the next week or two so that you can get a telephone line to your computer. This should help you have greater access to the computer. If you can tell us how much phone calls cost you to use the computer we may be able to support your phone costs also. The children in my school are going to raise the money for your school. They are very interested in what we are doing together with our respective classes.

  I hope this letter reaches you today Yuni. I sometimes receive a messaged from the mail server in Indonesia telling me my letter has not been delivered. I hope everything works satisfactorily today.

  Your good friend
  Peter