Collaboration.... the possibilities!!

We are into the second week at school and I am starting to understand the tremendous possibilities that come with teaching in a 1:1 computing classroom. I am able to work with teachers and classrooms that I wouldn't have considered when teaching in a traditional classroom setting. For example, a partnership has been created with a grade 12 biology classroom that is in a community an hour away. We are working on a science unit focusing on plants where our grade 12 buddies will help us learn about the processes of photosynthesis and transpiration. The grade 12 buddies and their teacher are taking the role of "plant experts" and I am excited that my students will have a direct link for questions and to possibly delve deeper into a question through an inquiry approach. Multiple intelligences were used as a way of pairing grade 12 students with grade 5 students. I am particularly interested in observing the personal relationship that is established between the students. Will pairing the students based on their multiple intelligences help the students make a connection because they share common traits? I can already tell that we are going to learn a lot through this buddy experience and I can't wait for the students to be able to Skype each other and to begin building their relationships!!