Mes 75 élèves de 3ème ont mobilisé toutes leurs ressources pour créer le club Copabacana. L'espace vide de Viva devant nous, avec toutes les possibilités ouvertes, nous invitait à sortir des sentiers battus et des limites rigides du traditionnel pour nous lancer à l'aventure virtuelle. J'ai pris la décision de les faire participer pendant les cours fin 2001. La salle d'anglais est devenue un endroit de discussion de projets de construction et décoration. Par e-mail les élèves m'envoyaient les suggestions:

"If I were the architect of the club, I would like to make a big and original club. In the center of my club, it would have four swimming pools with different sizes. In each pool, I'll construct a toboggan corresponding to her size: the smallest pool would have the smallest toboggan…
Around the pools, would be a circle of restaurants and bars, with different kind of food. Near to the restaurants would be a big house with many video games. I would do this because while the children are waiting their food, they could play on the games.
On the left side, would lay courts of tennis and football. I think that my club could have 3 football courts and 6 tennis courts.
On the right side, would be a big forest, with a lot of pats and a playground made of wood. I would do this forest for people to be in contact with nature. On the end of one path, there would be a small lake with a wonderful waterfall, where people could swim. " (Sally)

"If I had to draw the park I would like to draw a large river around the park, to draw a bridge on the river and to draw some square tables around the park. It would look a big park with a big wood in the background so the animals can live in the park. The river is used not to let the animals pass through the river and go to the village. The bridge is used to let the persons pass the river." ( Raphael)

" If I were to build a tennis court: My tennis court would be a grass court. The court limits lines are usually white and so would be mine. Near the net, there would be a high chair for the referee*. He has a microphone to narrate the game. Many other referees around the court would be helping him. I see my court with a tennis player resting near his opponent. He is drinking a cup of water under a parasol. We can only see a little bit of the court. In the foreground, we can see the players. In the background there is the audience waiting the restarting of the game. In this place, we could discuss the different players, their attitude, the referee's attitude, the games, the championship, the rank." (Marcel)

Comme le graphiste ne se trouvait pas sur place, les élèves ont du communiquer leurs idées en décrivant exactement ce qu'ils voulaient dans les forums ou par courrier. Chaque fois qu'un bâtiment ou modification apparaissait à l'écran, les élèves observaient et donnaient leurs avis:
"I think that in the Copabacana club park, there should be more colors: trees with flowers of different colors like yellow, red, blue, pink...You could also put different animals like birds, butterflies, Brazilian panther (yellow with black pots)" (Stephanie)

Ce projet nous a fait goûter la richesse et la force de l'imagination créative et a permis aux élèves de développer leur autonomie et confiance dans leur expression et communication.

My 75 9th graders mustered all their resources in order to create the Copabacana Club. The void space, with all the possibilities open before us, invited us to get out of the beaten track and leave the rigid limits of tradition to embark on a virtual adventure. I decided to make them participate in the project during class at the end of 2001. The English classroom became a building site where students discussed their projects and decoration ideas. They sent me e-mails with suggestions:

"If I were the architect of the club, I would like to make a big and original club. In the center of my club, it would have four swimming pools with different sizes. In each pool, I'll construct a toboggan corresponding to her size: the smallest pool would have the smallest toboggan…
Around the pools, would be a circle of restaurants and bars, with different kind of food. Near to the restaurants would be a big house with many video games. I would do this because while the children are waiting their food, they could play on the games. On the left side, would lay courts of tennis and football. I think that my club could have 3 football courts and 6 tennis courts. On the right side, would be a big forest, with a lot of pats and a playground made of wood. I would do this forest for people to be in contact with nature. On the end of one path, there would be a small lake with a wonderful waterfall, where people could swim. " (Sally)

"If I had to draw the park I would like to draw a large river around the park, to draw a bridge on the river and to draw some square tables around the park. It would look a big park with a big wood in the background so the animals can live in the park. The river is used not to let the animals pass through the river and go to the village. The bridge is used to let the persons pass the river." ( Raphael)

" If I were to build a tennis court: My tennis court would be a grass court. The court limits lines are usually white and so would be mine. Near the net, there would be a high chair for the referee*. He has a microphone to narrate the game. Many other referees around the court would be helping him. I see my court with a tennis player resting near his opponent. He is drinking a cup of water under a parasol. We can only see a little bit of the court. In the foreground, we can see the players. In the background there is the audience waiting the restarting of the game. In this place, we could discuss the different players, their attitude, the referee's attitude, the games, the championship, the rank." (Marcel).

As the designer was not on the spot, the students had to communicate their ideas describing exactly what they wanted either in the forums or through e-mail. Every time that a building or a modification appeared on the screen, the students observed and gave their comments: "I think that in the Copabacana club park, there should be more colors: trees with flowers of different colors like yellow, red, blue, pink...You could also put different animals like birds, butterflies, Brazilian panther (yellow with black spots)"(Stephanie)

This project made us taste the wealth and strength of the creative mind and allowed the students to exerce their communicative skills with more autonomy and confidence.