Keypals is a great Internet tool to enhance your students' communication, language, and keyboarding skills. Keypals is also known as computer keyboard pen pals. The only difference between keypals and penpals is that instead of using a pen, keypals uses the computer keyboard as a way of communicating. Keypals is a forum for sharing ideas and projects, and asking for advice from others. Many teachers find keypals to be rewarding, motivating, and exciting for their students.

The purposes of keypals can take on many forms such as: discussing a topic of mutual interest, exchanging friendly letters, comparing information, exchanging cultural information, etc. There are many resources on the Internet that help teachers find other classrooms for keypal exchanges.

e-PALS Classroom Exchange
Over 4.5 million teachers and students in 191 countries are involved with e-PALS making this website the world's largest classroom community. Nearly ninety thousand classroom profiles exist on e-PALs for teachers to search through to find keypal partner classrooms.

Teaching.com (Keypals Club)
This website offers a free educational service to quickly locate and contact a student or class from around the world. Only your e-mail address is necessary to register.

Education World's World School Directory
A huge world school directory is provided by and listed by region of the world. Teachers can click on a region and find K-12 schools, universities, and educational resources from around the world.

More Than Just Pen Pals
This website offers links to other websites that provide tips on finding keypals, safety issues teachers need to discuss with their students when using the Internet, and activity ideas you can do with your partner class.

Rigby Heinemann Global Keypals
This keypal site offers connections with classrooms and individuals from around the world. Students can click on their age to be connected with other students of the same age. Teachers can click on the grade of their students and find hundreds of other classrooms looking for keypal partners.

The KidsZone
This website is specifically designed with kids in mind. There are tons of links to different keypal opportunities such as looking for partners in other states or countries. There are even e-mailing mentor programs listed where professionals can help students with their homework.

Kidworld Keypals
The keypals on this website are divided into four sections by age. Once viewers click on the age range containing their age, they can view several different individuals looking for a keypal and choose one to write to. There are also games and stories written by kids avialable to view.

Internet Keypals by Alicia M. Bartol
This article highlights the experiences of eight girls as they use national and international keypals to learn about geography, earth science, history, and culture. These girls give advice of what others should keep in mind as they are using keypals.

Getting Started on The Internet: The Key to Keypal Success
A great article for beginning users of keypals. The article gives helpful tips for e-mail first timers, an example of a successful keypal program, and Internet websites and resources for keypals.