The familiar sound comes through our computer speakers, and instantly my 4th grade classroom comes alive.
“Is it him?”
“Can I talk first?”
“Can we turn off the lights?”
“Can I move so I can see?”
It’s a Skype call from a student in my class who moved to Hawaii at the end of April. The kids miss him dearly, and at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon (8:00 a.m. Hawaii time), Cody has just woken up and is Skyping the class to tell us all about his new home. The kids have questions galore about the time zone, the climate, the islands. We laugh, share what we’ve been up to, and enjoy a great visit with a good friend.
Skype became a new and exciting way to learn in my classroom this year. It began with Mystery Skype. Since our 4th grade Social Studies curriculum focuses on states and regions, I was excited to learn about this fun activity. Our class would receive a Skype call, but the caller’s location was a mystery. We took turns asking questions and sharing clues about geography, climate, history, attractions, and famous people before guessing the location of our mystery caller! With students on netbooks, asking questions, providing answers, writing information on the board, and manning the maps, all hands were on deck and engaged as we learned about states across the U.S.
I was hooked…
We continued to share and learn using Skype as we participated in the Global Read Aloud. Sharing a literature experience with thousands of students across the globe was exciting enough, but my students were on fire when it came time to Skype with another class and share our predictions about the story. The students actually wrote their own comprehension questions to ask the other class, and then discussed their interpretations and feelings about the story. We found a class that wanted to Skype weekly to discuss the book, and started to build a relationship with them. It was magical.
When the opportunity arose to Skype with a celebrity for Anti-Bullying Month, I got on board! When other classes heard that we were going to Skype with Nickelodeon actors Nat and Alex Wolff from the Naked Brothers Band, my classroom filled with students from our lower school division. Nat and Alex were sharing music from their upcoming CD and talking to kids about bullying. Engaged? Totally.
Our further Skype adventures…
In February, I saw a tweet from Twitter friend Paula Naugle in Louisiana. Her students had completed research projects about Mardi Gras and were offering to share their presentations via Skype. Who better to learn about Mardi Gras from than students in New Orleans?! I purchased green, purple, and gold beads for my class, and we surprised Mrs. Naugle’s class by being beautifully adorned for Mardi Gras when they called! The students had also created glogs and embedded them on Edmodo. My students were able to backchannel with the students in her class using a “Skype Collaboration” group in Edmodo during the presentations, and view their glogs online.
Another Twitter friend, Jan Wells, “called” the other day. Her students had created “State in a Container” reports, and knowing that we were studying states and regions, she wondered if we would like to watch a presentation about Tennessee. How could I refuse?! My students learned a great deal about Tennessee as a creative and articulate fourth grader pulled items out of a guitar case. She explained that she chose a guitar case because of the strong musical associations in Tennessee — the Grand Ole Opry, and of course, Elvis! The kids enjoyed a great lesson, and I got a cool idea for a project next year!!
Skype is a magic window…
Skype enables students to connect, collaborate, and communicate with students across the globe. It creates an opportunity for students to learn from each other, to have authentic audiences for their work, and to meet musicians, authors, and others who can further their learning. Imagine reading a book and then Skyping with the author! Or inviting working parents into your classroom to talk about their careers, from their job sites. The possibilities are truly endless.
On May 16th, Skype announced that it is joining forces with Penguin Group, New York Philharmonic, Science Museum London, Peace One Day, and Save the Children with a view towards giving teachers educational content and access to expert speakers via video calling. This collaboration represents Skype’s latest attempt to reach its goal of connecting one million classrooms globally.
Skype in the classroom will now feature each organization’s content, projects, and available guest-speakers, with Penguin Young Readers Group connecting authors with students for discussions about books, reading, and writing. The New York Philharmonic will offer live interaction with musicians and educators. Save the Children and London’s Science Museum will have individual projects on Skype in the classroom by the end of the year. Skyping is no longer a novelty — a once-in-awhile special event. It’s becoming a routine part of being an effective 21st century teacher.
I look forward to finding more ways to create “connected learners” using Skype in the coming years. If you’ve had positive experiences or can share other ways to use Skype in the classroom, please share them in the comments here. If you want to give it a try, just let me know. Mrs. Grayson’s 4th graders are always eager to make new friends!
Patti Grayson
Latest posts by Patti Grayson (see all)
- Rethinking Content in the Digital Age - September 4, 2012
- Escape to Summer Reading - June 12, 2012
- Our Skype Adventures: Creating Connected Learners in a Global Classroom - May 29, 2012
Skype adventures are just that – adventures for all students, young or old. I have spent lots of time in my own global classroom workshops skyping with famous authors who answer our questions after we read the books.
Your “Mystery” Skype is brilliant! It is kids’ inquiry at its best to find out authentic information about states and cities. As a global teacher, I would do the same, connecting with students in Ghana, Japan, China, India so my students could ask their questions after having read informative texts about different aspects of culture.
I have gotten friendly with children’s illustrators as well that I could Skype with over the summer when I teach summer school to find out the stories behind the pictures. (Beginning readers use pictures so effectively to tell the story and make predictions). So many authors and poets are willing to connect with classrooms with Skype. Skype costs so much less for the author/illustrator/poet to share their stories than paying for airfare, hotel costs, etc.
Thanks for writing such a powerful piece!
Marcy – I love the idea of Skyping with illustrators for younger readers! I think with Skype’s partnering with Penguin Group, we’ll see many more opportunities for students to “meet” the authors and illustrators of their favorite books.
I also think it’s fantastic for students to experience other cultures “firsthand”. If we are teaching our students how to be global citizens, this goes a long way toward knowledge and acceptance.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Patti,
I too love the excitement the Skype ringtone creates in my students. As a friend on Twitter said of the ringtone, “It is a signal that opens the door to the world.”
Thanks to the power of Twitter, you and I have had some great Skype moments this year. I know when I saw the tweet about the opportunity to Skype with a celebrity for Anti-Bullying Month, I too jumped on the opportunity. We were fortunate enough to Skype with Joey King, the star of the Disney movie Ramona and Beezus. She was in her trailer on the set of her new movie as she spoke to my students about how to stop bullying.
We were thrilled to Skype with over 15 classes around the United States and Canada to teach them about Mardi Gras. My students loved that your students were decked out in beads when we called and backchanneled with them on Edmodo.
Besides doing Mystery Skype calls, presentations, and interviews via Skype,we also Skyped with an educator in South Africa. He entertained my students with brain teasers they had to figure out. I also instituted Impromptu Skype after state testing season was over. Teachers who were willing to be part of the fun signed up on a Google Doc. Then at any time without previously setting up a planned call, another class could just call our class out of the blue. We did about a dozen of these impromptu calls and had great fun comparing and contrasting our regions, telling how each one of us is unique, or just chatting.
My Skype usage has been steadily increasing each of the past five years. Now hardly a week goes by that my students are not Skyping with someone and extending their learning. Thanks for being a part of our Skype journey this year.
Paula – We loved learning from you! Now how did I miss the sign up for “Impromptu Skype”?!? I was bummed when I missed that call from you on your last day of school. We will be sure to reconnect next year, and I know more opportunities will arise for our connected learners to benefit from the knowledge and experience of adult and student experts alike! Thanks for continuing to share via Twitter for those of us that are a few years behind you! ๐
Patti, as you know, one of my passions is sharing with others. I too was disappointed that we missed you when we tried an impromptu Skype call to your class. “See” you next year.
I love Skyping the children about 100 Word Challenge. We have done a variety of formats, some where the children ask me questions; others where the children have started their pieces of writing and between us we talk about it to improve it. I have had the pleasure of ‘visiting’ schools here in the UK as well as internationally. I love it & I’m always happy to help!
Julia – 100WC looks fascinating! We might have to Skype with YOU next year and learn more!
Patti:
Thanks for the amazing suggestions. I will be picking your brains on some of this, if that’s okay. We missed the chance to Skype with some kids who were travelling this year, but are hoping to have them help us connect with the places they were when they return. Also hoping to use it to bridge the “language gap” and let me beginning French students speak to beginning English students in Quebec.
Lisa – Would love to chat any time.
I love the idea of using Skype to support foreign language instruction, or as part of the travelers presentations when they return! Very cool…
Wow! A colleague just sent me your blog. Thanks for all the great Skype ideas. I used Skype in the classroom this year for the first time. i set up Skype partners with ever classroom in my school. I t was a huge project but so worth it. I would love to connect with you in the fall to share ideas and connect using Skype.
Marilyn – So every classroom in your school uses Skype?! Can you tell me more about your Skype partners and what you did with them? Sounds interesting!
Would love to connect in the fall to learn and play together. ๐
Wow, Patti it is really amazing to read about all the different ways you use Skype with your students! Imagine if more teachers knew how to do this! It is so much fun to learn this way! My best example of using Skype is connecting with the school we visited in Lesotho. It is so easy to connect and there we are, in the classroom in Africa. Imagine the possibilities if you connect with your Twitter network and use those contacts to connect and create different learning opportunities. Next year we should try to Skype with our classes. The age difference is not that important! And let me know if you want to connect with Lesotho. The students there are from 6 to 17 years old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JS367RbNAA&feature=g-upl
Ann – What an amazing experience! I think it is so important for our students to have more of a global perspective, and when they meet and really get to know another culture in this way, it changes the way they think of the world forever. Kudos to you! You and I will have to chat – I think it would be wonderful for my kids to connect with the students in Lesotho. Will talk to you soon (via Skype of course!). ๐
Dear Patti,
A little late to the party, but I’m finally here!!! Hurray. I love Skype and have used it with my science classroom.
Would you mind brainstorming a bit for me? I’m moving from my beloved science class into Algebra with 8th graders. I get that I could use Skype to talk with other classrooms about how to solve problems.
But why and how could I set that up to be more than chit-chat? I don’t think talking about a specific problem set would really work because I don’t know how to share what’s happening on a piece of paper. But would it be better to have smaller groups of students sharing with smaller groups on strategies they might have developed for solving problems.
I still can’t get over the hurdle of “showing” the math. Can you help me?
Marsha –
That really is a challenge! When I think about math, I think about how students sometimes need to have it explained in more than one way… For this reason, a “teacher swap” might be a fun exercise. Student teachers might be fun, too, but being able to “show” the math gets really tricky, and part of the teacher’s strategy is to be watching for those confused looks and glazed-over eyes… hard to do via Skype!
If you had groups of students working and sharing strategies, you might have to combine Skype with a collaborative drawing program like CoSketch.com, Dabbleboard.com, or FlockDraw.com.
Dear Patti,
I have never seen those collaborative drawing programs, so you’ve given me some excellent leads.
thanks.
marsha
I am very interested in connecting next year. I am moving to a new school, with a new grade and I’m not sure what will be available. I would love to make connections early in the year. Thanks for sharing!!
Nancy – Absolutely! Easiest to contact me via Twitter @pattigrayson – I look forward to it!
Dear Patti,
Thanks for the lead about the International Peace Day http://blogs.skype.com/en/2012/05/skype_in_the_classroom_partner.html I am just getting involved with planning an algebra and art project around the pinwheels that celebrate this day.
Wouldn’t it be great fun to add in a Skype meeting to hear how the founder of this day decided to organize and create it?
Again, thanks for these terrific ideas.
marsha
Love that you are combining algebra and art with your pinwheels. You work so hard to make learning fun (and relevant) for your students! Skyping with Jeremy Gilley would be amazing…
As a kindergarten teacher, I have discovered a whole new side to Skype. I currently find myself the curator of a kinderchat playproject called skypeplay. We have a network of kinder classes that connect in very informal play based ways through Skype. It allows two or three students to make a face to face connection. While we still occasionally make use of the large group setting, this format works well for your learners. Thanks for sharing all that you do.
Sorry – that should read ” young learners” ๐ I see now that this is an older post, but it is making the rounds on twitter again.
Mardelle –
Always good to see something “make the rounds” again!! ๐ I am fascinated by what you are doing with Skype. What kinds of activities do the kids do with each other? Is it guided, or are they free to just chat and get to know each other? Do they share drawings, or other work that they can discuss? It sounds awesome, and a great way to introduce the concept of connecting with other students to share knowledge. Thank YOU for sharing!! ๐
Hi Patti, as a companion tool to Skype, you might consider a tool we launched recently called Hรยคrnu. We’re at http://www.harnu.com. Enables you to connect with people around the world in your own language. Thanks.
Hi Patti,
My name is Paul, and I am from the island of Guam. I am planning on starting a blog with my 5th grade students next year. However, the idea of using Skype sounds like an interesting idea. Several of my students rarely get the opportunity to travel. I was wondering if you are using a Promethean board or a projected laptop to Skype?
Hey Paul!
I had Skype on my classroom computer, and was projecting from the computer to my Promethean Board. I could just have easily projected the computer (or a laptop) onto a regular screen or whiteboard. The Promethean Board had a web cam mounted above it so that the students were looking at each other.
It would be fun for you to create a relationship with another classroom somewhere in the world. You could comment on each other’s blogs, and “meet” via Skype! You could both read the same book and have discussions on the blog or via Skype… The possibilities are endless, and the benefits of connecting students is immeasurable. Good luck to you!!