K12Online Presentation: Around the World with Skype

Around the World with Skype (English Version)

Alrededor del Mundo con Skype (Spanish Version)
Here are links mentioned in my presentation “Around the World with Skype” (English Version) and “Alrededor del Mundo con Skype” (Spanish Version) and further tips & resources for teacher who are looking to integrate Skype into their classroom.

Skype
http://www.skype.com

Skype connections mentioned:

• Author and illustrator Mike Artell
  http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/02/12/skyping-in-mike-artell-illustrator-author/
• Author and illustrrator Jan and Phil Huling-
  http://langwitches.org/blog/2009/05/24/skyping-in-author-and-illustrator-jan-phil-huling/
• “I have a Dream” VoiceThread
  http://voicethread.com/#q.b314807.i1687201
• Brian Crosby invited Grace Corrigan
  http://learningismessy.com/blog/?p=267

Here are some great projects, listings and directories to help you find Skype connection partners

• Around the World with 80 Schools-
  http://aroundtheworldwith80schools.wikispaces.com/
• Skype in an Author-
  http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/
• Skype in Schools-
  http://skypeinschools.pbworks.com/
• Skype other Classrooms-
  http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/want-to-connect-with-other-classrooms/
• Skype for Educators-
  http://www.skypeforeducators.com/
• Skype in the Classroom- EduSkypers Phonebook-
  http://skypeintheclassroom.wordpress.com/
• Online Projects for teachers-
  http://onlineproj4tchrs.ning.com/

Screencapturing & Screencasting Programs:

• Skitch
  http://skitch.com/
• Jing
  http://www.jingproject.com/
• Snagit
  http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp
• CallRecorder for mac -

  http://www.ecamm.com/mac/callrecorder/

• Pamela-

  http://www.pamcorder.com/

Backchannel:

• Chatzy
  http://www.chatzy.com/
• Tinychat
  http://www.tinychat.com
• Todaysmeet
  http://todaysmeet.com

Assigned Roles for Students during Skype Calls.

• Calendar
• Greeter
• Share
• Q&A
• Photographer
• Videographer
• Backchannel Writer
• Google Maps Placemarks
• Google Earth Distance
• Blogger Live
• Blogger- Word Problems
• Data Form
• Time Elapsed

Assigned Roles and their Descriptions

More Skype tips

• Grand-Friends and Fairytales’ reading hour with elderly people in the community and our Kindergarten classes
• Make the topic of your skype call an extension of their learning or reinforecement of a concept, rather than an introduction. If the stuents have an existing background knowledge, they can ask much deeper and more involved questions.
• Know something about the geographic location you are calling. Visit it prior to the call with Google Earht. Compare and contrast the community and location.
• Devise and activity to practice descriptive language. When two groups of students described themselves over the voice connection and people on the other end had to guess which photograph matched the speaker.
• Invest in a good USB microphone.
• Start small and simple. Then start getting more and more connections and you will use it more and more.
  Don’t try to make a big huge project project out of it the first time you use it. Just call us for 5 mins of meet and greet fun
• There is a learning curve for the kids- the more they conference the better they become at learning how to converse, how to listen, how to think ahead to the next visit.
• Give each student a world map and each time the class connects with someone, have the students place a dot and name next to where the individual was from to teach geography.
• It’s definitely a work in progress , but I have seen the positive excitement, energy and learning that can result from using Skype to connect with others.
• One teacher invited her administrator in for the first Skype call and got immediate support. Inviting parents in to a Skype call also guaranteed their support.
• If a call doesn’t go well, keep trying.

Possible questions to ask for data collection purposes:

• What is the weather like? Ask about temperature, seasons, etc
• What time is it where you are located?
• What books do you like to read?
• What music do you like to listen to?
• What movies are playing in the theatres right now?
• What are your favorite television shows?
• What does your flag look like?

Overcoming time zone challenges:

• http://www.clocklink.com/world_clock.php
• http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

Resources

• Langwitches’ Skype in the Classroom Del.icio.us tag -
  http://delicious.com/langwitches/skype_in_classroom
• Langwitches Blog Video Conference category-
  http://langwitches.org/blog/category/video-conference/
• 50 Awesome ways to use Skype in the Classroom-
  http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/
• Chrissy’ Hellyer’s Room 202 Skype Tips-
  http://room202.edublogs.org/skype-tips/
• Kim Cofino’s 4 Steps to a Skype-tastic Video Conference-
  http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2007/05/07/4-steps-to-a-skype-tastic-video-conference/
• Dummies.com- Using Skype at School-
  http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-skype-at-school.html
• Anne Mirtschin- Using Skype in the classroom-
  http://murcha.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/using-skype-in-education/
• Sue Wyatt- Improving our Skype Calls-
  http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2008/12/20/improving-our-skype-calls/
• Videoconferencing Out on a Lim Janine Lim-
  http://vcoutonalim.org/
• Digitally Speaking:Handouts, Checklists for successful video conferencing http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/Videoconferencing

3 Essential Questions: Around the World with Skype

1. Please share some of the benefits you have observed with our students as you are making connections around the world with skype.
2. What are some of the obstacles you have faced AND overcome in connecting your class to a global community via video conference ?
3. How are you connecting and integrating authentic learning via these global connections to your curriculum?

3 Preguntas :Alrededor del Mundo con Skype

1. ¿Qué beneficios/ventajas  obtuvieron/has observado en  tus alumnos al hacer  conexiones   alrededor del mundo con Skype?
2. ¿Cuáles son los obstáculos que has encontrado y/o superado al conectar con una comunidad global vía Skype?
3. ¿Cómo logras integrar este aprendizaje auténtico en tus planes de estudios/en tus clases?

Update Around The World With 80 Schools

Here is a short update after 3 months into the project “Around The World with 80 Schools”.

Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to be “on the other” side of the screen, as I visited (physically) Chrissy Hellyer’s class at the International School of Bangkok. It just happened to be a morning that they were visiting (virtually) Mike Jesse’s class from Japan. What an incredible feeling to see and observe Chrissy’s classroom from the inside this time.

136 schools in 27 countries are participating and waiting to be connected with each other.

Participants are documenting our journey through blog posts, wikis, chat rooms, images and videos.

Here are some excerpts of what participants are blogging about their experiences.

Colegio Goethe, Buenos Aires, Argentina

En marzo comenzamos un nuevo proyecto, durante 2009 vamos a conectarnos  a través de las videoconferencias, con por lo menos 80 escuelas alrededor del mundo. Es un proyecto del departamento de inglés y van a participar los QUINTOS y los SEXTOS AÑOS.

Allanah K’s students from New Zealand

Before the event we have a bit of a look around on Google Earth to fly between New Zealand and the place we are going to connect with.

Then we brainstorm anything we know about the country that we are going to connect with. Before our Skype call- not a lot!

We then designed fairly open ended questions and allot people to ask the questions.

I used the Time Scroller widget to get our timing right and after a bit of negotiation as to a time the works we are underway.

I have Call Recorder set up auto record the call which I have edited in iMovie to highlight the interesting bits.

Brian Crosby’s’ class from Reno, Nevada

Each group in my class was given a task to come up with a piece to share during our video-conference that they had to research and decide how to share: One group shared about our location with maps and an Earth globe, another shared points of interest though photos of our area, climate was one groups topic, describing our class – number of students, ages, nationalities, etc. -  another shared things we are studying, and lastly “favorites” – foods, music and the like.

Chrissy Hellyer’s class from Bangkok, Thailand

Tonight 9 students from Room 202 came back to school (yes, that’s right – came back to school ) at 6.45pm to get ready to make connection #8 in our Aroundtheworldwith80schools skype project.

At 7pm, March 4, 2009 Bangkok, Thailand connected 14 530.08 kilometres away with Benton City, Benton, Tennessee USA, their time 7am, March 4, 2009.

Andrea Hernandez from Jacksonville, Florida/USA

The kids were extremely excited about the call. They asked questions about field trips, pets, wild animals, the weather (the VA kids asked my kids how HOT it gets in Florida during the WINTER. My students were a bit confused by that one!), and questions about locale such as “Are you close to Washington DC?” and “How many of you have been there?” Almost all of the students from VA had been to DC.

Tamra Lanning from Tennessee

Well, today was the big day. Several students and myself met at school bright and early this morning for our Skype call with the students in Thailand. I think we were all a little nervous because we really weren’t sure what to expect. All in all, I think it went really well. The other class was more experienced at it, but our kids hung in there and did a great job. It was fascinating to see the kids, hear their accents, and really discover that they are just like us! We learned that it is very hot in Thailand right now while we’re freezing in Tennessee! My students were very surprised to see American children in Thailand. They told me that it wasn’t at all what they expected to see.

Alexandra Francisco from Madeira, Portugal

Finally our skype phone rang and Silvia’s students were there talking to us! What a thrill! We found out lots about them: they attend a private school, they wear a uniform, which they don’t particularly like, they have beaches nearby, they like American football and what got us really jealous: the next day they were going on a field trip to Washington!

Update on Around The World With 80 Schools with Howard Wolinsky

At the beginning of January, I spoke with Howard Wolinsky who writes for the Skype in the US Blog about the “Around the World with 80 Schools” project.

School ‘langwitches’ teacher to reach out with Skype Video to 80 schools around the world.

Around 5 weeks into the project, we connected again for an update.

“Skype Sunday” enables students in six countries to meet on video in 60 minutes

Technorati Tags: AroundTheWorldWith80Schools