Skype in the Classroom

Gr5 students have recently started the new unit of inquiry Where We Are in Place and Time.   The central idea is Exploration is a response to human circumstances and curiosity which impacts people and places and students inquire on it in the context of history.   Students are wondering what motivated explorers to leave their comfort zone in search of something.  What is it that drove so many men and women in history to take on sometimes dangerous trips to the unknown?  What were the consequences of their adventures and findings to the rest of the world?

In this context, our students today had the chance to ask some of those question to a real modern day explorer.  How do you wonder?  Well, ICT is what made bringing the world into our students' classroom possible today.
Juliana, one of our Gr5 teachers contacted her personal friend Alexandre Socci to ask him if he was available for an interview from Santiago College students via Skype all the way from Brazil.   After he agreed, students prepared questions to ask him and the representatives that would address him during the interview.

Active listeners carefully taking notes of the stories Ale told

There are many ways Skype can be used in the classroom.  This is only one example of what you can do with Skype in the classroom.  You can now have guest speakers from anywhere in the world without having to leave your classroom.

Each speaker took turns to come to the computer, present themselves and ask something on behalf of his/her classmates

Alexandre shared some of his most dangerous experiences with the students, some of the places he's been to, his motivation to become a photographer, and how his contact with nature has changed him to appreciate it more and take better care of the earth.   

All in all, it was an excellent experience for both students and teachers who attended the interview.  We are all very grateful for this contact and experience that allowed us for a minute to look at the world through the lens of an adventurer and explorer.  Thank you one more time Alexandre Socci!

Who would you invite as guest speaker for your students?

Blogging Buddies

My name is Cristina Alvayay and I work in Santiago College, Chile since the year 1999.  I have moved around the school a bit in all these years.  I started out as a bilingual Gr4 teacher, moved to the English department where I spent 10 years, and now I belong to the Educational Technology team.   For the last 3 years, I have been an EdTech Coach for grades 3 through  5.   All this moving around has allowed me to meet many people, learn how the different areas of the school work, and made me (I believe) a more flexible person.  

I have been invited this year to participate in the Blogging Buddies, ISTE's EdTech Coaches PLN this year.  I feel it will be a great opportunity to learn more not only about tech integration, but also about the challenges we face as EdTech coaches.  I am also very excited about meeting new people through here!

Feel free to follow me on twitter and instagram where I share some of the things I do with my students.