Mystery Skype, another fun way to fuel the interests of students. It promotes collaboration, and communication skills. How you ask? Well, it was shown to do all of these things in the article "Where in the world are they? Students find out with Mystery Skype." In this article, a teacher of 5th grade students describes how easy it is to do. Teachers can Google mystery Skype and find eager participants and then set a day and time. She recommends that you assign students to roles or jobs during the call like greeter, inquirers, answerers, think tanks, atlas mappers, Google mappers, closers, etc. All of these roles help students to guess where the students on the Skype call are from. "Is it North Carolina?" It is recommended to give students plenty of time to prepare for the call, collecting maps and such. And during the call teachers will have to sit back and watch. There should be a rule on how many questions asked before they can guess, to keep students from just guessing by listing off the states. Students will do their jobs, collaborate, and work as a team. The mystery Skype will continue until both classrooms have figured it out, and then leave a little time for more questions. And then after the call, students will reflect on what questions worked and what needs to be changed. The article then says the teacher can wait for a moment for a student to say, "When can we do it again?"
I think this is such a great way to motivate 5th grade students to learn about the different states in the United States. The students have to study different states their characteristics, geography, and state facts to be prepared for the mystery Skype call. Plus, they have to work together to figure out clues and fulfill their jobs in the call. Their different roles are perfect for keeping the students productive and working together to figure out the state. This use of the Skype application is a great way to teach geography, history, collaboration, and communication.
As for the ISTE standards for students, mystery Skype addresses Standard 2. Interact and collaborate with peers using a digital environment and media (Standard 2a). The students interact and collaborate using Skype to discover another classroom's state. It also addresses Standard 3, the students plan strategies to guide inquiry (Standard 3a). Students are given a few days to use sources like google maps to plan strategies to mystery skype. Mystery Skype addresses Standard 4, critical thinking, problem solving, decision making. The students have to use critical thinking skills to figure out the other classroom's state. It also addresses Standard 5, digital citizenship, because it teaches students to exhibit a positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity (Standard 5b). And last, but not least mystery skype addresses Standard 6, technology operations and concepts. Students use a variety of applications effectively and productively like skype, google maps, etc (Standard 6b).
Ripp, P. (2013). Where in the world are they? Students find out with mystery Skype. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(5), 30-31.
3 comments:
I have never heard of the online tool Mystery Skype. It seems to me that this tool is a great way to have students connect to other students from different states, countries and parts of the world. Growing up, such technology was never introduced or used in the classrooms. Even hearing about how these kids in 5th grade have access to this technology is amazing. This shows how advanced classroom around the world have become with technology and how teachers and students are taking full advantage of it. I was a bit worried when I read that it was a 5th grade classroom exploring Mystery Skype and its features but was glad to read that teachers are always taking precautions and supervising such settings. By far, Mystery Skype seems like a great opportunity for students to connect with peers around the world and learn about different cultures, compare lifestyles, share ideas, collaborate on projects and conduct research. Great Job Ronaele!
This sounds like so much fun! I would have loved to do this as a student, and I bet it is a great motivating tool for student learning. Students learn really well from their peers, and show more interest when they can relate school subjects to real life. When they see that there are actual students like them who live in a different state, they are better able to connect to the material. I would love to use this with my future students!
If I were a fifth grade student, I would love using Mystery Skype! I love that the students have to prepare for the Skype call by studying the states and learning about geography and facts. The Skype call itself seems like a fun quiz. Not only are the students studying history and geography, they are interacting with peers and learning from one another. I think an important part of using the tool, Mystery Skype, is that students are learning how to appropriately act online, AKA practicing digital citizenship. I think that is one of the most important aspects when introducing technology in the classroom.
Post a Comment