Skype in the classroom #mysteryskype

Since discovering the main possibilities of Skype in the classroom, my pupils have become huge Skype fans.  Today we took part in a mystery Skype which was great fun for the children as they tried to guess where our Skype guest was from using questions where the replies could only be yes or no.

The learning that took place during this process was impressive as the children used atlases for a real purpose.  It was also a great opportunity to complete some assessment for learning linked to their geographical knowledge.  It became apparent very quickly which children knew a range of countries and those who were struggling.  The children formulated some good questions that enabled them to eventually guess the name of the country (India) and then a few further questions and more searching in the altlas enabled them to name the city.

Our Skype partner then shared a fantastic Sway on screen to introduce the children to some key information about India.  The children learnt about the religions, dress, food, festivals and dancing.

It has been amazing to be able to introduce the children to people from around the world, from Skype with our partner school in Jordan to a Skype session with the author Christina Farley from the UK.  The children are so excited to find out where we will visit next.