Video Conference Partner Wanted

Hello!

I am working with a teacher who would like to video conference with a class in another English speaking country. We are in Upstate NY, USA.

The teacher is 7th grade ELA (English) and would like to do an activity on Biographies.

The idea would be to have the classes connect and do the following:

Introduce each Class
Have each student in each class brainstorm 5 famous people that they would like to write a Biography about.
Share a few of those ideas.
Next each classes would categorize their famous people; Music, Sports, Politicians, etc.
Then each class would share and compare categories.

The idea is to show how people from different countries look up to different people. The teacher wants her students to start thinking more globally versus the increasing trend of students to pick someone simply because they are on TV or the radio...higher level role models if you will.

This would be a one time conference, with more possible if both sides wanted. We would be using Skype, but have access to Poly Com if needed. Hoping to do this before December 17th.

Please let me know if this is something you would be willing to do. Thanks!

Stu

Tags: biographies, biography, conference, conferencing, skype, video

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stange on November 20, 2010 at 10:07am

I have a grade 5-6 class. You probably are looking for peers to work with. If you are interested in my group I would be happy to collaborate. We are in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. stange.alan@prairiesouth.ca

We have three available Skype connections in my classroom and a number of veterans of school-based Skype projects in my grade six group. Many of them Skype from home. Like you, I am interested in integrating this tool into learning. I want such communication to become as prosaic to my students as lifting the phone off the hook. Our system is pretty open to social networking tools, so I can also probably facilitate other applications.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Bryant on November 20, 2010 at 9:32pm

Hi I don't have a class but I know people who do. I would like to ask our year seven teacher if she would be interested in this. She is one of our staff that think outside the box and I think she would take you up on this. I am writing from a P - 12 private school in Maryborough Queensland Australia. Even a collaborative including other responses would be amazing. imagine having four or five classes working collectively in this way. Just imagine the student engagement. Please contact me at david.jeffs@riverside.qld.edu.au if you would like us to be involved. I will not be checking this site for a while so your direct email would be appreciated. looking forward to a positive outcome.
David Jeffs
Director of Teaching and Learning