cofino

In the spring and fall of 2009 we used video to connect with a classroom in Australia. Anne Mirtschin, a teacher at Hawkesdale P12 College in western Victoria, Australia and I set up a question each week on a blog that both of our classes would respond to. Through the blog they were able to learn a little bit about each other's lives in a country 1000s of miles away from their own. After about 5 blog posts we connected both classes using a live blog. Hundreds of comments were exchanged and both classes were amazed at the lives their counterparts were living. As the final piece we connected using skype. The call in the fall we modeled after a "show-and-tell." Each person brought in something that was unique to their country. While commenting on blogs is engaging, and the live blog was a thrill, nothing can replace looking into another persons eyes 1000s of miles away and laughing and together, and being able to spontaneously ask questions and get answers. One student Christine Ewart said "While the written communication highlighted differences between our cultures, we walked away from the video conference realizing how much we had in common with them." Kathy MaCabe of South Africa said that experiences like this have taught my students to "appreciate the opportunities they have. Their understanding of the world around them has grown. Perhaps they will begin to reflect on their future role in our broader society of our global village. These kids have horizons stretching way beyond their own neighborhood."