These first grade students have been learning about penguins over the past couple weeks. They received a penguin (stuffed) in the mail asking for the class to take care of him. They immediately began researching and designing a penguin habitat to determine if we can keep the penguins at Jefferson. During this virtual lesson, the students were able to ask and answer questions. The teachers and I were so impressed with the students because they had some fabulous questions to ask our virtual expert! They learned some great information as we continue on in our penguin unit. This was one of the best virtual lessons I've ever conducted. The interactiveness and the level that the presenter was able to talk at completely benefited our students. Each student was completely engaged as they listened, answered, and even demonstrated penguin habits like waddling and swimming. The greatest moment was when one of the students, who really didn't speak at all in kindergarten, stood up and asked a question of the presenter. Such an amazing experience!
The types of connections that can be made through video conferencing tools like Skype, Google Hangouts, Adobe Connect, Cisco Jabber, and more help to expand the learning environment by offering students a virtual window to a real world outside of their community. Content for these can be chosen to align with your curriculum to help enrich it and make it more relevant. With virtual connections, you can eliminate time and distance. You are able to tap into others expertise. Students become more engaged and the relevancy helps content to stick with them. There are many places that you can use to leverage these connections. Places like NASA and Yellowstone National Park have staff dedicated to educational presentations and experiences. These types of connections allow you to create new experiences for the students that may never have otherwise been possible. This is using technology to redefine the learning experience of our students. Think about who you could bring into your classroom; marine biologists, professors, authors, scientists, archaeologists. The sky's the limit. For more information, talk to your Innovation Specialist or look for classes to be posted in My Learning Plan.
