Are you a fan of Mystery Skype? Thousands of teachers use it as a way for their classrooms to connect and establish greater cultural understandings. It's like a game of 20-questions. The teachers arrange the Skype call ahead of time so they know where each other are located, but the students do not. Each group of students takes turns asking the other class a question that might give them a clue as to where they might be.
However, it is more than just random guessing. There are a lot of really great conversations that go towards the final deduction. Students will be pouring over atlases and maps as they engage in collaborative thinking to narrow down the possibilities in an attempt to be the first to discover the secret location of the class they are connected with. You can see an example below:
However, it is more than just random guessing. There are a lot of really great conversations that go towards the final deduction. Students will be pouring over atlases and maps as they engage in collaborative thinking to narrow down the possibilities in an attempt to be the first to discover the secret location of the class they are connected with. You can see an example below:
This week, Microsoft unveiled a new Skype app that takes this activity to a whole new level. It's called the Skype Translator app, and it does exactly what you might think an app with that name would do. It translates a Skype call, in real-time, so that you can communicate with people that you do not share a common language with.
Modern foreign language classrooms have been communicating with dual languages for some time, but for other teachers, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities and the opportunity to connect your class with parts of the world that you many never have thought possible before.
The app is still in an early beta phase, (Microsoft call it a Preview), but you can sign up to be one of the first to try it and registering your interest today. In the meantime, check out the demonstration below and be prepared to say "Wow!"
Modern foreign language classrooms have been communicating with dual languages for some time, but for other teachers, this opens up a whole new world of possibilities and the opportunity to connect your class with parts of the world that you many never have thought possible before.
The app is still in an early beta phase, (Microsoft call it a Preview), but you can sign up to be one of the first to try it and registering your interest today. In the meantime, check out the demonstration below and be prepared to say "Wow!"
~ Jonathan Wylie, Technology Consultant
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