By Derrick Forsythe, Record Staff Writer
Eager to maximize the use of technology in her classroom, Shelby Bailey has started connecting her students with others across the globe via video conferencing.The Rebecca Boone Elementary teacher uses an innovative method called Mystery Skype to get her students excited about learning geography and cultural differences.“I started doing these close to four years ago through my connections with my summer institute network,” explained Bailey. “After the first year I went there, a number of teachers were talking about the benefits, so I decided to give it a try.”Last Thursday, each of the fifth-grade classes at Rebecca Boone interacted with students and teachers from different locations, working together to determine where their mystery guests were from. For many of them, it was their first time participating in the interactive activity.“I’m such an advocate for technology in the classroom,” said Bailey, who is the building’s technology specialist. “I present on a national level about using technology through Discovery Education, whose goal is to bring the world into the classroom.”A classroom full of students — or in some cases, teachers in workshops — will appear on the projector screen, and the students’ jobs are to ask questions to determine from where their guests are calling. Students are given specific tasks so that everyone is fully engaged in the process.Those in the Think Tank group generate questions to ask their guests to gain clues about their location. Others serve as mappers, videographers and greeters.“I’d made these connections with other teachers and by having our students connect, I really like it because it makes the kids realize there are more than just the four walls inside our classroom,” said Bailey.On this particular day, the afternoon class exchanged inquiries with a group of fourth-graders from New Orleans. Bailey’s students narrowly beat their mystery guests in figuring out they were from Louisiana, as the other class scrambled to figure out which “M” state the Rebecca Boone Elementary students called home.Near the end of the call, the classes shared their favorite foods, activities and traditions — many of them differing based upon the unique cultural differences. The Louisiana students concluded their call with a “Who Dat?” chant to show their pride for the New Orleans Saints football team.“There were other times where we’ve Skyped students in Canada with two feet of snow or a friend of mine who is a teacher in England,” said Bailey. “That is really fascinating to the kids.”Following the Mystery Skype, Bailey goes through a debriefing with her class, discussing which areas they excelled in and others that needed improvement. Topics such as preparedness, teamwork and volume were discussed.“I love Mystery Skyping, because it really helps their critical thinking skills and problem solving, which are skills employers look for,” said Bailey. “Those might not be things that are in the textbook, but I think they’re important skills students need to have.”Bailey says she hopes to include a Mystery Skype after each unit test.Fifth-grade students and their teacher at Rebecca Boone Elementary work together to find where their Mystery Skype guests are calling from on Thursday, Sept. 1. Students have been connecting with others across the globe with interactive learning. Derrick Forsythe photo.
