Gizmo or Skype
Objective: Global connections
Web tool: Gizmo or Skype
Use of tool: An elementary class of students from Georgia in the United States and high school students from Winnipeg, Canada participated in a Gizmo call. The elementary class had created questions about blogging that they wished to ask the high school students. Both services offer the ability to connect but Gizmo was chosen because it has a built in recording feature that enabled podcasts to be created after the session.
How it facilitates learning: This activity is tough to describe in word sbut I have to tell you that the learning can be so very powerful during these types of connections.
This type of dialogue that takes place outside of our classroom and connects two groups with different and shared experiences on blogging (or other subjects) gives students opportunities to embrace and understand each other and their own learning in profound ways. Students get to practice a form of public speaking that they have previously not encountered. There is a feeling of nervousness that is palatable in the classroom. This is coupled with a feeling of excitement and joy that this type of activity is possible through technology. Students and teachers are learning together how to navigate in this new environment and it is important that reflection on the activity is a prioriity. This was done through blog posts and comments. Learning became less abstract and more connected to their own lives and experience. The ownership of the shaping of a new type of literacy we need to be developing in all our schools was sensed by all.
I think the reading of the various blog posts below will help you see the potential of this tool.
Blog posts:
Posts on Blogical Minds to elementary students about the podcasts:
- A special bond is noted on the first Gizmo podcast
Additional strategies to use with students to facilitate learning and thinking: xxx
Links to "How To": xxx
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.