It used to be pen pals, but now students are using Skype. Some students at Glenwood Ave. Elementary School have been using Skype to communicate with a school in Deport, Texas. Dottie Ostrander is the computers teacher at the school and made the arrangements for 2nd grade students in the school. About once a month, they Skype to 2nd grade students in Deport. Principle John Cummings stressed the importance of having a lesson plan. “We are creating experiences that couldn’t happen if we didn’t have these technologies,” Cummings said.
The teachers speak ahead of time and go over what the students are going to learn around. Ostrander said that one time the students at Glenwood learned about the closest city to Deport, which is Paris, Texas. The two sides learned about the extreme weather both sides were having. “Some students don’t travel too far from Wildwood, so this is kind of a neat way to meet others in another part of the country,” Ostrander said.
The school also takes part in an e-pals account, that allows students to e-mail with other students in another part of the world. Currently, the students are e-mailing with other students in Gunbower, Australia and in Halifax, Pennsylvania.
Currently the students use Skype about once a month.
