Today something happened that was so cool, I hope it happens again.
One of my students, when I first shared Skype, told me her dad is working in Afghanistan and has Skype. Would I allow her dad to Skype our class? At first I didn't give a clear answer, and then I decided, sure! So we set a time and date.
Today was the day. C. and I worked together to get the technology in place. My students moved furniture to make a better audience space. Instead of Skype we used Yahoo chat. He wore a headset and was located in a bunker. There was a lag but we communicated. I gathered two other classes in the room and we spent about 20 minutes chatting.
And this was not the most exciting part.
The most exciting part was when two other students approached me after class. They want to use Skype for their own communication with loved ones that live far away.
It is not about the technology. It is about what you do with it.
The interview process must be clarified for the students, but I see many more interviews in the future.
Oh, I signed up for a second class tonight--mo' skoo. Topics include mind mapping, concept mapping, GIS, GPS, Inspiration, and various other systems of storing, retrieving, and presenting data.