a group of adorable kindergarteners is sitting
quietly on the floor. they were just told that they are going to
“meet” an author today through the computer. one minute later,
the computer makes a ringing sound, and the little ones go
crazy! after they calm down, the teacher answers the call and
introduces the author, who greets the class with a “hi” and a
wave. arms and bodies jump up everywhere, loud “hi’s!” erupt,
and one little kindergartener right in front of the camera sticks
out a tongue ever so shyly.
seriously? is this really happening?
Yep! this happens. it has happened to me—more than once,
in fact.
Before you invite guests into your library or classroom, you have
to be prepared for anything. the connection might be bad, the
guest might be late, the sound might not work, or your class
might go crazy, just like the scene i described.
that’s why it’s a good idea to prepare your students and
teachers for connecting with others online before you bring
a guest into your classroom or library. here are a few ways
to do that:
When we started using skype at my school, i
would read to the classrooms from my library office a few times.
that allowed me to demonstrate skype and address behaviors
as they happened naturally during our connection.
talk about being good hosts, active
listeners, and respectful to your guests.
think about where the students
should sit and where the computer and camera will be so
that everyone—including the guest—can see each other.
students love to ask questions. if you have a
small group and plenty of time, it is fine for students to raise their
hands and take turns. however, if your group is large, it works
better to have a select group of students ask predetermined
questions. When we skyped with mercer mayer, each classroom
came up with a question together and then designated a student
to ask the question. this worked well, and all the students felt
like they had a voice.
When things
do not go as planned, reteach the expected behavior by
demonstrating what is expected. We had a really nutty skype
session with our kindergarteners last year, so the next day our
principal visited the classroom through skype and in person to
reteach the behaviors we hoped for during our connections.
When they came to the library later that week, we also retaught
and supported the expected behaviors.
let the other adults in the room know they
are also responsible for being attentive and helpful. it is a good
idea to have everyone spread out among the students to help
with classroom management.
lastly, have fun. remember that crazy does happen, just like in
any classroom or library. students are learning, and so are we.
together we can make this a wonderful experience for everyone.
(And Teachers)
