I just had a virtual tour of Turning Point Learning Centre in Kansas, USA courtesy of Ginger Lewman who I met through Classroom 2.0. This little tour actually took me by surprise as it is after midnight here in Warrnambool, and I am sitting here at my kitchen table in my dressing gown. I had too many things running through my head and couldn’t sleep, so I got up, saw the Ginger was online on Skype and stupidly thought to myself ‘What’s she doing up so late?’ , forgetting to take the 13 hour time difference in to consideration! Silly me!
These are the sort of right-here-right-now moments we have to grab so I was rapt when Ginger asked if I wanted to see her kids, and then my tour started. Ginger walked around a couple of her classrooms, macbook in hand, and introduced me to some of her students. It was great! I met Olivia who wore a very striking hat, and is determined not to be an entertainer when she leaves school because she doesn’t like giving concerts. I also met some students working on classifying leaves - well, that’s what I think they were doing! I hope I understood properly! There is also an eager student, Ryan, (G’day Ryan!) who is keen to be taught by ‘the awesomeness that is Australia.’ No worries, mate, the awesomeness will teach you whatever you want to know!
Ginger and I are planning to do some collaborating over the next few weeks. My kids are going to teach her kids how some Chinese characters are made. American kids being taught Chinese by Australian kids. Love it.
A big hello to the class at Turning Point - leave some comments if you read this! You guys might also like to hear some of my kids speaking some Chinese - with Aussie accents of course! You can hear that at technoChinese (just click on the page of the Grade you want to hear and then wait a minute for the page to load properly).
Talk to you again soon!
For another surprise international connection, check out: Typing Furiously!
You might also be interested in reading Talk Swap - webcams, Skype and 4 Chinese kids or listening to the first episode of the technoLOTE podcast - Classroom Collaboration the Ning Way.
Ginger Lewman and her crew of intrepid educational travelers are inspiring to be with in person too. They are up for learning collaborations anytime. This world just keeps getting more exciting!
This is really kind of you to post this–I’m also terribly excited and even though it was morning and the kids weren’t jumping for joy, I know they’re also excited. They seem to be very lifely until the Skype comes open and they do their best “turtle” impressions, where they climb into their shells.
The more of this we do, the more they’ll get used to it! We’re looking forward to the collaboration on WikiSpaces once we change over our network!
Lifely? Let’s try “lively!”
Hi
This is a great inspiration to LOTE teachers. I’m a French teacher and a classroom teacher, and am really excited to see another LOTE teacher embracing technology in the way that you do. You are way ahead of me! I’d love to know more aobut Skype and how to use it with my students.
Pam
Australian Chinese? Yayness. Also, connections? Yayness. Stealing Olivia’s yayness word in sentence fragments? Yay. ness. Seriously.
ryan.
It’s so lucky for me to find your blog! So shocking and great! Just one suggestion: It will be better and easier to follow if your blog can offer rrs subscription service.