Mystery Skype
Author: Matt O'Donnell
Published: 03.15.13
There are so many ways to use Skype in the classroom, and now you can add Mystery Skype to the list. A Mystery Skype is when two classes from different areas of the country or world connect with each other and try to guess each other's location. Here is how
a teacher in Missouri describes the process:
"What’s so cool about a Mystery Skype? Everything. A Mystery Skype is when you Skype with another classroom and neither class knows where the other is located. Kids ask questions and try to determine the other class’s location. Questions are in a Yes/No format and to up the ante this year, my class is trying to beat their record of 7 questions. They are fun, quick (20-30 minutes total), and great ways to encourage kids to collaborate."
Students have different roles in the conversation, questioning, researching and guessing. Watch this demonstration of a Mystery Skype in action to get a feel of how it works.
Mystery Skypes get students to learn about geography, collaboration, critical thinking and more. Take a look at what this class learned:
In 15 min. my students decided that these were things they had learned by participating in #mysteryskype. #amazing twitter.com/cherylsteighne…
— Cheryl Steighner (@cherylsteighner) March 9, 2013
To get started, go to this
Google Doc where you can add your class information and find other teachers looking to connect or you can
search the hashtag #MysterySkype on twitter.
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