Skypeathon is coming soon! On November 13th and 14th, classrooms across the world will be breaking down their walls and connecting students with peers from various countries and cultures, as well as experts in various fields. The following video overview showcases what happens during the Skypeathon event. Please note, this video is from 2018 when Microsoft ran the event themselves. They are no longer sponsoring or organizing this event. In 2023, three educators who were passionate about the impact this event had on students took it over with permission from Microsoft.
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For new participants
For new participants
If you are new to Skype in the Classroom, fear not! Any educator can take their students on a Skype-a-Thon adventure. Find a Virtual Field trip that connects to your unit of study or reach out to a guest speaker, who will inspire your students. Maybe you want to try a Skype collaboration or a game of Mystery Skype, too. Request a lesson, a field trip, a collaboration event, or a game for Skypeathon, and you will be part of something massive!
For past participants
For past participants
If you’re a veteran Skype in the Classroom teacher, challenge yourself to take your Skype-a-Thon to the next level. Try to participate in multiple calls during the event or travel to several countries in one day. Try something new, like a connected Kahoot game. There are so many engaging ideas you can explore on Skype in the Classroom. Challenge yourself to try something new.
How to get parents involved
How to get parents involved
Maybe you might want to try something unique and include parents in your Skypeathon plans. One fun idea that has been done in the past is to host an optional pitch-in Skype Breakfast during the morning of Skype-a-Thon. Parents have been hearing about the engaging and authentic learning that has occurred throughout our school year. They are curious and jump at the chance to experience the magic of Skype in the Classroom for themselves. Students love showing off their Skype skills for their parents, and the parents are always blown away by what they see!
Another meaningful way to include the parents is to create a homework assignment where the students report back what they learned to their folks. Then, they ask the parents to respond about which Skypeathon destination they found most interesting and why. The kids love having homework that their parents need to do. More importantly, this assignment encourages rich discussion between parent and child. That is a win-win!
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