Village School

Google Hangouts Around the World

“Are you on the North American Continent?”

“YES!”

“Are you in the United States?”

“Yes!”

“Are you on the West Coast?”

“NO!”

And so they go on until we’ve finally found out that this classroom of 4th and 5th grade students, with whom the 4/5th grade Talented Toucans are video conferencing via Google Hangouts, exists in northern Illinois. They learn the town, the school name and some of the history of that region once the location has been confirmed.

And vice versa; once the students in Illinois find out our students are in the South Bay, our students take turns in front of the computer teaching some of the history of California.

The kids have maps in front of them and get a thrill out of the hunt for the other class’ location, they get to see the inside of another classroom, and they get to practice the give and take of knowledge and pleasantries.