By Ina Krasteva
When current adults attended primary school, it was unthinkable to communicate with a peer from New Zealand during a geography class — Skype, Facebook, and Google Hangouts were yet to be developed. But now thanks to Mystery Skype, an entire class can participate in a call with another class virtually anywhere in the world.
The video conversations are a critical thinking challenge aimed at broadening students’ knowledge of geography, world history and cultures. The goal of Mystery Skype is to guess the other’s school location by asking different questions. Invented by teachers, it is suitable for all age groups.
As Katrina Keene of eSchoolNews writes, Mystery Skyping is an innovative, fun way to knock down the walls of the traditional K-12 classroom and bring new experiences to both students and teachers.