First graders at Windsor’s Oliver Ellsworth Elementary School have taken their learning beyond classroom walls with an exciting Cyber-communications project!
Recently, the students in teacher Kathleen Furie’s class "Skyped" with their elementary school pen pals from Martos, Spain. The students have been writing traditional letters back and forth with their pen pals since September. Skype is a computer software application that allows people to video-chat via the Internet with others around the world. The Ellsworth students viewed their friends’ faces on a large screen in their classroom.
Before their live Skype exchange, Mrs. Furie’s students learned conversational words such as “Hola” (Spanish for hello) and “Adios” (goodbye). During their “visit,” the Spanish pen pals showed how they could count in English and sang several Spanish songs. At times, both classes sang and counted together from across the globe. Oliver Ellsworth School Principal Kurt Stanco also participated by speaking in Spanish and greeted the principal of the pen pals’ school.
Find out what's happening in Windsorfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
For most of the year, it would not possible for the Windsor and Martos students to communicate by Skype because of a vast time difference. However, in late March, the U.S. started daylight savings time two weeks earlier than Spain and with only a five-hour spread, the classes were able to “meet” twice. Ellsworth School’s first graders arrived early for their 8:30 a.m. Skype chats, as the Spanish students gathered at 1:30 p.m., just before they ended their school days!
For more information about Oliver Ellsworth Elementary School’s programs, call (860) 687-2070. For general information about the Windsor Public Schools, call (860) 687-2000 or visit www.windsorct.org.
