Villa Maria Fifth Grade Students Skype with Yellowstone Park Ranger

The Fifth Grade students at Villa Maria Academy have been traveling across the United States discovering its beauty, culture, history, and people in their studies. On March 9, they took part in a Virtual Classroom ”Skype” session with Park Ranger Ellie from Yellowstone National Park. She taught them about the park and its many geysers and hot springs. It is home to the grizzly bear, grey wolves and herds of bison, buffalo and elk. She guided them through the hidden treasures of one of the most beautiful places on earth. Together they celebrated the National Park Services 100th Anniversary!!

"It is wonderful to be able to offer our girls this opportunity," said Fifth Grader Teacher, Mrs. Betty Veneziale. "To be able to have an expert right in our classroom, sharing her experiences and expertise with our students from across the globe is such a fun experience for them and for us. We're able to offer them this experience that we couldn't provide otherwise."

With an emphasis on 21st century learning, Villa began using the Skype software in their classrooms so that they could introduce students to cultures and experts worldwide in real time. Students have held Skype sessions with other classes in as close as neighboring towns and with experts as far away as Africa.