From AAPSNews Service
Dave Corsa’s third-graders and their parents took a virtual trip to Japan on Nov. 17 without leaving their classroom at Allen Elementary School.
Using Skype, the class interacted in a videoconference with Okurayama Elementary School in Sapporo, Japan. The event took place 6:30 p.m. Ann Arbor time, when it was 8:30 a.m. – the start of the school day – for the Japanese children. All families from the class were invited to participate.
The classes shared pre-arranged information about their schools and were also allowed to ask each other questions.
Corsa, who has traveled to Japan several times and visited this school in 2006, said he went over some cultural background about Japan an shared some basic language with Allen students in preparation for the event. They also brainstormed as a class as to what they should talk about with their peers in Japan.
Corsa said a few more videoconferences are planned before the Japanese students end their school year in April.
Below is a short video clip from the 45-minute event:
