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Skype Unites
By E. Mendelsohn
 Last semester, Class 3 had a very special visitor: a former Chapin Middle School student joined the class room from India. Her visit, however, was the 21st century version; students used Skype, software which allows users to talk in real time over the Internet. The visitor provided Class 3 students with a personal perspective for their studies of India as she is currently enrolled in an international school on the south side of the country. She compared her new life in India to her former life as a Chapin student. The houses in her town are "more open," with courtyards and greenery. Although it was the end of winter, the weather was as hot as our summer. She told the captivated students that many people travel around on scooters, three-wheeled open cars. Unlike America, many people live with extended families. Yet, she noted, life in India resembled life in New York. She still eats American foods, and she plays soccer and basketball. The girls were surprised to learn that families in India have cats and dogs as pets.
In addition to answering questions, she e-mailed a powerpoint presentation to Lower School computer teacher Mary Beth Burns. This presentation featured photos of her home and school in India. She perfected her Powerpoint skills by participating this year in Chapin Teacher Steve Bergen's Middle School computer class. Using Skype, she has attended one class a week and communicated with students on group assignments. She recently completed a powerpoint presentation for a Chapin science class webquest project on healthy hearts.
This continued communication with The Chapin School, in addition to providing her with new skills and Chapin students with new perspectives, will help prepare her for her return to The Chapin School after an invigorating study abroad. |
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