After a couple of months of trying, I finally found a school willing to try out videoconferencing with me. Using Online Meeting Rooms, a brilliant online package from http://www.onlinemeetingrooms.com, my school, Carlow Educate Together hooked up with the Athy Model School, 20km down the road for a Christmas Carol sing-off.
Each school sang two Christmas carols to each other. Our school were treated to two popular Church of Ireland carols and we sang “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” and “Ceallóga Sneachta ag Titim”. The kids were really enthusiastic and clapped and cheered each rendition.
Each school used a projector to make the image of their partner school large enough for all the pupils to see. In effect, 180 children experienced a lesson at the same time and there was no need for any behavour managment strategies as all of them were highly motivated and listened really well to each other.
After the holidays, I’d love to find another school to partner up for a project. If anyone is interested, please contact the school and we’d love to give it a go. A big thanks also to Joe Garde from Online Meeting Rooms for the video conferencing service.