By Chris Bavender
A Towne Meadow Elementary School teacher has been named a Skype Master Teacher for Microsoft Education. Josie McKay, who teaches fourth grade, earned the designation Aug. 23.
A Skype Master Teacher is someone who has demonstrated leadership in innovative learning through Skype, according to the Microsoft Education website. Recognized teachers use Skype extensively as part of their curriculum and regularly collaborate with other classrooms around the world.
There are only 63 Skype Master Teachers in the U.S.
“I feel really honored, humbled and blessed to be recognized as a Skype Master Teacher. To be placed among amazing, influential and exceptional teachers still overwhelms me,” McKay said. “I look up to these educators as inspiration. I connect with them for advice, ideas and tools to enhance and better my teaching practices, so to be a part of this group and to be able to provide guidance to other teachers feels pretty amazing.”
McKay uses Skype for a variety of instruction in her classroom.
“I take my students all over the world, meeting students from all locations from across the United States to France, Malaysia and Australia,” she said. “Last year, we participated in Skype-a-Thon where we ‘traveled’ to two different continents, in three different countries, six different states and visited 10 classrooms. We play Mystery Skype, typically with other classrooms in the United States. Mystery Skype is a game where you ask the other class geographical yes/no questions to determine where they’re located. This not only teaches them map skills but also logical thinking skills, teamwork, collaboration and speaking skills.”
Another way McKay employs Skype is through Virtual Field Trips, taking students to museums, national parks and historical sites to bring learning to life.
“Last year, we visited a Canoe Museum in Canada to learn more about fur trappers and traders, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West to learn about Animal Adaptations, Plains Indians and Fur Traders,” she said. “We visited a sea turtle rehabilitation center, a wildlife animal hospital, numerous national parks, Monticello, just to name a few.
“I also used Skype to bring in guest speakers such as author Chris Tozier. We read his ‘Olivia Brophie’ book as a class and then Skyped with him. He taught the students a fun way to write descriptive sentences and then answered questions about the writing process, publishing a book and about ‘Olivia Brophie.’”
