Whats the Hype With

Mystery Skype?
Teacher Information Compiled by Jennifer Stewart-Mitchell

What is a
Mystery
Skype?

A Mystery Skype project involves

students in a simple guessing
game. Two classrooms arrange to
connect with each other using
Skype video, and then ask
questions to discover each
others locations around the
world.
It can be adapted for different
age groups, languages and to fit
in with what a class is currently
studying.

Photo Credit: superkimbo via Compfight cc

It allows students to not only

learn about another place, but
develop a stronger
understanding of their own
home or community... as they
become the "experts" of their
home community.

However, the project involves

more than just the call that
day. Students are assigned
different roles to help detect
where the other class is from.

Shh Its More

Than Just Fun!

To get ready for a Mystery

Skype there is a little prelearning about your own
community:

Informational literacy in how

to use maps (digital or print),
and
Digital literacy in how to use
various digital tools such as
blogs, back-channel chats, or
video record.

Mystery Skype With Mrs. Elseys Class by 21innovate

Question format: Closed

Questions (yes or no
responses).

The Rules of
Mystery Skype

Classes take turns asking

questions, while trying to
determine the location.
If a class asks a question that
receives a yes answer, they get
to ask a follow up question.

Photo credit: Mystery Skype by Mary Scott, 2013

In order to participate in a Mystery Skype,

sign up with Skype in the Classroom or go
to Twitter and see the #mysteryskype
chat or join the Mystery Skype Google
Community.

Preparing for a
Mystery Skype

Photo Credit: shlomp-a-plompa via Compfight cc

Complete Parent Permission Forms to

participate in Skype
1.

Decide on a date and time - don't

forget to consider time zones.

2.

Prepare the Students!

As explained by Silvia
Tolisano, in Langwitches Blog
with a Mystery Skype, the
actual experience should be
framed by pre-activities that
activate prior knowledge and
post-activities that give
students the opportunity to
reflect, create and connect
these new experiences.

Students will need to know

their own community, province
and country in order to
accurately answer questions.

Become an
Expert of your
Own
Community &
Research

Prior to the call, research the

following questions:
Climate, region, neighboring
provinces, time zone, capital,
famous landmarks,
geographical location.

Older students explore

further with political leaders,
resources, industries, specific
geographical location
(latitude, longitude, eastern
or western hemisphere,
northern or southern
hemisphere).

Photo Credit: ecstaticist via Compfight cc

Its More Than

Just a Cool
Phone Call
With Skype

Curricular Connections

Preparation and Pre-learning

Engaging in Mystery Skype

involves preparation and prelearning. Some of the preactivities include:

Students can prepare for a call by

filling out the handout for Preactivities (see Langwitches blog
handout).

Familiarize with geographic

location, language, culture, age
group, etc.

Students can also brainstorm,

formulate and share questions on a
classroom blog or in a collaborative
doc as well.

Data Organization/ Informational

Literacy
Mapping Skills Informational
Literacy - Google Earth (distance)
Google Maps (Street view)
Formulate questions
Adapted from Langwitches Blog

What can you expect during

the call?
During the Call Activities
include:

During the Call

Interview Q & A,
Image & Video Recording,
Blog (summarize),
Backchannel Data Collection
Present Share
Photo credit: Mystery Skype by Mary Scott. 2013

Mystery Skype Etiquette Guidelines

1. Sit quietly and look at the screen so
your audience can see that you are
paying attention to them. Remember
that they can see you the whole time.

2. Do not raise your hand unless its

question/answer time. Let the speaker
finish first.

Mystery Skype
Etiquette

3. Be polite. Do not shout out wait to

be called on.

4. When speaking to the other class,

look into the webcam, not at yourself
5. Speak a little louder than your
normal voice.
6. Focus the task you have to
complete from your assigned role.
(Adapted from: Mrs. Morgans Stars Blog)

by Buddha's Smile School

 Calendar - Responsible for adding Date &

Time of planned Skype connection to shared
digital (Google or O365) Calendar
Greeter -Greets the partner school. Makes
initial introduction. Talks about Geographic
location. Shares something special about
class, school, city, state, province or country.
Could be song, dance, souvenir, project,
sports team, etc.

The Roles

Q &A - Asks specific questions for data

collection. Responsible for keeping
conversation fluid.
Photographer - Responsible for
documenting connection with still images.
Videographer - Responsible for
documenting connection with video.
Backchannel Writers - Documenting
conversation, questions, answers and
classroom happenings during the
connection on a backchannel chat (Ex.
Todays Meet)
Backchannel Cleanup - Responsible to save
backchannel chat as a Word Document and
cleaning up duplicate comments and mark
questionable statements to be verified.

Photo credit: Mystery Skype by Matt Bresicani. 2013

 Live Blogger - Blogs Skype call live to

classroom blog
Blogger Word Problem - Creates a Math
word problem from data, questions and
answers collected during Skype call

Google Earth - Finds location of Skype

partner and measures distance in miles &
kilometers.

More Roles!

Google Map - Responsible for adding

placemark of Skype partners location to
embedded Google Map on classroom blog.
Info Station - Responsible to search for any
data question on the spot. Verifies any
questionable information as well.
Data Entry - Responsible for adding data
collected into embedded google form on
classroom blog. Ex. distance miles/km,
temperature in F/C.
Elapsed Timer - Responsible for noting
time Skype call started and ended as well
as calculating elapsed time.
Adapted from Langwitches Blog

Photo credit: Mystery Skype by Matt Bresicani. 2013

Possible
Mystery Skype
Questions and
Clues

Possible Mystery Skype Questions

1. Is your continent in the
Eastern/Western Hemisphere?
2. Is your continent in the
Northern/Southern Hemisphere?
3. Is your continent near the
Atlantic/Pacific/Indian/Arctic Ocean?
4. Is your continent N. America/S.
America/Africa/Europe/Asia/Australi
a/Antarctica?
5. Is it a big/small country?
6. Do you speak English as a first
language?
7. Is it very hot in summer and cold in
winter?
8. Is it north/south/east/west
of..?
9. Does your country border another
country?
8. Are there mountains in your
country?
9. Does your country have a
coastline?
10. Is .the capital of
your country?

11. Does your state/province

border ?
12. Is your
country/state/province
north/south/east/west of?
13. Is your city in the
north/south/east/west of your
country/state/province?
14. Is your city the capital of your
country/state/province?
Possible Clues
1. The time is
2. The season is
3. We are north/south/east/west
of
4. The beginning letter is
5. We also speak
French/German/Spanish/Mandar
in etc

Once the Skype call has ended, it is

important to debrief and reflect on the
experience. As their teacher you will
want to assess the learning. Give
students choices on how to debrief by
offering or alternating using different
media.

Reflecting on
the Mystery
Skype

Questions could be framed in the

following ways:
Is Skyping making a difference in their
learning?
Have they learned something that
could not have been taught via a
textbook?
What was motivating about the
activity? Here are some ideas on how
to help your students reflect on their
Skype experience and help you assess
their learning. Give students choices
on how to debrief by offering or
alternating using different media.

This work (Untitled, by Paul Goyette) is free of known copyright restrictions.

Post-Call Activities could

include:

Reflection
Tasks

Informal assessment: Debrief

right after the Skype call. Have
students talk about what just
happened. Read the
backchannel log out-loud and
collaboratively add anything
that was not documented.

Create a photo slideshow of

images taken during the
Skype call

Explore informational literacy Evaluate, analyze, categorize

data collected in the form of an
Infograph

Create a video or a podcast

recording from your
debriefing session that
explores what was learned
and how it could be improved

Create a documentary (video

clip) from video clips taken
during the Skype call
Adapted from Langwitches Blog

Write reflective blog posts:

Give students prompts and
have them embed images
that reflect the call

Host a parent presentation

session at school

What About Timezones?

What to do if you cant have a
synchronous Mystery Skype
Chat.

Mystery Skype
Options

See the directions on how to

conduct an Asynchronous
Mystery Hangout across time
zones from Learn Around the
World Blog.

How Can We Use Mystery

Skype With Other
Languages?
Join the Mystery Skype
Community by following the
link below.
Mystery Skype for Foreign Language
Teachers Blog
Mystery Hangouts for Foreign
Language Teachers Google Community

Photo Credit: Werner Kunz via Compfight cc

Resources

These are a few resources to

make Mystery Skype Happen
in Your Classroom!

Mystery Skype Google

Community

Langwitches Blog on Mystery

Skype *Fantastic Resource!

Mystery Hangouts for

Foreign Language Teachers
Google Community

Mr. Averys Blog

6th Chat Wikispace
Mrs. Morgans Stars Blog
Stewies Smart Thoughts Blog

Skype in the Classroom

Twitter #mysteryskype or
@MysterySkype to find
connections