What's the Hype on Hangouts?

I am a lover of Hangouts, Skype, Zoom, anything really to connect classrooms outside their four walls.  I'm not going to give you my million reasons why I think it's so important for students, but leave you with, it is.  I've even gone through a lot of that in a previous post, Not Connecting Globally is a Disservice to Your Students.

And as a coach, I am always trying to find different ways and reasons to connect our students to the world around them. 

I was on maternity leave earlier this year and was having a hard time transitioning back into being in the classroom a lot.  I felt caught behind my computer accomplishing tasks from being gone on maternity instead of out there working hands on with teachers and students, so I issued a challenge.

Hangouts Hype was born!

For one month, each time a teacher connected outside their classroom walls in any way, I entered their name in a big jar. Each week a winner was selected for a $5 gift card and then at the end, the greatest gift of all: an extra planning time. 

Yes, for one lucky winner who decided to open up those classroom walls, I will cover your class for 45 minutes for you to do whatever you want.  Need to plan?  Need to grade? Need to sit on the couch in the lounge and relax? You do it because I'm covering your class!



In one month, my small school with only 32 classroom teachers K-12 had over 40 global connections take place!

It went so well I'm thinking about issuing another challenge in January.  If you have an idea, drop a comment!

Interested in Hangout Hype?  Here's the flyer!
Want some ideas on connections?  Here's an upcoming presentation I am doing at the IAG Conference in Indianapolis.