In a cozy, cubicle-style classroom at the Upper Campus, all nine Spanish 3 Honors students recently stood huddled around a small, green laptop.
Skype was open and an animated conversation was taking place. Usually, such conversations, in class during the school day, would be frowned upon.
But not this day.
The OVS students were talking to a sixth-grade class at Ocean View Middle School in Oxnard as part of a new initiative to use technology to help build speaking skills among language students.
Spanish teacher Gretchen Stevens collaborated with Ocean View teacher Esther Andrews, a former OVS teacher, to stage the Skype conversation, the first of what they hope will be many more to come.
Mrs. Andrews’ middle school students learn in both Spanish and English throughout the day, as this school is participating in a dual immersion program. Through rapid-fire questioning, both sides learned about the others favorite colors, sports, or moviesv. The kids were fascinated by each other’s lives, jumping to ask another question.
Ms. Stevens and Mrs. Andrews came up with the idea one day while they were catching up. The two have been trying to forge a line of communication between their two classes, and hit upon the idea of the Skype conversation.
“I think it went really well,” Ms. Stevens said. “My students understood everything Mrs. Andrew’s kids were saying, and it was nice to see them use their vocabulary.”
After the call ended, spirits stayed high. Both classes buzzed about the conversations, thoroughly excited for the next call. Both teachers are collaborating on possibly creating a book club and also keeping the classes in contact throughout the various levels for Spanish.
OVS sophomore Lilli Trompke was first up, talking to a group of about four students about their favorite sports and foods. She was tense at first, but as the conversation progressed, she started delving into her life and finding similar interests between her and the kids.
“I’m usually fine speaking in class, but during the Skype call, I got a little nervous because I’m terrible at small talk,” Lilli said. “The kids were really nice and overall it was really fun because I’ve never done anything like it before.”
Junior Peter Weckerle had another lively conversation with a different group of students. They all bonded over their mutual love of soccer, but the conversation got a little heated when they talked about their favorite teams, as Peter is an avid Bayer-Munich fan while the kids are pro-Barcelona.
“The experience was good, because it’s a great way to study Spanish,” Peter said. “It was cool talking to them because they like soccer like me. I’m totally excited for the next time we talk.”
Mrs. Andrews was delighted by the way the conversation went.
This opportunity was especially exciting for her students, as they loved talking to the group of OVS students. She, too, hopes that the classes can form a connection, opening up more conversations between the two groups in later classes and on to next year.
“They had the chance to see the value of knowing a second language and of course meeting fabulous students from other parts of the world,” Mrs. Andrews said. “They don’t get to see or talk with people outside of their own neighborhood, so this was a very enlightening experience for them.”