In my many years as a school librarian, I enjoyed helping teachers connect to distant schools and other places using Skype, Google Meet (Google Hangouts at the time), and Zoom. It was always a thrill to see students learn about destinations they may never physically visit through such connections. In this article, I want to share my best practices for setting up the library or classroom for a session. I will also share a few resources for connecting with other schools. I strongly recommend this activity regardless of the time of year. I guarantee you everyone will be engaged!
Mystery Skype is a global guessing game that uses webcam conferencing calls to connect the participating schools or individuals. You can use Skype, Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or a similar webcam app. The students do not know the location of the other school, and they must guess where they are by using “yes” or “no” questions only. The goal is to guess the other school's location before they guess yours. Prior to the event, I would hold a session with the teacher and students to share how we would set up the library for the game. Here is a link to a teacher's blog that contains a video showing how we set up the library.
We had the following jobs available to students:
Inquirers/ Responders - these students are stationed at the webcam
Atlas Checkers - these students use printed maps and atlases to narrow down possible locations
Logic Reasoners - these students help decide what the responses and questions will be
Photographers - these students can use library iPads or cameras to take photos of the event
Video Camera Operators - these students used our library iPads or cameras to take videos of the event
Question Keepers - these students recorded the questions and responses
Runners - go back and forth among team members to relay information
 |
Question Keeper Screen
|
Pro TipsI strongly recommend creating an anonymous account on whichever webcam conferencing application you use. There were a few times that the competing school would see my name on my account. A few of them Googled my name and discovered our state. I also recommend that you remind the competing school to do the same thing. Your students will search for any information they can find in an effort to win! I always tried to keep the competition tied to the yes/ no geographical questions by removing all other clues. In addition, when you have your informational session with the class prior to the actual event, have the students look around the library/ classroom for any items that might give away your state or school. Remind them not to wear clothing that would give away your state or school during the event. This is most important for the Inquirers/ Responders since they are on the webcam the entire time. It is also a good idea to have a test connection with the competing school/ individual a few days prior to the event to make sure all tech is working correctly.
On the day of the event, the students will come to you and the teacher to ask many questions. I felt like I needed to help them with every detail during the first few of these we held. I think this was a disservice to the students. The problem-solving portion of this is part of the experience. I offered little assistance (other than tech support, etc,) and I eventually encouraged the teachers I partnered with to do the same. Rather than giving too much guidance to them, just be a cheerleader and encourager. Let the kids work together on the inquiry issues that come up during the game!
 |
|
It generally would take about 30 - 40 minutes for the session to play out. We would start with guessing the state first. Following this, we would guess the city or town and finally the name/ location of the school last. After both schools had guessed these items, we would allow all the students to gather around the computer to talk about where they live. It was always interesting to hear this interaction. They would talk about food, fun things to do in their area, favorite music, etc. Sometimes they would get very silly and we would have to redirect them. I always loved seeing the level of engagement and interest!
Resources for Connecting
I recommend starting your Mystery Skype journey with an educator (and their class) you know across town or across your state. It is easy to coordinate with someone you know with whom your students are not familiar. Beyond that, I have found the Facebook Group called Mystery Skype/ Skype in the Classroom. This is a community of global educators. I frequently see teachers posting their interest to connect for games. You can also check the #MysterySkype hashtag on Twitter for teachers that might be interested in connecting. Most of my connections were via Twitter.
 |
| A screenshot of the Facebook Group mentioned above. |
Advocacy Connections
I encourage you to invite teachers and administrators to visit your webcam connection events. You should also consider inviting parents, too. I remember how excited my administrators were at both schools where I held such connections. This is a powerful advocacy piece for your library program! I guarantee they will tell others about what you are doing. These are the kind of stories you want students, administration, and teachers to tell about you and the school library program. Good luck as you "tear down" the school walls to virtually connect your students around the country and world! Be sure to tell me about your connection adventures in the comments below or on my social media.
