This is a simple, 6-step plan describing how to use WonderGrove’s animated Maria character to Skype into a classroom and motivate young learners to win a game of Classroom Bingo.

The target audience for the animated Maria Skype calls is students in Pre-School, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades.

1. Educators “sign up”In order to use the animated lessons on the WonderGroveLearn website in the classroom(s), Educators must sign up for a free 60-day trail.

2. 15-minute webinar The WonderGrove professional service team conducts a short 15-minute webinar to demonstrate how easy it is to use WonderGroveLearn (with the Quick Start function).

3. Teachers Share WonderGroveLearn with the ClassFor two weeks, teachers follow the lessons in the sequence on the Quick Start page with their students. After each animated lesson, the teacher can discuss the characters and stories with his or her class, emphasizing how the animated characters model appropriate behavior.

4.  The teacher prepares for the Skype call The teacher schedules a Skype call with the WonderGrove professional service team. Before the day of the Skype call the teacher should send the WonderGrove team the names of 3 pre-selected students and a special anecdote about each child (i.e., lost a tooth, grandmother visiting from out of town, new baby in the house, scored a goal in soccer, etc).

In preparation for the call with Maria, the teacher should print out the Classroom Bingo board and pass copies out to the class.

The teacher has the option of choosing a different academic challenge (reading, math, spelling, etc) for the class. This challenge should be explained to the WonderGrove service team in advance of the call so Maria can explain the challenge and the rules of the game, live, via Skype.

5.  Maria calls into the Classroom with a Skype CallAfter nine days of lessons, WonderGrove’s animated character Maria calls into the classroom on Skype and makes a personal connection with the class. By knowing the names of 3 students and a personal anecdote about each of, it is anticipated that the class will be excited to make a new animated friend who feels “real.” Then, Maria will explain the rules of Classroom Bingo while the teacher hands out a Bingo board page to each student. Maria will ask for a collective commitment from the class.

6.  Maria Follows Up with (OR Rewards) the Class on a 2nd Skype Call After nine more lessons, The teacher sends an email to the WonderGrove services team with the names of the students who achieved 5 in a row on the Bingo Board. The teacher prints out the WonderGrove Certificates of Achievement and fills them out with each child’s name. The teacher signs the certificates next to Maria’s signature. Prior to the call, the teacher gives the WonderGrove services team the names of students who will receive certificates. Maria Skypes into the classroom and announces each winner with a word of praise as the teacher hands out the certificates.

This same procedure can be implemented for a Skype call into a school auditorium. Here is a link to three videos that demonstrate the effectiveness of this process in both a classroom and in a school assembly:

http://vimeopro.com/wondergrove/using-skype-in-the-classroom

Using Animated Maria to Connect with Students on a Skype Call&