What is Mystery Skype?

MysterySkype is owned by Microsoft, and it is a free resource for educators. Educators are able to search for different experts who are willing to talk to the students. This is great because it helps the students make real-world connections with the content. My second graders had a Mystery Skype with Peter Raymundo, author and illustrator of “Third Grade Mermaid.” This helped my students have a better understanding of the writing process. Sometimes you can contact experts who are not listed on the MysterySkype site to set-up your own Skype session as well. I was able to complete a video conference with our local meteorologist to help expand upon the ideas that were presented in our weather unit. The students are so engaged when they get the chance to connect with an expert. We took part in a video conference with Peter and Paul Reynolds as well.