Sardis Students 'Skype' to students in Indonesia

Globalization is alive and well at Sardis Elementary School. Just Wednesday, the school's second-graders had a conversation with students in Indonesia.

Second graders gathered in the schools media center Wednesday (Oct. 14, 2009) to Skype other students that are living in Indonesia. Skype is a free Internet telephone and video service that allows you to contact anyone who is also on Skype anywhere in the world.

The Sardis second graders sat in front of a Promethean Board (a modern day interactive computerized blackboard) and talked to former classmate James and his brother, Luke, who now live in Indonesia with their family.

James and Luke, who attended Sardis last year, are the grandchildren of Sardis' assistant principal, Jane Pressley. James was in Dee Cochran's first-grade class and Luke was in Diana Selzer's preschool class.

Sardis Principal Margaret Proctor and Pressley were motivated to bring globalization to Sardis Elementary, using the school's available technology, after attending the UCPS Summer Leadership Conference held this past August. They worked with the computer teacher Sandra Mullis to coordinate and plan this special event. School's media coordinator Lydia Lorenzo Adrian also helped in the effort, as did the second-grade teachers at the school.

Students learned about Indonesia before they "Skyped" with James and Luke so they could ask them appropriate questions and discuss their lives in Indonesia. "They asked thoughtful questions about where they live, what they eat, what their weather is like, games they play and what their new friends are like," said Sue Capone, the school's media assistant and school communicator.

Some of James' and Luke's friends also gathered around their computer in Indonesia and were able to ask Sardis students questions. James' mother, Jennifer, interpreted for the children of Indonesia.

"The Indonesian children asked the Sardis children lots of questions, too," Capone said. "They wanted to know all about American children. They asked about our school, what we play, what we eat, and what our families are like. They also wanted to know if we were happy, healthy, and did we have a lot of money."

Jennifer taught the Indonesia children how to say "good morning" in English and she taught Sardis students how to say "good morning" and "good bye" in Indonesian.

"Jennifer emailed later and said that James, Luke, and their friends in Indonesia really enjoyed sharing and are looking forward to doing it again real soon," Capone said.

--This article was provided courtesy of the Communications Office of the Union County Public Schools.