Groton Preschoolers See A Classroom Overseas

The children in Jane Robert’s preschool class at Mary Morrisson Elementary had a glimpse of life in Jamaica this week.

They saw a classroom of students live, via web video conferencing and a Promethean board.

“We talked about what Jamaica looked like, the weather, what people ate and where it was on the globe,” Robert said. Then she connected the children, ages 3 to 5, overseas.

Eastern Connecticut State University’s health and physical education department took ten students to Jamaica for spring break to teach in the public schools, and Robert’s husband, Darren Robert, is an early childhood and physical education professor at Eastern. He set up the web conference.

It’s the first time Jane Robert has used the Promethean board to connect with a classroom overseas by Skype.

First, she projected her students' own images onto the board to get them used to it. Some hugged or kissed the screen. Then a day or so later, she linked them to Jamaica.

The Skype connection didn’t always work; sometimes sound disappeared or video was temporarily lost.

But Assistant Principal Christina Post said gaining experience with the technology is important. It also allows for other lessons.

Older children at Mary Morrisson were expected to learn about the reality of education elsewhere, for example. Groton students just finished their Connecticut Mastery Tests.

In Jamaica, children take a test with higher stakes; they must pass at age 14 to continue school or go straight to work.

Principal Monica Franzone said even the youngest children can gain something from connecting with students in another country.

“I think the value is to help kids understand they’re part of a bigger world,” she said.