SKYPE or ZOOM!

HUGE NEW CYBER-OPPORTUNITY!!!! 

Have me arrive in your classroom or your multi-purpose room via technology: 

VIRTUAL VISITS! 

Ask and you shall receive. My plunge into SKYPE visiting was prompted by 'Miss Barbara' who became familiar with my music when she taught in Chicago. Her relocation to St. Croix on the Virgin Islands made a visit to her preschool children a tad bit challenging, though I promise, I am willing to make my way there in person. 
Together we came up with the concept of a virtual visit. Ta-Da!!! 



My first 'virtual-visit' with 'school-Skyping' was connected while I was physically in Indianapolis, from my Aunt Sue's loft. OH HAPPY DAY! Sue took the picture above in the midst of our fun. 

From this first successful cyber-adventure, I appealed to my blogging friends. Which blogger was willing to act as a guinea pig to help me get more comfortable with this new medium? Lots!! Immediately I had the support of many of the best kinder-bloggers in cyber-space. 

Maggie of "Maggie's Kinder Corner" in Missouri was on board first. Her entire team got organized and they had 6 classes of students together: 3 Kinder-classes and 3 first grade ~~ gathered in their multi-purpose room with a gigundo-sized screen. She shares her insight in this article on her blog. She was also clever to shoot some video in the midst of our time together. Plus she gave me an award!  

Later that same week I cyber-hopped out to California to sing and dance with Tiffani of "Time 4 Kindergarten" fame and her kiddos. She set everything up to connect directly to her Smartboard. These pictures are from our time together and the description that Tiffani shared from her blog. 



Next up in my cross country romps was my trip to Texas to connect with Jeannie of "Kindergarten Lifestyle."  Jeannie's own classroom was able to accommodate adding one additional set of Kinder-kids. So this visit was for 2 groups of Kinders in one classroom. Jeannie broadcast through the classroom Mac to her Smartboard. She shares all sorts of details: images and video clips from this article on her blog. This little video-snippet is during our individual Q+A segment. 




The word is getting out there! Terri Izatt out in Nevada was the springboard to get her entire Kinder-team of four classes of children together in their school's music room. Terri shares the ENTIRE techno-experience with a 'techno-newbie' perspective from her "Kinder Kapers" blog in this article. I am especially fond of her sharing the specifics of how they rigged their iPad to get the ducks in a row! 

"Where there is a will, there is a way!"

Terri and team directed their kinders to create a quilt of heartfelt rainbows on my behalf. We started off our time together with the kinders sharing their art with me! What a brilliant way to prepare for our time together!!! This is the FIRST collaborative piece created for my SKYPE session. Let the floodgates open! 

Update: 5/30/13 The school year has ended and I have now made TEN 'Virtual-Visits' from one corner of this country to the other and beyond! Literally from the Virgin Islands to Oregon and California to MAINE!! Three weeks, ten stops, coast to coast! "Top to bottom, left to right, left to right." 

These next photos are from the brilliant Maria Manore of "Kinder Craze" fame. Her article and explanation are here for you to eavesdrop on our fun. 

So what does it take to have a Virtual Visit with me wearing my Author-Illustrator hat? 

1. Administrative Support: ask your principal or center director + get your PTA/PTO involved  
2. A Skype Account
3. Internet Connection (direct hard wire is the fastest, most predictable) 
4. Projection Capability (connection to Smartboard) 
5. Space Suitable for the Number of Students to Participate 
6. Mutually Agreed Upon Time: Approximately 45 minutes 
*BE SURE THAT I KNOW WHAT TIME-ZONE YOU ARE IN!*

A Forty-five minute SKYPE Session Includes:
~ singing + sign language to all 3 of my picture books which are songs
~ a peek at the original quilts I made for the picture book illustrations 
~ 3 highly engaging active songs interspersed between the book presentations
~ PLUS a 'mini' student Q+A session. 

WHAT ABOUT THE COST? 
(Those details are still formulating as I type.) 
Here are my current thoughts on the budgetary matter: 

*In a perfect world, YOU/YOUR CENTER/YOUR SCHOOL would contact me a couple of months ahead of our cyber-school visit. We would work out all of the calendar details.

Once we have your visit on my calendar, my warehouse would ship you X number of sets of my 3 picture books. These books would be yours, for you to use PRIOR to my cyber-arrival, to familiarize your students with my work and add to your class/school library.  

FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF Z!!! Affordable for every locale. (Now all I need is to figure out X and Z.) 

HOLD THE PHONE! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! AMAZING DEVELOPMENT! SHAZAM!

I have now given my first *SKYPE* staff development workshop! 

Yes! Three hours of face-to-face singing and dancing and motivation and brass tacks! Me in our little northern-haven home on the peninsula of Wisconsin.... THEY in the sweltering heat of Dallas, Texas. Back-to-school. 

We had a dress rehearsal to connect the dots. Projection screen for my happy face and a mind-meld between laptops to project my power-point presentation. SHAZAM! As easy as clicking your heels. 

All you have to do is email me for more details!