Who Knew. Dim-Dim?

I thought Dim-Dim was beyond me. And although it is still beyond my antiquated school computer, I gave it a spin. I'm very interested. This is how I want to try it. I do a Zam's Quest curriculum extension unit which is a multi-disciplinary unit based on conservation issues showcasing role play. I am also very fortunate this year to have a great new GT partner who used to work at Lisbon and Northfield. So I have this nice little extended GT family to share ideas and do some collaborative things with.

I want to use the Dim-Dim in a couple different ways. I think it would be great to video conference several of the lessons. I have a PowerPoint that I made to introduce the unit that acts as a way to get the students fired up. Instead of my colleagues making one of their own I can share the presentation with all three groups and at the same time I can give them an orientation of the website. (I am really digging that you can show your computer screen, share websites, and presentations to a group). I think it also offers an opportunity for all of our students to share their own PowerPoint presentations about different animal groups to the other school. We can even split the work and get triple the animals researched between the three schools.

Yet what I most want to do is use the video conferencing during our role play. Usually we'd split the kids into groups based on different stakeholders (conservationist, tribe elder, farmer, zoologist, etc.) but I think we could have our stakeholders split between the schools allowing each school delve deeper into each stakeholders role and then video conference/role play the community meeting where they are trying to solve the conservation issue (cheetah's being killed for hunting cattle, seahorses being over harvested, etc.). It is so authentic!