Southside High School business students recently participated in a video chat with computer technology students from Logan Park High School in Dunedin, New Zealand. Students shared information about their school schedules, sports that they like to play, and music that they enjoy.

Prior to the video chat, students completed several class projects. One project involved searching the Internet for a “fun fact” about New Zealand to share with the class. These facts included that  drivers drive on the right side of the road; a 16-hour time difference exists between North Carolina and New Zealand; a roundtrip plane ticket from Raleigh-Durham Airport costs approximately $2000; and a New Zealand dollar is worth only 82 cents in the United States.

Also, New Zealand students take a national computer competency exam whereas, North Carolina business students work towards achieving Microsoft Office certifications. It was also interesting to note that 14 percent of New Zealand residents have a bachelor’s degree. According to the US Census data for 2011, 19 percent of Beaufort County residents hold a bachelor’s degree (the number is 26.1 percent for North Carolina and 27.9 percent for the United States.)

SHS Foods II students became involved after the exchange of favorite recipes between Bill Lake’s and Sandra Whipp’s classes. The Foods II students decided to cook three versions of a Pavlova cake, a popular New Zealand dessert. Business students enjoyed the cakes while waiting for the chat at 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 28.

 

The final project involved incorporating “fun facts” about New Zealand with demographics about Southside High School into a PowerPoint 2010 presentation. This project allowed the SHS students to review skills learned in preparation for the Microsoft certification exam at the end of the semester.

A total of 40 students participated in the video chat-twenty from each country. In addition to the students, SHS principal Rick Anderson and teachers Paul Huggins, Beth Bennett, Connie Lewis, Kathy Clark, and Bill Lake were in attendance.

A chance encounter between two teachers afforded this opportunity when Lake met Whipp while vacationing during summer 2010. Since that time, they have kept in touch and have had their students share projects.  Lake invited SHS business teacher Kathy Clark and Foods II teacher Beth Bennett to work with him on a Global Education Experience Project this semester. This experience supports the student’s development of 21^st century skills and promotes global education.