Developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills

Most FlashMeeting sessions involve small groups of pupils asking questions or presenting their ideas and work to others. However, to involve the whole class conferences are often broadcast on the class Interactive whiteboard. This enables all the pupils to review the session and take part in any follow-up activities.

Pupils from Lyminge Primary School listened and viewed
the “live” video conference on the class Interactive Whiteboard

Following the videoconferencing session the pupils from Lydd Primary
drafted questions to ask each other about “What it was like to be an Evacuee?”

Follow-up activities could also include:

• Hot – seating
• Re-telling an Event
• Drama
• Writing a story or a newspaper report
• Preparing a Radio or Television Broadcast
  

Why use FlashMeeting in the primary classroom?

The “Interview an Evacuee” session enabled the pupils to ask questions and learn about life in Britain during World War II. The session also showed how effectively ICT can be used to assess how well pupils can:

• talk confidently to explore and communicate ideas
• use a growing vocabulary to describe events
• describe events and convey their opinions clearly

Based on the evidence from this and other videoconferencing activities it does appear FlashMeeting can be used to promote and accurately assess pupils’s speaking and listening skills.

Pupils interviewing each other with Digital Blue Cameras
about “Being a World War II Evacuee.”