New Delhi, 30 November 2016 — Microsoft has invited educators from around the world to participate in the company’s annual two-day Skype-a-Thon, where thousands of students are attempting to travel three million virtual miles. The event, being held on November 29th and 30th, is connecting classrooms in over 47 countries to showcase how technology can be used to enhance the learning experience and promote global citizenship.
Multiple schools from India are participating in this Skype-a-Thon to enhance their learning experience. India aims to contribute over half a million virtual miles (804672 virtual kilometers) to the global target of three million virtual miles in 48 hours, marking a global milestone to celebrate learning without borders. As part of this event, four schools from India; The Sanskaar Valley School (Bhopal), SAI International School (Bhubaneswar), Ridge Valley School (Gurgaon), The Ashok Leyland (Chennai) are connecting with Anthony Salcito (Vice President of Education for Microsoft Corporation’s Worldwide Public Sector) who will stay awake for more than 24 hours to make special calls into classrooms around the world. In addition, DLDAV (Delhi) and National Gems Higher Secondary School (Kolkata) are connecting with Eve Psalti(Global Director, Education Audience Strategy Microsoft Corporation’s Worldwide Public Sector) as part of this event.
Celebrating this milestone, Sanjeev Gupta, General Manager, Microsoft India, said, “Technology is the foundation on which innovative educators will transform teaching and learning experiences. We see the biggest impact of technology on learning outcomes and student success, where it is helping students develop skills they need to join the modern, global workforce as well as for the future. Through this initiative, we encourage educators to use connected classrooms to make learning more immersive and fun, which not only ignites young minds but also helps achieve better outcomes. We are proud to see the educators and students supporting this initiative to empower their learning process and achieve their fullest potential.”
For this year’s global Skype-a-Thon, educators can choose from thousands of activities including speaking with an expert guest speaker on a topic their class is studying. They can also choose to take their class on a virtual field trip. Skype in the Classroom offers these virtual trips that spark imagination, from learning about sea turtles to exploring cultural perspectives in Western American art – and nearly everything in between. Educators can also connect with classrooms in other countries with #Mystery Skype, a global guessing game that teaches kids geography, promotes cultural understanding and broadens perspectives. For more information and to register for this year’s global Skype-a-Thon, please visit Skypeathon.com.
