Last year was my personal best for Mystery Skype. We did one almost every week, and by we I mean my incredible students. They took ownership and pride in ding the calls quickly, professionally, and efficiently, and I often stood back in awe watching them unfold. My kids were Mystery Skype masters by the end of the year and I look forward to start over with a new group of 26 students this year.
So it was only natural for my students to develop the original jobs into something that worked better for them. So here you have an updated list of possible jobs for a great Mystery Skype call.
Greeter -1 student – Does exactly that: greets the incoming class by speaking about our class and going over the rules. At the end of the call they are also the ones that thank for the call. Once their job is done they merge into the think tank.
Questioner – 1 or 2 students – they are the kids that ask the yes or no questions, often it is beneficial if these kids have a decent grasp of geography and can come up with questions on the fly.
Filter – 2 kids or more – These kids act as a filter between the runners and the questioners assessing the questions that are coming their way. They have to pay close attention to what answers are and what has already been asked as the think tank often misses an answer. They can then use their common sense to filter the best questions to the questioners.
Answerer – 1 student – answers yes or no to the questions and should have a good grasp of geography.
Runners – 3 students – the runners are responsible for communication between all of the different posts and often wear signs or their shirts to identify them. We love the runners because they keep the chaos down.
Google Mappers – 2 students – Use Google Maps to try to help with questions or find the answer. Should be connected to think tank.
Wall map & atlas mappers – as many kids as you want – part of the think tank but are using any map tools they can to come up with more questions.
Lead thinker – the boss of the think tank – this kid needs to be a gentle leader that can keep everyone organized and on track. They ensure the think tank runs smoothly.
Supervisor – 1 student – this student oversees the entire operation and takes notes on what works and doesn’t work. They lead the debriefing we have after every Skype call to discuss what we need to work on and be proud of.
Note taker – 1 or 2 students – writes down all answers and questions during the call for easy access by filters and if any confusion occurs.
Tweeter – 1 or 2 students – these students are in charge of the backchannel whether through Twitter or TodaysMeet and add the extra layer of connectivity to the world live tweeting results and questions.
Reporters – 2 students – these two take pictures and notes throughout the call to then write a blog post on our classroom blog after the call is done. That way we can show off all of the great calls we get to be a part of.
Often at the beginning of the year I ask students to try various jobs so that they can figure out which ones they are really good at. I cannot wait to see how the kids do this year and if you want to do a Mystery Skype with us – reach out – school starts September 3rd!
Great Mystery Skype Questions to Get You Started
Pernille Ripp 
My pre-k students enjoyed our mystery skype session; although, it was one-sided due to the ages of the students. We were the answering group who fielded questions from the older class so they could determine where we were located. We would love to do it again.
I’ve heard a little bit about Mystery Skype and I’m interested in having my fourth graders participate. How do I join?
I think the easiest way is to tweet out and ask someone to do it – that way you get the initial time set up. We can also be one of your first ones when school starts.
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I think this is a great chance to meet and make friends with students around the world. My whole class is preparing for the Mystery Skype meeting this Friday and I hope we can do our best!
Best,
From a student in Vietnam