It was a novel experience. The second grade students of Donna Maxim and Barbara Carbone-Crocker at Boothbay Region Elementary School interacted with children's author Lynn Plourde via Skype. On May 22, Plourde read to the children and engaged them in playful learning for one hour from her home in Winthrop.

“I had the opportunity to see how well technology works in the classroom and I want you all to see it too,” BRES Principal Mark Tess told the CSD School Committee at its June 12 meeting. “What was so amazing about this was our (other available administrators) opportunity to see young children engaged with this author for one hour.”

Carbone-Crocker made use of another of the school's technological tools, the iPad, and videotaped the Skype visit. She then created a seven-minute iMovie to present to the committee, school administrators and Eileen King, superintendent of schools.

While visiting the websites of award-winning Maine authors, Carbone-Crocker learned of the opportunity to bring them to the classroom via Skype. A lower fee wasn't the only reason Carbone-Crocker found the alternative to an actual school visit appealing.

“This is just a little snapshot of how we've been able to integrate technology into the second grade classroom,” Carbone-Crocker said. “It was phenomenal; the kid's couldn't believe we had this famous person in our classroom and the whole time she (Plourde) was giving them a lesson.”

Plourde read two of her books, “A Mountain of Mittens” and “Grandpappy's Snippy Snappies.” While doing so, she taught the children how to recognizing action patterns and word patterns in her stories.

The author drew them further into the experience by including them in the reading. After practicing echoing (Plourde said “Hello” and “Nice to see you” and the children would repeat it). During the reading, whenever Plourde gave them the signal, a hand to her ear, the students would echo the phrase or short sentence she had just read.

“I thought the experience was absolutely amazing,” Maxim said. “The children were in awe. Just to watch the kids' faces was so exciting.”

The two teachers had the students read many of Plourde's books before the Skype visit and also taught them about the author. In preparation for the Q&A segment, they prepared questions to ask her. Some of these included: Where do you get all your good ideas? What did you do before you were a writer? What book are you working on now? Who or what inspires you?

“She (Plourde) was very impressed about how much the children knew about her and her books,” Maxim said.

For two months prior to the classroom Skype visit, the students were involved in raising funds for the experience by selling candles.