By KRISTA MARRS

Staff Writer

LACONIA — Incoming sixth-grade students had a rare opportunity to interact with teachers in Slovakia Thursday morning during a live video conference at Memorial Middle School.

The chat was set up by integrated arts teacher Larry Frates, who was speaking with teachers involved in the annual iEARN Global Teacher’s Meeting and Youth Summit, taking place this week in Kosice, Slovakia.

iEARN is an on-line K-12 network for teachers, students, administrators as well as community leaders.

During the period when the group of students were listening in on the conference, teachers were sharing their student’s work within the Moving Voice program. Speaking at the time was Ludo Maedza from Botswana.

Participating students from across the world, including Memorial Middle students, created videos telling about their school and their community. The short videos were presented during this weeklong summit.

Teachers at this particular conference represented numerous countries, including Canada, India, Taiwan, Argentina and Zimbabwe.

Frates told the new middle schoolers that not only would they have the opportunity this fall to speak to students around the world through the iEARN connection, but he also has a link to a military base in Germany where his students were able to chat with troops serving overseas.

With such technology available, Frates said it opens up a whole new realm of teaching.

"The thing that I find interesting is that it’s perfect way for any teacher in any grade to teach technology," said Frates.

Middle school guidance counselor Virginia Babcock, who was also sitting in on the chat, said Frates has so many creative ways to help children learn not only about their own community but the global community.

The new sixth-grade students were taking part in the middle school’s "Keeping Your Cool at the Middle School" program, a weeklong summer orientation program to introduce them to the new school they will be attending this fall.

"It gives them an idea of the kinds of opportunities here," said Babcock. "It makes it so much more alive for them, rather than having me just sitting up here and telling them about the courses."