Skype

Connecting Classrooms to the World through Skype

Aidin Amirshokoohi, DeSales University

Abstract:

This presentation will focus on the use of Skype for educational purposes in K-16 classrooms. The pre-service teachers in the ‘Technology for Educators’ course are introduced to a variety of technology integration ideas and tools that can be utilized in their future classrooms. One such web-based tool is Skype in the Classroom.

Although Skype is normally associated with communication, the ‘Skype in the Classroom’ is a free community of resources that most are unaware of. Students in the course explore the five ways the Skype community offers to connect classrooms to the world. The ‘virtual field trips’ allows for classrooms of students to take live virtual field trips to parks, museums, zoos, historical landmarks, and other interesting places around the world. Similarly, classrooms can be connected to ‘guest speakers’ who can share their expertise in the area of literature, science, gaming, politics, history, arts & design, and more. ‘Skype Collaborations’ allows classrooms to connect with other classrooms around the world to collaborate on projects, explore other cultures, and build a deeper understanding and a sense of empathy and compassion. Students can also play a game of ‘Mystery Skype’ with anther classroom to try to guess their location, therefore, allowing students to further learn about cultures and practice critical thinking and communication skills. Finally, ‘Skype Lessons’ allow teachers to make learning relevant by connecting students virtually with guest speakers, scientists, authors, conservationists, and more. Each option can be filtered for specific subjects, topics, grade levels, language, and region.

Tools:

Skype in the Classroom

Skype in the Classroom is a free community that offers live transformative educational experiences for students including Virtual Field Trips, talks from Guest Speakers, classroom to classroom connections, and live collaboration projects.

Key Terms/Tags:

Virtual classroom, live education, asynchronous collaboration

Directions for Skype in the Classroom:

1. Visit the Skype in the Classroom website and create a Microsoft account. Join as an educator.
2. Under the “Skype in the Classroom” tab at the top of the page, hover over “Connect with Experts” to view Virtual Fieldtrips, Skype Lessons, and Guest Speakers.
3. Under the “Skype in the Classroom” tab at the top of the page, hover over “Connect with Classrooms” to view Mystery Skype and Skype Collaborations.

Resources:

• Skype in the Classroom Teacher’s Guide
• Skype in the Classroom Trainers