Lesson Plan Guide for Assignment 5

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_k81hsbYCTq5CoInlv3aejTHXIZ77rac3XsdWwnTr0A/edit?hl=en_US

Skype in the Classroom

This podcast explores the many uses of Skype in the classroom.

http://podcastmachine.com/podcasts/10396/episodes/50084

Incorporating Skype in your Classroom

Skype in the Classroom

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Learning more about Skype in the Classroom

This video features more information about Skype in the Classroom:

Using SKYPE in Education

As a high school English teacher, I am always trying to incorporate technology into my lessons. In my classroom we’ve used a promethean board, document camera, still and video cameras, and for the first time last school year—a web camera for Skyping.

Skype is basically an online conferencing tool with features such as cheap mobile calling, instant messaging, and free video calling (Skype, 2011). I had heard about Skyping before and had even used it to talk to relatives in other cities and states. Yet it hadn’t occurred to me that Skype could go beyond a personal social tool. All of that changed in January when my students and I had the opportunity to conduct a Skype interview with an atomic bomb survivor and oncologist that was childhood friends with the main character of a story we read, Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes. I was very excited about the opportunity, yet nervous how this would work with 140 students and my interview subject. Thanks to preparation and this wonderful technology, the interview was a classroom success, and brought the concept of Skyping in the classroom to the attention of my school’s technology coordinator and our administration. Now that we knew it worked, I was anxious to find out what else we could do.

After a little research, I found that Skype’s website has a whole section dedicated to “Skype in the Classroom.” Skype provides an online community for teachers to connect with each other for lesson collaboration and ideas, and even a way for classrooms to find other classrooms to connect with from anywhere you can imagine (Skype, 2011). All of a sudden this free, simple tool opens up literally a world of opportunities. Currently there are over 13,000 teachers registered with Skype, and the number is growing. As the number of teachers grows, so do the Skyping possibilities. This community has created a place where teachers can request classes to partner up with for projects such as book discussions and debates, where teachers can look for experts to talk to their students, and even where teachers can find cultural exchange opportunities. One of my favorite lesson ideas is where students solve a “mystery” by figuring out where the class they are conferencing with is from (Skype, 2011). I like this lesson because it really encourages the students to interact with each other and as far as learning objectives, helps students practice formulating questions and making inferences.

There are also many other lesson ideas online for incorporating Skype into the classroom. “Stretch Your Digital Dollar” is one blog that wrote an article, Effective Classroom Skyping, listing a few ways students could use this tool (Skype's New Education Site Connects Classrooms Across the Globe, 2011). The immediate access to cultures and places once only available through very expensive field trips is a very intriguing concept. This article suggests using video conferencing as an opportunity for students to practice a foreign language with native language speakers. Another idea is having students research another culture using a Skype interview as a source. With Skype your students can even change the world; students can use Skype to participate in peer-to-peer tutoring. Students can help other students in their community or even globally: “The software has even been used to connect teachers and tutors to students in third-world countries” (Skype's New Education Site Connects Classrooms Across the Globe, 2011).  Imagine the opportunity for students to practice what they know and help others at the same time.

All it takes is a web cam and free account!

As teachers use Skype in their classrooms, they identify tips and tricks of using this technology. Tips include testing Skype before your activity begins to make sure the technology is working on both ends, choosing a location where your students can fit and see the screen, and making sure if students are to ask questions of an interview subject or class that they are given an opportunity to brainstorm and prepare ahead of time (Condron, 2010). From personal experience, I can suggest discussing with the students what they should do if there are any issues with the technology—be patient, respond professionally, and remember that we are all still learning.

As with any technology, there may be a few hiccups, especially as you begin to experiment; however, the students’ interest and engagement in the curriculum multiplies when they are given opportunities to interact with real-world experiences and emerging technology.

Check out Skype in the Classroom!
http://education.skype.com/