Week Seven-WOW-Skype!

Last week we talked about Youtube and how we can make it safer to view in schools, this week, I wanted to draw your attention to Skype and its possibilities.

Why couldn't we enable our students to take part in Real Life, Current affairs as this Secondary school in the States did during the Oil Spill



A US educator puts it like this 'It is NOT good enough to simply say ,
"My 2nd graders in anytown, USA Skyped a classroom in 4CornersOfTheGLobe." That's cliche, NOT innovative'

So then, if we want to be innovative in how we use Skype, what could that look like?

Well, it isn't an 'off the cuff', let's ring a classroom in Brazil moment, using Skype effectively and innovatively involves preparation and planning.

Practicing: speaking up, explaining your ideas or thoughts, editing material, checking if it makes sense and will make sense to the potential audience, background research on who you will be talking to and why, being prepared to ask and answer questions clearly and with enough detail to satisfy the question...The list could go on!

Resources: Do you have an external mic or are you expecting your students to crowd around a computer? Are you relying on your laptops webcam-how does this limit what can be seen of your students? Would an external webcam be better?

Then what? if that is it and there is no follow up, then you might as well have called McDonalds in Russia and asked them what their equivalent to a Kiwiburger is and left it at that!

How will you debrief after the call? How will you archive or store what you have learned? How will that inform what happens next OR COULD happen next?

To read more about other classrooms using Skype, Click on the links below:

Making Video Conferencing More than Just Cool
Skype for educators accounts which identifies experts willing to speak to classes from around the world
Using Skype to bring education to life-Sign Up Now!
50 Awesome ways to use Skype in the classroom

Skype can offer more than a chance to call your cousin in Australia for FREE!

If you would like help with a programme or technique on your computer, you can share your screen with someone who can help 'walk you through it'

You can have a conference call with up to 25 people

AND with the latest Skype download you can take part in Video Conference Calling (charges apply)

How do you use Skype that could be shared across the Cluster??

Until Next Time
K