Skype in the classroom

1. SKYPE IN THE CLASSROOM
HOSSEIN MIREMADI
Friday, July 29, 2011

2. WHAT IS SKYPE?
SKYPE IS A DOWNLOADABLE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS
USERS TO VIDEO-CALL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FREE
OF CHARGE.
THE PROGRAM ALLOWS FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT
THROUGH USE OF COMPUTER WEBCAMS.
SKYPE ALSO ALLOWS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN
COMPUTERS AND LANDLINES/MOBILES FOR A SMALL
PER MINUTE FEE.
VIDEO GROUP OR CONFERENCE CALLING IS ALSO A FREE
FEATURE OF THE PROGRAM.
Friday, July 29, 2011

3. SKYPE IN THE CLASSROOM
SKYPE MAY BE USED IN THE CLASSROOM TO CONNECT
STUDENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THIS WORLD-WIDE CONNECTION CAN BE USED ACROSS
CONTENT AREAS AS A WAY TO TIE IN LANGUAGE, MUSIC,
HISTORY, ART, ETC.
STUDENTS GET INSTANT EXPOSURE TO VARIOUS
CULTURES, RELIGIONS, ETHNICITIES, ETC.
Friday, July 29, 2011

4. TEACHER COLLABORATION
SKYPE IN THE CLASSROOM ALLOWS TEACHERS A
FORUM TO COMMUNICATE SHARE IDEAS.
SKYPE ALLOWS CREATES A COLLABORATIVE
ENVIRONMENT FOR TEACHERS WORLD-WIDE.
Friday, July 29, 2011

5. SKYPE USE LOCALLY
SKYPE CAN BE USED WITHIN THE CLASSROOM,
BUILDING, OR DISTRICT.
IT FORMS A VISUAL CONNECTION WITH OTHER
CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES,
EXPERIMENTS, ETC. ELIMINATING ISSUES OF SPACE,
REPETITION, AND TIME.
SKYPE ALSO ACCESS TO THE CLASSROOM FOR
STUDENTS WHO MAY BE UNABLE TO ATTEND A
PARTICULAR DAY FOR WHATEVER REASON.
Friday, July 29, 2011

6. PROBLEMS WITH SKYPE?
SKYPE MAY DISTRACT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS FROM
ACHIEVING STANDARDS AND GOALS.
STUDENT INTERACTION MAY FOCUS PRIMARILY ON THE
SOCIAL ASPECT WITH LITTLE FOCUS ON THE CONTENT.
VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER TEACHERS AND
CLASSROOMS MAY NOT RUN AS PLANNED. NO
GUARANTEES.
TIME. HOW CAN VIDEOCONFERENCING BE JUSTIFIED AS
AN EFFICIENT USE OF CLASSROOM TIME. AGAIN NO
GUARANTEES STANDARDS WILL BE MET.
Friday, July 29, 2011

7. HOW TO MAKE IT WORK
SKYPE CAN BE AN INVALUABLE COMMUNICATION TOOL
CONNECTING THE STUDENTS TO THE WORLD.
TEACHERS NEED TO DO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
WORK, RESEARCH, AND COMMUNICATION PRIOR TO USE
TO MAKE SURE GOALS ARE REACHED.
AS WITH ALL TECHNOLOGIES, TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS ALIKE NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE
DOWNFALLS OF THE PROGRAM AND HAVE A CLEAR SET
OF NORMS ESTABLISHED.
Friday, July 29, 2011

8. SOURCES
HTTP://WWW.EDWEEK.ORG/DD/ARTICLES/
2011/02/09/02SKYPE.H04.HTML
HTTP://WWW.GOOD.IS/POST/SKYPE-S-NEW-EDUCATION-
PLATFORM-CONNECTS-CLASSROOMS-AROUND-THE-
GLOBE/
HTTP://EDUCATION.SKYPE.COM/
Friday, July 29, 2011