Skype - A Whole New World

This year the phenomenon known as Skype, which in their words, "enables the world's conversations;" and provides people the opportunity to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages, and share files with other Skype users will be turning 8 years old.  First used mainly by business men and women to connect their business on a whole new level and then used by families who live miles apart to still be able to see each other, Skype is now gaining popularity within the classroom.

But why would students benefit from using Skype?  With so many options Skype provides endless possibilities for students, teachers, & the classroom.  For example, how amazing would it be for the students to be learning about the history of China or be studying Chinese geography and culture, and then be able to Skype with a classroom in China?!  Both classrooms would be able to ask each other questions and learn more from each other than a text book would ever allow.  Furthermore, it provides an opportunity that many children from both countries may never have the chance to explore.  Even one of my online college professors from the University of Northern Iowa uses Skype as means to communicate with his students.  It provides the "face-to-face" communication that we otherwise would not get from taking an online course.

However, Skype does not stop there!  http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/ is an amazing link that provides '50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom' and shares stories on how other educators are using Skype successfully.  Some of my favorite ideas include using Skype to have students chat with the author of a book they had been reading, using Skype in a language classroom to help students learn the foreign language, and I love that the link mentions using Skype as a way for students to connect to their community as well!

Whether or not you have jumped on the Skype bandwagon is a personal choice, but I believe that Skype will continue to grow and gain popularity as a useful technological tool for classrooms across America, as Skype keeps proving a whole new world to our students.

Want to learn more about Skype or start your own Skype account?  Check it out at http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home