Response to “Around the World with Skype”

Strand: 2009: Week in the ClassroomURL: http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=481

Thomas J. Ehrensperger, July 27, 2010

Overall Concept Skype is a great tool for connecting

with and collaborating with other classrooms all over the world

Major Points Easy to set up an account (instructions provided) It’s FREE! Can contacts experts or authors of works being

studied in class Teachers can stay in contact with students while

away at conferences, etc. Classrooms can connect with each other live There are many lists of Skype partners (i.e.

“Eduskypers phonebook” Raises students’ geographical awareness There are challenges, such as technical glitches,

time zone differences, and student behavior

Questions and Ideas for Further Exploration

How regularly is it appropriate to use Skype in the classroom?

How would one best use it in a course like Physics, where the subject matter is already rather universal?

Contribution to My Professional Development

Use of this in the classroom would be one more way to keep me abreast of applications of technology

It would be a good way to communicate with colleagues in other schools, particularly if visuals were important

I’ve already used this for meeting purposes, when I was on one Dr. Gulley’s blue ribbon task forces, and we needed to meet with a consultant – it was quite handy!

Ideas for Applying This Tool to Teaching

In Meteorology, let my class communicate directly with a class in another part of the world, whether the weather and climate are very different

In Astronomy, communicate with a class far away where the sun or moon are visible in a very different part of the sky

Communicate with my classes if I’m ever out that day!