I was blown
away last week when I worked with one of my favorite schools and their
instructional technology specialist, Lynda. She began sharing a Skype project
that sounded interesting, but my foolish first reaction was that Skype has been
used, what could be new? Silly me! As I really listened in, I was intrigued by
the mystery she built into this meaning study. Teachers are so creative and
have an inherent need to connect to others. Skype provides such a wonderful
platform for bringing the outside world safely into our classrooms. It’s not just for personal use, but it’s FREE
and a readily available platform that opens doors for students to explore under
the protective umbrella of their teachers.
This “tuesdays” is a direct
result of experiencing a new Skype project created that gives students a sense
of inquiry, mystery and curiosity all rolled up in one.
A creative website
Skype is FREE software that you
download to you computer so that you can talk, chat or even make video calls
for FREE! Skype in the Classroom makes video
conferencing simple, challenging and relative to any classroom setting. Most
states/district require a global project at some point. Skype in the Classroom offers countless
opportunities. Lynda submitted her
Mystery Skype idea and was accepted. This is her description: We are an arts-based, bilingual K-8 school
in Miami, FL. Our 4th grade classes have been studying about the US in terms of
geography and culture. We are looking for similar classrooms around the country
who would be willing to Skype with us, asking and answering a series of yes/no
questions, to determine the location of the mystery classroom. Ideally we will
do one Skype session a week for the remainder of the school year. Presently
they have three schools from around the country who will be participating in
the Mystery Skype and naturally we are hoping that for a whole lot more. What a clever idea, Miss Lynda. It’s fun to share original ideas.
An image to share
4th
grade class in Miami, FL guessing the mystery location of another classroom in
Forest City, IA.
A proverb
"We have just started, and if
you compare the number of people using Skype to the number using a telephone
network around the world, we're still just starting.”
Niklas Zennstrom
An encouragement
I would
really like to encourage you to become a Skype user because everything we do in
education really comes down to relationships.
If you could make a quick Skype call to an expert or another classroom
to collaborate, you will bring an engagement level to the classroom unlike mere
text. Please understand that most
districts still are unsure of how to handle Skype. Does it require a lot of
bandwidth? Will it affect the network? I would like to see teachers utilize
Skype like a field trip with permission slips and preplanning so that everyone
is aware that a Skype interview/conversation/collaboration is happening on
campus and test its potential first before blocking it immediately. As a
teacher, make sure that you clear this with your administrators before doing
anything at school, but in the meantime, try it at home with family and friends
and think of the possibilities! Let us know some of your ideas for classroom
uses of Skype on my blog.
How do you do that?
How do you
get involved in a Skype in the Classroom
project? Research Skype classroom projects or visit a few of these ideas from
others that I’ve compiled for you.
Project Collections on Skype
– projects from Skype ready to join
You can
even search for certain teachers, projects or just areas of interest. The bottom line is that Skype in the classroom is the most
amazing way to collaborate and learn from others.
Please
consider joining Conchita Espinosa Academy’s Mystery Skype for 4th
graders where you have your students try to guess where they are from before you
reveal who they are to each other. What
fun! To get involved, please contact Monica Valdes at mvaldes@conchitaespinosa.com Great idea, Miss Lynda!
As always,
I am
Ubiquitously
yours,
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