As I ended my last Skype conversation tonight with my sister, before I actually get there...I was thinking about this blog and what would be my topic of discussion for the week. SKYPE....that's it! I have learned so much about this fascinating way to connect with people this year. I use Skype weekly at home for personal use, but have never had the opportunity to use it at school until about a month ago. The technology department at my school purchased a web cam for me to use in my classroom. Referencing the Twitter list I created, as well as browsing the list of others in my graduate school class...I found wonderful resources to help me get started on ways to integrate Skype into the kindergarten curriculum. I wanted to brainstorm ideas about ways Skype could enhance the instruction for my kindergarteners. Here is a great list of ideas that I found for uses of Skype in the classroom.
50 Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom
There are some really great ideas found on this list and ones that I will definitely want to try.
One idea that I really want to implement is to find "Skype" pals to communicate with throughout the year. I would like to find other classrooms from across the country and around the world to share and learn with. I can imagine us sharing about our favorite books, projects we are working on, and things about ourselves and our community.
Here is a You Tube video created by Skype that helps to explain the wonderful uses of this 21st century learning tool.
Skype in the Classroom
Since I am new to using Skype for classroom use....I found this awesome site that is specifically designed for teachers searching out other teachers for Skype purposes. It is simply a Want Ad for Skype classrooms!
I plan to list my classroom on this site or a similar site to this to get connected with other kindergarten classrooms. My students are so excited. They even made a list of the places that they would like to have Skype pals from....China, Africa, California, New York and Florida! Looks like we have our list ready...now to connect with our friends!
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteSwaziland, South Africa!!! Wow, what an exciting adventure. I hope you include a little about your travels in your next blog. I would love to hear about your trip. I have a thirteen year old son & he has always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. We surprised him with a trip to hike the Grand Canyon with a guide and sleep several nights in the Canyon too! My husband and son leave on Sunday. I am sure your house is as excited as our house. We have been counting down the days all month! Swaziland, South Africa….a trip of a lifetime!
I was excited to see your thoughts and ideas about Skype in the classroom. I happened upon a link during my Twitter research and couldn’t get off the page. The video you provided offered many great suggestions. I like to hear thoughts on topics right from the teachers using them. One of the teachers mentioned the benefit of having a database of experts right in the classroom. With budget cuts and costs of professionals in general, it is an economical and creative way to have experts near and far come to the classroom via Skype. My son has been excited about a certain athlete coming to his school all year. The “athlete” has cancelled 3 times this year to GREAT disappointment. He was scheduled to visit the class yesterday and cancelled again. I have thought several times…..Skype this athlete and allow the kids to ask the same questions and feel like they are experiencing him one on one. Weather, lapse time, book buddies across the world and more…I couldn’t read enough about all the opportunities right at our fingertips. Thank you for sharing them & Happy Spring Break!
I honestly have to say, Michelle, I have not done my research on Skype. I knew it had something to do with connecting people from one location to people from another location, allowing them to talk and interact with one another. However, after looking at your link on “50 Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom,” I feel much more educated on Skype and its benefits in education. The first thing I love about Skype is that it connects students with other students from around the world. By connecting these students with students from other countries we are teaching students to collaborate with students of a different culture. We are helping students get experience interacting with individuals from around the world, preparing them for future endeavors in the globalized economy that the world operates through. The next thing I love about Skype is the possibilities of primary source individuals; students can connect with and learn from. For example, with Skype a teacher in America could setup a presentation with a holocaust survivor that lives overseas, and students would get a firsthand account of the atrocities that occurred during the Nazi’s reign of terror. Otherwise, students would have to utilize videos and textbooks to learn about these things. I think students would have a much more vested interest in the topic/concept if they knew they were talking to an expert or someone who experienced the event firsthand. Skype broadens the opportunities to find these primary source individuals enriching the lessons for students. Michelle, great job! Skype is an awesome tool. Thank you for the links they are superb. Have a great Spring Break and safe travels as it sounds like you have quite a long trip ahead of you next week.
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