Skype in the Classroom

Wouldn’t it be great to collaborate with a class from another country? To go on a fieldtrip to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee? To have Jane Goodall as a guest speaker? To compete against a class from a different part of the globe? You’re in luck, as Skype in the Classroom offers all this.

Skype in the Classroom is a free community for educators that offers live transformative educational experiences for students including Virtual Field Trips, talks from Guest Speakers, classroom to classroom connections, and live collaboration projects (Microsoft, 2019).

Skype offers teachers the opportunity to provide students with access to new cultures and languages, while viewing different countries in real-time.

(10 Reasons to Use Skype in the classroom, 2019)

Ways of connecting your class to the world

Virtual Field Trips. Skype in the Classroom benefits all types of students, especially the ones who aren’t so keen on doing traditional research by reading page after page of information in a book or online. Going on a virtual field trip takes the field trip to the student, allowing them to see first-hand what it’s like in other locations while asking appropriate questions directly to experts. 

Skype Collaboration. Skype offers a wide range of topics and subjects that can be the focus of collaboration between classrooms, communities and people. Why not collaborate to learn about another culture or language? Or take action and raise funds to provide water filters for a community in need of clean water? How about sharing a video presentation about global innovation with classes from different parts of the globe?

Mystery Skype. Mystery Skype is a chance for students to connect with other children from around the world. The goal of this game is to be the first class to guess where the other class is located through yes/no answer questions. Students collaborate with their peers in a way that allows them to build their critical thinking skills, research skills, and communication skills.

Here are some tips on preparing your students for a Mystery Skype session.

(Mystery Skype Tips, 2019) 

Guest Speakers. Skype in the Classroom has a large data base of professionals from around the world that are willing to share their expertise and inspire students. There’s a range of experts from computer programmers, zoologists, environmentalists, TV personalities and much more. Conduct a quick search and get connected to an expert quickly!

Give it a try, but do it thoughtfully

Why not give your students the opportunity to travel the world without a passport? Opening up your classroom to the world will assist you in providing rich learning experiences for your students. It will create a sense of empathy, cooperation, curiosity, commitment, respect, appreciation and enthusiasm when done properly. However, Skype should not be used for the sake of incorporating technology in the class, as this can lead to few if any academic benefits. Teachers must use it in a way that is directly connected to academic goals that match the school curriculum (Morgan, H., 2013, p 199). Why wait? Create an account today at https://education.microsoft.com/skype-in-the-classroom/getting-started and connect your students to the world.

References

Microsoft. (2019). Skype in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://education.microsoft.com/skype-in-the-classroom/overview 

Morgan, H., (2013). Using Skype for Exciting Projects. Childhood Education. 89 (3) 197-199. 

10 Reasons to Use Skype in the classroom [infographic]. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.mrdearybury.com/globally-connected-classroom/ 

Mystery Skype Tips [infographic]. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.mrdearybury.com/globally-connected-classroom/ 

By: Marc Fortier