Skype



=media type="youtube" key="K4CVbIInVWo" height="315" width="560" align="right"= =What is Skype? =

Skype takes only a few minutes to set up and gives users a free way to call, video chat, instant message, and screen share with other Skype users. Skype is commonly used outside of schools either for business or for personal use because it is simple to use and is free. Skype in the Classroom is a free feature from Skype that allows teachers to connect with other teachers around the world. Skype provides project ideas to teachers. There are projects such as chatting with professionals (a free way for a guest speaker in a classroom) as well as cultural awareness projects to chat with students from other countries. To the right is a video made by Skype that introduces Skype in the Classroom and some of the features. (Skype, 2011)

= = =How can Skype be used in a classroom? =

Skype provides many project ideas for teachers to be able to use Skype in their classrooms for many different topics. Teachers can browse through the topics and chose a pre-made project that is right for their classroom or create a new one to collaborate with other teachers and classrooms across the world.To the right is a screen clipping of several project ideas that teachers can bring into their school. (Skype, 2012) This is an especially powerful collaborative tool because it allows students to work with others from all over the world to increase global awareness, cultural understanding, and a world perspective on different topics.Skype in the Classroom can be used for almost any learning objective, grade level, or content area.

Teachers could set up many different types of projects to accomplish different goals. Here are just a few ideas for Skype in the Classroom:
 * A pen-pal project would give students a reason to write as well as gain cultural awareness.
 * A climate change project gives students an opportunity to collaborate with students from all over the world and hands-on experience in collecting and processing data.
 * Teachers could bring in guest speakers from all over the world without any cost to the school.
 * Students could use Skype in the Classroom to practice their foreign language skills.

=Advantages & Disadvantages = 

Advantages Disadvantages
 * Free
 * Easy to sign up
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Pre-made projects and ideas for teachers
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Provides students with a global way to collaborate
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Not necessarily a secure way to connect with individuals outside of the school
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Might be difficult to set up individual student projects- may only be class projects

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">How can teachers hold individual students accountable? =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">There isn't a feature in Skype that allows teachers to see individual student contributions to a project. However, teachers could design a project in such a way that every student has their own individual part and assess the students outside of the Skype component. For example, one student could need to write a letter to the guest speaker, another needs to come up with a list of questions for the speaker, and a third may have to write the "thank you" card to the speaker. In this situation, the teacher can assess each student individually on the one large class project.

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Navigation =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Check out the next collaborative tool, VoiceThread.


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Chapter 4 Introduction || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Bubbl.us || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Collaborize Classroom  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">CrocoDoc  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Edmodo  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Google Documents  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">KidBlog  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Skype  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">VoiceThread  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">WikiSpaces  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Chapter 4 Conclusions ||

=<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">References =

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">//Open clip art// (2011). Thumbs [picture]. Retrieved from Open clip art, @http://openclipart.org/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">//Skype Logo//. (2011, August 21). Retrieved January 28, 2012, from Lazy Tech Guys: http://www.lazytechguys.com/news/groupme-is-acquired-by-skype/attachment/skype_logo_online/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Skype. (2011, September 21). //Introducing Skype in the Classroom.// Retrieved March 18, 2012, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4CVbIInVWo

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Skype. (2012, March 18). //Skype in the Classroom Project Collection.// Retrieved March 18, 2012, from Skype: http://education.skype.com/collections