Skype
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“Educators at tech-savvy schools may have already
experienced this most vivid multimedia experience. Those at less
technologically sophisticated schools may feel they are on the wrong side of
the digital divide when it comes to interacting with other in this manner.
Either way, budget cuts at the state level are serving to level the playing
field in a way, as funds dry up at an alarming rate for all public institutions”
(Mellot, 2010). While budgets make it difficult to gain new technological
advances, Skype is free.
The first collaboration tool that came to mind was Skype. I am a firm believer in using any free web-based tool to its full advantage when it comes to connecting to friends and family. As a world traveler, Skype has become my best friend and I was introduced to the ability to use it in the classroom during my last trip to Australia when I was teaching in the schools.
While working in several different classrooms, many of the teachers discussed with me their use of Skype. Up to that point I had only used it to contact my family and friends. I was quickly introduced to how useful this tool was for these teachers to connect to other teachers around the world and to connect their classrooms together. The teachers not only showed me how they conference called with other districts across their nation, but how entire classes would get together to talk to the Prime Minister or to a Cabinet Member.
Students can literally view the world through Skype as they can fly into other classrooms around the world to see first-hand how other students learn, what their classrooms look like and the projects they are doing. It is a great way to make our world a smaller more manageable place for our students.
As an educator, Skype will be one of the many free web-based tools I use to not only collaborate with other teachers but to introduce new cultures and ideas to my students. I am hoping that as this tool develops and we mature more into technology that this will become common practice.
Reference:
Mellot, R. (2010). Beaming the World Into Our Schools. Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 17(1), 8-12.
The first collaboration tool that came to mind was Skype. I am a firm believer in using any free web-based tool to its full advantage when it comes to connecting to friends and family. As a world traveler, Skype has become my best friend and I was introduced to the ability to use it in the classroom during my last trip to Australia when I was teaching in the schools.
While working in several different classrooms, many of the teachers discussed with me their use of Skype. Up to that point I had only used it to contact my family and friends. I was quickly introduced to how useful this tool was for these teachers to connect to other teachers around the world and to connect their classrooms together. The teachers not only showed me how they conference called with other districts across their nation, but how entire classes would get together to talk to the Prime Minister or to a Cabinet Member.
Students can literally view the world through Skype as they can fly into other classrooms around the world to see first-hand how other students learn, what their classrooms look like and the projects they are doing. It is a great way to make our world a smaller more manageable place for our students.
As an educator, Skype will be one of the many free web-based tools I use to not only collaborate with other teachers but to introduce new cultures and ideas to my students. I am hoping that as this tool develops and we mature more into technology that this will become common practice.
Reference:
Mellot, R. (2010). Beaming the World Into Our Schools. Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 17(1), 8-12.