As discussed in our Skype in the Classroom introduction, above all, teachers need to remember that Skype is a tool to support and extend students' learning not the destination. The following examples show how teachers can structure collaboration spaces for smaller groups of students from being a "pen pal" with a peer in another country to collaborating about a larger, shared project where Skype is a useful conduit to allow real-time conversations, decisions, and feedback towards their finished digital artifact.
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"The students thoroughly enjoyed their second conference and were able to get to know their collaborators a little bit better this time around...Next time I’d like to make the video conference more like a 'center' in the classroom, and have it open and running in one corner so students can chat one on one, without having the whole class watching.
Now that they know each other a little better, they can focus on collaborating on their work, while still utilizing this exciting new tool."
~ Kim Cofino, teacher
see it in action
team challengesThe Global School Project, from Venezuela, has issued a collaborative science challenge over Skype in the Classroom to teams of children around the world - Who can create the biggest and best marble run maze using only recycled materials?
Collaborative teams are required (no parents allowed!) and teachers will have no trouble connecting this collaborative project to structural science, physics, or math units. |
collaborative writing"Brian and I each set up a computer with Skype that we placed in a corner of the room. One group at a time sat at the Skype computers and discussed their story. They were so excited to see their partners, so enthusiastic about clarifying the story elements, and highly motivated to write. One girl in the class told me afterward that her entire storyline had changed after speaking with her partner. 'But,' she said, 'now it's better.'" |
international skype pen pals"We started with traditional post mailed letters but are expanding into video chatting to bring students and teachers from all over the world together in one global classroom! Video chatting makes it real for all involved to learn more about another country and culture - all while practicing their English skills, which is the key to success in many developing nations." |
"Another class between Los Altos and South Korea used five different Skypes at the same time to actually discuss what they're learning and about their thoughts."
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Global connections, global citizenship
Skype, as a springboard tool in the classroom, holds tremendous potential to extend and expand the collaborative possibilities for both teachers and students.
Julie Lindsay's global K-12 education outreach organization Flat Connections is working to connect teachers and harness the collaborative power of technologies, such as Skype, so that global collaboration becomes a regular part of the K-12 educational experience.
Julie Lindsay's global K-12 education outreach organization Flat Connections is working to connect teachers and harness the collaborative power of technologies, such as Skype, so that global collaboration becomes a regular part of the K-12 educational experience.
"'The goal is that schools offer a global collaborative opportunity at every grade level,' Lindsay said, adding that teachers often interpret that advice to mean they have to be doing global collaboration projects all the time. 'No, you don't,' she clarified. 'It's hard work. You cannot do it all the time, but it's important that every student
at every grade level needs at least one experience.'"
~ (read more from this article below)