If you didn't know, free is always my favorite. Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying someone for their labor but if they are willing to give me a freebie I will take it!
From the Skype website: "Skype is for doing things together, whenever you’re apart. Skype’s text, voice and video make it simple to share experiences with the people that matter to you, wherever they are."
I recently used Skype as a bribe to get my students to learn a little about Australia. I have a friend who lives there and she promised to Skype with the kiddos once we finished the unit. In preparation for the call they learned about the land of Australia, a bit about its flag, the animals that live there and finally they got to type up the questions they were dying to ask Jen. The funny thing was that during the time they were typing up their questions all that could be heard was the clicking of the keys. There was no talking except to ask me how many questions they could ask her! Involvement like that is a teacher's dream!
I have seen teachers use Skype to teach and learn with others in a virtual class. Students and teachers from other cities, states or even countries collaborate on activities and share them via Skype. It is a pretty neat thing and something that should be considered.
You will need a computer with a web cam as well as speakers and a way to project the person's image on a large screen. You can use Skype on a regular computer but it is hard for the kids to crowd around a small screen.
If you are interested in Skype you can check it out here =>Skype
No comments:
Post a Comment