Skype

Skype is a free tool that allows you to videoconference with anyone, anywhere in the world.

media type="youtube" key="m1mflr-kQlk" height="390" width="640" Skype Explained Visually

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media type="youtube" key="uViuWDbuNaY" height="390" width="480" __ Skype __ is a free downloadable software that lets you do voice and video calls combined with instant messaging for free. The possibilities of Skype to flatten your classroom are endless.
 * 1) Interview authors, astronauts and other amazing individuals from around the world.
 * 2) Collaborate with classrooms, businesses and more in multi-disciplinary projects.
 * 3) Explore a volcano, rainforest, or history museum in virtual fieldtrips with experts in the field or even share your field trip experiences with others.
 * 4) Practice conversational foreign languages with native speakers.
 * 5) Provide additional support for students needing extra attention or unable to come to class.
 * 6) Invite a guest lecturer from leading educators and experts from anywhere in the world.
 * 7) Explore foreign cultures first hand with classroom to classroom video conferencing.
 * 8) Broadcast a performance or project to parents and families unable to make it to school.
 * 9) Access and share professional development opportunities with educators on the go.
 * 10) Collaborate with innovative educators to plan units, lessons, and more.

**5 Skype Companion Tools**
To get the most out of Skype, you should consider utilizing other web 3.0 and social networking sites such as
 * Web 2.0 Tools for Class Projects - such as Twiddla in order to brainstorm, collaborate, and share ideas in real time.
 * Google Docs - allows participants to share and edit documents.
 * Flickr - to share photos and enhance the feeling of learning together across a distance.
 * Blogs - to reflect and share learning.
 * Twitter - as a backchannel during interviews, lectures, etc and as a way to continue the conversation throughout the school year.

**//Online Skype Communities//**

 * ePals Global Community offers a free 30 day trial. Sign up to connect with other classrooms using Skype.
 * Skype in the Classroom Ning is for teaches interested in using Skype to connect with other teachers for idea sharing and classroom video conferencing.
 * The Mixxer is a free educational community for language exchanges via Skype.
 * Meet the Author Network connects you with numerous authors willing to enter your library or classroom for 10 – 15 minute skyp sessions for free. You can also set up longer interviews for a fee.

**//Global Skype Projects//**

 * Global School Network engages classrooms worldwide in meaningful project-based learning exchanges to develop science, math, and literacy skills and foster collaboration, global citizenship, and multicultural understandings.
 * Taking it Global is an online community of global educators with the goal of making a difference in the world.
 * Around the World with 80 Schools introduced on the Langwitches blog challenges teachers to connect with 80 different schools via skype in order to circle the globe once.

**//Skype in Education Directories//**
Connect with other educator’s looking for video conferencing classroom partnerships at these directories. Did I miss one? Please add it in comments. Thanks!
 * Skype in Schools Directory
 * Eduskypers Phonebook

[] These great ideas are all about teaching students in dynamic ways. Using Skype in the classroom can promote communities within a school or globally. Teachers and parents can benefit from Skype in the classroom, too. Find out how you can take advantage of Skype with the advice below. Here are a few ways to connect with others using Skype in classrooms and to promote education.
 * 50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom**
 * Promoting Education**
 * 1) [|**See Me, Hear Me: Skype in the Classroom**]. Read how these students had the opportunity to chat with an author of the book they studied via Skype.
 * 2) [|**Videoconferencing in the Classroom with Skype**]. This teacher used the movie "Hoop Dreams" to help teach about social inequality, then was able to get the executive producer of the movie, Gordon Quinn, to participate in a Skype session with her class.
 * 3) [|**The Many Roles of Skype in the Classroom**]. These amazing 7th graders used Skype as a part of their history project that resulted in their collaboration with the curator of the National Museum in Canada.
 * 4) **Field trips**. If students aren’t able to participate in a field trip due to factors such as budgetary or distance constraints, use Skype to [|**bring the field trip into the classroom**].
 * 5) [|**Using Skype in the languages classroom**]. Find out how this teacher uses Skype to help her students study foreign languages from native speakers.
 * 6) [|**Skyping in Mike Artell- Illustrator & Author**]. This inspirational lesson has an illustrator working directly with 6th graders to work on the art of illustrating and story creation.
 * 7) **After school help**. Use Skype as a tool to provide after school help to students needing extra attention. Tutors, teachers, or librarians can be available at set times in the afternoons for student access.
 * 8) [|**"Not education as usual," with Skype and author Cory Doctorow**]. This class was practicing how to convince the school board to allow a controversial book to be taught in their school and had the opportunity to Skype with the author of the book to help promote their case.
 * 9) **Interviews**. Whether you have students [|**conducting interviews**] or your class is interviewed, Skype facilitates the interview process. Individual students can interview other teachers or school staff, sending the Skype feed to the classroom for all to watch.
 * 10) **Guest lecturers**. Have [|**guest lecturers**] come to your classroom via Skype.
 * Promoting Community**
 * 1) [|**Inclusion — helping a classmate join the classroom from home**]. This blog post explains how a 4th grade class used Skype to help a classmate with leukemia become a part of the classroom from her home.
 * 2) **Connect special needs students**. Students who may have to be out of the classroom due to special needs or IEP requirements don’t have to miss any special events in the classroom with Skype.
 * 3) [|**Blue tongue lizard, vegemite and cricket. What the…????**]. This Australian teacher describes her class’ experience connecting with a Korean class via Skype.
 * 4) **Foreign culture lessons**. Skype allows students to see first hand what people’s homes, schools, clothing, weather, and more looks like. If a festival takes place, Skype can bring it to your classroom too.
 * 5) **Connect with families from around the world**. Form friendships that can easily bridge distance gaps with Skype.
 * 6) [|**Skype Calls for e-Twinning in L2**]. Find out how this teacher brought two classes together that had been Twittering all semester when they finally got to meet "face-to-face" with Skype.
 * 7) [|**Best Day Ever!**]. This teacher describes three Skype calls her class had in one day–the most exciting being with a class in a different time zone with whom her students had been collaborating on a project through Google docs. With Skype, the students got to work at the same time and actually see each other, too.
 * 8) **Present a performance**. Whether your class puts on a play, demonstrates a science experiment, or presents the results of a class project, share the fruits of their works with other classes, parents, or other interested people.
 * 9) **Share field trips with others**. If your class goes out for a field trip, see about connecting with parents or other classes to share your classes’ experience.
 * 10) [|**‘Slumdog Millionaire’ inspiration uses Skype to help kids in India learn**]. Find out how Skype is connecting grannies in the UK with children in India for both a cultural connection and an educational benefit.
 * Skype Ideas for Teachers and Parents**
 * 1) **Professional development**. Teachers can use Skype to access professional development opportunities, such as watching [|**conference presentations**].
 * 2) **Share students’ work with parents**. Let parents get a first-hand look at what their children are doing with Skype.
 * 3) **Conference with parents**. Whether a parent has to miss a regular conference or a concern comes up that requires speaking with a parent, Skype can provide an opportunity to [|**connect with a parent**] that may not otherwise be available for a conference.
 * 4) [|**Innovative teacher uses Skype and Wikis to involve parents**]. See how this teacher helped share information with parents using Skype and the PBS program, [|**Growing Up Online**].
 * 5) **Collaborate with other teachers**. Who says Skype has to be fun just for the kids? With Skype, [|**teachers can collaborate**] on ideas, projects, and more.
 * 6) **Share travel experiences**. If you will be traveling during the school year, arrange for your substitute to connect with you via Skype and you can share the experience with your class.
 * 7) **Receive teaching feedback**. Have an experienced or mentor teacher watch you teach via Skype and receive valuable feedback.
 * 8) **Be available to students**. If your school is suddenly closed for a while or if you want to set up conference hours for students, use Skype to allow students to [|**contact you**].
 * 9) **Tutor former students**. If a student has moved away or you want to offer [|**accredited online degrees**] or just moved up from your class, you can be available for tutoring (for free or for a fee) via Skype.
 * 10) **Bring busy parents into the classroom**. A busy parent who has knowledge to share with the classroom may be more likely to be able to make the time for a presentation if she or he can do so with Skype rather than having to leave work and come to the school.
 * Resources for Getting Started and Using Skype**
 * 1) [|**Using Skype in the Classroom (or just learning how to use it!)**]. This teacher provides the basics to get Skype set up with your class.
 * 2) [|**Skype in the Classroom**]. This article offers help on ways to set up Skype, tips for finding other teachers on Skype, technical obstacles, and more.
 * 3) [|**Skype Tutorials for Teachers, Authors, Librarians**]. Find a handful of video and text tutorials here to get you going with Skype.
 * 4) [|**Classroom Collaboration with Skype**]. This primer offers help with using Skype, connecting with others, and ideas for using it in the classroom.
 * 5) **eduwikius – SKYPE**. This wiki contains plenty of information about using Skype in the classroom and also provides links to additional resources.
 * 6) **A Skype from the classroom**. Find information on videoconferencing in general, the pros and cons of using Skype, school project ideas, and more here.
 * 7) [|**Using skype in the classroom**]. Learn from this teacher’s experience as she describes using Skype and how to best prepare your class and yourself for a great educational opportunity.
 * 8) [|**Skype is a Valuable Educational Tool**]. This podcast explains why teachers should use Skype and puts some nasty rumors about Skype to rest.
 * 9) [|**Using Skype in schools – some tips**]. Read these helpful tips, including suggestions on using Skype usernames at school and home.
 * 10) [|**Skype: Talk to Anyone, Anywhere for Free**]. Watch this "techtorial" or print the text version to learn the basics of Skype.
 * Finding Others Using Skype**
 * 1) [|**ePALS**]. Sign up for a free account here, then find other teachers and classes around the globe using Skype.
 * 2) [|**Skype an Author Into Your Library or Classroom**]. This site will connect schools with authors through Skype. Short sessions are free, while longer sessions are subject to a fee set by each author.
 * 3) [|**Skype in Schools**]. List yourself or find others in this directory just for educators seeking Skype collaboration.
 * 4) [|**Skype in the Classroom – The EduSkypers Phonebook**]. Scroll through these comments to find other teachers from around the world looking to connect through Skype. The most recent are at the very end of the list.
 * 5) [|**Global SchoolNet**]. This organization works to connect teachers and students around the world through [|**forensic science programs**]. Browse to find something of interest or start your own project.
 * 6) [|**TakingITGlobal**]. Another project-based organization, this one focuses on youth looking to make positive global changes.
 * 7) [|**Around the World with 80 Schools**]. This teacher is hoping to connect schools around the world through short Skype sessions.
 * 8) [|**Skype in the Classroom**]. Join this community to find other teachers seeking Skype connections.
 * 9) [|**Going Global – School Skype Author Visits**]. Linda Lowery and Richard Keep, children’s book authors and illustrators, are available for Skype interviews for a fee.
 * 10) [|**Mixxer**]. This group helps connect language learners seeking partners to practice their language skills via Skype.