Teachers all over the world are using Skype in innovative ways. We will not hear and learn from most of these classroom learning opportunities.
Part of the reason I created this site, was not only for educators to find and connect with a potential Skype partner, but also give a space to teachers to document, reflect and share their skyping experience in the classroom.
Some AMAZING teachers are taking the time though to share their experiences and ideas with others to learn and grown from. Becoming part of a cycle which encompasses learning>experiencing>amplifying> sharing, is PART of 21st century learning (or simply the way we learn in the present!)
image licensed under CC by Ryancr- http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanr/142455033/
Langwitches' Skype in the Classroom Links on Diigo
- Lisa's Lingo: Global Connections
- Learning in the Modern Classroom | Langwitches Blog
- KnowGlobe: Classrooms Around the World
- Our First Mystery Skype - TechTeach21
- Language Journeys: Math Skype Buddies
- Mthornton78's Blog
- Mystery Skype – Who Could it Be? | Mr. Avery's Classroom Blog
- Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog: Mystery Skype Call With Mr. Avery!
- Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog: Mystery Skype Call With Langwitches!
- Education Week's Digital Directions: Educators Move Beyond the Hype Over Skype
Where would you like us to share?? I’ll try right here…
I sought international contacts as part of our International Women’s Day celebrations last year. Girls at our school (All Saints Girls, Liverpool, Australia) ended up talking to girls in the UAE, Marshall Islands, Philippines, USA, Turkey, China and India (thought not all through Skype – Aussie time zones are a bit tricky). The students learnt so much about gender issues around the world.
Our Skype contact with Steve Wilmarth in China led to a fantastic collaborative project between his English class and our IT class. Both classes wrote and filmed a short movie and wiped the sound. The movies were then exchanged, and the assignment was to work out what was going on in the movie and dub it with our own dialogue, music and sound…. with somewhat hilarious effects! For our students, this meant development and assessment of ICT skills, and for Steve’s kids in China it meant learning about narrative construction and practising English.
Finally, after exchanging the videos again and seeing our work dubbed with strangers’ voices, we had a Skype meeting between the two classes so we could personally meet the ‘stars’ of our movies.
The students had so much fun and were so engaged in their learning, simply because of the international collaboration.