"Skype me!"

Ok, ok, I never really thought of this, but it could totally work! What if you have a student who is on home instruction that is out of school for several days or weeks? Maybe you have a student going on a vacation that could tie into a history lesson. Or you know a teacher in another building doing an awesome activity your class could be a part of?

Skype can allow all of these scenarios to happen and include the students missing from the equation. Two ways I have seen Skype work in the classroom: 

1. It was the end of the school year and I was covering for a middle school teacher on medical leave due to surgery. Her 8th grade students would be graduating soon and leaving for high school. Through Skype, the teacher was allowed to make a video call to me one day to check up on her 8th graders before they left for the summer. It was a great way for the students to be reminded of how much their teacher cares about them and how hard they worked all year to make progress.
2. In my mom's elementary school, Skype has been used to connect two classroom during Read Across America day in honor or Dr. Seuss' birthday. The two teachers simply set up Skype accounts, made a video call, and broadcasted the call through the classroom projector. Students were able to work with other students they never knew before!

There are so many ways to use Skype in a classroom today. It could work for any history/geography lesson in which contacting a friend in a foreign country could be informative. How about in a foreign language class where students can practice speaking the language fluently with peers across the world? Students in a language arts class could interview an author after finishing a book through Skype. Students in theater courses can rehearse and practice lines via Skype. The possibilities really are endless. 

In so many ways, Skype has been used to connect people across the globe, or even across the school building. It's a way to have everyone included and also deepen understanding through real-life experiences. 


*Reference: Taylor, L. (2012). The skype is the limit: Preparing for successful video chats. Children and Libraries, Summer/Fall, 39-41.