Journal #4 Playing With Skype

Weller, T.J. (2010). Playing with skype. Learning and Leading with Technology, 6(37), Retrieved from http://ed422spr2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/journals-1-5-part-1-of-2-journal.html

I found the article "Playing With Skype" very eye opening. I use iChat (which is very similar to Skype) myself on a weekly basis to talk to friends who live in different cities across the U.S. I never thought how useful a program like Skype could be in a classroom. The article talks about how teachers used Skype in their music class to show live concert and have question and answer sessions with established individuals in the music field. Skype can be used for all subject areas and as mentioned in the article requires very minimal equipment. This article is similar to the Virtual Field Trips that were introduced to us earlier. I think both VFTs and skype lessons are great and let students get to experience things that don't usually happen everyday in class.

Does Skype charge a fee to open an account?

No. After doing some research on http://www.skype.com/features/ I found out that Skype has a lot more to offer than I originally thought. You are able to send a text message directly from Skype, forward a call to your cell phone, or set up an online number for friends and family to make a local call to your Skype, wherever in the world you are. It seems pretty simple to register, maybe I should open a Skype account!

How often should a teacher use Skype in the classroom?

I would say that as long as the Skype session is enriching the taught material, then as much as possible. The Skype sessions should be for education, not entertainment. I think Skype is a easy and fun way to get students engaged and become excited about learning.