Journal 4 YC NETS-T IV & V Playing with Skype

I read and reflected on this article from the ITSE (International Society for Technology in Education) website and also used Citation Machine to cite the journal in APA format.


Weller , T. (2010). Playing with skype. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100304#pg30

In the article, Playing With Skype, the author enhances the learning experiences of his students by inviting three musical composers to interact with his eighth grade music class via Skype. During this session they talked about different aspects of music and the music business. The results were so great that they invited the composers to join them for their live concert via Skype.

At the concert the composers introduced the pieces they composed before they were performed by the students. The author talks about how the interactive discussions during the concert were very meaningful to both the students and the audience.

Many may assume that engaging in this type of technology would be complicated on several different levels. Surprisingly, it only takes a few pieces of equipment to make it all happen.

If you can go to www.skype.com and download a free version of the program. With a few simple steps you are ready to Skype!

Skype provides another opportunity for teachers to correspond with fellow educators and experts in their subject areas, share ideas, ask and answer questions or just chat!
It can also lead to a better understanding on a specific subject matter for both teachers and students.


QUESTIONS: What type of specific equipment is needed in order to Skype effectively?
Surprisingly the only equipment needed is a computer with a broadband Internet connection,which most everybody has, a data projector, a couple of microphones, a web cam, an adapter to feed the audio throughout the sound system and a projector screen. This equipment seems relatively easy to find. Most schools probably have some if not all of this equipment in the audio visual department.

How would I implement Skype in my classroom?
I'm hoping to teach grades 4th - 6th so I think the whole concept of Skype in itself will be very welcomed by the students in my classroom. I think I would use it to talk to other classrooms around the world that would be studying the same subject matter at the same time. For instance, I would connect with a teacher who is studying the life cycle of a plant for instance and see how their experiments compared to ours. It would be really fun to talk with the other students and actually see how the manner in which the same plants grew in a very different part of the world.

I think another way we could use skype is through virtual pen pals. I have participated in many different mission projects around the world and think it would be fun to learn about a friend in a different country through skype. This gives the students the opportunity to not only talk to their virtual pen pals but to learn about their culture by seeing how they interact live. They would learn how the students dress, talk, eat, play, study, learn, etc. It's one way we could take a Virtual Field Trip which could lead to a very effective educational experience.