Skype in the Classroom: Enhancing Learning For All

I have been super fortunate to be named a Skype Master Teacher. Most of what I do with Skype these days is dependent upon the amazing educators that I work with in my school who constantly challenge the status quo of education and how kids can and should learn. It is also used to connect with educators from around the world to help me learn and improve on a daily basis.

Regardless of how much experience you have with Skype, I think it is important that we continue to share ways in which classrooms around the world are connecting to bring real life connections to our learning.

There is something special about hearing the tones of a Skype call and that moment when the screen showcases a group of students or expert or author on the screen. It is at this moment when everyone involved knows they are part of something special.

I created a Sway to showcase all the ways in which I have used Skype in the past few years. This is just a small sample of ideas, but I hope that it will inspire or ignite new ideas in how we can help foster global classrooms.

What I challenge you, the reader, is two things

1. Find another class to connect with and enhance the learning. Just looking forward to this week I know that my robotics teams will be Skyping with another team in Michigan to share their gracious professionalism to help a team with the robot. Later that night we will be Skyping again in India to help create some solutions to the village that needs help.
2. Find an expert. Head over to the Microsoft Education site and find an expert. There are so many people volunteering their time to help students. We have 6th grade students participating in the Mission 8848 project to strengthen their PBL unit this year after being blessed to speak with Mark Woods and others last year.

We can no longer act like connecting globally is not possible. The world has come together to make it happen. It is easy. Start with a mystery skype and go from there. Check out the October picks and join the Skype-A-Thon, check out a tutorial, or explore the lessons.

Are you a GoNoodle fan? If you are nodding your head yes!, then join the GoNoodle Mystery Skype song and dance event.

Go out there, bust down those four walls in your classroom and get connected with the world. I promise you that once you give it a try you will be hooked.