This month’s Features
Skype in the Classroom Teachers all over the world are using Skype to make learning more exciting and memorable. Skype offers an immediate way to help students discover new cultures, languages and ideas, all without leaving the classroom... Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls and chat over the Internet. Calls to other users within the Skype service are free and Skype has other features such as instant messaging, file transfer, and videoconferencing. This makes Skype a remarkable tool for teaching, especially when used in an educational
e-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.com
environment - hence the launch of a service called Skype in the Classroom. In some ways, Skype is becoming the next generation’s ‘pen pal’ service. For decades now, students have had pen pals around the world with whom they would communicate during a school year. It was effective at helping them learn more about the world, but it was rather impersonal. Skype, it seems, is changing that.
Skype in the Classroom is an online community built entirely for and of teachers around the world to help their students learn. It is a place for teachers to connect with each other, gather inspiration and find other classes to partner with and share learning. Skype in the Classroom was launched in March 2011, in response to a growing number of teachers already using Skype with their classes. It was the next logical
step to create a platform for teachers to work together, build relationships and skills, and share their knowledge and experiences. Skype in the Classroom currently has over 18,000 teachers in over 170 countries. Teachers can use the tool to find other teachers who may be teaching on the same topic. It can also be used to expose pupils to guest speakers or collaborate on projects with other classes. Teachers
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