Skype

My friend is currently student teaching in a language arts classroom at Grover Cleveland Middle School. Recently, she implemented a lesson using Skype. Her students were completing a non-fiction unit and she wanted them to have an opportunity to speak about the novels they selected and share them with their peers. She was able to get in contact with another English teacher at a school in Michigan. Their students used Skype to discuss their independent reading books and learn about their different communities. She explained that students enjoyed the opportunity to speak with other learners outside of their school.

I feel that Skype can be a useful tool in a mathematics classroom as well. For instance at the start of a new unit, I could Skype in with an expert on the subject and they can present interesting background information to students. Often times students become disengaged because of the same routine, so this would be a way to introduce some variety into the daily classroom routines. This would also provide students an opportunity to learn more about how the material of that particular unit applies to the real world. Furthermore, students would be able to ask the individual any questions they may have about the subject or that person’s research. Students can also use Skype to review material in study groups in preparation for tests.

Regardless of content area, Skype is a resource that allows teachers and students alike to network with those outside their school or district. Teachers can use this resource as a means of professional development by interacting with other educators in their subject area across the nation. In doing so, they can learn techniques, projects, and assignments that have been particularly successful for other teachers. Likewise, students can benefit from this opportunity to speak with their peers in and outside their own district.