Skype-a-holics

My husband and I learned about Skype through some of our military friends and until previously, only used it to talk to each other. I was really surprised when it was an assignment in my technology class. My first thought was "Why on earth would we need to use Skype in the classroom?" Then I started thinking! The possibilities for using Skype in the classroom are exciting. First of all, we are not bound to one area. Skype is the perfect opportunity for students to connect and interact with other students in our country or in the world. It would be an "instant" penpal opportunity where students could share ideas orally and written simultaneously.

Another idea that floated around our class and the discussion board was the use of Skype to hold parent-teacher conferences. What a convenient way to accommodate all the parents who work more than one job, or have a hard time getting off one job to to meet with their child's teacher. It's at least 10x better than holding a phone conference because it's as close as a face to face without actually being in the same room. I sent home a letter to all my parents inquiring if they had a computer with internet access. In the letter I gave them step by step directions as to how to download Skype and how we would use it as a teacher-parent communication tool on an as needed basis.