Skype is a resource which the students' can use to either chat or write to other students' around the world. Skype is a useful teaching tool for both the teachers and for the students' in all ages. For the teacher's part it's a good way to make connections/relations with other teachers around the globe.
Skype is a program that don't cost any money so it's free to download on any computer at your school. When you use skype you need a headset or a small microphone in the middle of the classroom so that every student can participate in skyping. For me as a teacher I can use skype in different ways and the important one (that i mentioned before) is having a corresponding with another teacher in another part of the world. For my students' it's a opportunity for them to improve their english in speaking and on their writing.By using skype it's enhances students' speaking and writing on english and they also get knowledge about the countries culture and their historical backgrounds so it's possible to interact with other school subjects too.
So to end this blog post about the usage with skype it's important to mention one saftey aspect; Skype is something the students' can also do at home so it's necessary to talk with both the parents' and the students' that there are a lot of people on the internet which can cause problems i.e. get the student to meet up with a stranger that the student thinks he / she thinks is a friend. But fortunately you can block people on skype and just ad people that you know who it is.
/ Martina
Skype is a good for getting pupils to speak English in a natural way. It often feels like the English is forced and have no real purpose in the classroom. Talking to pupils from other countries is both interesting and puts ones language skills to the test.
ReplyDeleteHow do you get in touch with others on Skype? Is it possible to search? And how can you be sure of that the person on the other line is reliable if the pupils are sitting alone? I've never used Skype myself, so I'm not familiar with how to get in touch with others.
If the entire class is speaking at the same time, isn't it going to be quite loud? Or even worse, is everyone going to be able to speak up? Although listening is a very important feature too!
Bullying is a very important subject to bring up in class as well. Especially if the pupils gets to use Skype by themselves in school. The kids need to know that bullying is strictly forbidden, on the internet as well. Unfortunately, bullying online is getting more and more common.
I heard of a class here in Sweden, where the pupil was working together with another class on the other side of the earth, in US. It wasn´t just in the English subject but several of he other schoolsubjects that pupils take in Sweden. It was sprung out of a teachers idea of that it would be possible to give good education in socialorientation in the English-speeking world, even though a some of the children in the particular school never got the oportunity to spend their holydays abroade. The teacher made contact with another teacher, teaching the same grade, in NY and the started an cooperation. I´m not sure the used skype but I think so. What I know for sure is that it all ended with the whole class raised funds for going there and that, this whole adventure was a sucess and created friendships that lasted way after schooltime. Sadly enought the class in NY could not go to Gotland. Skype could have played a roll in this work. I´m struck by the opportunitys that have emerged. It is fantastic to be able to communicate and actually see each other and really have lessons together in ... for example maths and music (as I knew they had) opens new worlds.
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