Collaboration is king in Web...let’s see, is it 2.0 or 3.0 at this point?
If I have to ask, it likely means we’re at 4.0 by now.
Regardless, lets talk Skype. With it, teachers can utilize live video feeds to accomplish things that past classrooms would have dismissed as fancy. With the increasing prevalence of SMART boards and laptops in classes, there are few excuses why this technology can’t be contributing to any properly equipped classroom in Ontario today.
Video conferencing is preeminently flexible across all grades and subjects. Students in Kindergarten to University all have something to gain from discussion with people abroad. Even more exciting is its potential across all curriculum subjects. Some examples:
In social studies, students can take a personalized tour of a historic or geographic site that the school would never be able to afford to physically send them to.
In French, students can connect with a classroom in Quebec for a shared language lesson.
In Language, students will expand their media literacy component by differentiating between things they see on a screen (passive vs. interactive information).
In health and physical education, students can interview doctors or compete with another class remotely.
In all these examples, the students have eliminated the passive absorption of information in return for collaborative exchange. Furthermore, because the technology is designed to mimic face to face communication, students will have little to no difficulty understanding its proper use. As with all the finest new educational technologies, in their excitement students are likely to forget they are even learning.
So please, enough talk, let’s Skype.
P.S. The following is a tutorial video I created for the EdTech Cohort entitled "Skype and Education with Dinosaurs." Enjoy.
