Skype is a software application which allows users to make voice and video calls over the Internet. Skype allows users to call anyone for free within the Skype network. Skype can also be used to make traditional phone calls internationally rather inexpensively. Skype also offers instant messaging, file transfer, and videoconferencing. Skype can be downloaded for free at http://www.skype.comLiteracy and Technology?
One of Skype's slogans is, "Skype is for doing things together, whenever you’re apart." Through Skype, people are able to remain connected. You might be asking yourself, "How does this apply to literacy?" Skype allows students to use all four basic skills (i.e. listening, speaking, writing, and reading). Students can develop their literacy skills through Skype by sharing and communicating with real audiences, and engaging in collaborative learning. Skype has an enormous potential for being "innovative" with literacy instruction and technology. One example of this potential comes from my own experience during student teaching in May 2011.
During my student teaching experience with a ninth grade English Language Arts classroom, I was teaching a descriptive writing unit. My students were struggling with this particular mode of writing, and expressed concern at the thought of completing their unit project - a descriptive essay disguised as a visitor's guidebook. In order to help my students understand not only descriptive writing but the writing process itself, I contacted a young adult fiction writer and asked if she would do a virtual author's visit to my classroom through Skype. The author was delighted. Several days prior to the author's Skype visit, I had students write three questions they would ask their favorite author about descriptive writing. I previewed the questions, selected questions that kept occurring over and over among students' papers, and e-mailed the list of questions to the author for her to prepare. The day of the visit, I arranged my students in the classroom to fit in front of the webcam I had brought in. I handed back student's question sheets and highlighted which question of their three they were going to be able to ask a real author (I highlighted the questions so each student was able to ask one of their questions and not have the same question repeat multiple times). The author visited all three of my freshmen English Language Arts classes over the course of the day. The students were excited about being able to interact with a real author and receive feedback and advice. Needless to say, the students talked about the author Skype visit for days afterwards. If I repeated this experience, I would follow-up this particular lesson with a short written reflection from each student.
Skype is a user-friendly software application that is extremely easy to learn. It is also perfect for schools that have little to no budget to spend on expensive educational software because Skype is free! It is an effective innovative teaching tool because the technology becomes virtually invisible as students interact with the person on the other end of the screen (no pun intended). Skype provides an interactive, real-time experience for students, making the experience more relevant to their own lives and education.More ideas?
After spending a few minutes searching the Internet, I found two resources which discuss ways to innovate literacy instruction through Skype in the classroom.
(1) This website provides 50 ways to use Skype in the classroom. This may help foster ideas for your own classroom and grade-level.
(2) This website provides a list of authors who Skype with classes and book list clubs for FREE!!! The authors are separated into lists by elementary, secondary, and higher education. According to the website, the authors "offer free 20-minute Q and A sessions with classes and book clubs that have finished reading one of their books."
References
50 awesome ways to use skype in the classroom [Web log message]. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/
Messner, K. (2009, May 28). Authors who skype with classes & book clubs (for free!) [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.katemessner.com/authors-who-skype-with-classes-book-clubs-for-free/
Wow! What great resources you gave us all. Please put these on our class wiki too!! You can do it! I think Skype is an innovative way to use technology in the classroom. I believe that because without the technology this experience would not have been possible. What is the chance that an author would be living down the street? I just really enjoyed reading your description of the activity and for this to be done by a student teacher??!!! I hope your supervisor was there to observe and appreciated a "new model" for instruction.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed looking through the first link you shared at the end; the one which listed ways to use skype. I would say the way you set up and implemented the author/class skype interview is excellent. One of these days, I'll be on-board to try any collaborative multi-school projects and to use skype, or any other similar program, to bring students face-to-face.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read the content of this paragraph, I wondered how to integrate skype into your classroom. I keep thinking how's that possible, but you made it. I discuss with my friend, and they said what you have done is awesome. You really give us a great example to integrate technology into your teaching.
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