Participating in the Skype-a-thon was an incredible experience. It was so interesting to see how Skype could be used in a classroom, and how quickly you can connect to to other classrooms and use that in the classroom. Before this experience, I wouldn't have thought to use Skype in the classroom. Having the opportunity to not only use Skype in a college class, but see how another teacher implements the lesson in an elementary school class was eye-opening and definitely something I would want to include in my own classroom.
Skype can be used in so many different ways within the classroom. It can be used to go on a virtual field trip to almost anywhere. Students could talk to a specialist like a zookeeper and see what they do on a daily basis, or learn about any other job they might be curious about. When learning about the history of other countries or areas, Skype could be used to allow students to see historic battlegrounds and talk to a historian about what happened in that area. Being able to video chat with people from different areas could also help eliminate stereotypes or misconceptions students may have about an area, as well.
Discovering new ways to engage students in active and meaningful learning is always so exciting, and participating in the Skype-a-thon helped me find something new to remember to incorporate later on. Skype has the ability to let students travel the world without ever leaving the classroom.
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