Skype connects classrooms across the globe

Teachers and students around the world now have an easy way to find each other for shared projects and learning through a new online platform provided by Skype.

Skype in the classroom is a free global community created in response to the growing number of teachers using Skype to help their students learn.

Teachers can use the tool to collaborate with other teachers, and find partner classes and guest speakers. The program is designed to help like-minded teachers find each other and relevant projects according to search criteria such as the age groups they teach, location and subjects of interest; and teaching resources can be easily shared and found.

More and more teachers all over the world use Skype to make learning more exciting, interactive and memorable.

From language studies and geography lessons to virtual field trips and expert speakers joining classes from afar, Skype video offers an immediate way to help students discover new cultures, languages and ideas, all without leaving the classroom.

In addition, teachers are being encouraged to do more to share their expertise and experiences systematically in ways that go beyond the mere exchange of information.

It is also reported that teachers who exchange ideas and information and co-ordinate their practices with other teachers report more positive teacher-student relations at their own schools.

The platform, which started four months ago, already has a community of more than 3900 teachers, across 99 countries.

The Global Learning Exchange, a program designed to create borderless classrooms and allow students to learn about other cultures seamlessly has been using Skype video for four years.

Regular exchanges between primary school children in Singapore and students in California, USA has helped all 260 students from both schools build relationships with one another and facilitated learning that is not limited by geographical borders.

In a similar way, Skype is also used to connect 9-10 year old students at a school in Lille, France with their peers in Prince Edouard Island, Canada.

“Before arranging the first video call, our students exchanged letters and emails but we decided to bring the two classes together face-to-face over Skype video to enrich their relationship,” said teacher Christophe Fetat.

“The result was amazing. Students were really engaged to discuss different topics. It is really a simple and effective way to exchange ideas, learn and bring other cultures into the class.”

To join Skype in the classroom, teachers should:

1) Sign up at education.skype.com using their Skype account details.
2) Create a profile which includes their interests, location and the age groups they teach.
3) Explore the directory to find projects, teachers and resources that match their skills, needs or interests.

Skype in the classroom is a members-only community. Once teachers find someone they want to connect with they can add that person as a Skype contact or send them a message through the site.