Using Skype in the classroom lends itself to a variety of applications. Skype allows students to connect with others around the world through a variety of interactive experiences. For instance, students can:
- play mystery Skype (students work collaboratively to learn about and determine another classroom's community)
- talk with a guest speaker
- work on a joint project/investigation
- take a virtual fieldtrip
- engage in a cultural exchange
- descriptive writing exchange
- academic challenges
- debates
- mock trials
- literature circles
- presentations
Social media provides unique opportunities for learning through collaboration. There are a variety of applications for the use of Twitter within the classroom. Some examples include:
- using twitter to send last minute updates and calendar reminders
- keeping students who miss class up-to-date through the use of hashtags
- collaboration on group projects
- live tweeting comments, ideas, and questions related to learning for discussion or future reference
- student engagement
- parent communication
- instant feedback
- formative quizzes
- recap the main ideas of a lesson
- connecting with others around the world
- sharing opinions
- follow historical figures to build background knowledge
- share and evaluate resources
- discuss local and current events
- communicate with experts
- study tool
- following political figures/government
- vocabulary building
- writing and grammar skills
- learning to be concise
- bring characters to life
- language learning
- collaborative poetry/narrative
- foreign pen pals
Utilizing social media and video conferencing tools allows teachers to promote communication with parents and to extend and enrich learning. In addition to content knowledge, students gain skills required for life in the 21st Century such as digital citizenship and global collaboration. As students transition into adult living, these skills will become vital to employment and relations.