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2.  “Educators Move Beyond the Hype Over Skype”
by Ian Quillen
› Article Summary
› Personal Reflection
 “Bringing Composers into Classrooms Through
Skype” by Linda L. Briggs
› Article Summary
› Personal Reflection
 “Skype’s New Education Platform Connects
Classrooms Around the Globe” by Liz Dwyer
› Article Summary
› Personal Reflection
 Conclusion
 References

3. By Ian Quillen
 Curiosity alone does not justify using
videoconferencing in the classroom; there
must be specific educational goals.
 Advocates of Skype claim valuable
experiences for students in connecting
native-speakers with foreign language
students.
 Holding virtual field trips and exploring real-
world subject matter saves funding from the
school and is no cost to the students. MORE

4. By Ian Quillen
 Skype can also be used for tutoring, and to
keep homebound students in pace with other
students at their grade level.
 The challenge educators face isn’t convincing
their supervisors of Skype’s educational value,
but finding efficient ways to connect with
similar-minded Skype partners.
 Skype in Schools and Chatting Across the USA
give teachers a chance to find and connect
with video chat partners, share their
Personal
experiences, and offer advice. Reflection

5.  “In many cases, teachers are reporting that aspects of video
communication actually make teaching and learning more
effective than the comparable in-person experiences (Quillen).”
 I believe that the aspects of video communication that make this
type of teaching and learning more effective has to do with the
fact that students have the opportunity to verbally interact with
the subject matter.
 From my own personal experiences, I have found that students
enjoying asking questions. They learn more through interaction,
because it is stimulating and keeps their interest. Students during in
this era are technology driven, and therefore are more intrigued to
learn when incorporating it in the classroom environment.
 I think it’s a incredible idea to use Skype as a way to connect
homebound students with their classrooms. Some students with
medical problems, who have been suspended, or are pregnant
can continue to learn and work towards graduation. This could
help majorly improve drop-out and graduation success rates!
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6. By Linda L. Briggs
 Joseph Pisano and Travis Weller, two music
educators in Pennsylvania, invited music
experts into their classrooms for two-way
conversations with their students through
Skype.
 In May of 2008, Pisano and Weller teamed up
on a presentation where the students
performed a concert in front of an audience
of 500 while the guest music expert
commented on and addressed questions
concerning the music and performance being
given.
MORE

7. By Linda L. Briggs
 Both instructors commented on the ease of
using Skype, as well as it’s user-friendly
interface. It’s only requirement is a webcam.
 Piscano notes that introducing Skype into his
college classroom seemed obvious since
many of his students already used the software
to connect with home.
 Piscano also urges educators to consider
Skype because a Skype session does not
require travel time, it is easy to conductor, and
it does not pose a huge time commitment on
the part of your guest speaker. Personal
Reflection

8.  "We used Skype to bridge the gap between composers and
audience and performers.... It made for such a more meaningful
concert experience (Weller).“
 It is important to note that incorporating this technology was much
more meaningful to those involved. It shows that students are
gaining more through personal connection and knowledge than just
learning to play musical notes. The audience is more engaged by
the music because they are learning to understand it. Instructors
increase their knowledge by working with these experts and
composers.
 This article also shows that Skype can be used in a variety of
traditional and non-traditional educational settings. It’s important to
note it’s versatility and the ability to mold Skype into your classroom
seamlessly.
 I believe that Skype is a way to introduce more experience and
knowledge into your classroom than you ever thought you could
because of the reduced amount of time guests need to plan out of
their day. MENU

9. By Liz Dwyer
 Skype has created a tool called Skype in the
classroom that is aimed to connect the ever
growing number of teachers interested in the
software.
 This service is free, and acts like a social
community to connect teachers across the
country and the world.
 Teachers are asked to set-up a profile during
which they are asked to specify what grade or
subject they teach, as well as, what kinds of
projects they’re interested in working on. MORE

10. By Liz Dwyer
 In just one day, Kara Cornejo, a Missouri fifth
grade teacher, was connected to seven
other teachers around the world wanting to
join her in a collaboration of a “weather
around the world unit”.
 Skype has already received videos
documenting success with classroom
collaborations on helping deaf children
communicate, culture and language, peace
and the importance of intercultural
cooperation, teaching English to Haitian
students, and several other topics. Personal
Reflection

11.  US and Chilean student learn about earthquake engineering - After
watching this video, it’s evident that these students gained more
understanding of the topic, as well as, got to see how it impacted
another culture in the world. They also got to share their work with
other students in a different country, and compare the similarities
and differences in that work. It’s great to see how using Skype
technology is educating students on things that really impact the
world.
 I’m impressed with how much more conscientious Skype is
becoming about educators needing the resources to connect with
one another. It’s good to see that they are wanting to provide those
resources, and are making it so accessible.
 I was very surprised to find that the educational material being
shared through Skype spanned such a wide range of topics and
concerns. It so important to note that Skype is being used to address
real-world issues. Students desperately need this exposure, and I’m
thrilled to see that Skype is offering it.
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12.  The obvious connection through these articles is that
Skype is versatile enough that it can and is currently
being used to connect students in a number of
traditional and non-traditional settings with other
channels of knowledge.
 With a specific purpose in mind, teachers are better
able to reach out beyond the four walls of their
classroom in order to better expand they minds of their
students.
 There are a plethora of success stories, articles, and
videos showing how beneficial and educational
videoconferencing has been to both educators and
students.
 Don’t ignore the facts… Videoconferencing IS the future
of educations and our classrooms!
REFERENCES MENU

13.  Briggs, Linda L. “Bringing Composers into Classrooms Through
Skype”. Sept 4, 2008. THE Journal: Transforming Education Through
Technology. Accessed on June 21, 2011.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2008/09/04/bringing-composers-into-
classrooms-through-skype.aspx?sc_lang=en
 Dwyer, Liz. “Skype’s New Education Platform Connects Classrooms
Around the Globe”. March 31, 2011. Good Education. Accessed
on June 21, 2011. http://www.good.is/post/skype-s-new-
education-platform-connects-classrooms-around-the-globe/
 Quillen, Ian. “Educators Move Beyond the Hype Over Skype”. Feb
4, 2011. Education Week. Accessed on June 20, 2011.
http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2011/02/09/02skype.h04.html
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