Skype in the Classroom

Skype
Have you ever wanted to bring an expert into your classroom, connect with another classroom on the other side of the country, or take a virtual field trip?  If so, check out Skype Education.  There is a whole community of people willing to connect with classrooms on a variety of topics.  This is a cheap, sometimes free, opportunity to connect with someone you normally wouldn't have the funds or ability to connect with.  All you need is a camera and an internet connection.  Google Hangouts for the classroom offers the same types of connections on a different platform.

Tech Tip

Online Field Trips, Virtual Field Trips, Skype an Author
Check out this great list of websites you or your students can use to have a virtual field trip.  Having your students navigate some of the field trips on the interactive whiteboard is a great way to get kids involved in the learning process.  Another idea would be to create a webquest and have the students explore the resources on their own.

Another option for a virtual field trip is to get in contact with Pete Royer at LCTN.  They offer a wide variety of online field trips including, knee surgery, autopsies, MN Wolf Center, MN Historical Society, etc...  If you are interested in taking advantage of this great service, contact Pete Royer (pete@lctn.k12.mn.us) and he will send you all the information you will need.

Your class could also utilize the Skype an Author Network to bring real writers into your classroom.  Many of the authors in this network offer this service free of charge or are free to chat for up to 15 minutes with your classroom.  Students would love to be able to meet the person who wrote the story they just read.  Give it a try today!