Journal #9: Playing with Skype NETS II & V

Weller, T. (2010). Playing with skype. L & L, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25508&DirectListComboInd

The article discusses the author's experence bringing skype into his classroom. He talkes about howhe brought three music composers: Scott Watson, Brian Balmages and Andrew Boysen Jr. into the classroom to talk about their insights about the music industry they work in and their music composition. The three interviewees agreed to do a live concert via Skype and make the introduction for their pieces before the student ensembles performed them. The interduction lead to an interactive discussion that allowed students to ask the musicians questions. The article then goes on to discuss how easy it is to use skype to connect with a variety of experts that can be used in the classroom for teaching purposes. The article encourages the use of skype if it helps to engage students and create a richer form of teaching.

Would I use Skype in my classroom? And if so, what specifically would I use it to teach?
         I would use skype if it benefited the topic or person I was teaching about. In an English class, perhaps getting a hold of an author who wrote the book we were studying would offer much inight for students allowing them to ask questions about the novel. If we were learning about a specific time period or shakespeare, an expert in the field would be a great source to learn from and skype would be a creative, inexpensive way to interact with a speaker. Within an Eglish classroom, it seems skype would only be good for a few things, howeve rin an elementary setting, skype coud be used in many ways since subjects range from math to science. A scientist would be a fun way to talk with students and here stories from a person other than their teacher. This is another way to bring the curriculum alive.