I have used skype many times to stay connected with my family in California. It is such a great interactive tool. My grandparents love when I connect skype with them so they can see their grandchildren in California since they aren’t able to travel anymore. It is much more convenient than text talking, plus it has a more personal feel.
I have always thought that it would be a great experience for kids to skype with other students in different parts of the US and the world, but skype is another great web 2.0 tool that is blocked in my district. A couple years ago, I wanted to skype with the class we were writing pen pals letters with but we couldn't bypass the firewalls. I would hope that at one point, our district will unblock it on teacher computers so we could use skype as a whole class through the smartboard/projector at least.
Skype could also be used in the classroom to have video chats with authors. At the higher levels, teachers could use skype hours once a week or only around exam time for additional support instead of having kids stay after school. And, the best part about Skype is that it’s FREE! Learning is no longer traditional, and the tools we use shouldn't be either.
Your idea about having Skype hours for students to ask exam questions is something I had never thought of. I think that is an idea that students would really take advantage of, much more so than stopping by my office or calling. Since I set up a school Facebook account, my students are much more likely to ask a simple question that way. Great idea!
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