Skype in the Classroom

Education is changing.  No longer are students expected to "sit and get" their knowledge from lectures or books.  We want them to be active learners and use 21st century skills to gain the knowledge they need and to do so in authentic and meaningful ways. One of the best ways to make a lesson authentic and meaningful to students is to bring in outside professionals in the current field of study to talk with students and answer questions they may have.  Another great way to do that is to take field trips to those famous places students are learning about, rather than to simply read about them in books.  While in the past these amazing opportunities required lots of expenses to make it happen, today it much easier to make these fabulous learning experiences come to life...and for free.  Enter, Skype in the Classroom--the world's biggest classroom.  

Skype in the Classroom allows you to collaborate with classrooms across the globe (over 66,000 teachers are currently using Skype!) by participating in Mystery Skypes, being or finding an authentic audience for student writers or by having students collaborate and work together on a project.  It is breaking down classroom walls and allowing children to be a part of experiences from around the world by granting them unprecedented access to new experiences.  Students can chat with Yellowstone National Park Rangers, Skype with scientists from the top of Mt. Everest, and have NASA scientists show students firsthand how to prepare a space vehicle for takeoff.  

Best of all, Skype in the Classroom is easy to use!  Teachers can search by subject, age or what they are looking for (guest speakers, lessons, etc...).  Simply visit:  https://education.skype.com/ to get started!