Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Thing 3--I like Skype

I had already used Skype before and I had seen the advantages of using it in the classroom.

I see the vast benefits and yet I see the scary, scary failure that might occur. This was brought home to me by reading Anne Mirtschin’s post on Using Skype in the classroom! Conceiving of this bit of technology is the scariest thing that I have wrapped my mind around so far. To you people out there in the blogospere, I beg you tell me it will be okay, make the Boogieman go away!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

onactaUsing videoconferencing with another class can be a bit scary. Therefore I like to get to know the other teacher beforehand, using emails or the chat feature of skype. Then, as confidence builds, use the web cam to talk to each other, work out what the videoconference will be about, and then link up the two classes. Dont be scared! The benefits to your students is great and they are so engaged with this technology, talking to students from another school etc.
However, I do have a back up plan for when things might go 'pear shaped'. Go on, take up the challenge and bring to your classroom some of the best that web2.0 can offer!

weirgeld said...

Thanks Murcha! With middle school kids being so unpredictable and SBISD "occasional" bandwidth issues, I am wary. I love to try new things but of the 23 things and the 11.5 things this to me is the most scary. I am sure it is because if your lesson fails in front of your class, it is just you and your class. If your lesson fails in front of another teacher and their class and your class, that is way more scary! I will not let it deter me from trying though!