Skype

Use of Skype in a Low Beginning ESL Class. Audio files of students on Skype Lesson Plan Sample Writing from Skype Interview Skype Sample Student Worksheet
 * If you have a problem getting these mp3 files to play, email susan at susangaer@gmail.com and she will email them to you.media type="file" key="alvina.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * media type="file" key="irmaoctober.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * media type="file" key="long.mp3" width="240" height="20"

More Resources

 * [|21 Skype Resources]
 * [|50 Awesome Ways to Use Skype in the Classroom]
 * [|Skype in Schools] (PBWORKS Wiki) Add your information here
 * [|15 Apps for Recording Skype Conversations]

Kristine
Successes: One of my personal objectives for this project was to “break something” and I certainly did that! It was good to experience the things that didn’t’ work and were difficult and.

Call quality is excellent, and call recording with Pretty May was extremely easy to do, replay them as MP3 files and save them.

I was very encouraged to hear that Susan’s experience with learners was that some of them ere able to help teach how to use Skype – this seems like a very empowering thing for students and I love to hear that their level of tolerance for experimentation is high.

Challenges: Dropped calls, confusion with Extras – ensuring that both call participants had the same Extra installed and ready to go prior to using it. Was a little time consuming and awkward to install it “on the fly” and sometimes didn’t work at all.

Recommendations: Learned that you need to be prepared in advance, especially in a PD environment where there might be a lower tolerance for “clunkiness”. Ensure that you communicate in advance any requirements, opportunities to test the system and set expectations for any issues that might come up. Encourage experimentation and create an environment where problems are opportunities for learning.

Do you plan to use?

Domestically, we have a good rate for WebEx, so it probably doesn’t make sense – at present -- to make a switch for PD purposes, but I would certainly feel confident recommending that programs use it. Plus, with our international partners, this could really open up opportunities for access to synchronous PD

Wendy
So I can't give a formal answer to the questions, but I did drop in on Susan's class last night, late, unfortunately, so only a few people were there. But they were very excited about the call, once I finally got it working, and it was a good chance for them to hear and talk. I can see how useful Skype could be in an English classroom, and even in a GED class for guest speakers. A great way to train people to take notes!

Susan couldn't do video, and my camera wasn't working anyhow, but she said she thought that was actually better for students' listening skills. I think for my classes, video would bring the speaker more to life -- assuming I could ever get it to work, of course!

The biggest difficulty I have with this is just the technology -- I haven't used a webcam much so I'm struggling to getit to work. Also, when I called at first, I didn't realize that Susan didn't have video, and I could hear her but she couldn't hear me. it took me several calls before I realized I just had to plug in a headset to make it all work. I guess if we make a video call, it doesn't work if the other person doesn't have video? Or was it just that my camera wasn't going on?

1. It is fairly easy to use 2. I love that you can easily import contacts from other accounts 3. The audio is very clear, and it works great for conference calling 4. It is easy to record audio with Pretty Me.
 * Bethany**
 * What were some successes you encountered learning and using this social media tool?

1. Prior to this class I used Skype for work, and I had problems when I first downloaded it. I needed to download the most recent version of Skype (and this wasn’t made obvious). Before I downloaded the latest version, I was having all sorts of issues. Basically, I couldn’t even get into my account to make a free call. 2. It seems difficult to collaborate with more than one individual (tried using the whiteboard & Innerpass).
 * What were some considerations or challenges you faced?

1. Import Skype contacts from email address book. That way, any students who are already on Skype can accept me as a contact if they would like. This could save money (versus using cell phones to call students). I would also be able to do video calls with some students, which would help strengthen the distance student-teacher relationship. 2. Meet students one-on-one to go over difficult concepts (can use the screen sharing function, whiteboard plug-in, and file sharing from Innerpass). 3. I may incorporate the use of Skype in my webinar training course 4. Put students from a class into groups of two to collaborate on an activity and suggest that they use Skype to connect to reduce the cost of making a traditional phone call (if that’s applicable to either one of them).
 * What are your recommendations for using this tool in teaching or professional development?

1. Teaching distance students 2. Professional development training courses 3. Communicate with co-workers
 * For what purpose(s) – if any – do you plan to use this tool in your practice?

Catherine
What were some successes you encountered learning and using this social media tool?

Previously, I’d used Skype only for personal rather than professional use. In my limited small-group work for this NIFL discussion, I was able to experience Skype in a small conference setting and I also had a chance to do some pair-work with a colleague.

The conference was exhilarating as it seemed quite user-friendly – there didn’t seem to be not such a steep learning curve for participants, though I think our facilitators, Richard and Susan, did a fair amount of behind-the-scenes prep. work to make sure things would work fairly smoothly.

The pair work experience was helpful in that I could immediately see how gratifying and useful Skype couldl be for teaching or PD. A new success was being able to activate the “screen-share” function in Skype. For an immediate, show-and-tell PD or learning experience, I could see this would really make Skype much more valuable. Other plusses: since Skype doesn’t come with a whiteboard function, I suggested that we just share our desktop and use, say, MS Word to capture discussions, take notes, etc. (If we used a larger font, it would help make this ersatz whiteboard more visible to learners.) When I demonstrated the use of a Web cam with Skype, my partner immediately saw application possibilities for tutoring learners and adding an immediate and human touch.

> > Most of the Skype activities went pretty smoothly, though there were a couple of technical problems. In our pair work activity, we had to spend a few minutes figuring out where things were on Skype (e.g., the screenshare function) and had to repeat sometimes when the sound quality was poor (echo cancellation feature didn’t seem to be sufficient). > > I echo the sentiments already expressed in the discussions on the challenges – managing the feeling of overload, having to learn how to navigate one more new system, figuring out which is the best option since so many products offer similar services, fitting PD in from home in the late hours of the day, etc. These aren’t insurmountable, but in combination, they might leave a less-than-technocentric (is that a word?) adult educator feeling a little daunted. > > > I can see that in adult education in California, for example, where time and funds for PD are scarce, Skype might offer educators an opportunity to network easily and freely. I think we’d have to first gauge how easily educators can access Skype at their districts or whether its prohibited (as it is in my organization). > > As for Ning, even though Ning eliminated its free services as of July, it still offers a pretty low-cost subscription service. If an organization wanted to pay for a subscription for an electronic Community of Practice, it would not be much to cover the cost; alternatively, the e-CoP could share or rotate the subscription fees among sponsoring organizations or have members chip in to cover the costs. > > > My purposes are best addressed by my ulterior motives for joining these two small groups. > > In joining the Skype small group, I had hoped to hear from other educators and professional developers how they are actively using Skype so that I could use this as ammunition in trying to convince my organization to “trust” Skype. (I could still use more ammo, so if anyone wants to chime in, or email me, I’d be grateful!)
 * What were some considerations or challenges you faced?
 * What are your recommendations for using this tool in teaching or professional development?
 * For what purpose(s)—if any—do you plan to use this tool in your practice?