Skype Part I

     Well, here I am with my second post ever on a blog and I have 4 followers! Maybe some more of you would like to follow me as well. Click to Join this site at the right.(This may need to be done at home. Bess may block this gadget.)
     Today's post is on Skype. Skype is a software application that allows you to make voice calls over the internet. If you call another Skype member, the calls are free. If you choose to call a landline or a mobile phone, then there is a fee. I only use the free version of Skype and it works just fine! The first time I used Skype personally, I called my sister, my niece, and nephew in Kannapolis, NC. We had a nice conversation about their day at school and a day in the life of the Wightmans. My next Skype experience was a discussion about Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching with four middle school principals from Rockingham County Schools and one principal from Alabama. That discussion was a lot of fun because we used cameras too. I have also used Skype for my on-line graduate school classes. The sound was much clearer in Skype than in the virtual worlds we previously met in. Finally, I have used Skype to help teachers. Did you know that you can share your desktop via Skype? This was a major revelation because now I can help everyone with ActivInspire, Google Docs, Castle Learning, etc. without having to be in their school.
     Some people think you need to have a camera to use with Skype. This is not true. In fact, I would rather not use a camera because when I have used it in the past, I resembled a frog on the screen. This did not boost my self-confidence, so I avoid the camera at all costs! This is not to say that you should not use the camera. Feel free to experiment. Please let me know how you have used Skype personally or in the classroom by sharing your comments below. More Skype information to come soon......

Skype Download

50 Ways to use Skype in the classroom