In a departure from IP, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the potential of Skype for business, education, improving personal communication and learning through our network. I recently read an article from the social media site Mashable discussing tips for better utilizing Skype and realized I have a ways to go! Though the article is a few years old, these are options I hadn't previously thought about. The applications of the five applications discussed: screen sharing, skype extras, call forwarding, checking on house/pets while away, and Skype as a customer service tool are wide-ranging. These are ways I certainly hadn't though of using Skype and I can see valuable applications in my immediate work. In particular, the screen sharing function is a way to simply explain a process and get real-time feedback. And on a personal note, think I'll be setting up my computer to live-cast my pups more often. Tell me your thoughts, are there other ways we can use Skype to better relate new ideas to colleagues or students? Can you see application for the call forwarding function?
Another, more recent article, from Skype's official blog discusses group chat within Skype. I can see this being used by small teams of employees and students as an alternative to Google Hangouts. I like the functionality and organization allowed by Skype's group chat, do you?
I was not aware of the screen sharing process prior to reading your post. I can see many applications for using this in education as in long distance tutoring, explanation of a concept, or simply sharing information with a colleague or student. I think checking on pets has limited value as the video would only show the parts of the home that the screen points to.
ReplyDeleteThe call forwarding function would be useful for frequent users as the article states. This seems to be an app that will be useful if you routinely use skype to connect with students or colleagues. It's not a cost cutting measure, but rather a measure that helps the user to stay in contact with others when away from the computer. It might be helpful for those in business and industry who must be always "on."
Well Erin, I'm not sure if you would call this business or education, but I have a friend who distance teaches guitar lessons using Skype! He and the student video Skype so he can hear and see what the student is doing. The student can also see his examples of how to play a piece correctly. Pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteAnd on a way to improve communication, some years ago my son spent a semester abroad in Buenos Aires. I setup a Skype Pro account, in hopes we would be able to video chat with him sometimes. I'm glad I did, because the phone service there was very unreliable. My land line to Buenos Aires almost never worked. But making a call to his phone using Skype worked flawlessly! So sometimes Skype is good for even simple things too. -Jim
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ReplyDeleteIt definitely is an awesome feature when you want to see someone face-to-face, but aren't close enough to visit them in person. For example, a little over three years ago, my sister-in-law went to Australia to study abroad. You're probably thinking okay, that's cool. However, I am sharing this information because while we were talking, she was able to take her laptop around to show us her apartment and several other things. I felt like I was also there. I am sure if you are the dog person you seem to be, you most certainly want to see them when your away. While it is a neat feature for us to use outside of school, I have found many benefits for students inside of school. I like the idea of being able to work with other educators remotely. Within seconds, you can dial a number and be working with someone on the other side of the world.
ReplyDeleteScreen sharing is a new idea for me. I can see a great deal of benefits relating to faculty learning a new process/working in a new curriculum/training the trainer. I can see where screen sharing would permit students to peer tutor also. This could lead to much growth both professionally and educationally with our students. Thank you for bringing this to our attention!
ReplyDeleteA regularly scheduled Skype talk would be helpful keeping the lines of communication open within a department. It reminds me of the big box stores morning rallies. As an administrator, this would be my first addition.
ReplyDeleteThe screen sharing idea sounds interesting and could be very helpful for assisting students or colleagues when questions arise. Skype is great because it allows people to connect regardless of location. Last year, we had a student who needed an extended absence from school and Skyped into various classes throughout the school day from home. This was a good way to keep the student up on what was happening in class, even though the student couldn't come to school for 2 months.
ReplyDeleteI thought about our class and screen sharing. It was so often that I'd read someone's post about troubleshooting something and they'd explain what their screen looked like and what they tried to do... all with words. It would have been much easier to share what they saw with someone else and have that person walk them through it!
ReplyDeleteDoes sound like a great idea for when you can't be together to discuss things. I like the idea learningis4real said about using it for students who have had to had an extended absence from school.
ReplyDeleteI also think the screen sharing feature could be very beneficial for professional development purposes. It could be a great way to learn many new things with little cost to the district. I had never used Skype prior to this week's assignments, but now its benefits are apparent. I also have seen it being used with great success for keeping students who are forced out of school due to illness in the loop with the rest of their classmates. I also think, staying along the lines of using Skype for distant learning purposes, that it would be an awesome tool for a foreign language teacher. They could use Skype to connect with a class somewhere else in the world that speaks the language they are learning.
ReplyDeleteMark