In the area of technology, we evolve very quickly and implement changes that make day-to-day tasks much easier. One of the most significant is the way we communicate and the way we reinvent ourselves. to keep moving forward as a society.
From the rise of teleworking to the implementation of virtuality in schools and universities, has been able to keep pace with the new trends and needs that have arisen as a result of adversitiesbecoming a fundamental tool, allowing us to use an endless number of tools not only for corporations and companies but also for the educational area.
Skype in the Classroom it’s a tool provided because it offers a service oriented towards teaching. Here we will explain in depth how to use this tool and what benefits it can give us bring the implementation at the school and university level.
What is Skype in the Classroom and what is this online tool for?
In May 2011, Microsoft decided to make a section of Skype called Skype in the Classroom. Where the basic functions of the application (calls, video calls and chat). They are transferred to the educational area, to expand the resources available for teaching. It is a online community whose concept is collaborative classroom. Since it has thousands of classrooms connected around the world.
As well as millions of teachers and experts imparting knowledge and inspiring many students through truly innovative learning. It is the best free option for educators to teach their educational functions and make it easier for students to stay up to date and share everything related to their subjects, since it allows you to create study groups with students from different parts of the world, make presentations, form debates and evaluate them.
It is a shared space so that students can connect with their teachers. They can also distribute classroom resources and at the same time share information and links of interest. It is a well thought out tool and easy to use, which, today, is one of the most used by Microsoft, since it allows students to explore and interact live as well as with their professors, as well as with guests and experts available from all over the world.
What are the benefits of using Skype to teach online classes?
That new technologies have occupied spaces as important as education. Always will bring facilities and advantages. So much for students, What teachers.
This tool was created as a learning space based on collaboration and communication with others:
- Teaching wherever you are: A teacher will be able to connect with their students wherever they are without the need to all travel to a certain place, which offers some flexibility for better management of the subjects.
- External school support: It offers students the power to reinforce knowledge by allowing them to ask the teacher questions and clarify all the doubts they present so as not to be left behind.
- Reduce inconvenience: If a teacher or student is sick or cannot go to school for any reason, they will always have the option of connecting with their classroom via videoconference and being present virtually, thus significantly reducing school delays for any compelling reason. elderly.
- Connect with teachers and classrooms internationally: It allows teachers to collaborate with students from all over the world, collaborate on research and projects, invite different subject matter experts to broaden and offer their perspectives, and most important of all: learn about new cultures and different educational techniques.
- Saved Lessons: It is possible to access thousands of classes. That have been created by other teachers to apply to their classes. And also create your own to share them through this tool. Here it is possible to create classes. Based on some interactive experience that a group has had. As, for example, visits to museums, historic centers, zoos, among other places around the world.
- Better connection between teachers-representatives: With this tool, it is possible for parents or representatives to integrate much better into their children’s education, even being able to be present at videoconferences and then help them reinforce what they have learned.
Functions and characteristics of Skype in the Classroom What tools do I have to give virtual classes with this tool?
Skype in the Classroom is much more than a tool to make video calls and chats, This program has various tools that complement the original functions of Skype.
Among these we have:
- Join.me: With this tool it is achieved that everyone has access to the same information whether they are in or outside the classroom. This is done through screen sharing. Here everyone can individually use the shared screen, highlight, mark up and use laser pointers to highlight important content, all while working on the document without anyone else seeing it.
- ePals Global Community: It is a worldwide educational community that offers teachers all kinds of content so that they can share them in their classes. It offers teachers and students to participate in different classes and projects around the world and at the same time learn from different cultures to broaden knowledge horizons.
- iDroo: It is a virtual whiteboard that allows you to share presentations in real time with the different participants of classes or online meetings. It will allow you to create graphics, capture brainstorming, design maps of ideas or simply demonstrate a concept that when sharing the screen all users can have access to both observe and edit it. It is quite an easy interface to use and allows an unlimited number of users.
- Mystery Skype: It is a tool that has a playful format. It is an educational game that was invented. By teachers, and certified by Microsoft Education. In which students from all over the world will be able to get in touch and turn a call into a game of questions and answers, in which the winner is whoever finds out where their interlocutor is. It is a game aimed at primary and secondary students, whose purpose is learning languages and geography, as well as cultural exchange.
- snaglt: It is a screencasting software that is used to record and transmit the audio and video of what is played on our computer.
Learn step by step how to start a Skype in the Classroom session to conduct your first virtual class
Now We are going to know with a small explanation how we can create our first Skype account for study and how to implement it in the educational future.
Let’s see next:
Download the Skype app
The first thing you should do is to download the Skype app on the device where you want to connect, to do so enter the following web address in your browser: https://www.skype.com/es/get-skype/. Once there you will select the ideal version of Skype for the device you are using, either desktop (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) or mobile phones (Android, iPhone)
Download Skype
By clicking on Discharge The download will start automatically. Once the download is complete, open the file and click on “run”
It is possible that after this you will get a warning screen about making changes to your system, you just have to click on “to accept” in order to continue with the installation.
Later a box will appear. Notifying you that the program is ready to be installed. Here you just have to click on “Install” and wait for the download to occur.
Create a Skype account
shall or. If you do not have a Hotmail/Outlook account, you will select “create an account”, where you will be redirected to create your account either with a phone number (which is active because you must confirm it through a code that is sent to you as a text message) or by creating a normal user. Then you will have to assign a password to it and you will have to Put your first and last name.
Log in
Once your account is created, You should go to the Skype in the Classroom website: https://education.microsoft.com/. There you will click on the upper right corner where it says “log in”
account login
Enter your email already created and the password that you assigned to that account.
approve access
It allows Microsoft’s access to your account information clicking on “YES”
After performing these steps you will be inside the platform Microsoft Education, where you will already be part of the community of Skype educators. here you can modify your profile with your data as an educator, take courses, obtain certifications, and a long etcetera
5 unmissable tips to be successful with Skype in the Classroom that you should always keep in mind
Yes ok Skype is a powerful tool for virtual learning. Without the right knowledge you will not be able to get the most out of it for you and your students.
Let’s see:
- Set up your profile: You must configure your teacher profile in a complete and concise way, thus ensuring that anyone in the community can know what your areas of specialization are. Doing this. You get more chances to be invited. to some classes. Conferences or large meetings and earn a reputation within the community of Microsoft educators.
- Use the resources and take the courses offered by Microsoft Education: These resources allow you to get to know the platform and the community much better in order to get the most out of it.
- Connect with others: The amount of information and knowledge that can be obtained on this platform are endless. It is important to always maintain communication with people in the community. Whether it is inviting authors of certain books, sharing and supporting projects, interviewing experts, etc. All this will bring nothing but benefits to your classroom and, of course, will allow cultural exchanges for both students and educators.
- Educational excursions: Connect with experts who are conducting excursions or educational trips and connect them with your students, in this way you will allow them to have a much more constructivist learning.
- Connect with other classrooms: It is important to teach students to be global citizens. Allow your students to collaborate with students from other countries, discuss ideas and perspectives, build common goals, develop understanding of different cultures, and engage in different educational projects worldwide.
The best alternatives to Skype in the Classroom to teach online classes successfully
If you didn’t like it how Skype in the classroom worksthen you may need to use other similar tools to satisfy the teaching of your students.
That’s why we present you a small…
Facebook Comments
Disqus