Continuing our mini-series on using Skype in the classroom, I wanted to present a few of the many Skype lessons that are currently available for classrooms and everyone else to try out.
What is a Skype lesson, you ask? It’s simply a pre-planned ‘call’ where you can watch and learn from others via Skype. Like a Google+ Hangout or other live video-based lesson. Below are just a very small number of Skype lessons you should consider checking out over at the official Skype in the Classroom website.
The lessons below are sorted by topic and feature the title (linked) and the provided excerpt about the lesson:
Careers
Students will Skype with professionals on the job. They will get to see what it’s really like to be a musician, realtor, and medical professional. We hope to inspire future career choices through this project.
VerbalizeIt, a human-powered platform for translation and interpretation based in Boulder, CO and Manhattan, NY, knows what it’s like to go through the trials and tribulations of building a digital startup. Founded by two Wharton Business School graduates, the company went on to graduate the elite startup accelerator program TechStars in 2012.
2022 – What will it mean for you?
This project asks children and adults to think about the future and what it will be like for them in 10 years time. What technology will be used? What jobs will they have? What will home / transport be like? How will schools change? What will stay the same? What will be different?
Culture
Peace One Day founder Jeremy Gilley speaks with young people around the world via Skype to inspire a generation in support of Peace Day 21 September. In late February Jeremy will be travelling to Mexico to help spread the message of Peace Day even further. During his time there he will be visiting a school and speaking to a group of 12 and 13 year olds about peace, sustainability and this year’s campaign theme: Who Will You Make Peace With?
I teach second grade in Maine and I’m looking for other classes to Skype with on Read Across America Day on Friday March 1, 2013. Last year my class did this and had a blast. We’re looking for classes of any age to share in celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
Mystery Skype between WI and a NE state – 3rd/4th grade
Hello! We are a 4th grade class looking to connect with a classroom from the North East region. We would like to Mystery Skype with your classroom to discover where you are from! Students would ask questions of each other, starting from the very broad and narrowing it down at the end. Your students would guess that we are from WI and you are from ___!
Geography
20 Questions Elementary Geography Exchange
We have all played the game 20 questions. I think it would be a great learning experience for kids in elementary students to connect on Skype in a game of 20 questions.
I am looking for classes in Great Britain to Skype with my 5th and 6th grade. We can tell you about our country and that part of Sweden we live in. We live right by the famous ice hotel and my students would love to let you know about that.
Living and Growing Up in Oklahoma’s 10 Nature Regions
I am an elementary computer lab teacher at Mills Elementary in Owasso. I am currently teaching a unit with 2/3 multiage and 3rd grade students that introduce them to the diversities of our states ten natural regions and how they have effected where people have started communities. My goal for this project is to allow students to connect to other elementary school students and hear from them what kinds of jobs their parents have, find out whether they live in a rural or urban environment, and what natural regions occur in their area of the state.
Languages
Hello! My name is Veronica and I want my students to communicate in English with other students from different parts of the world. As they are beginners, we can do the Skype project in both, English and Spanish. Anyone is interested?
GRAMMAR! GRAMMAR! COME AND GET YOUR GRAMMAR!
Have a grammar question in English? Need some example sentences? Ask your grammar question and I’ll do what I can to make sure you get what you need.
Soziety: the language exchange community for teachers and students
Soziety.com is an organization created to promote and facilitate the learning of new languages, mainly focused on oral skills.
We believe that oral skills are the base of human communication and that, in order to really know a language, you have to talk it. And the best way to talk is practice (skype is great for this!)
Physical Education
Building leadership, values and ethics through healthy activities and sport
Throughout my career I have lectured privately on the how to build leadership qualities, often through the medium of healthy physical activities and sport. Discussed within a very positive and uplifting manner for all ages, this is applicable for early business type classes, ethical studies and physical education.
Pre Kinder and Kinder Food Pyramid
I would like to teach an age appropriate lesson about the Food Pyramid to my Pre K and Kinder studnets.
Introduction to Asian Martial Arts
This course is an introduction to educate and inform students on the martial arts of Asia and the cultural impact they have. Besides being a form of disciplined combat and self-defense, martial arts from Asia have been a symbol of pride, honor, and national heritage for its people.
Science
Classroom Catapult Design Project
Students will research the history and science behind building siege weapons such as catapults. Students will share what they have learned by creating multimedia projects using prezi, glogster, etc. Students will locate and or design their own siege weapon using craft sticks or classroom supplies using marshmallows as projectiles. As a final part of the project students will battle each other using their weapons to defeat castle walls made of plastic cups.
Video tutorials for practical molecular biology and scientific research
This project will contain a number of videos of ‘everyday’ molecular biology practical applications. I would be very interested in other educators contributing to this project with ideas and their own video protocols. The videos I upload will be Copyright of Bangor University however I would be very happy for anyone to contribute translations of the commentary and text of these videos into Arabic, Chinese, Urdu or Hindi.
Understanding each other stems from having to understand yourself. Once you understand yourself, you’ll be able to understand the behaviors of others. This project is to help you better understand why things happen in your life, how to recognize negative traits and eliminate them and keep them from coming back and bringing you down to their level.
Technology
This projects aims to alert and make high students aware of technology trends that appears worldwide. It also gives an idea of what to get specialized in specially in computer and technology majors.
Social Media Tools in Education
I’m currently wondering how teachers are implementing different social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype into their classrooms, and what exactly they are using them for?
The purpose of this project is to generate ideas for a local start up incubator. The advantages of being in a top tier university environment is the abundance of near free human capital that is readily available to be allocated towards an idea. If anyone has any ideas that they want to contribute to our incubator feel free to do so. This project is aimed at compelling a list of ideas that can be presented to a population of highly intelligent students who are passionate about executing and developing an idea into a physical and tangible product or service. People think of great ideas all the time but many are wasted away, it is time to recycle these ideas! If your idea is picked and developed you will be given equity!
