Weller, T. (2010). Playing with Skype. Learning and Leading. 37(6)
Bringing students to virtual places is becoming a popular classroom idea for teachers. In this case, students are connecting to a “guest conductor” in his or her music class, through Skype. Skype uses a camera (usually imbedded in the computer) and and internet connection to communicate in “real time”. In this case, the composer may give a lesson and answer questions, and even lead students through a performance. The equipment needed can usually be found in a classroom or borrowed from a library. Through these type of interactions, students make a meaningful connection to a different source of information. These guest speakers/composers are just an excellent way to.. well, kind of get out of the classroom, by bringing an expert in. As long as these experiences remain substantial, Weller will continue using Skype in his classroom. “We are seeing a paradigm shift in education, where the teacher is no longer the absolute authority of knowledge in the classroom.”
What similarities are there between this and the virtual field trips?
Actually a lot! Both these concepts are connecting students in real time with an expert in which they are studying. However, it seems that setting up Skype might be easier... but finding an expert might be more difficult for a teacher to do on his or her own. The field trips are designed to get the students out of the class, and here the expert is brought to the students.
Who would I like my professor to Skype in, in this class?
Larry Page and Sergey Brin (I actually googled their names) are the starters of Google itself. It began as a research project in 1996 while the two attended Stanford. Considering the mathematical properties of the internet and trying to create a data/research base for the school library, Page found how to link a web page to another given page. The mathematics would probably be over my head.. but it would be so intriguing to see how they put everything together.
No comments:
Post a Comment