Journal #9 – Playing with Skype - II, IV, V

Weller, T. J. (2010). Playing with skype. L&L—Learning & Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25508&DirectListComboInd=

Travis J. Weller has attended many performances and watched where a guest conductor is brought in for an honors band and shared their personal insights with students. Many times it's difficult to bridge the gap between the composers of school band music and the students and audience they want to engage. Travis thought that there had to be a way to help those who write great music connect with the students who bring the music to life and the families who are listening. Both Travis J. Weller and Joseph M. Pisano of Grove City College in Pennsylvania, got together and came up with a way to bring composers to live concerts by the use of technology. Joseph and Travis invited their friend Jason Davis on to what is known as Skype into their 8^th grade music classroom. Skype is a free and easy tool to use to communicate with others via Internet. You can talk and visually see the person you are talking with by webcam and microphone. Skype makes it possible for educators to seek out experts in their subject areas and invite them to share in the classroom or the rehearsal hall. Davis, then a freelance musician and licensing agent, spent 45 minutes discussing copyright laws, the music business, and censorship. Later that day, the idea to use Skype at a live concert came to them.

The equipment needed was very minimal: a computer with a broadband Internet connection, a data projector, a couple of microphones, a webcam, some adapters to pump the audio feed through the sound system, and a projector screen. Many times schools already have access too much of this equipment. They then invited musicians to join them on Skype and they agreed to appear live at the concert. They made an introduction for their pieces before the student performed them. The introduction turned into an interactive conversation that was very meaningful to the students and the audience.


Would I use Skype in my classroom?

            I use Skype on a weekly basis at my home right now to talk to other relatives that live in other states or towns. The best thing that Skype provides, is that you can visual see others and talk to them for free. As a teacher, I would definitely use Skype in my classroom. It can give my students a chance to talk and learn from other who live in other parts of the world. You can learn from different cultures or learn about multiple subjects from experts who can teach them more in depth on a subject that they want to learn about.

How would I get my students involved in using Skype?

            I would get my students involved by having a basic workshop, to teach them how to use Skype and then give them a chance to interact with others on the campus and learn to teach one another through Skype. I would then collaborate with other teachers from a different school and would have my students teach other students a lesson and then vice versa so that the students can learn from one another and teach each other while learning about Skype.