Telephones are a scarce commodity in classrooms. Telephones with international calling plans ... well, we haven't seen one of those yet in a classroom (unless it's a teacher's personal cell phone). The impact and benefit of students speaking with students across the globe brings an authenticity to education that adds immeasurably to both textbooks and Web references. Skype makes it easy to connect to other people, other cultures, and other countries. Classrooms may not have telephones, but they are often wired for the Internet. Skype is a service that teachers and students can access using the hardware they already have in their rooms. It's common knowledge that teachers spend, on average, $500 out of their own pockets to stock their classrooms. Skype fits into a teacher's budget. It's free.

The old pen-pal model takes on a new approach when the pen is a mouse and a microphone and the paper is virtual. Having students speak to each other over Skype benefits each language group simultaneously. Of course, the knotty question is, how do you find safe, viable, dynamic forums for second-language practice?

A Web-savvy teacher with a desktop and a high-speed line can create a gathering place to reach language learners. Schools from Italy, the United States, Turkey, Sweden, England, and more have connected with each other over Skype to help students master foreign languages through educator-mediated Web forums (see Chapter 13). The schools control their projects and connectivity. A main Web site functions like a town square, a place to find kindred spirits and post Skype contact names. Schools sign up educators, contact each other, and arrange student conversations. Teachers are in charge and students have a blast.

Ten years ago, one of the authors (Susan) attended an educational conference in London. One of the presenters, a teacher from Buffalo, New York, revealed that although she was in London, her English writing class was still on schedule. At the time, Susan was astonished to discover a use for the brand-new technology, email, in education. Students couldn't skip their writing assignments and couldn't blame the dog, the spilled soup, or the late bus. Their teacher, on the other hand, couldn't even suspend class because she was across the ocean.

That teacher-across-the-ocean model is even easier with Skype. Students can still transfer over their assignments, but not as attachments that may be garbled by email protocols, or as pasted text that loses all its formatting. A quick file transfer, in mid-chat or mid-conversation, brings the assignment from student to teacher in record time. In addition, teachers can use the Mood Message option to post a note next to his or her Skype Name to let students know what topic is on the agenda, when an assignment is due, or just that they are doing great work. Remote teachers can encourage students with similar interests to work together, encourage older students to mentor younger ones, or simply hold class with the Skype conference facility.

Skype brings professional development to the teacher, coach, or mentor when and where they need it. The common model of improving teaching skills gathers teachers in one place for a one-size-fits-all workshop. With Skype, teacher mentors can deliver personalized training directly to the classroom on subjects teachers need. Whether the interaction occurs one on one, through a mini-conference, or on an as-needed advice line, using Skype skips the expense, the travel, and the time out of the classroom for teachers.

Here's a real-world example: A staff developer in the New York City school system is charged with supporting the instructional technology for students who are blind. The teachers he works with often have questions about voice output technology and other assistive software installed on students' desktop computers. The Skype environment provides needed guidance "on-site" on the very computer that students need to use (and that teachers need to configure).

Skype is a natural environment for student collaboration. In one software setup, students can talk with each other and send drafts of files to everyone in the group to review and interject with text comments. Archives of Skype text messaging conversations (see Chapter 9) can bring fellow students up-to-date if they miss a meeting. Students can work on school newspapers, use video to practice a senior play, try debate strategies, and even organize school events.

Organizing a competition, performance, or club involves much decision-making beyond picking a time and place to host these activities. But if the time and the place were virtual, most of the effort would involve the educational content of the activity rather than endless logistical planning. Children in different schools, counties, and even countries could gather at arranged times to discuss books, deliver a book report, or read their own stories. A Skype voice and videoconference can, and does, serve as an exciting international locale for poetry performance or "slams" (competitions). Each class that participates projects the Skype conference and video windows with an LCD projector so that everyone can see the action.

Five to ten classes (or venues) can conference an event. Student poets or debaters can face their counterparts anywhere in the state, the country, or even the world. The students can rate one another's performance, offer comments, expand viewpoints, or simply post an emoticon in a simultaneous chat window to provide another layer of participation.

In an increasingly virtual environment, it is not just fun but also necessary for students to hone presentation skills for a virtual audience. Making a speech is scary. We all know what it's like (butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, weak knees) to face a class and deliver a research paper or argument (or even make a toast at a wedding). The same dread happens with online presentations, and developing an online comfort level when facing virtual audiences is an important skill. The opportunity to start practicing in a safe place — the classroom — and in a cost-free environment — Skype — is a great beginning.

Students get together to prepare material, study for exams, or work on after-school club activities. But sometimes a student who is busy hatching a great idea may not be listening to the other great ideas being put forth by his or her student collaborators. Here's where voice recording comes in handy: You can use third-party software to make a sound file of a Skype call or conference. Play it back to hear all the nuances you missed or to find all the facts you didn't have time to jot down (see Chapters 9, 11, and 14). Record a dramatic dialogue, foreign language pronunciation, debate arguments, or an oral presentation as it's happening for instant feedback to provide students with help on making improvements.

Although some large cities have extensive Web sites with live homework helpers ready to guide a youngster through a difficult assignment, smaller towns may not have the means to set up an after-school resource center. Skype can double as a quick connection to a teacher, librarian, or even a traveling parent for a child in the midst of a homework crisis.

One of the most important ways to inspire children to read is by reading aloud to them. Schools can arrange to have an author read a story over Skype so that the entire class can enjoy a favorite book and then ask questions for an author study. Other remote readers might be local business owners, elected officials, athletes, or other local leaders. Some local theater groups get involved in literacy education by offering read-alouds in classrooms. They can expand their service by adding a Skype call to the classroom read-aloud. It would be like the old radio shows that used to broadcast to the world while performing in front of a live audience.

But Skype storytelling is not limited to school hours or even schools. A nightly Skype story delivered by a working or traveling parent can continue a valuable routine that job responsibilities might interrupt. A creative grandmother can read stories to all her grandchildren at one time in an organized conference.

Children with special needs often have unique problems that make the school experience difficult. Some children with developmental delays, autism, or speech and language problems cannot easily describe their day when they return home after school. Teachers write notes, phone when they can, and try to make up for the lack of communication during open school night. With Skype, teachers can send a description of the day over a chat or file transfer, and offer Skype conference hours after school or during administrative periods during the school day. Teachers can also help direct a parent with a struggling learner by modeling teaching techniques. The parent and child are at home and the teacher coaches through Skype. The natural setting and the convenient, supportive, communication change the very nature of the parent/teacher conference!

Skype can also offer a unique combination of accessible modes of language. Children who are blind can join in an audio Skype conference. Children who are hearing impaired can engage in a written chat. Children who use sign language can use the video mode as well as the chat for maximum flexibility. Children who are homebound can actually join in a school-based classroom without expensive teleconferencing equipment. Skype connects the special-needs student with new opportunities for learning.