Tool #6

Skype
I love Skype.  I use it frequently to communicate with my family that live in other cities and states.  It is so fun to watch my nieces and nephew grow up and watch my kids interact with their cousins through the computer.  I think that Skype has helped my kids form a stronger bond with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins since they are able to see them frequently even though they are separated by miles.  It was really amazing when my Mother in Law was in China and we were able to talk to her via Skype for free.  The only thing that was difficult was figuring out a good time to talk.
Skype can be used in so many ways in the classroom.  You can conduct a virtual interview with community helpers when you are studying community helpers in your classroom.  You can have parents that are unable to come and read to the class during the day take a few minutes to read to the class via Skype. You can find a class in another state or even country and become virtual pen pals. There are so many possibilities!
I really like the Skype in the classroom page.  I enjoyed browsing through the various projects that teachers have posted on Skype in the classroom.  There are many great ideas of projects that can bridge gaps between various populations of learners.