I was given the amazing opportunity to present Skype in the Gifted Classroom at this year’s National Association for Gifted Children’s Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was thrilled to attend my first national conference and meet up with fellow tweechers. I also soaked up as much as I could at the sessions and panel discussions. It was no surprise that that majority of sessions I chose to attend focused on technology, literacy, and project-based learning.Using Skype has been something I am truly passionate about. Skype is a tool that has transformed my classroom. It’s our window to the world, connections, and a real audience. Instead of looking something up about a country or culture, we can now directly ask our friends about it in person. To apply math skills, we play a game with our Math Skype Buddies. To learn what other gifted programs are doing around the globe, we listen to our partner class present projects they have completed. We learn. We connect. We share. That is what Skype has done for us.
I would like to take this opportunity to share my presentation and accompanying handout. I hope that you will find use in them and that they provide you direction in starting your own journey with Skype. Feel free to leave me a comment if you have questions or would like to further discuss ways to incorporate Skype into your gifted program or class.
Click here to view the Resource Handout.
