Lots of scope with Skype say TES magazine

Lots of scope with Skype appears in the TES magazine supplement out today . Written by Stephen Manning, it describes the work of Paul Harrington ICT coordinator and web 2.0 enthusiast from Cefn Fforest Primary School, Caerphilly who has been using Skype to forge links with New Zealand teacher Allanah King and her pupils from Appleby School, in Nelson. In Allanah's blog post Skype Podcast with a Welsh teacher, she explains how the schools have been exchanging 

• letters
• emails
• photos
• blog posts
• gifts
• Tiny Ted - "a very small geocaching bear which is travelling about in Nelson having a wonderful time"

Paul also wrote a post about the day when a photographer from the TES arrived on his own blog ddraig goch (which means 'red dragon' in Welsh).

The TES article suggests how new technologies such as Skype, blogging and podcasting can be used to set up cultural links between schools. Teachers like Allanah and Paul are proving how the power of the internet  can connect individual classrooms anywhere in the world, thanks to a few free tools and a bit of technical know-how. Despite the time difference problems of chatting between New Zealand and Wales, the pupils are clearly enjoyng the experience and all types of connections are being made.

On the back of my How to use Skype to help with language lessons for the TES ICT blog, I also get a mention in the article endorsing the potential of using Skype as a language learning tool.

"Skype would be ideal for language lessons, as a way of getting native speakers into schools"

Lots of scope with Skype is now available to read in the TES archives.

Here is the red dragon's response to the article. You're welcome Paul.

Comments

[eastcoastlife]

Whoa! Thanks so much for the info. That's a lot of help in my teaching.

[Allanah]

Thanks for the mention. The whole Skype and podcasting thing has been an interesting learning journey for us all.

[Joe Dale]

Hi Allanah. Thanks for the comment. Nice to hear you speak about your use of blogs and podcasts last night in the Skypecast.