Video Chat

I used Skype to perform my video chat, mostly because it was already installed on my roommates computer, and since mine does not have a camera, I used hers. There were not any difficulties using the program, I have used it before and so has she, it was very simple just to log on and get going. I liked that I could talk to someone live and see what they were doing at that exact moment. I talked to her sister who lives in Georgia, and it was cool because she got to show us the new shirt she was wearing and we got to show her our apartment, the room where she will be staying when she comes out, and most of all it was cool to see their facial expressions as you talk. I think so much of communication is through physical or body language, and using a video conference you can actually see that!

Synchronous video can be used in teaching if for instance a student is very ill or in the hospital or something and cannot come to class. You could chat online about what they missed, allow them to observe labs being done, basically try to include them in the class. It would also be cool to have instead of pen pals, have skype pals as a whole classroom and study the same unit here and across the country and be able to talk together as a class and share data and have a cool classroom friendship.