Skype offers many features which make it a valuable resource for communication between groups of people. These same features have a few but yet still practical applications to the classroom setting. Most of the time, students learn from the teacher who is physically sharing the same time and space as them. However, it would be feasible for the teacher to be removed from the classroom setting and for the students to learn through a video chat with the teacher.
An example scenario where Skype would be an incredibly useful tool in the classroom would be if a student went to a high school where no advanced placement classes were offered. Let’s say, just for effect, that the closest other high school was one hundred miles away. It used to be that this student would have no way of being able to take the advanced class they wanted. However, with the available technology today the student could still take the advanced class by utilizing Skype. The student could be at their school watching and listening in on the advanced placement teacher at the school one hundred miles away. Furthermore, the student could even ask questions of the teacher and the teacher could respond making it seem very much like a traditional classroom. However, the negative side of this is that the student can only see what the video camera will show them of the classroom. The same goes in the reverse direction as well, the teacher cannot always see what the student is doing and therefore lacks the control they have over their students who are physically there.
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Chirs, great point, I didn't even think about Skype as functioning as a commuter school. While there are many schools with sufficient AP programs, you are right in that not everyone does. While 100 miles might be a little bit of a stretch, it is clearly pertinent to those who do not have access to AP programs. Regardless of a lack of physical presence in the classroom, the ability to take a class via Skype is surely valuable.
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