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I think that providing a "flat classroom" gives the learners of the 21st century a better outlook of what the internet and "connecting" looks like outside of social purposes. This helps set the students up for more success as the move into higher education and into their careers. Having these skills will be extremely beneficial for the students in the future. Skype for learn purposes has come a long way in the past years. Similar to virtual field trips, a presenter through Skype is bringing opportunities to students that is cost effective and influential for students. I think companies are more willing to allow their employee to visit through Skype than in person. It also allows the ability to meet with others that are not in the immediate area to connect.

Ana Suarez: You are totally right, safety is the most important. In fact, at the beginning of the year what I say to my new students' parents is, before learning, safety first. I thought that the best way to ensure that students stay on task is for them to record their Skype educational interactions. Skype doesn't have a tool to record, but there are software like SuperTintin Skype Recorder that is used by many people. Download.com is a rating website I have known for almost 20 years, and they rate it with 4 stars. http://download.cnet.com/SuperTintin-Skype-Recorder/3000-2150_4-10656468.html This is the direct link to it http://www.supertintin.com/ It is true that teachers fear not being the knowledge center, but I think this is because students value more a teacher when they see him/her as someone they can look for explanations, solutions, and knowledge. Still, we have to evolve and let the students interact and discover the world too.

Brandy Hanak: You are right, these tools will be very important for the students' to identify and learn that they can be used for professional purposes and not just for socializing. You mention a very important point. Skype allows students to connect with people that are far and could be impossible for them to come. The cost for a face to face presentation is so high that most companies do not invest in it. Being able to present at a distant opens doors to benefit everyone.

I was thinking about all the various uses of video web 2.0 technologies that is used for e-learning. While I recognize that Skype is an excellent way for students to "interact" and learn together- I am aware that Skype doesn't allow more than 10 students to meet at once. I recognize that this article was written in 2010 and I know that there is a great improvement and more video web 2.0 tech/apps out there that allows for virtual collaborative learning beyond a one-to-one interaction. We have Blackboard Collaborate, Fuze Meeting, appear.in, Google HangOut, and many more that does give more of a "classroom" feel. Incidental learning is also very important (students to get more than just one opinion, but comments, backgrounds, reactions from rest of their peers.) Hmm. just my thoughts :)

Skype would definitely be a great way to get professionals to "come" and talk to students. I don't see why employers would have a problem with this, they already allow employees to attend the in person career days. This would be a great idea for those employers that are not in the area. I can see this being a great tool for science and technology, to get professionals from the fields to give workshops to students. This is one of things I tell my students. They may know how to use their devices for socializing or gaming, but they have no idea how to use them for educational purposes. With how technologically advanced we are, you'd think students would know how to use their resources. The biggest downfall of students not knowing how to use their technology as an educational resource, tells me that they do now know how to use it to problem solve. I think this is where our focus needs to be with our students. Ensuring that the technology we use in our classroom is not something just for fun, but a tool that we are going to teach to them to use to problem solve. And problem solving can mean finding answers, collaborating, communicating, etc. I like what they talk about at the end of the article about digital citizenship. It is obvious that students are not aware of how to behave and the consequences of their posts on social media. I tell them once you post it on the net it is out there forever. Not only that but with the rise of Snapchat, teachers are becoming targets of video capture and without notice a video of them is up on social media. Students definitely need a course in high school relating to digital citizenship. Great article!

Summer, I think you right, there are other collaborative learning applications that have been developed but we also have to consider that we don't always need the capabilities of a BB and sometimes teams just need to talk. Skype is a technology that can be used in any electronic device with not to many computer resources. Students' home computers or phone does not always have the applications to run some programs or the internet connection. I have found Skype to be really easy and most people know it. It is just one more application to consider. Plus, we need media specialist that can show and teach the new resources.

Juan, as you say, we have to teach our students to use technology to find solutions, collaborate and have better communication. Students need to learn to use technology to become better at what they like to do.

When I read the through comments you posted Juan about this article I was reminded of this article from Dr. Corbeil's blog. http://edtc.blogspot.com/2015/06/does-not-compute-millennials-arent-tech.html. The article talks about how students use technology all the time, but lack problem solving skills and completing educational based task using technology. Skype is great tool and can be used to reach people that specialist in many different fields including writers, scientist, and business people. We have to embrace technology and learn how to help our students use the social networking to benefit their education and develop problem solving skills.

With today's technology this is a great instructional opportunity! Research shows and teachers know that students learn best from each other! Getting another perspective from a different area of the country/world provides extended learning opportunities that are boundless!

It would be very nice if our students learn to make eye contact with each other as well...:) I cannot tell you how many times a day, students stand at my desk waiting for me to read their minds as they converse on cell phones and listen to their earbuds...I am supposed to assume they would like to use a computer and sign them in. I like to just wait them out...and I frequently say, "Words are your friends! Use them to ask for what you want!"

I went to check my 18 year old son's cell phone usage and in one month he had 3143!! What do he and his friends text about is beyond me. Texting to him is so second nature, that he could with out a doubt do it without even looking at the keys. However, even with all his texting, he can hold a conversation. I feel this has to do with experiences that he has had in his life. It also helps that he is not shy. In the elementary level this not a big issue because they all love to talk not only to each other but to their teacher. I like the idea of having students use their phones to record themselves speaking, debating, etc... This is probably a good trial and error for anyone having to do any type of public speaking. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/03/text-messaging-texting-conversation_n_1566408.html

"Muzzle Memory" is what my daughter developed with her cell phone when I was trying to hold a decent conversation. Every time we had a conversation, she had to pick up her smart phone to check or send a text message. Her actions were not due to a rebellious attitude but to her muzzle memory. It's part of their life and I constantly see it here at my workplace. Many can't live without looking at their phone throughout the day even in meetings. I have to constantly call out people who are on their phone while the meeting is in progress. I find it hilarious when people get grumpy since their phone is nowhere near them for motivational support.

Thanks for the comments! So, what do you all think would be some ways to engage learners using both technology and human interaction? I like the way it is handled in classes I've taken through the EdTech program. I like using the technology to learn but I also like the fact that we get together 'live" and are able to interact with the instructors and each other.

Although texting may not teach our students how to converse well, there is a lot of technology out there that promotes the skills of a good conversationalist. Below is a link which the author talks shows how technology is helping in kindergarten. Jeff, I think there are many opportunities. For example, using Collaborate, Skype or Google Hangout with students to collaborate or giving feed back. http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/04/10/using-technology-to-enrich-kindergarten-conversations/

I have said it before but I think it is worth saying here again. I don't think the technology or even the format of the technology is the problem. the problem is our understanding or misundertanding of how the technology can and should be used. We have always had some form of short and to the point communication whether it was a bulletin board, an announcement or a short phone message. Short messaging and quick messaging have indeed become more prevalent but that does not mean that internet technologies can't be used to promote communication. We need to recalibrate ourselves and begin studying how best to use technology in promoting communication which in turn promotes collaboration and cooperation. It may well turn out that the communication of the future looks fundamentally different from what we have seen in the past but it doesn't mean it will somehow be inferior. In fact, if we consider just the ability to communicate information and respond to immediate concerns the communications system we have evolved (or maybe revolutionized is a better word) into today is in fact far superior to what we had available to us only 10 years ago. Often times we see something as a problem or an issue because it is not what we are used to or accept as the norm when in fact what we should be doing is looking for the opportunity that has just presented to us. I believe that as a society we are in one of those pivotal moments of paradigm shift. This is one of those periods where people will look back from the future and call it the "Age of ????" What they choose to call it will depend on their perception is of how well we handled the moment and how well we adapted to the new situation. Think back to the the bronze age and the revolution that metal working brought to mankind. Compare today to the age of steam or the industrial age. I believe the comparison is warranted and that in fact this may be a more important time in human development than some of those earlier "ages".

What a powerful experience. Those students will always remember, their sharing and learning with others around the world. It makes me feel so guilty focusing so much on standardized testing, especially as it the time gets closer to test. Obviously there is so much more to a student's learning than just testing. http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/effects-standardized-tests-teachers-students-10379.html

That must have been an amazing experience for all those involved. Collaboration on a global scale offers so many opportunities for students and educators. Teachers collaborating with students as peers. Voices and opinions are shared across continents. Instructors learning from each other through sharing ideas on what it takes to become better partners in education. That sounds like exciting stuff. Araceli, I also agree that there needs to more to education that a high score on a standardized test.

I couldn't agree more about standardized testing. I saw a quote one time that stated, "teachers are required to differentiate instruction to students who need to pass a standardized test." Makes one think. Our campus is currently preparing for the Writing STAAR next week. Our 4th grade teachers are doing an awesome job at trying to keep it fun. For instance, they are calling this week Writing Boot Camp and keeping all things military. Wearing camo all week, moving up a rank each time they complete a mission (homework) and then holding a boot camp graduation (party) at the end of the week are just a few of the fun activities planned. My favorite is when they march up and down the halls chanting..... momma, momma can't you see, what 4th grade has done for me.....

Last year, I discovered epals.com. Epals.com is a safe pen pal program via the internet for classrooms around the world. Students can email and/or Skype. The best part is that classes around the world can actually work on projects together like the one in the video. http://www.epals.com/#!/main

Merrill, the Writing Boot Camp sounds fun. I would like to find fun ways to review math. We are at the end of our review week for the ITBS exams, and I can tell my students are burning out.

Brenda - I like the idea of students connecting with other students around the world. That in it self, is an education. I hope learning about other cultures, traditions as well as completing projects together will one day be more common for students as more technology advancements fill up our schools. There are always obstacles though like the lack of money, etc. On another note, we will be preparing for our STAAR Math in a few weeks. I've been tutoring Math and have found Pinterest.com a handy site for math games. http://www.pinterest.com/tlsafran/math-review-games/

Talk about thinking outside the box for this teacher. I can imagine the enthusiasm those students felt everyday they interacted with each other.

I enjoyed the video and particularly the teacher' purpose...connecting lessons to real world applications!

Merrill, thank you for the link.

Merrill, I love that idea of Writing Boot Camp. This gives the students a nice break from the same routine of passing the STAAR and only focusing on the test. I will definitely share this idea with my grade level and with 4th grade so maybe they can incorporate something fun like this for next year. Your students are very lucky that they have teachers who care enough to keep them motivated. Thanks for sharing.

This project will definitely keep the students interested and involved. Experiences like this enhance the learning process by expanding the classroom across continents. Students learn to solve real world problems by working together. Instructors can also share teaching strategies.

We too use Writing Boot Camps...we've noticed a huge correlation bt student's ability to write and their performance on other subject-area assessments, not to mention general weaknesses in writing TEKS. Each summer we do a Writing Boot Camp to help address those, and it seems to be paying off. Our scores have shown improvement!