Skype. Which schools use it and why

[glennda]

yeah but it is still a valid question therefore got answers

[_Bat_]

yeah but it is still a valid question therefore got answers

 

Most likely not for the OP, which most of the answers were directed at.

[mbedford]

Should we stop updating dictionaries because the chap who first wrote it is long dead?

[fafster]

Some of the staff here are using Skype in order to communicate with another school in Kenya (I think, I really should pay more attention...) and are happy with the result.

 

As for internal communications, I'm keen on implementing Openfire and Spark. Especially as only certain classrooms have a telephone - it should make getting hold of people a lot easier.

[_Bat_]

Should we stop updating dictionaries because the chap who first wrote it is long dead?

 

Point taken. However, the general netiquette of forums means that unless it is directly related to the OP, it's best to start your own thread. If someone asks "how do I fix this", then four years later someone replies with a fix, it will no longer apply to the OP, but it may still apply to someone else - it's still a valid question as someone else may have the same issue, but it's still not the done thing. If they need the an answer, they usually start their own thread. Just my opinion of course.

[tom_newton]

Worth noting that skype now offer "SIP to Skype" - Pete (aka Robot) and I have had a bit of a bodge with it, but not managed to get it fully sorted in our environment.

 

Looks promising though. SIP suffers from fewer of the problems some posters have described, as the control port is predictable. Still not as controllable as HTTP etc. but then it is a realtime protocol.

[enjay]

However, the general netiquette of forums means that unless it is directly related to the OP, it's best to start your own thread.

 

Ah, but resurrecting a thread to carry on the same discussion (as this one is) is surely more sensible than having two threads on the same topic. At least, this way we get to see all comments on if/how people are using Skype in classrooms (something which I got asked about only a few weeks ago).

[fathead]

I think Skype for staff use is an excellent idea and will be talking to SMT about using it for communication on site - video, voice and IM, could be a suitable substitution/lowcost solution instead of MS Lync? Is anyone on here thinking about using Lync at all?

 

As for pupil use of Skype - I would also air on the side of caution although I do think GrumbleDook's info about the school offering a "home learning" day is a fantastic, forward thinking idea for its use in education.

[Edu-IT]

Is anyone on here thinking about using Lync at all?

I recall Ric_ posting a lot about that on Twitter. I may have imagined it though!

[mthomas08]

Our service provider are very anti Skype, not sure the reasons why I believe I heard them say some thing to do with insecure.

 

We use that with our staff, at the moment we are happy not using it.

[mole]

Staff only use (x2 staff) head of boarding- to talk to boarders parents\potential new boarders from abroad and head of RAD to talk to parents of boarders from abroad ref behaviour etc... Really so they talk face to face.

[enjay]

Not Skype, but along similar lines, we have Google Apps for Education which includes Chat. This can be locked down so only chosen users have access to it and also set to internal-only. This is new to us so we haven't actually used it yet, however our thinking is that when someone wants it, we will create a user account for the other person for the duration of the chat. That is obviously more time-consuming for IT Support but given how infrequently we envisage this happening, I can't see it being a problem.

[aerospacemango]

We have started Skype, but only for certain users.....SMT and the like, for video-conferencing.

 

One interesting point from last friday.....

 

Due to the number of people who had the news, streaming, Skype was like watching a 56K dial-up convo, from 2000!!

[jc1875]

I think Skype for staff use is an excellent idea and will be talking to SMT about using it for communication on site - video, voice and IM, could be a suitable substitution/lowcost solution instead of MS Lync? Is anyone on here thinking about using Lync at all?

 

As for pupil use of Skype - I would also air on the side of caution although I do think GrumbleDook's info about the school offering a "home learning" day is a fantastic, forward thinking idea for its use in education.

 

I've been trialling a Lync implementation here. The primary aim is to replace an aging (and fully used) telephone system.

The added bells and whistles (video, whiteboard etc) will be a bonus.

It's very difficult to get (teaching) staff to see it as primarily a business tool, and not a video conf toy.

[Stuart_C]

We have Skype as a facility for students to chat to family (boarding school). The PC's with it on are those in the tutor's room in each house so are only accessable when there is a member of staff on duty to supervise (i.e. no getting up at 1 in the moring for a cheeky "webcam" session with their "friends").

 

We have also had a big push on internet safety recently trying to teach the pupils what effects there actions online have.

[Ketlane]

We have Skype as a facility for students to chat to family (boarding school). The PC's with it on are those in the tutor's room in each house so are only accessable when there is a member of staff on duty to supervise (i.e. no getting up at 1 in the moring for a cheeky "webcam" session with their "friends").

 

We have also had a big push on internet safety recently trying to teach the pupils what effects there actions online have.

 

Similar experience with us. Big pressure from overseas parents and their children; also big pressure from families who have come from schools already offering Skype. Still really trialling things.