Skype In The Classroom

I receive the occasional question about how best to use Skype in the classroom to bring in guest speakers. My recommendation at the moment is to use the Portable Apps version of Skype on a USB drive, along with a USB webcam. Each classroom PC has two spare USB ports to use

Here is what I would suggest:

• Download Portable Apps Skype to a USB drive (http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/skype_portable) (drive needs to be formatted for Windows)
• Use the Logitech Webcam C920 - you can pick this up from Amazon quite cheaply
• Position the webcam to face your students with a desktop tripod. My recommendation is the Pedco UltraPod II Lightweight Camera Tripod

Tags: skype, portable apps, videoconferencing, classroom, Technology