The modern world's great interconnectedness allows us to have instantaneous video chats with people across the world. I regularly use Skype and Facetime, two popular video messaging applications to communicate with people across the globe, something that would not have been possible just a decade ago without significant expense.

The implications of using this in the classroom are great, with children being able to communicate between schools easily, breaking down international barriers with school partnerships and foster new friendships. When supported with a robust set of E-Safety guidelines, children can safely have experiences that seem straight out of science fiction with conversations with others across the planet. 

 

We experienced the power of this new technology first-hand with an observation of a science lesson in a school across the country in Cornwall at the beginning of the course, with children clearly enjoying being able to communicate with people a significant distance away. This was an eye-opening experience for me with children being fully engaged in lessons because of a new and exciting dynamic not previously seen.