So you’re interested in bringing authors into your classroom via Skype?  Fantastic!  Author Skype visits are incredible experiences for our students and encourage authentic connections with writers.  Here are some tips to ensure a smooth and meaningful Skype visit:

1. Research authors who Skype and their books on the websites provided in this post.  Is there a book that will fit into your classroom (as a whole-class, small group or read-aloud)?
2. Contact the author before ordering any books to make sure that the information on the Skype visits is current (I contacted Kate Messner prior to ordering her books from our Scholastic Book order for our I Love Books! Club)
3. Confirm with your principal and building technology coordinator that Skype can be used in the building.  Outline your reasons for using the technology.
4. Begin reading the book with your group of students (I have done this both in a small-group and whole class).  Provide students an index card to write down questions about the story, writing process or even the writer’s life.  Preview the questions ahead of time.
5. Confirm the time and date with the author.  (If possible, exchange phone numbers in case of technical glitches and practice using the technology at school)
6. Prepare students for the visit.  Remind them of appropriate speaker etiquette.  Just because the author is on the computer does not mean that he or she cannot see you.  Making goofy faces or calling out in a large group would not be appropriate.
7. Decide on the set-up of the room.  For our visit with Kate Messner, I had students pull chairs around the computer/web-cam and had a computer hooked up to our SMARTboard.
8. Decide on how Q+A session will work ahead of time.  Will you ask all of the questions written by the students?  Will you have per-determined speakers? Will the student stand when he or she is reading a question?  Many authors will leave time for questions at the end of their presentations so it is good to plan ahead for this.
9. Be ready to troubleshoot.  Lost connectivity could happen and you will need to dial up the author again.  Be patient with the technology and let students know what do if there are glitches.
10. Be sure to thank the author for his or her time.  A follow-up e-mail is also appreciated.

Want to learn more about Skype?  Kate Messner wrote an excellent article for the School Library Journal about her own experience with Skype visits.  At the bottom of the article is another great list of authors who Skype for free!

I would love to hear more about your experience with Skype in the classroom in the comments below.

Students Skype with Kate Messner

In today’s economy, it can be difficult for many schools to pay for in-person author visits.   These visits can include travel, food and lodging costs over the initial price of the actual visit.  Many visits of well-known authors can cost upwards of 2,000 dollars.  However, author visits are still vital for our students and can allow them to interact with the text they are reading more fully.  Additionally, an author visit allows students to see the writing process in action – the author is not just some faceless entity but is just like them!  This can be a valuable experience and great inspiration for our young writers.

What is the solution then?  Skype visits!  For just the cost of a web-cam*, a little bit of planning, and a Skype account you can bring authors regularly into the classroom.  Many authors will list whether or not they Skype on their websites or you can send a simple e-mail request.

My first experience with Skype was last year as moderator of the 5th and 6th grade I Love Books! Club.  We had just finished Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner and talked with her over Skype for a half hour.  We even got a sneak-peak of one of her up-coming books.  This was a fantastic way for the students to learn more about the author behind story.

More recently, my two fifth grade language arts classes Skyped with author Adam Gidwitz.

Students loved Skyping with Adam Gidwitz

We had just finished reading his fabulous book, A Tale Dark and Grimm, and the students loved it.  I e-mailed Adam to see if he offered Skype visits and would be willing to Skype with my students.  For a nominal fee, we were able to have two Skype visits of 45 minutes each.  He told stories, talked about a writer’s life and answered the students’ questions.  He interacted with the students like he was there in person.  The reaction from the students was extremely positive and many asked if we could Skype with all of the authors we read.

There are many resources that make it easy to find Skyping authors.

http://authorskypetour.livejournal.com/ – This resource highlights different authors who are hosting virtual “tours” for their books.  Authors featured on this site do not require that students have already read their books but can talk about a variety of reading and writing topics.

http://skypeanauthor.wetpaint.com/  - This resource features a Skype author directory. Each author is linked to a page in which the author webpage, genre, presentation possibilities, audience and availability are displayed.  Skyping success stories + recaps are also provided.

http://kmessner.livejournal.com/106020.html – Author and junior high teacher Kate Messner is a fantastic resource for both reading and writing ideas and Skype visits.  This page lists authors who are willing to do a 20 minute Skype visit for free (longer visits could be done for a small fee).  The authors are broken up by age group appeal.

*Some Skype visits will have a fee but will only be a fraction of the cost of an in-person visit.

I think Skype is a great way to make authentic connections with authors and is another way to make literature come alive for your students!  Happy Skyping!