The Big Blog

Utilizing Big Data to Unlock Innovation in Education

I'm always looking for new areas of innovation. One topic in particular that I've been keeping an eye on is big data, as this emerging area has the potential to change multiple industries and generate tremendous value.

This has already been happening in private sector industries like retail, where companies like Wal-Mart have been using predictive technologies to mine the trillions of bytes of data regarding shopper behavior it has collected to forecast what products its customers would need in different situations. For example, ahead of Hurricane Frances in 2004, Wal-Mart learned that strawberry Pop-Tarts increase seven times their normal sales rate and beer was the pre-hurricane top selling item. This resulted in stores in the path of the storm being stocked with these items, which sold quickly.

Even more interesting are new efforts in industries like education and government.

For example, at Stanford University, big data is being used to research how students learn in online classes. As Daphne Koller, a professor at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, told The New York Times last month, "In most education research, teaching methods are tested in small groups, comparing results in different classrooms. With small sample groups, research conclusions tend to be uncertain and results are often not available until tests at the end of school semesters. But in an online class of 20,000 students, whose every mouse click is tracked in real time, the research can be more definitive and more immediate."

Recently, the Obama administration announced a $200 million dollar "Big Data Research & Development Initiative" to help accelerate the pace of discovery in science and engineering, strengthen national security, and transform teaching and learning.

Efforts like these are of most interest to us at Skype, as we believe that any acceleration to improving and modernizing teaching is a good step in the right direction.

It is our sincere hope that advances in education technology - be it big data or video calling - can help further revolutionize the way our next generation learns.

Skype in the Classroom Partners with Leading Organizations to Enable Exciting Learning Experiences

Today, Skype in the classroom is joining forces with Penguin Group, New York Philharmonic, Peace One Day, Save the Children, and the Science Museum, London to support teachers by offering exciting classroom content for their students. Registered teachers from around the globe can now browse interesting projects from these organizations on our free Skype in the classroom community of more than 28,000 educators.

The following projects from these five organizations will provide teachers with unique content and access to inspiring guest speakers:

• Penguin Young Readers Group will connect authors, such as Adam Gidwitz, Caroline Lawrence and Nancy Krulik, with students for discussions about books, reading and writing;
• The New York Philharmonic offers live interaction with musicians and educators, beginning with an exploration of Billy the Kid -the man and the legend- through the lens of Aaron Copland's 1939 ballet;
• Registered teachers have the opportunity to link directly to the free Skype supported Peace One Day Global Education Resources and inspire and educate their students about the importance of peace in the modern world. Students can also connect with Peace One Day Founder, Jeremy Gilley and listen to his inspirational story, questioning him on all aspects of his incredible journey to institutionalize Peace Day, 21 September;
• Save the Children and the Science Museum, London will have individual projects on Skype in the classroom by the end of the year.

Teachers can take advantage of these valuable resources by signing up for free on the Skype in the classroom website, education.skype.com. Once registered, teachers will be able to explore the Skype in the classroom collaboration spaces, access a variety of content from these organizations, learn about new and exciting ways to utilize Skype video calling in their schools and connect their students with select guest experts.

To join Skype in the classroom and view these exclusive resources, teachers should:

1. Sign up at education.skype.com using their Skype account details
2. Create a profile which includes their interests, location and the age groups they teach
3. Once complete, teachers will have full range to explore the Skype in the classroom organization microsites, utilize vast content from these organizations and engage in conversations with select guest experts.

For more information, click here to read the press release.

Skype and The Education Foundation Partner to Launch The Learning Lab

Recently, I announced the work Skype is doing with DonorsChoose.org, and in further pursuit of Skype's goal of connecting one million classrooms across the globe through Skype in the classroom, we have recently partnered with the UK's first cross-sector education think tank, The Education Foundation.

Technology's impact on learning has been identified by The Education Foundation as a key challenge for the future and an area where a combination of practical projects and big thinking can make a real difference. This is a view held by Skype and reflected through our development of the Skype in the classroom program.

Our partnership was solidified this week with the launch of a state-of-the-art, technology-rich professional development center for education professionals and leaders in the heart of London - The Learning Lab. It will be used as a testing ground for new approaches to the curriculum, technology and the world of work. The space can also be used as an event and showcasing area for education organizations, policy makers and businesses across the UK.

At The Learning Lab launch event, guests had the opportunity to see the facility's fully-equipped, reconfigurable classroom, featuring practical examples of it in use from teachers, students and partner organizations. As part of the tour, our flagship social good initiative Skype in the classroom was showcased. Attendees at the launch were able to speak directly with Amy Rosenstein, a 3rd-grade teacher at Concord Elementary School in Ardsley, New York about her experiences of using Skype in her classroom.

Our hope for The Learning Lab and our partnership with The Education Foundation is that more opportunities will be created for teachers and students to use technology in the classroom and barriers to communications can be removed, allowing them to connect and learn from others around the globe.

To see how you can get involved in The Learning Lab, visit www.ednfoundation.org or to register for Skype in the classroom, visit education.skype.com.

Connected Classroom Sweepstakes Gives Schools Throughout the World a Chance to Win a Celebrity Skype Video Call

Today, Skype in the classroom is thrilled to announce the Connected Classroom Sweepstakes on Facebook, which offers lucky schools around the world the chance to have a once-in-a-lifetime Skype video call with either Steve Harvey, James Patterson, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Jackie Collins or Tinsel Korey, provided by partners at 86400movement and OpenEduTalk.

The sweepstakes will give students across the globe an exciting opportunity to Skype with a celebrity face-to-face via video call on Wednesday, June 6, further demonstrating Skype's commitment to connecting students with educators, professionals and experts across the globe.

To be eligible to enter, you must:

• Be a Kindergarten through 12-grade teacher or an educator of students aged three years of age to 18 years of age


• Be a member of Skype in the classroom, our free online community that already helps over 28,000 registered teachers use Skype to enrich experiences for their students

Here's how teachers can enter on Facebook:

• 'Like' Skype in the classroom's Facebook page


• Sign up for Skype in the classroom (if you are not already a registered member)


• Describe in 150 words or less the ways they currently use or would use Skype in their classroom

Teachers may submit entries starting today on the Skype in the classroom Facebook page until Thursday, May 24 at 11:59 P.M. EST, when a winner will be selected at random. The winner will be chosen and notified on Tuesday, May 29 at 2:00 P.M. EST via email and will be announced publicly on Wednesday, May 30 at 9:00 A.M. EST. The winning celebrity call will take place on Wednesday, June 6 at 12:00 P.M. EST.

For more information on the Skype's Connected Classrooms Sweepstakes, please visit http://education.skype.com or the Skype in the classroom Facebook page.

Technology is Essential to Enabling the Learning Process

"If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow." - John Dewey

As this presentation from the Pew Internet Organization details, regardless of what students choose to do after they are finished with their education, technology inevitably will play a role. The wealth of new software tools, media platforms and research technologies that are rapidly transforming how our society communicates can be effectively employed to educate future generations.

I've heard first-hand the stories of the positive benefits for education. Recently, students from an Englewood, NJ school district connected with students in China through a video conferencing session to test their Mandarin skills. The sessions helped immerse the students in the region's culture, letting them continually hear the language from native speakers and learning it through the benefit of real-life interactions.

Here are two major factors why technology is essential to learning:

Greater access to information and experiences - The Internet enables information democracy, providing access to classroom support materials well beyond the scope of school libraries. As a result, educators are now able to offer their students a greater variety of truly interactive exercises and experiences. Perhaps the limitations of time and money will prevent a school field trip to a museum, but using technology like Skype, teachers can connect their students with a local museum director to give a virtual tour of an exhibit.

Improved efficiencies - In the absence of technology, everyday research for classroom assignments can become a huge burden on a student's time. No more. Advanced computational tools allow students more time to focus on important conceptual tasks such as problem posing and problem solving. Additionally, technology can enable previously inaccessible learning experiences at low costs.

There was some resistance when computers were introduced into classrooms in the 1980s. Now, schools and teachers across the globe are using computers with internet access to enrich the experiences of their students with hands-on learning, developing their technical skills to better prepare them for life after school.

The shifting Education Landscape:
Networked Learning

View more presentations from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project

Skype and DonorsChoose.org Partner to Bring Technology to Classrooms

Last September, I announced Skype's goal of connecting one million classrooms across the globe through Skype in the classroom, a free online community that helps teachers use Skype to enrich educational experiences for students. In pursuit of this goal, we are thrilled to announce a new partnership with DonorsChoose.org, an innovative online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help teachers and students in need. Together, we aim to remove barriers to communication and enable teachers and students to experience the world outside their classroom by connecting them with organizations and classrooms, both domestic and abroad, through video calling.

Through our partnership, we are putting $250,000 in the hands of teachers to help them open up their classrooms to wonderful learning experiences. We are excited to see that there are dozens of classroom projects on DonorsChoose.org seeking funding for technology - including requests for laptops, netbooks, webcams and more - and this partnership allows us to have a very direct and very positive impact in the classroom.

To celebrate this partnership, Skype has already funded a number of projects including:

• Visual Music: Seeing the Big Picture


• The NASA Experience


• "Mom, We had 25 Chileans in our Class Today!"


• Bring Science and Technology Together in the Classroom


• Leaping into 2012 with a Laptop for Learning!

We hope that through this partnership, which supports Microsoft's commitment to create opportunities for youth through technology, training, and experiences, more students will have the chance to connect with and learn from other students and teachers around the globe, face-to-face, through video calling. More details on Skype and DonorsChoose.org's partnership can be viewed here. To see how you can make a difference with DonorsChoose.org, or to register for Skype in the classroom, please visit education.skype.com or donorschoose.org.

GroupMe Partners Up to Introduce a New Generation to Tech Jobs like QA

Today I'm excited to launch SummerQAmp, an initiative to train a new workforce in high-tech skills, specifically Quality Assurance, and help create tech jobs for American youth. Developed as a commitment to the White House's Summer Jobs+ initiative, the movement is being led by me, Aneesh Chopra, former CTO of the White House, Kevin Haggard, Vice President of Quality Engineering at Gilt Groupe, Jason Baptiste, CEO of Onswipe and musician Jon Bon Jovi.

I was inspired to develop this program because of the wonderful experience I had working with the QA team during my time at Gilt Groupe and the success of our QA team here at GroupMe. QA teams are extremely important as they ensure that we, the developers, can deliver high quality software after codebase becomes extremely complex. Automated testing only covers so much and QA professionals are the final line of defense in those harder-to-test environments.

I also learned that, for many people, QA wasn't a job you can train for in school. Some QA managers had engineering backgrounds, but many others had no training in the field. I often thought about where one could even get the training and what it would entail. During my career, I've watched some entry-level QA managers go on to become really good software engineers. Over time, I realized that this is both a potential career path and a starting point for those who may want to be software engineers.

We practice what we preach here at GroupMe. We have a great QA manager named Tobias McGuigan, but realized he was having trouble testing our application to run on four smartphone platforms by himself. We decided to take on a QA intern to grow the team. I encouraged my brother Mike, who had helped me to test my past startups, to consider the role. Mike eventually joined and quickly came up to speed with our QA processes. He now knows exactly how our applications should perform as well as our developers do. Mike has far exceeded our expectations and is providing tremendous value to the company.

Recently, my co-founder Jared and I had an opportunity to dine with Jon Bon Jovi and members of his team. The topic of job creation came up and I told Jon my story and my belief in QA as a source of jobs. He pushed me to bring this message to others and introduced me to Aneesh Chopra, who was CTO of the White House at the time. Aneesh thought the idea fit perfectly into the White House's Summer Jobs+ initiative to create more jobs through technology and came on board to help create the program. Thus, SummerQAmp was born.

SummerQAmp is more than a movement to create internships though. We're also going to work with Neeru Khosla and the CK-12 Foundation to design an online course that introduces SummerQAmp participants to software development. In addition, we'll be developing an educational genome that can help direct students down the right path to learn more about different software careers (e.g., IT, engineering, QA, etc.). When we launch this online educational resource later this year, we will be leveraging the power of the Web to reach hundreds of thousands of people who are interested in QA and software development.

I've already reached out to many of my colleagues at tech companies and venture capital firms to get them involved. In addition to GroupMe and Gilt Groupe, companies like Onswipe, the CK-12 Foundation, eBay, and Boxee have already pledged to offer QA internships this summer. A number of other tech companies, investors and non-profits, such as JIBE, Knewton, SV Angel and Fiver Children's Foundation, are helping to develop and guide the growth of the SummerQAmp movement.

Our goal is to create 1,000 internship positions across the software and mobile app industry and we hope that many more tech companies will join us in this initiative to create a new workforce of QA managers right here in the U.S.

To join the roster of companies that are committing to create tech jobs in America this summer, visit www.summerqamp.org to learn more about the SummerQAmp movement and to sign the pledge to create a QA internship at your organization.

Skype in the classroom, now 20,000 members strong

Today, we've reached a key milestone: Skype in the Classroom has grown to a community of over 20,000 educators who are collaborating on a wide variety of projects across the globe. To celebrate this milestone, I thought it would be a great idea to sit down with Tony Bates, President of the Skype Division of Microsoft, to have him elaborate more about this transformational program.

What does Skype in the classroom mean to you?

Tony: I think of Skype in the classroom as a magnifying glass into what's happening in the world. It embraces the use of technology and overall transforms the way we learn. Classrooms are now bringing in all kinds of experts, educators and other students to talk over Skype. Olympians, NASA scientists, earthquake experts, celebrities, book authors, political activists and lots of other experts and students are making their way into classrooms across long distances due to Skype.

It helps students globally understand and examine the very things that shape their views of society, cultures, economies, business and education. It fulfills something that many of us have never had, or at least haven't had easy access to in the past - and because of that, it has the potential to change the world.

How has Skype in the classroom been received by the teaching community?

Tony: It's been better than we ever could have hoped. It's been a great initiative led by one of our passionate managers, Jacqueline Botterill, who launched it about a year ago. Today, we've just reached a milestone - 20,000 teachers are now signed up and we are seeing dozens of new projects added every day. What's been really interesting is that activity doesn't slow down, even during school breaks. Teachers have realized the role that Skype in the classroom can play; they enjoy not only doing the actual video calls, but they also like getting together to discuss lesson plans, share advice and best practices in this community too.

What is your ultimate goal of this program?

Tony: Our ultimate goal here is to help connect a million classrooms. More specifically however, we'd like to ensure that every teacher posting a project within Skype in the classroom finds an expert or partnering classroom, and has a great experience.

We also want to continue to improve this platform and grow the community so it continues to be a vibrant destination for educators. We notice that the requests for partner classrooms are really interesting. Just the other day, I noticed a request for a partner classroom looking for a lesson on Cubism, and saw another classroom which was looking at Astronomy and how the night sky differs in different parts of the world. There's a really big intellectual curiosity out there among this network of educators and it's fantastic to realize the possibility of what kind of knowledge can now be brought into classrooms.

The community is attracting other valuable participants besides just teachers too. So we need to be able to support and cater to the scientists, experts, and authors out there who want to contribute their time and expertise to educating our children.

Where is Skype in the classroom most popular?

Tony: At present, secondary schools seem to be making most use of Skype in the classroom, but teachers with students of all ages are participating. Whilst we see a concentration of teachers in the U.S, we have teachers in over 170 different countries.

Where do you see this going in the future?

Tony: There's a lot to be excited about here, but I think we are just at the very beginning. Distance learning has been around for a long time, and technology has helped it come a long way, but the power of this really unlocks as we get to a billion people, and access to the Internet and technologies like Skype stretches further into developing nations. That, in itself, is an inspiring vision because much of the world's differences, violence and prejudice comes from the lack of education and deep-seated cultural views. A simple face-to-face conversation between opposing sides can potentially be the beginning of inter-cultural cooperation and understanding, and starting that in the classroom is the best place. That said, I am concerned about the continued headlines around the declining support of education. Lack of funding, lack of internet access, lack of equipment, lack of support for teachers - are big barriers. It's important that we work together to help support education, and innovate further on the things that will invest in educating and improve the lives of young people across the globe.

In closing, we're glad others are taking notice of this wonderful program. This past September, Skype participated in The New York Times event on education, and we're pleased to see they have just released a whitepaper called "Schools for Tomorrow" showcasing how teachers can bring technology, such as Skype, into the classroom.

Experience Christmas and the Holiday season around the world on Skype in the classroom

As preparations for the holiday season are well underway in many schools around the world, Skype in the classroom teachers and their students are keen to share and compare their local traditions.

For teachers and classrooms who want to show-and-tell their stories, songs, crafts and culture with schools worldwide, we've brought together some of the best seasonal projects for Christmas and the Holidays taking place on Skype in the classroom.

Children from Balatonbogla Primary School, Hungary participate in a monthly cultural exchange via Skype video. They are looking for students from all over the world to share their holiday traditions with.

It's easy for teachers to take part in a range of projects and join our community of over 19,500 Skype in the classroom enthusiasts in time for the holidays.

Meanwhile, if you have any great holiday projects, stories, images or videos to share please tweet us using #SkypeClassroom. We'd love to hear about them. We hope to bring you more great seasonal projects in the New Year.

Happy Holidays!

Video calling and video conferences with Skype

A new whitepaper from Skype shows how innovative instructors have put the software to use for teaching students in new and interesting ways.

As students of all ages and teachers around the world prepare to get back to school - or perhaps have already begun to settle in to the academic routine - many might think of Skype as merely something university students use to make cheap calls home.

However, though we certainly think students should use Skype for video calls to mom and dad or instant messaging friends off at other universities, that's only the tip of the iceberg of what Skype has to offer, as shown in a recent Skype whitepaper .

Through Skype in the Classroom, instructors from around the world have the opportunity to collaborate on projects or share ideas through Skype chat or international calls. With free Skype-to-Skype calls, it's never been easier - or cheaper - to compare notes with other teachers, from down the street to Dallas, Djibouti or Dubai.

And the way classrooms from around the world have used Skype to provide a channel for information exchange has truly been inspiring. One chat that started between a classroom in England and members of the Maasai tribe in Tanzania blossomed into regular Skype-delivered English lessons and, finally, flights to Tanzania for a visit.

Skype has also been used regularly for instructors to stay in touch with their classes when carrying out research elsewhere, or for master classes taught by special guests. Guest speakers who may not be able to travel are no problem with Skype either - with a web cam, your classroom will be ready to greet its guest of honour.

If you're an educator or student whose education has been enhanced by Skype, why not let us know in the comments? We love to hear how Skype has helped in the classroom.

Click here to learn more about Skype in the Classroom

The Transformational Power of Skype in the Classroom

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to join a dynamic community of global leaders at the 2nd Annual Social Good Summit presented by Mashable, the 92nd Street Y, and the United Nations Foundation to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges.

Specifically, I took to the stage to discuss Skype's unique ability to facilitate social good through the removal of traditional economic, geographic and/or cultural barriers to communication. This can be illustrated through our 'Skype in the classroom' initiative, which embodies the three characteristics that are central to our brand: Universal, Useful and Wonderful.

The Universal nature of Skype software means that anyone anywhere can use it to connect with anyone somewhere else around the world. An example illustrating this took place earlier this year, when a geography class in the United Kingdom wanted to learn how tourism impacted the lives of the Massai tribe in Tanzania. Because they used the same Skype software, the class and the tribesmen were able to talk across continents and cultural boundaries to learn a lot about their different lifestyles.

The Useful nature of Skype means that educators can put it into practical use to truly enrich the learning process. From the hundreds of projects that educators have collaborated on, we seen that this ranges from bringing in actresses, authors, politicians and other guest lecturers to teach lessons or connecting with people overseas to learn more about the culture in a foreign country or to practice speaking another language with a native speaker.

But most importantly, Skype in a classroom setting leads to Wonderful learning experiences. For example, teachers can now not only give a lesson about the war in Afghanistan, but also they can start a Skype pen pal program with a class in Afghanistan to help their students understand what it's like to live in a war-torn country.

As you'll see from the testimonials in this video, there are so many different ways that educators are using Skype in their classrooms - the only limit is their imagination.

During my speech, I also had the pleasure to talk live via Skype video call with an engineering class at the Oliver Street Elementary School in Newark, NJ. Oliver Street School is the first school in Newark to offer its middle school students courses from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), the leading provider of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) education curricular programs. The school's goal is to inspire students to pursue 21st Century careers by providing them a program in which they learn practical applications for what they learn in their core academic courses. And Skype is playing a huge role in getting their students excited about learning. I'd like to thank the school's principal, Mr. Havier Nazario, the class' teacher, Mr. Alan Usherenko, and sixth grader Giovanna Bialoglowka for opening their classroom up to us and sharing how they recently used Skype to connect with engineers at New York University to learn more about the fabrication and cutting of metal.

Many of these connections wouldn't be possible without our free 'Skype in the classroom' online resource, which allows teachers and subject-matter experts to find like-minded individuals with whom they can collaborate on projects and share educational resources with one another. In the six months since 'Skype in the classroom' officially launched, the response has been greater than we ever could have imagined. The following infographic illustrates the scale of this initiative's global impact to date:

It is truly amazing to visit the 'Skype in the classroom' site and read about the ways that our software is transforming the educational experience of students in so many teachers' classrooms. And it is inspiring to think about a classroom of the future where the learning process is never limited by physical, economic or cultural boundaries. It's a place where students will be able to use technology to have access to big data to start attacking some of the world's most pressing issues and crises. And it's also somewhere we can reduce suspicion of foreign cultures, minimize racism and increase tolerance through the connectedness that is born through technology.

We really see the possibility of making a million connected classrooms a reality and we will continue to do our part in working together to foster the classroom of the future, through the 'Skype in the classroom' resource and partnerships with both for profit, not-for-profit and governmental organizations. We invite you to join us in this initiative at http://education.skype.com.

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