Making time for students with FACETIME

By Stockton University student Allison Caruso

FaceTime is Apple's video calling service that is somewhat similar to Skype and Google Hangouts. FaceTime makes it possible to conduct one-on-one video or audio calls between Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac Notebooks and Desktops. Thus, you may go between any Mac device with a camera to another Apple device. Apple’s FaceTime service is free to use if you are an owner of any of the Apple products listed above. However, this service does require an Apple ID and Wi-Fi. FaceTime is typically an automatic feature already installed in your Apple product for your convenience. Nevertheless, if you do not have FaceTime for any reason you can go to the Apple Store and download this application for ninety-nine cents.

In regard to FaceTime’s implementation in the classroom, this web 2.0 tool can be utilized to help my students collaborate with one another, share experiences, and aid those who cannot physically attend school due to illness or other extenuating circumstances stay in contact with the class. I would also try and utilize this tool outside of my own classroom to help students with homework, keep parents that cannot attend crucial meetings and presentations informed, and possibly to connect with other classrooms around the world so that my students are able to expand their own personal learning networks in a way they never thought possible.

Here are a few links to videos (descriptions underneath link) that show how other teachers are using FaceTime in their classrooms:

https://youtu.be/FpGDUA0IUzw

-“A girl from Danbury, Ohio born with multi intestinal atresia has no immune system and cannot interact with other children.So Danbury schools is utilizing an iPad and FaceTime to bring her into the classroom.”

https://youtu.be/cQgHznzKdMM

- “Mrs. Ramsdell's class did a Facetime call with student Nicholas Bowditch who is in the hospital. Students not only sent well wishes to Nicholas but also got him caught up on what he has missed.”

https://youtu.be/sPF5tEIdNPM

-“Ms. Kroschel's Western Civilization class uses Facetime to talk to St. Cloud State's Professor Kim in the Netherlands.”

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