Social Media: Organizational Uses

The type of Social Media that I chose to focus on for this assignment was Skype. I found that Skype is a social media tool that is being widely used by all types of organizations. I read articles focusing specifically on classrooms and organization’s job interviews. It was amazing to compare the two and think of all the opportunities and new doors that the creation of Skype has opened for our world.

Skype Community Comes To The Classroom
By David Nagel

Skype may be a new concept for some of you reading this. Simply put, it is a live video chat which enables users to converse with other users all over the world for free. The idea is genius, especially the free part. Everyone knows how expensive it is to call or text internationally, and to be able to have a conversation with someone, no matter where they are, and not pay a dime, that’s a really good deal. Along with that, video chat is a much more personal, face-to-face way to speak to someone. You can better judge someone when you can see their actions and observe their setting.
Teachers from all over the world are taking advantage of Skype and it’s endless possibilities to help improve their lessons and broaden their classrooms knowledge of the world.
According to this article, teachers have been using Skype to share lesson plans, expand ideas and compare their class’s success to others. Teacher, Kara Cornejo explained that, “Skype in the classroom is an amazing resource to find teachers to collaborate with and to bring people into your classroom that you would never have been able to.”
Along with that they have also allowed students to use Skype. Kids of all ages are learning how to use it to speak with classmates. Teachers have even begun having “skype dates” with other classrooms in other parts of the world. This allows students to talk back and forth and compare cultures with one another.
I think this is an awesome idea. I can’t think of a more interesting way to learn about parts of the world than by experiencing it first hand. If we have the means of communication why not take advantage of them.


How Skype Is Changing The Interview Process
By Stephen Winzenburg

An interview is always a nerve-racking process but when you have to do it in front of a camera there is a whole other level of stress that comes about. What to wear, where to sit, how to act. Skype has now made it possible for long distance interviews, which used to be held over the phone, to now be held over Skype. This makes the interview a lot more personal and it seems almost as if it was done face-to-face.
This article gave a story of a professor who had to do three separate interviews over his computers web-cam. He was initially nervous about that fact that the interviewers would all be staring at him on a wide screen but he came to find that it was actually more relaxing on his part than he had expected. Not only were they looking at him, but he was also looking at them. He could see when they smiled at his answers and made notes which was encouraging.
The idea of minimizing travel and eliminating any problems that come from long-distance is great. Video chat can save organizations lots of money if they never have to fly interviewees out to them or pay for long-distance phone calls.
I have found that Skype is am amazing, helpful social media tool that has so much potential. The benefits of Skype are enormous and still waiting to be discovered by many.