Skype in the Classroom and Reddit Team Up for Teachers
By Wendy Norman
During this time of year I always find myself reflecting back on the year that was. As I look back at 2013 and remember the different ways we at Skype tried to give back and make life better for others, the recent “reddit gifts for the Teachers 2013” drive stands out as one of the clear highlights.
If you are not familiar with reddit, it’s a news and entertainment website that only features stories created by its users, known as ‘redditors’ (reddit editors, get it?). For the second consecutive year, reddit held a campaign to help teachers get much-needed school supplies. Teachers were invited to sign up to receive a “care package” for the new school year, while other redditors were invited to sign up as matches to send those teachers something thoughtful that will help in their classrooms.
The campaign was a huge success: nearly 6,000 redditors got involved – collectively contributing more than $300,000 in supplies to teachers around the world! That’s double what participants sent last year.
But even with their generosity, 1,000 teachers went unmatched.
When we caught wind of this donor deficit, we wanted to find a way to help, and donated $25 Amazon.com gift cards to every one of the unmatched teachers.
Since the gift cards have been received, we’ve seen photos popping up all over reddit, showcasing the goodies the teachers we matched have purchased using their gift cards and the smiling faces of the students who are benefiting from them. We live for that smile.
It’s no secret that teachers are the core of the Skype in the classroom program. More than 70,000 teachers now use Skype so that their students can talk to experts, share in new cultural exchanges with other classes, and explore the world around them. Along with a gift card, we also gave our new friends on reddit a free subscription to Group Video Calling, a benefit enjoyed by all Skype in the classroom teachers, and an invitation to take part in new lesson opportunities that enrich learning made possible by the Skype in the classroom community.
Are you interested in exploring dynamic ways to use Skype in your classroom? For more information on Skype in the classroom and to sign up, visit education.skype.com.
