Skype in the Classroom, which has been in beta since December, is finally rolling out of the trial phase. It is a video networking service for educators worldwide, allowing them to work with other teachers overseas via video correspondence. The service was developed “in response to, and in consultation with, the growing number of teachers using Skype to help their students learn.” What makes it different from the ordinary Skype service is that it allows teachers to find other people in the same endeavor and subject expertise.

In addition, learners are given the chance to submerge themselves to the knowledge of different guest speakers, as well as work with other classes based on age, location and subject. It aims at being the next “pen pal” service, but in a more intimate way. One of its successful projects was between a classroom in France and in Canada. The video call strengthened the bond between the two classrooms, and it’s only one of the 40 projects under the service.

“Before arranging the first video call, our students exchanged letters and e-mails but we decided to bring the two classes together face-to-face over Skype video to enrich their relationship,” Christophe Fetat, one of the teachers involved in the project, said in a statement. “The result was amazing. Students were really engaged to discuss different topics.”

Over 4,700 teachers have checked out the service, and the figure is rising. Aside from Skype, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is also enriching classroom via technology by launching EDge, a free social network for educators, last year. It supports teachers via collaboration with others and creating lesson plans, as well as sharing best practices and multimedia content for discussion.

Skype is becoming more and more popular as a tool in bringing people together. The Estonian airport now installs the first Skype video booth while Munford students also use Skype to bring teachers and guest speakers to classrooms. Another quirky report that highlights Skype’s power as a communication media is when a judge decided to let children go to Australia with their mom and told the father to just talk to them via Skype.