Every day I read a new article about some company whining about how hard it is to hire technical staff. Invariably it turns out that they’re only looking for people within a commuters distance of their office. I refuse to feel sorry for such companies.
...stop whining, spend a day to get up to speed on remote working practices, and hire outside of your commuter zone.
Approximately five percent of the federal workforce telecommutes, but the government wants to increase this number to cut help costs, reduce energy consumption, and relieve traffic congestion. President Obama just signed into law the ‘‘Telework Enhancement Act of 2010,’’ which requires federal agencies to come up with policies within the next six months to promote telecommuting.
Teachers all over the world are using Skype to make learning more exciting and memorable. It's easy to see why: Skype offers an immediate way to help students discover new cultures, languages and ideas, all without leaving the classroom.
Cultural exchange: Introduce your students to new ways of seeing the world with a cultural exchange between your class and another classroom anywhere in the world.
Language skills: Bring language to life with real-life conversations where students can practice a new language with a class of native speakers, or help English learners practice their skills.
Discovery: Try mystery Skype calls, where classes connect online and give clues to help each guess the other's location. Or introduce your students to a classroom in the location of a book they're reading or a subject they're studying.
