The new online platform Skype in the classroom is a free global community designed to help like-minded teachers find each other and relevant projects according to search criteria such as the age groups they teach, location and subjects of interest; and teaching resources can be easily shared and found.

From language studies and geography lessons to virtual field trips and expert speakers joining classes from afar, Skype video offers a way to help students discover new cultures, languages and ideas without leaving the classroom. The platform, which has been in beta since the end of December, has a community of more than 3900 teachers, across 99 countries.