Skype

I have been using Skype for some time; it saves so much money on international calls because it is free. But I have been very frustrated because the people I am most likely to want to call either have not installed it; do not have broadband, which makes it a little less effective to use or never switch it on, even if they have it installed on their computer. Time differences are also difficult to manage at times. The other day I tried to 'skype' my parents in England, but gave up and rang them. But on the whole, I have found it to be a wonderful tool, and using web cam brings people even closer to you.

Since our community meltdown the other day, I have added more contacts to my Skype list and I had a great chat with a fellow student yesterday. It started off as a social call but we got to talking about e-portfolios, which is her interest. I am about to develop an assignment for my midwifery students, requiring them to make a start on developing their professional portfolios, so that they have them ready for when they are registered (it is part of the NZ Midwifery Council's requirements for annual recertification). I had not thought about the option for e-portfolios, but this may be a very appropriate thing to look at. The only problem I can think of is that the midwifery portfolio is very focused on clinical midwifery, so I am not sure how an e-portfolio would work in this context. However, it is definitely something I need to look at.