How do I use Skype with Studio Helper?
If you want to be able to teach online lessons using the webcam on your computer, the technology available today makes this a lot easier than you might think.
What you'll Need
Before we get started, there are some things you're going to need.
- Webcam - While it is, of course, possible to give a music lesson with only an audio connection, the experience is far less than wonderful. Also, in my experience teaching guitar, being able to see what the student's hands are doing is critical to spotting bad habits before they get too firmly entrenched. In addition, there is a much stronger connection when you can see each other, and this leads to better outcomes all around.
- Skype Account - Obviously, if you're going to use Skype, you'll need to have a Skype account. You'll also need to download the Skype software to your computer. You can sign up for a free account, and download the free software, from Skype's website.
- Your student's Skype Name - All Skype users have a unique Skype Name. Ask your student for theirs and you can edit their student profile and save it to our database, where you can access it at any time. There is an option to record a single Skype Name for a whole family, that will be available for all students in that family. This can be found by going to a student or parent's profile and clicking on the Family tab.
You can also indicate if an individual student has a Skype Name that is different from the family's Skype Name. This is found on the Profile tab for the student.
Parents and students are able to enter their Skype Name as well, if you have provided a username and password for them to login with.
After setting up your Skype account, downloading and setting up the software, and recording the student's Skype ID in their student profile, you're ready for the lesson to start!
Start the Skype call
When it's time for the lesson to start, you can go to the calendar and click on the event. In the popup, if there is at least one student participant with a Skype Name saved in their profile, or their family's profile, there will be a Start Skype Call link at the bottom of the popup. You can hover over this link and your browser should display the technical details of the link in the lower left corner.
If the event is a group event, and more than one of the students has a Skype Name saved, clicking the link will include all of the saved Skype Names in when the call starts.
Most browsers will ask you to confirm that you want the page to launch Skype. After confirming this, the Skype application should open for you, and you will be able to click a button to start the call.
As always, please contact us if you have any problems, or if you are unable to follow these instructions for any reason. Our support team is available to help you out.