Blog Post #11

Ms. Cassidy's First Graders





I loved watching such a young age group use technology the way Ms. Cassidy's first graders did. It was no surprise though. Over the past couple of weeks I have watched many different videos of classrooms that have incorporated technology and viewed different blogs of teachers. Up until the beginning of the summer, I never really considered how much technology would play a role in my classroom. I mean I knew I would have a SMARTBoard and of course my computer, but EDM 310 has opened my eyes up to a whole other world of technology.

Ms. Cassidy's first graders were what Dr. Strange would consider "technologically literate". They were using computers, iPads, Nintendos and so much more. Her students used Skype and wrote regularly on their blogs and commented on others. They worked collaboratively to make videos of what they had learned. Ms. Cassidy's students used the computers in the classroom to visit their webpage and to create wikis. They communicated with teachers and students all over the world including EDM 310 students. The students genuinely seemed to enjoy using the technology! I was in complete awe watching these students talk about how much they enjoy what they do in Ms. Cassidy's class. They were blogging!! This is the first blog I have ever created and to be completely honest, if it wasn't for this class I might have never started one. Then there are this tiny children who are using it every day!! It amazes me and I love the reaction of the children.

The first thing I see myself incorporating in my future classroom (with no doubt in my mind), is blogging! Ms. Cassidy brings up a wonderful point that pencil and paper does not hold an audience that blogging does. As mentioned in our EDM 310 class yesterday, the broader the audience, the more likely students will try harder and give their best. Ms. Cassidy had her students write a couple of sentences on specific topics that made the students stop and think about it. Which is what we as teachers want right? We want our students to think. Another aspect of blogging that Ms. Cassidy's students pointed out as well as from personal experience, is the relationships students encounter with people all over the world. My students can learn so much from the other students. Of course writing on a regular basis improves their literacy skills.

One concern I had about blogging, which Ms. Cassidy addresses very well, is cyberbullying. I know from EDM 310 that all comments and blog posts can be monitored, however cyberbullying is a huge issue. I thought it was great hearing how the students should comment. They told us that you can only say nice things. Props to Ms. Cassidy for emphasizing that! Another impediment that might come with blogging at such a young age is jealousy. The program Ms. Cassidy uses tracks the number of views each students get.

Ms. Cassidy addresses another concern I had about blogging very well, the issue of student privacy. She encourages her students to use only their first name rather than their first and last. I think it is great Ms. Cassidy is teaching her children about internet safety at such a young age because it prepares them for the future.

Another resource I see myself incorporating in my future classroom is Skype. Ms. Cassidy's class does a wonderful job of demonstrating how great it is in the classroom. They use Skype to communicate with educators all around the world. They used it to interview questions about lessons they were learning about in class. I think having the visual interview would be so interesting for my future elementary classes!

Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy

The Skype interview with Ms. Cassidy was interesting and she makes some valid points about technology in the classroom. There is so much for me to learn as a future educator in the 21st century about technology that Ms. Cassidy demonstrates in her classroom. This educational media class has been a wonderful starting point for me as an educator and I am looking forward to having a classroom full of technology resources for my children!