Blog Post #9

First of all, I just want to say that I find it so amazing that first graders know so much about technology. We have come such a long, long way. Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher in Canada. After watching the YouTube video, First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class, I became more familiar with how technology is being used with younger grades. In Ms. Cassidy's class, the students know how to blog, use webpages, use wikis, make videos, and Skype. I think this is so amazing! First graders are learning how to use technology in so many ways. In one particular interview with Ms. Cassidy (Part One), she talks about how technology isn't going away. Our world is changing, therefore the ways in which we teach our students needs to change. Technology is a great way to explore new ideas and get the students to try new things.

One thing that Ms. Cassidy likes to do with her students is have them blog regularly. Before I started my own blog in EDM310, I wasn't really interesting in blogging. I now see how beneficial it can be in the educational process. Blogs are great because they can be seen by a global audience. The students are able to get much more feedback whenever they have such a large audience. Not to mention that the students love knowing that numerous people have visited their blogs. Blogging is definitely a learning technique that I would like to use in my future classroom.

In the video, Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 2, Ms. Cassidy talks a little bit about where teachers should start when it comes to technology. She thinks that people should start with whatever they are interested in and learn as much about it as they can. I think this is an excellent idea. There are so many educational tools out there and they can't all be used at one time. Learning about these things takes time, so why not start with something that's captivating to you? For instance, if you are particularly interested in writing then start with blogging. If you are interested in making videos, start with iMovie and YouTube. Another thing that Ms. Cassidy talks about in this interview is how Twitter can be a great educational tool. Teachers can learn so much by following other educators and collaborating.

Lastly, in the video Interview with Kathy Cassidy Part 3, Ms. Cassidy discusses how it's important to ensure the student's safety in using technology. It's important that the student's don't use their last name and know which things are "okay" to click when exploring a website. The Internet can be extremely educational as long as it used the correct way. The benefits of using technology in the classroom far outweigh the negative aspects. If I were to use Ms. Cassidy's approaches in my future classroom, I imagine that my students will enjoy their work so much more. It's great to start them at such a young age, because it prepares them in more ways than one.