The first video we watched, Little Kids...Big Potential, showed Ms.Cassidy’s first grade students. The video said that the students like to write on blogs because people see them and give them comments. The students think it improves their writing and they know the rules for commenting and know how to stay safe while using the internet. Their center time even involves technology. They are independent learners and even try to learn at home. They use wiki’s, make videos, use Nintendo DS, and use Skype.
This video was very interesting to me because it showed many ways in which technology can be used in the classroom. It was also interesting because I got to see the student’s opinions on technology in the classroom. It encouraged me to try to find ways to incorporate technology in my future classroom.
Ms.Cassidy got involved in technology because she wanted to find a way to make computers useful in her classroom. She is always trying to find new things to do with technology. She said the kids like not having to “power-down” when they come to school. She thinks technology is here to stay and that it is necessary for teaching children. She thinks the children really like the wide audience that their posts reach. She thinks that teachers really need to keep up with technology and said that a good way to do that is to keep your students p.l.n.’s growing. She thinks twitter can be valuable for teachers.
After watching the interview videos, I would say that Ms.Cassidy’s approach to the use of technology in the classroom seemed successful. She was not strict on the way things needed to be done; however felt that it was important for teachers to have technology in the classroom. I think the technology technique she used which I liked most and could potentially use in my future classroom would be encouraging students to blog. Based on her students’ reactions, it seems like it is beneficial to students to do this.
Mallory, it was amazing, once again, to see how much involved the students in elementary school (in this case the 1st grade) are benefitting from using the technology around them and in the classroom. I would never have thought about the Nintendo DS as something you could use, but now I know it can and that I should broaden my scope of what tech tools really mean. You pointed out how much technology Ms. Cassidy uses in her classroom – do you think this is something you will be using when you become a teacher? Do you think you will have to? My own opinion is that there seems to be no way of not incorporating technology into the classrooms in a major way. The kids are so charged with energy that I think they forget that they need to eat sometimes, which is going to benefit them as adults, and the sheer excitement and focus they have when working together is something worth taking seriously. Like you, I found it interesting that the students never have to “power down” their tech skills and can come to school to use them in projects and tasks.
ReplyDeleteI can wholeheartedly agree with you that Ms. Cassidys’ approach to the use of technology has been successful since she embraced it for herself and her students. Using something that seems to be so common sense an approach to learning still seems to miss many teachers’ understanding. Even though you liked the blog the most and see its place in the classroom, get ready for a whole lot more by the time you start your teaching career…no more chalk boards eventually (hint, hint). I would encourage anyone to take all of the EDM310 tools and apply them to their classroom, because it just makes sense with what is going on in the world. I could run a class project with my smart phone, so thinking back to when I was in school and all the technology I saw was the intercom mounted in a corner (communication tech), future teachers like you will find that technology is the classroom, and not just a part of it. You seem prepared to accept the technological advancements headed our way, so keep the learning going strong and pursuing what EDM310 is wetting our feet with. Thanks for the great summation of Ms. Cassidy’s interview and how triumphant she has been applying technology to her classroom.