Blog Post #11:

Little Kids... Big Potential: 
By: Kathy Cassidy



In this video, Ms. Cassidy's FIRST grade class talk about blogging, their webpage, wikis, videos, skype, and using their Nintendo DS' in class for educational purposes. This interview is broken down into three parts... 


Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy: 

Part 1:




Part 2:




Part 3: 





Some interesting tips from Ms. Cassidy:

On the first day of the year, Ms. Cassidy sends home a permission form for the students to get signed, allowing them to get on the computers at school. This form also gives them the permission to have their work posted online and explains the policy of protecting their identity and not posting their last names nor matching their pictures with their names online. In being able to participate in using computers, her student's parents are able to see what their child is achieving, all at the convenience and comfort of being at home and at the time that is suitable for them. 

Ms. Cassidy stated that technology is here to stay. You can't teach this generation using tools that worked 20, or even 5, years ago. You, as an educator, have to change; just as the world is changing. She says that not taking advantage of tools is handicapping students and teachers. 


Ms. Cassidy's approach:

She uses blogs to attract an audience and get comments on what is being written. She uses an app that allows her students to see from where people live that have viewed their blog. She said that if the only thing you can do is Word Process or work a Spreadsheet, that's not technology today- people need to keep up with technology. She suggests students and teachers setting up online personal networks (or as referred to in previous posts: Personal Learning Networks or PLN's) such as Twitter, blogs, Facebook, Skype, etc. 

Ms. Cassidy also said that it is important to use technology for what one is interested in, such as if you are interested in videos- use YouTube, if you're interested in writing- blog, etc. You should play off of your own interests. 

When referring to her class blog, she states that her students average one post per week, sometimes twice a week. It all depends upon the year, number of students, progression, and how many other times they are able to use computers a week. 

When asked about using technology to cheat, she states that there has to be a switch in how we view information. Information is becoming more collaborative, therefore professors should be more creative in ways they ask you to present information- to make it YOURS. We all "piggy-back", whether it be using information from a colleague or researching and using information found online- so this isn't cheating, it's collaborating. The internet allows this. So people should shift and think in a different way pertaining to what the definition of "cheating" actually is.

When she talks about teaching students what places are safe, she says that her first graders know where the class webpage is, what links are there for them (for educational use), and what links they should not click (such as the shiny, flashing links on the sides). She has repeatedly explained that the only way to keep them safe is by them listening to the directions and closely following what they have been told. She says she has had no problem with this for over ten years, even though they are in the first grade! Her biggest problem is teaching them what games are educational...


Techniques [and their benefits] I will use in my future classroom:

I plan to have a class blog that I keep parents and students updated with assignments and what is going on in our classroom. I would love to be able to post pictures every week (or month, depending). I plan to teach first grade and think that a blog is a great tool for them to learn about not only our country, but people from across the world. We could use Skype to interview or talk with people and learn about others' cultures and traditions, geographical information, other classes learning styles, etc. Twitter would be a great resource for me (personally) to share problems, help others with their questions, and find links that I ultimately would not have known about. I would also love to teach my students how to podcast. I am intrigued by podcasting and look forward to learning more. Of course I will use the SmartBoard in my class, as well. There are so many awesome lessons that revolve around the SmartBoard and allow students to become interactive and involved. These are only a few of the technological tools that I plan to use in my future classroom. By then, though, the tools will have evolved to something different, so it is crucial that I stay on top of the latest tools in order to give my students the best possible education they could ask for (or at least their parents could ask for). 


Impediments I might encounter:

There will always be that one parent that doesn't agree, for whatever reason, with their child using the computer. Hopefully it will only be an issue of using their picture, in which I would be able to make sure they are not in (or their face is blacked out) of all pictures posted online. If the parent does not agree with their child using the internet at all, we could have a meeting assessing the reasons for not allowing the child to use the computers, in which I would list all the positive reasons the child would be helped. If the parent(s) still does not want to grant the permission, there is nothing I could do- I would be forced to not allow the child access to the computer and would have to make sure that they are being given other opportunities to get acquainted with technology- such as gaming systems or possibly using a computer that has no internet access (if granted permission, of course). Other impediments I may encounter includes the lack of technological tools in the classroom. If I am at a school in which does not have a computer in the classroom, then how could I have a class blog or how could my students post to their blogs? There are always ways around things such as this, though. I could schedule 10 mins per day in the library for one child to use the computer to make a post. I could bring my personal computer. There are several ways to get around barriers, you just have to keep an open mind and think "out of the box"!