Blog Post 11

Video: First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class

The kids are discussing the benefits of using blogs. They talk about how it helps them write better and teaches them about others feelings. They also talk about using Wikis. What surprised me about this video is how young these students are.. they are so little! They are using things that we are being taught to use in this class... this makes me feel slightly stupid.

Mrs. Cassidy uses alot of technology in her classroom. She first started with computers that you couldn't put any programs are. So, she set out to find a way to get some professional development on her computers. She ended up getting some funding from the government to get her started. She started using these technologies 10 years ago. She has slowly added in new technologies. She has done most of it on her own, but she has support. Some problems that we as teachers might run into is funding, parents, and the school system trying to regulate what you do. We have to be prepared to answer questions and concerns. We need to be available to parents outside of school hours to show them what is going on whenever they are interested. She talks about how the students love the technology and believes they really appreciate on not having to "shut down" when they get to school. It's a part of their world and it's not weird or foreign to them. We can't teach children things that we taught 100 years ago. We need to keep up and if we don't, we are not only handicapping ourselves, but the STUDENTS as well. It as our duty to prepare students to be successful in todays society and like it or not, technology is a big part of that. Some benefits would be preparing students to be successful in society and helping them to utilize technology as a part of their everyday life. They are getting audio and writing experience that will later be vital to their success in our society.