Sunday, October 26, 2014

Blog Post 10

Ms. Cassidy's First Grade

                                                           
 Ms. Cassidy blew my mind with the amount of technology she uses in her classroom but what really shocked me was how creative she was in integrating technology. She did not just introduce the usual boring blogs but also taught about how to use wikis as well as bring something kids see as fun, the Nintendo DS, into the classroom. I think that the best idea that Ms. Cassidy taught in these videos was that students are never to young to start learning technology. The students in her classroom are so far ahead of even some college students and could probably do better than some of us. Ms. Cassidy also adds morals into technology, for example, the blog post etiquette that her students have already learned by using kind words and constructive criticism to help other students learn more about the subject or show them how to work the blog sites better by leaving tips. One interesting question I thought was raised in the student questions at the end was about the originality of the students work. Cassidy's answer was very helpful to me because I never understood how to avoid plagiarism in blogs until she discussed her method of asking the students the same information just altered some for a new and inventive answer of their own. One of the main problems I would face in adding more technology in the classroom would be the difference in socioeconomic statuses among students and the parents allowing their kids to be on the internet as well as their names, pictures, and school work. As a teacher, I would try to encourage parents to sign forms allowing me to put their child's work online as well as show their progress and show the parents how easy it would be to access their student's work and grade. I would also try to keep technology fees to a minimum for all students to encourage parents to pay which is very hard to do even in Baldwin county where technology is everywhere.

3 comments:

  1. "...never to young…" too, not to

    The fee in Baldwin County is $50 a year. That's about 25 cents every school day. And there is a foundation that subsidizes the very poor who cannot afford 25¢ a day. Is that "very hard to do"?

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  3. Hi Paige, I think that you brought up some great points in your blog post. I can tell that you really care about helping the students succeed. My opinions were the same as yours when it came to how much technology that the students were using in the classroom at such a young age. I do agree that all the technology is needed because the students are gaining the experience of working with technology that they will need in the work force. I also would set up a class blog that the parents could view from home and they could see how their child is progressing in the class. I would do my best to encourage the students to only visit safe sites and not give too much personal information out online. I found a really neat video online called Technology in the Classroom 2014 that sums up what Mrs. Cassidy was talking about. Make sure you remember to put the "r" in Mrs. Cassidy when you use her name. Other than that, keep up the hard work.

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