Blog Post 10

Ms. Cassidy's first video First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class showed how smart her first graders are. Her students know how to use technology and are proud of it. They use different websites to make connections such as: blogs, wiki, videos, and Skype. This was a great video to show just how smart children are becoming.

When I watched the interviews with Kathy Cassidy Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, I learned to not be afraid to use technology in my future classroom. In part 1 she talks about how she has a class blog that she and her students use. I really like that idea and I would use a blog in my classroom to connect with students and professionals around the world. The parents also like the blogs because they can see what their child is doing at school and how they are improving on their writing skills and other improvements in their school work. Students like it as well because it makes them proud and feel confident. They are learning while having fun. Ms. Cassidy's students have "blogger buddies", who they Skype with. I believe that Ms. Cassidy made a valid point when she said, "Technology is here to stay". In part 2 the question, "Where to start?" was asked and she responded with, "What you're interested in?". I agree teachers need to start with what they are interested in. Whether it be doing videos on YouTube, or taking pictures and loading them on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Personal Networks are used to connect with people around the world, so why not use a personal network that one is interested in, that makes learning memorable. In part 3 students from Edm310 were able to ask Ms. Cassidy questions. The one question that stood out to me and I agreed with was "How do we protect our students?". I myself have wondered the same thing. Ms. Cassidy's response hit the nail on the head. We as teachers have to tell our students not to post their last names or pictures of themselves. We then have to explain to them on what to and what not to click on while they are surfing the internet.