I really enjoyed this video! It was pretty awesome to see the kids physically doing exactly what we are learning to teach them. It was fun to see them interacting with each other and working on their blogs in the computer center. Ms. Cassidy stated that the video was made over the course of two years. She used commentary from past students and the video content was from her current class. In the video, the children talked about the blogging that they do, their internet usage, and even touched on how one should comment on a blog.
Skype with Ms. Cassidy
Ms. Cassidy began the video by explaining how she first got into blogging and incorporating them into her teaching. She first began about 10 years ago when she was given 5 SunRay computers. She stated that five of anything in a primary classroom is called a center. She officially had a computer center and began using them in her daily lessons. After starting her own blog about 5 years ago, she thought it would be a great idea to become an advocate for using technology in classrooms everywhere. Even with a very small support group and having to deal with teachers who did not want to change, she was granted federal funding for professional development to further work on ways to spread the technology sensation.
Ms.Cassidy made the comment that most teachers really appreciate the class blog and the students blog because they can truly monitor the progress their children are making. They can physically see an online portfolio of their child's work and can also keep up with what is going on in the classroom. Kids and technology go hand and hand. It's a part of their world and they really do not know a time without internet or computers. That is why it is important to teach them how to use these programs properly because it is inevitable that they will use them in the future.
Technology is NOT going away. She states that we can't teach kids in this generation using the techniques we used 5, 10, or 20 years ago. The world is constantly changing and so must our education criteria. I agree with this completely because there are so many opportunities now for collaborating and learning with other people around the world. We are handicapping our students and even ourselves by not taking advantage of these tools.
Dr. Strange asked if she noticed a difference in learning when the students used blogs to practice their writing. She stated that when they write on paper, there is no real audience. Blogs make writing more exciting because there lies the potential for hundreds of people to read what they wrote. Ms. Cassidy has even installed a program called classblogmeister that counts how many people have visited their blog. I will definitely include this when I do my own class blogs for my students.
Ms. Cassidy recommends that to begin our own blogs, we should first begin with what we are truly interested in and go from there. It makes it easier to see the potential your blog has and where you can take it. I like the techniques Ms.Cassidy used to keep her students going strong in their writing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that they can see there own progress at one time by looking at their very first post and comparing it with their last. This truly gives them a sense of improvement and I think it would encourage them to do even better. Results are the best motivators!
Ms.Cassidy made the comment that most teachers really appreciate the class blog and the students blog because they can truly monitor the progress their children are making. They can physically see an online portfolio of their child's work and can also keep up with what is going on in the classroom. Kids and technology go hand and hand. It's a part of their world and they really do not know a time without internet or computers. That is why it is important to teach them how to use these programs properly because it is inevitable that they will use them in the future.
Technology is NOT going away. She states that we can't teach kids in this generation using the techniques we used 5, 10, or 20 years ago. The world is constantly changing and so must our education criteria. I agree with this completely because there are so many opportunities now for collaborating and learning with other people around the world. We are handicapping our students and even ourselves by not taking advantage of these tools.
Dr. Strange asked if she noticed a difference in learning when the students used blogs to practice their writing. She stated that when they write on paper, there is no real audience. Blogs make writing more exciting because there lies the potential for hundreds of people to read what they wrote. Ms. Cassidy has even installed a program called classblogmeister that counts how many people have visited their blog. I will definitely include this when I do my own class blogs for my students.
Ms. Cassidy recommends that to begin our own blogs, we should first begin with what we are truly interested in and go from there. It makes it easier to see the potential your blog has and where you can take it. I like the techniques Ms.Cassidy used to keep her students going strong in their writing. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that they can see there own progress at one time by looking at their very first post and comparing it with their last. This truly gives them a sense of improvement and I think it would encourage them to do even better. Results are the best motivators!
Hey Emily,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post. I really enjoyed the video as well. It is great to know that kids are starting out at an early age using advance technology. Her skype interview was very informational. You pointed out really good points that she made in the interview. I really like your responses and how you viewed the interview. Keep up the good work!!
Thorough, Thoughtful, Well Done!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you appreciated the video as much as I did! I think that having the students discuss how they blog and what they know about technology was a brilliant idea on Ms. Cassidy's part. I'm glad that you are interested in starting a class blog when you begin teaching. I think we are all learning how influential blogging and technology can be on students' around the world. On a side note, the background on your blog is a little busy, and I had a hard time reading the text. Consider changing the opaque level on you background settings to make the text easier to read.
Great post!
Laura Ellenburg