Blog Post # 11

Ms. Kathy Cassidy and her use of Technology in Canada, Eh?

For this blog post, we were assigned to watch and learn about the techniques Ms. Cassidy, a 1st grade teacher in Canada, uses in her classroom. The first video I watched is called Little Kids...Big Potential. This video includes snapshot of students using technology, video clips of kids explaining the different ways they use technology, and audio clips of some of her students. One of the ways her students use technology is blogging. The students have a class blog where they can post what they have been doing in class or a writing assignment Ms. Cassidy gives them to post. Another way they use technology is through skype. Ms. Cassidy sets up various interviews with other students and educators from around the world for her students to interact with. Her students also make various video recording of themselves so they can play them back for critiquing or for other students to collaborate with. Another way that Ms. Cassidy's students use technology in the classroom is with Nintendo DS. The students can play a variety of educational games to allow a more fun and interactive learning experience.

Next I watched a Skype interview between Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange and a few of his former students. Dr. Strange asks Ms. Cassidy a variety of questions on her thoughts about technology in the classroom and how she uses it in her classroom. Some of the questions include how she got started using technology in her classroom, how and if other teachers in her school are using technology in their classrooms, and if the administrators support her methods of teaching. Dr. Strange also asks for advice for future students in using technology in their future classrooms.

I really enjoyed both of these videos. In the first video I got to see the students demonstrating how they use technology and they all seemed to really enjoy it. I'm sure they love when the EDM 310 students comment on their blog and leave positive feedback. I know for a fact those little first graders have a blast playing on the Nintendo DS. I think that is such a fun way to excite kids to learn and participate in activities. Using a Nintendo or some other hand held device for educational games is definitely something I will want to do as a teacher. Also, I will for sure have a class blog where my students can post projects and past assignments for parents to see, and also do writing assignments on for others to comment on. I will admit, when I first started blogging for this class in August I absolutely hated it, but now it's really grown on me and it is something I want to continue to do for my future classrooms. Technology is a wonderful thing and s Ms. Cassidy said in her interview with Dr. Strange, "it's here to stay". So get ready fellow EDM classmates because if you want to be an effective educator, you are going to have to use it in every way possible.