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| Type on.......... |
This week we got to watch a video and view a Skype session with a 1st grade class in Moose Jaw, Canada. Kathy Cassidy is the teacher of this high-tech first grade classroom.
We watched a wonderful video of all the neat things Ms. Cassidy is doing with her first graders. We actually saw them using Smart boards, lap tops, videos, Skype, and Nintendo DS. The first graders were blogging, going to web pages, using Wikis, skyping with other classrooms, and collaborating together on technical projects. WOW!
Check it out at:
First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class
We then got to watch a Skype interview with Ms. Cassidy and Dr. Strange's EDM310 class. She discussed how she began using technology in her classroom. She got her start ten years ago when five computers were donated to her classroom. She began using resources from the Internet for her new computer center. Ms. Cassidy's class began blogging five years later and began making videos about two years ago. It has been a process and she attributes her success to a very supportive technical coordinator.
She begins each school year by going over all the safety rules--- the children are not allowed to post their full name or give out any personal information. The kids, as well as the parents, love seeing their work online and the children are improving their writing, audio, video, and technical skills. The kids also like having an audience for their work and they especially enjoy the comments. Her students usually blog at least once a week and have really learned so much from collaborating and working with others.
Ms. Cassidy believes that technology is here to stay and, as teachers, we should embrace it and find ways to incorporate it into our classrooms. Technology is a part of the children's world in their homes and it should also be a part of their education. Each teacher can slowly and easily introduce technology into their curriculum. With the world ever changing, we need to do our part to keep our classrooms current!
Ms. Cassidy did a wonderful job of showing that technology can even be used in the early elementary classroom. I really needed to see that because I felt that a lot of EDM310 is geared towards using technology with the upper elementary and high school students. I really agree with Ms. Cassidy that we need to embrace technology because it isn't going away. I believe that technology doesn't have to replace education, but that it is something that we can slowly infuse into education and it can complement our curriculum. Teachers can grow and learn and, at their own pace, comfortably introduce new technologies into their classrooms.
I think one thing that scares many teachers is that they can sometimes feel that all of this technology is so overwhelming. They have to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and as long as they are moving forward....they are making progress! Ms. Cassidy's calm and easy delivery of incorporating technology into her curriculum is a wonderful example of what we should all be doing! If we have the resources available to us...we should move forward!
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| Never lose the wonder..... |
If you are interested in learning how to set up your own classroom blog like Ms. Cassidy, you might want to check out this tutorial:
It is amazing that Ms. Cassidy started out with just five computers! This is a great video for teachers to watch to be inspired. I agree that some teachers can feel overwhelmed with technology. I think if teachers are willing to learn and try new technology they will benefit tremendously from it!
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