Blog Post 11

Little Kids...Big Potential and Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy

I thoroughly enjoyed the video that Ms. Cassidy posted of her first grade classroom. I really find everything that she did with all of the children very beneficial to their Personal Learning Network (PLN). I wish that when I was younger, maybe in my freshman year of high school, that my teachers would have introduced me to more technology so that I would have more of a background and more experience in the technological world than I do now that I am in college. In knowing that I needed this help, and with Ms. Cassidy's example, I will in the future be more aware of my students and the way that they network and collaborate with others via web, so that they may be prepared for their future.

I love Ms. Cassidy's approach with the technology in the classroom. From what I heard on the Skype interview, she protects her students very well. By not putting names with images and leaving the last name unknown to viewers, she does a very good job concealing the identity of her students to predators. If I used any of the many of her techniques in my classroom, it would probably be her use of the blogs for each student. In doing this, the parents, family, and friends can monitor as well as comment on the student of their choice's work. 

I hope that in using a class blog in my classroom, and each child having their own page, that I would not run into any issues. If I did have any problems, I suspect that it would be with parents leery of having their children exposed on the web for all the world to see. Once I educate the parents of the safety, I am sure that all would be well. Another aspect that Ms. Cassidy addressed was with prohibiting her students from exploring inappropriate or non educational websites. In this discussion she states that you educate the students and explain to them where they can and cannot go. She has certain links on her blog page that the students may explore. If the students find themselves in a place that they should not be, they should exit or ask for help. 

As I have mentioned above, I was not very well educated or should I say "introduced" to education before I entered the college atmosphere. Therefore, the benefits I anticipate in using these techniques and tools with my students is "preparation". I want students that I teach to be prepared for anything that a professor such as Dr.Strange throws their way. I don't want them to be lost when they enter a world of technology. I want to give them all the tools they need to get them started on a path where they may "Leave an intellectual trail." Last but not least, I really hope Ms. Cassidy keeps warm. That was A LOT of snow!!!!!