Blog Assignment 11

First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class and Skype Interview with Ms. Cassidy
First of all, I have to say that I am amazed at what these 1st graders are doing. Not only are they learning how to use technology in the classroom in an incredible way, but they can also tell they story behind what they are doing. They can articulate very well how to do the specific assignments they have been given.
In Ms. Cassidy's Skype Interview, she explains different techniques she has used in her classroom. I believe that all of them are relevant and useful, but there are three that stick out in my mind. The first is, of course, a class blog. A class blog is probably the first step in bringing technology into a classroom. It shows children basic skills that will stay with them forever. It is also a great way to allow parents to be more involved in their children's learning experience. The second thing is using wikis. I never knew what wikis were before starting EDM, but I love the way Ms. Cassidy uses them. It gets so many people involved and things like the "tradition" wiki her class did can teach valuable lessons. I also loved the online portfolio of work. Students can look back at their work from the entire year and be proud of their accomplishments and growth. Parents can see what their children are doing. It was cute to see all of the misspelled words and incomplete sentences. That might sound silly, but I guarantee that by the end of the year they will not have nearly as many mistakes. It's all a part of the learning process and it can't be thrown in the garbage never to be seen again. I love it!
The only problem that I see with this method of teaching is getting administration to support the effort. Ms. Cassidy said that she has had some principals that have agreed and some that have been indifferent. I know that indifference has still allowed her to continue on her path, but if she doesn't have FULL support, then it will never leak over into other classrooms. She said that there was another teacher at her school that also used technology in different ways and that is great, but how many teachers aren't using it? That leaves so many classrooms and hundreds of students that are not really getting all they can out of their education. It's sad to me.
There are so many benefits to teaching this way that it is hard to see why there isn't 100% or near 100% compliance across the board. Teaching with technology enhances the learning objectives by getting children more involved in their own education. Ms Cassidy said that her students are more than happy to "not power down" when they come to school because it is a part of life for them. Stepping into a classroom without technology is like shedding part of who they are. Collaboration, socialization, feedback, and outside involvement gives them a better sense of who they are and where they fit into the world. This will help them become well-rounded individuals and more adjusted to the world around them. That is priceless at such a young age.