Sunday, October 31, 2010
Blog Assignment 11
Kathy Cassidy's Little Kids.....Big Potential
I really enjoyed this movie. These children really knew their internet safety and about politeness on leaving comments for others. They were very encouraged and excited about school and the different things they were doing. Things like what this teacher is doing makes it fun for these children. It encourages them to want to learn more and do more exploring with technology.
Mrs. Cassidy started out 10 years ago with just doing a webpage and that led to blogging and so on. She then got federal funding so she could get computers and different technology aspects in her classrooms. I have to say that she has a lot of drive and commitment to her students and school, since she is the main drive behind this, although she did say that she has "tremendous support". I really like her outlook about the parents being able to keep up with their child's progress through their blog page. This gives the parent flexibility at when they can look at their own child's work.
She is correct that we can not just do what we were doing 10, or even 5 years ago because technology is here to stay. It's not leaving and we have to involve it in our classrooms and be sure that our students are familiar with it, so that they are not left behind. I think it is really cool that these children are able to get writing, audio, and video training. I definitely agree that we should keep up with technology, because it is just getting bigger and better and it is not going away. I also like the fact that her students will get on their blog from home on their own just because they want to. That is some kind of motivated learning. I think her positive outlook is great. She is so motivated, which in turn, reflects on her students.
So far, this is by far my favorite post. I think I would be mostly likely to use her ideas about blogging pages. These would be very beneficial for my students in an English class. I like her motivation and I hope to have that same motivation that it leaks off of me and into my students. That is what teaching is all about, making school and learning fun, so that these children want to constantly learn.
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Hey Tabitha,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree that blogging would be very beneficial in an English class. It was great that the students had such a great understanding of blogging and also a teacher that was motivated enough to make sure it was incorporated into the classroom to ensure a better future. I also agree that blogging provides a better way for parents to stay involved with their child's progress at anytime.
The title definitely described Mrs. Cassidy's classroom very well.
Hi Tabitha,
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed the video of the children. Their excitement for what they were doing was very obvious to see. I think you're right that when they are encouraged and are having fun they want to learn and explore more. I definitely think Ms. Cassidy is committed to her students and school. Isn't it so amazing when you see teachers like her? I think it is, because its great to know that the next generation is being taught by such dedicated educators. I also think you're right that we should keep up with technology, because it is only going to get bigger. I agree that a blog would be beneficial for English class. I, too, intend on teaching English, and I was thinking the same thing about incorporating a blog into my classroom. Your blog looks really good! Keep up the great work on your posts!
-Abby Smith
Mrs. Cassidy's students are quite engaged in what they are doing. Like you said if they are getting on their blogs on their own time they must really be motivated. I think this is a big part of how using technology in the classroom benefits students. You said you like the idea of using blogs and would like to use blogs with your students. Do you expect to run into any problems? How will you address these issues? SS
ReplyDeleteStephen,
ReplyDeleteI am very sure that I will run into problems. You will always have those students who will not do their assignments so not sure what the solution will be for that. However, I am also not sure if we as teachers can make our students keep a blog, because there are some students who will not have constant access to a computer. For that problem, I would be willing to take them to the computer lab everyday, or every week and allow them to come in early to school or stay late to finish their work. I think that his is part of our job as educators.