Ms. Cassidy's approach with technology with first graders is a great surprise. These young children are diving into the world of technology at such a young age. When I was young, I only had a book and some crayons in my classroom. These children are really getting a head start. The use of a signed permission slip is a great rule to keep. It is also a great way to give the parents a heads up. Some parents have no idea what their children do in the classroom and this way they can see what their children do every single day.
Blogging, to me, is useless. However, in a classroom blogging can be useful. Watching Ms. Cassidy's video opened my eyes to what blogging can do for a child in school. It's great for a child to get some confidence and for their parents to be able to see what they are doing every day. Everyone around the world can help that child learn by leaving comments on their blog on how to improve their writing skills. Knowing these things now, I would use the blogging for my children in class. Personally, I wouldn't type a blog about what I do in my classroom and what I've learned throughout my years of teaching just because I don't feel the need to write everyday down. BUT, for my children, blogging may be a great way to help them learn.
Some teachers are not going to accept the use of technology and that it is necessary in the new world. The truth is technology is the new way of teaching. If we all ban together we can teach our children faster, better, and open their minds. Every one's mind is different and if we put all of our minds together to help one child it can open their mind to new things they would have never known other wise. One teacher can make a difference in a child's life right? So what about a million teachers coming together? That is bound to make more than just a difference.
Ms. Cassidy is right. Finding something that works for you and your classroom is the only way to be successful in the use of technology. We must use technology one way or another in the new world and in the classrooms, but if we can't make it our own as teachers then how are we going to show our children and our students to make it their own?
I love Twitter as a personal social network. However, I don't care what anyone says. Twitter is useless in the classroom. There is a 150 character limit for God's sake. Blogging, Facebook, or other social networks that allow conversations to develop can be useful, yes. But Twitter is useless for me other than to write a quick idea or a Thank You.
Hey Sam!
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job on this weeks post. I really enjoyed the Skype interview between Dr. Strange and Ms. Cassidy. She has a lot of great ideas on teaching. I think its awesome that first graders are blogging. Have a good week!
Hannah
"Blogging, to me, is useless. However, in a classroom blogging can be useful." How can you say that blogging is useless and then in the very next sentence say it can be useful? And later in the paragraph you say you would use blogs as a teaching technique. I do not understand. Well, now I do: " Personally, I wouldn't type a blog about what I do in my classroom and what I've learned throughout my years of teaching just because I don't feel the need to write everyday down." I think it would have been much better to start with this sentence: I believe that keeping a personal blog is useless. then continue with the rest of your paragraph.
ReplyDelete"If we all ban together..." band, not ban
"would have never known other wise." otherwise, not other wise.
"I don't care what anyone says. Twitter is useless in the classroom." For everyone?
"But Twitter is useless for me other than to write a quick idea or a Thank You." And some people don't like ice cream!