Blog Post #11

Skype Interview
The interview with Kathy Cassidy was very interesting and helpful. I think it is great that EDM 310 students got to talk with her about her classroom and their use of technology. Technology is a vital tool that she uses in her first grade classroom. Her students use blogging, skype, and other programs to communicate with people from around the world. As an Educator she believes that having knowledge of and utilizing technology is something that is vital to success. Technology is something that is here to stay. It is always changing and becoming more advanced and we need to continue learning about it in addition to teaching it to our students. As educators we need to be technological literate and up to date on new technologies. Having knowledge of the newest methods of technology is what is needed to be technology literate. The use of blogging in the classroom gives students an audience which can be very valuable to them. The kids love using these tools in the classroom and are very excited and engaged in the lessons. Parents also have easy everyday access to what their child is learning and their progress.

One technique that I would consider using in my classroom would be the making of videos. I looked around her blog some after listening to the interview and saw where her class would make videos about what they had learned and then posted them online. Ms. Cassidy even had other classes from around the world make their own videos that were similar or make a video of questions for her class. In response to this they would answer the questions in video format and send it back to them. This is a really cool way to get the students involved in discussing what they are learning. This helps them to really take in and gain a better understanding of the lesson. In the interview, she also discussed having a class blog with links to educational games for the children. I love this idea and think it could be a very useful tool for the children. They can also use it at home to practice what they are learning inside the classroom. One thing you might encounter problems with would be internet safety concerns. She covers this topic by stating that it is the job of the teacher to educate the students on the safety of the internet. This is something that they will also need in the future so we can start this process by teaching them now.