Blog Post #10

Kathy Cassidy's approach to technology in her classroom opens up many learning opportunities to students. I found it intriquing that Mrs. Cassidy used Nintendogs game on the DS to help her students with reading, problem solving, and getting along in a group. Of course students love to play these games! It is an opportunity for them learn skills without even realizing they are learning them. That can sometimes be the most beneficial way of teaching. She also discusses the use of blogs to help students with writing, the availability of audience gives the students incentive to do well, and gives motivation when others comment on their blogs.

I have never really given Twitter a real chance in the education field. I think what Mrs. Cassidy and Dr. Strange were discussing inspires me to try it again. I need to really find some PLN connections and utilize Twitter as a learning and educational tool as opposed to a social networking site.

A lot of parents might be weary of their students names, information, and/or pictures on the internet. Mrs. Cassidy suggests a few tips to keep them safe. She only uses their first names and not their last names. She makes sure the students have a clear understanding of this safety rule. She also never puts names with faces in the pictures she uploads. This keeps her students protected.

Another problem might be how to keep the students safe from seeing outside sources they should not that the internet inevitably has to offer. Mrs. Cassidy instructs the students to go to her web page in order to get to approved sites. Once the students are on those sites she makes sure they understand that the stuff in the middle is what they are supposed to click on. All the flashing and shiny ads and links on the outsides are not okay to click on. Most school systems also have blocks on their internet service that do not let a link load if it has specific content.

I see Mrs. Cassidy's techniques as inspiring to her students. I think this approach is good to keep learning fun and interesting. It gives motivation to the students. All students love to use technology and it is such an essential tool in this day and age to utilize it in an educational way. If proper safety precautions and real effort goes into setting up a good technological environment for students, I think it will set students up to succeed and give them the drive to learn.