Blog Post #11 Mrs. Cassidy

Little Kids, Big Potential

             In this video, Mrs. Cassidy shows several pictures of her class of first graders using the Internet and blogging.  Her students are effectively using their blogs to communicate with people worldwide. She says her students receive comments from a lot of people, some of which are from other countries. What about online predators, a six-year-old could be extremely vulnerable to the evils of the world wide web. Mrs. Cassidy's students instruct us that when dealing with the Internet, you should only post your first name. Good advice. Well, kids don't really have, "Filters", on what is appropriate to say,  and how you should say it. Cyber bullying is one of the biggest issues with children and adolescents. How would we make sure our students were behaving appropriately? The students in her class tell us in the video that you must be careful with what you say. They understand that if they comment on a post in a negative way, it can hurt someones feelings.
           What an amazing thing. These kids are grasping life lessons before they reach second grade. By using this technology, they are developing skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.

Skype Interview with Mrs. Cassidy and Dr. Strange
             Mrs. Cassidy developed her technologically enhanced classroom a decade ago. Her class was given computers, but they were unable to download programs. She states that when you have five of something in one classroom, it becomes a center of focus. She resorted to using the Internet for online education programs. Mrs. Cassidy attended professional development seminars to make sure she knew what she was doing, and to learn how to use the computers to their full potential. She says that she hasn't encountered a principal yet who has been discouraging of her way of teaching. However; some were not interested in the technological enhancement. So they let her continue her practices, but didn't encourage others to try them, nor did they make an effort to learn about them. Because of online safety, Mrs. Cassidy sent a permission slip home with every student to have signed by their parents. This slip made known to the parents that their children would be participating in an online blogging experience, and that they would be communicating with people world-wide. Most of the parents were okay with the blogs, because they could watch their child's activities and development any time they wanted.
              I think it is incredible that she is teaching so much to her first graders. The only thing I remember learning in first grade was simple addition and subtraction, and perfecting the art of coloring inside the lines. To think we could have learned more, at a quicker pace. My favorite part about Mrs. Cassidy is that when she was given this new technology, she took steps to make sure she knew how to use the computers herself. This shows a lot of passion on her part. It says that she really cares about what, and how she teaches her students. "Technology isn't going away, it is here to stay." Mrs. Cassidy is truly giving her students a better opportunity for learning. She is setting a fantastic base for their educational journey. Because of this, I really think her students will progress much further than the other first graders.