Blog Post 11

After watching the video Little Kids.....Big Potential, we are shown how the use of technology, in this case blogging,wikis,and skype, is causing the education community to evolve at a rapid rate. These children are in Mrs. Cassidy's 1st grade class, thats right 1st!, located in Moose Jaw, Canada. Mrs. Cassidy has her kids using blogs to communicate with students and teachers from all over the world. She has also incorporated the use of skype, which allows her class to have live video conversations with teachers from other classes. One of the most amazing features in the video is when the children speak of the people from Alabama(EDM 310), which shows how the use of internet tools allows you to connect with people from all over the planet. It is mind blowing to think that these students are already using the tools that I have just recently learned to use this semester. Mrs. Cassidy has her children up to par in the world of online education. This video is a great example of how these online tools influence students to become engaged in this new online education environment.

          The second video,Cassidy Part 1, is one of three skype interviews with Mrs. Cassidy herself. She informs the viewer that she has had a blog for 5 years,7 now, and has added videos in the last 2 years,4 now. It is amazing to learn with a true educational reformer!! With the help of federal funding, she has started including the use of many online tools in her classroom.  Just by being brave enough to be the "guinea" pig, she has raised the bar for the education community as a whole. I totally agree when she states that technology is not going anywhere. As future educators, we must include these new forms of online learning in our classroom in order to offer our students a chance to enjoy the benefits.
          In Cassidy Part 2 of 3, Mrs. Cassidy touches on the different ways teachers choose to use technology in their classrooms. Her influence is shown at the beginning when she speaks of how one of her co-workers has also began using the same tools she is. She also has another great point in answering Dr. Strange's question of whether or not teachers need to be technology literate, and that is it is extremely important. She also has another great proposal, which is that each educator should choose his/her own favorite method of online learning, whether it be video, blogging, or other forms.
Towards the end of the interview she urges the viewer to begin using twitter, along with Dr. Strange, in order to connect with a variety of educators in the same field.

          In the last video, Cassidy Part 3, Dr. Strange gives the EDM students a chance to ask Mrs. Cassidy a few questions. One of the first questions that stood out most to me was when she was asked if blogging would open the door for cheating. Her response is that instead of cheating by looking at other peoples assignments, we must collaborate, or "piggy-back" in order to develop ideas on the same or similar subjects. At the end of the video, Dr. Strange asks Mrs. Cassidy to show the students, with the use of skype, her back yard which is covered in snow. This interview with Mrs. Cassidy is a great example of how technology is causing the world of education to evolve.

          After reviewing Mrs. Cassidy's videos,most of the tools she talks about are already located in my PLN. The resource I will use most will be videos through Youtube and my own that I will create. I believe that, as a teacher if you can create a video intriguing enough, you can inspire your students to follow your path of being creative. Another resource that I intend on using to it's full potential is Twitter, which is how Dr. Strange met Mrs. Cassidy. As she states in the interview, Twitter doesn't seem useful at first, but in the long run it can be invaluable by allowing you to connect with educators within your age group and field of study. One of the fears of many teachers, as stated earlier in the post, is that students may try to cheat through blogging. I plan on doing exactly what Mrs. Cassidy suggests and become more creative with my assignments by constantly updating them, which will discourage cheating. Mrs. Cassidy's approach will open a new door to students and teachers alike. The tools she suggests we use as future educators will allow us to connect with a vast world of teachers and help us adapt to the ever changing world of  online learning.