Blog Post #11

I will be the first to say that I was skeptical about allowing children to use technology at such a young age. Not because I didn't think that they had to ability to, but because I would see it as more of a distraction to the students if it is not used properly. After viewing Ms.Cassidys video on how she incorporates technology into her first grade classroom, she proved me wrong. Her students were excited, engaged, and ultimately learning. I loved the fact that she allowed her students to comment on what they thought about their blogging experience and how it was helpful to them. In addition, I admire her internet safety with her students. Besides getting their parents permission, her students are aware of good internet behavior such as using only their first name.
One tool I want to use in my classroom is blogger. In my first year i'm sure i will be too busy getting into the groove of being a teacher but, I do intend to implement blogger along the way. I think it is so important for students to be conscious of submitting valuable work that they are proud of and that other can find helpful and useful. Moreover, as one of her students said, they can see the word they type, and see their thoughts in writing. I think that if you develop and nurture good writing qualities at a young age, students will not have as many difficulties with reading and writing.
Teachers like Ms.Cassidy give hesitant future educators like myself the encouragement to step outside of the box and reach every student. There is an app, program, tool, and technique for just about every content area and as teachers, we need to explore and not limit ourselves or our students to traditional learning.