Blog Post #11

Skype Interview (2010) with Ms. Cassidy!

Ms. Cassidy is a first grade teacher that learned on her on to incorporate technology use inside of her classroom. Her introduction into technology came along when she was given 5 computers with monitors, keyboards, and internet access. The down side to having the wonderful gifts added to her classroom is that the computers had no programming on them in which the 1st grade students would be able to use them. Cassidy then made her own decision to learn how to make web pages and blogging so that she could make the computers a useful center in her classroom. With funding from the federal government for professional development and time off she was able to learn more and help herself with technology. She has a webpage for about 11 years and her class blog about 6 years (now). Her own determination to be technology literate allowed her to develop her skills as well as support from administrators at her school.

In this interview Dr. Strange asks Ms. Cassidy for advice for future teachers that feel learning about technology now is not useful. Cassidy's response is that teachers should learn all they can. She goes on to say that we cannot expect students to learn with tools from years ago today. "We have to change, because the world is changed." She says to learn now and interact with the world or you will be "handicapping" yourselves. Students love using the computers and blogging. Getting views on their writing is encouraging. Insider her classroom students are able to learn writing, video usage, and audio usage on top of the other curriculum. I feel these students are very blessed in having a teacher as eager as Ms. Cassidy because other teachers may feel no need to change and their students may miss this opportunity to be on board with the direction in which education is going. Ms. Cassidy feels all teachers should be technology literate. Word processing and working a spread sheet is not enough for today's students. She advises future teachers to keep up with technology going on around them and to network. She likes to use Twitter for networking and blogging as a way to keep up but she advises you do what works for you. Learn through what you are interested in. One can access links through Twitter and share information and even assignments through twitter. Finding people who want to be teachers is a way to use twitter for networking. She also says that Facebook could be used for putting out information for students instantly. Cassidy also helps the students learn to use the computer for what links to go to and how they should not use their last name on the blogs or websites. Teachers have to explain usage to the students and accessing educational sites.

I found this interview to be very helpful. It allows me to truly understand how important it is that I as a future educator prepare myself as much as possible for what lies ahead. That is to keep blogging and accessing twitter for educational usage, as well as my PLN and other sites. I do not want to be behind my students but ahead and able to teach them things about using computers for learning and not just entertainment. I myself must learn this and practice it first. I like how Ms. Cassidy pushed that one should learn in the best way that interest them on using technology and I will take her advice. I have not really found my way yet because I can be honest and say that I do not make as much time as I could to learn. However my future and the future of my students depends on me learning so that I can help them learn, so I will truly continue on with my journey and maybe one day Dr. Strange can interview me and see how well this went for me (lol). ;-)

(Information for this blog was obtained from Dr. Strange's interview with Ms. Cathy Cassidy.)