Subject: The Use and Abuse of Technology in the Classroom
Mrs. Cassidy explains that simply having computers in the classroom will not make your students read better, understand the material, or even listen if they are not used correctly. Computers are a teaching tool that can help bring the world to a student to help them learn on a level that will continue to follow them long after school is finished. She also states that it should also not be used when the same task is accomplished with paper like writing math problems or drawing a picture. One example she used was programs that read the books out loud while highlighting the words so that the students can see the words and hear their sounds as they read along. She states that students should also be given the choice to use what they have learned or already know so that they can see the pros and cons themselves and begin to grow for the better.
In my post, in regards to her blog, I stated that I agreed with her point that if a child is not shown how to be responsible with technology, then we are harming both our students and our future. I said that the proverb "give a man a fish he'll eat for a day but teach a man to fish he'll eat for life" should be used with technology as a standard of teaching. Too many times I see peers view computers as a means of gaming and entertainment and they wonder why they find essays and projects so difficult. It is because they do not know how to use what they already know. I told her how after my Mom showed me how to use Google Drive so that all of my group members could work on a paper together while never seeing each other. I was shocked that I knew so little about an item I use everyday. Now I know where the best places to find information are, how to present my findings correctly, and why I need to show credit to my sources. I was very glad that someone finally listed the reason why we need to show students how to be responsible with technology as well as the consequences that come if teachers do nothing.
My Comment to Mrs. Kathy Cassidy's "Primary Preoccupation" Blog
Subject: How Can I Get Followers for My Classroom Twitter Account?
Mrs. Cassidy talks about how teachers can use Twitter to help their classroom, how they can begin to set it up and the best ways to get others to follow your class. She talks about how after creating their classroom Twitter account, her students are asked to read out loud their favorite comments, what they liked about what they had read and how they think they could make it better. By starting this Twitter account, her students were able to see students from France using the same language that they were learning and over time, as stated in their video posted below, they began to read better. She also states that following parents or friends on Twitter is not the best idea since many times people use Twitter to complain about others or make rude comments. In the video, the students are excited about using Twitter, learning more about how to use it, the people they have met and that their reading skills are improving.
In my post, in regards to her blog, I told Mrs. Cassidy I agreed that even a social media site could be used to further a child's education. I said that I liked how she gave control over the Twitter account to her students which gave them pride in their work, while still making sure that they were safe by making sure anyone they wanted to follow was safe. I hoped that other teachers would use her post as an example to do the same for their own students. I also said that I loved how the students were learning French and she showed them a French Twitter account by students their own age. It gave a real world connection to what they were learning. I told her when I was learning Italian in New York City that I loved going to Little Italy because the more I studied the more I could understand as I walked through the streets. I believe that what Little Italy did for me her French Twitter account will do the same for her students.
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