Mrs. Cassidy teaches a first grade class in Moose Jaw, Canada who has been extremely successful in integrating technology in her classroom. Below is a video that she made with her students.
After being introduced to Mrs. Cassidy through twitter, Dr. Strange and a few EDM students were fortunate enough to sit down and have an interview with her. In the interview (click the link if you wish to check it out) Mrs. Cassidy shared a few ideas on her success with her students.
I think the hardest thing we will have to do is be able to convince others that technology is worth the time and effort in the classroom, and it appeared to me that that was no problem with Mrs. Cassidy. Listening to her talk about the projects her students are doing and how well things are going it was amazing to see how excited she was. I found myself wondering what our schools would look like if all (or even just half) the teachers shared her outlook. She was extremely excited so the students were excited and they were covering lots of academic ground, collaborating outside of the classroom, learning through many different mediums all while having fun. She not only brought technology into her school, but she was having great success with it.
Fortunately enough mentions that she has never had many run ins with her staff or administration. I foresee administrative attitudes either being extremely helpful or being the biggest obstacle. Like she said, as far as the other teachers, some will be resistant and others enthusiasts, but the administration pretty much makes the final decision. I think the best way around this is simply showing them all the potential technology offers. Showing them examples that have been successful like Mrs. Cassidy's class always helps.
What I think we can learn the most from Mrs. Cassidy's output, is her attitude as a teacher. She states that we must always be learning. This is something I want to integrate into my classrooms in collaboration with my students. Much like Dr. Strange did with twitter. He didn't understand it, so both him and his students took it on to see if it was worth while. And it was! now both sides have learned another valuable tool in their PLN. That's my biggest takeaway. Integrating a collaborative, open minded and accepting academic environment inside my classroom using technology.
I also enjoyed Miss Cassidys post. I like that even though she had no idea what she was getting herself into at first and didnt have anyone to back her up or help her out, she didnt give up. I also agree that we need to have an open mind and be willing to continually learn. Theres always something new to learn and as educators we need to expand our minds and knowledge constantly. If not for ourselves then to just be able to keep up with these children.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed learning about Mrs. Cassidy and her class. I am also excited about using technology in the classroom, and I love how passionate and devoted she is. I believe being a lifelong learner is also important, and I think using technology to help guide students to a world of knowledge is an essential tool to accomplishing this. Great Post!
ReplyDelete" I found myself wondering what our schools would look like if all (or even just half) the teachers shared her outlook." Yes, a wonderful thing to think about. What are the chances?
ReplyDelete"That's my biggest takeaway. Integrating a collaborative, open minded and accepting academic environment inside my classroom using technology." Well, that's a lot! Well done.