Blog Post #9

Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom

This week we watched a video First Graders in Ms. Cassidy's Class, it discusses the technology she uses with her students. The students talk about all the different sites they use like, blogs, webpage, Wiki and Skype. They also get to use computers, SmartBoards and Nintendo DS. The students said, they love blogging because they like to see what family, friends, classmates and even strangers say in the commenting section. They said, they enjoy blogging everyday because they can do it from school or home, if they have assess to a computer. Every time they write a blog post their grammar and writing skills improve. They use webpages to search for stuff on the internet. It is a safe site that has valuable information and facts and it is easy for the students to assess. The students use Wiki to search for things and they can create a site. One student said, he used it for a project. He was learning about different traditions and ritiuals. The class even made a Wiki about the alphabet. They like using Skype because they can talk to professional or others classes through the internet about things they have learned or want/need to learn. They also get to record and edit their own videos. I think the most interesting thing to me was, they use Nintendo DS to learn. They play a game called, Nintendog, it helps them develop their reading skills. It helps them learn problem solving and they have to learn to share and take turns. I am not sure which one of these I would use in my classroom because they are all great ideas. But I really like the idea of Skype and using it in the classroom.