Blog Post 11

A look at Ms. Cassidy first grade class is a look into what education will, and should, look like. Probably the most remarkable part of this story is how Ms. Cassidy used the limited resources she began with to start her off on a journey into a revolutionary style of teaching. The ways she uses the technological resources to benefit her children’s education is just as remarkable as how she arrived at her current methodology; in a time where there is a mass disconnect between teachers and the parents of students, Ms. Cassidy has created an online portfolio that eliminates many of the issues facing parent teacher relations in the 21st century. This online writing also facilitates feedback on the children’s work that, if done properly, will help development of written and communicative skills. For me, as an avid proponent for the benefit of videogames, the use of the DS is a creative way to capture children’s attention; promoting problem solving, as well as continuing an evolving understanding of language semantics, through a medium that easily captivates children’s attention is perhaps one of the best uses of technology I have seen thus far. This is undoubtedly one of the most influential approaches that we can learn from as future educators; using your students likes and interest as a tool for education can do nothing but aide the state of modern education. Keeping an open mind seems to be the most important tenet of the teachers we have seen do such innovative things in their classroom; only through a desire to embrace new, and often difficult, approaches will keep education on the cutting edge of innovation.