1. Colorado is a beautiful place to live, and there are great parts about it. My favorite thing about Colorado is definitely the mountains. I really love to ski in the winter, and camp and hike in the summer. The mountains are the most beautiful place to be any time of the year. In this part of Colorado, we have an amazing view, and when the sun reflects off the mountain tops each morning and sunset, it is a spectacular sight to see.
2. In English 9, I really like how we do project quizzes. After every couple chapters in the books we read, we take a quiz but it is usually it is something creative like making a collage about what matters to the character of our choice, or how the effects of war on young soldiers is shown. This forces us to think on higher level thinking questions and apply them in a way that relates to the book, but also to us. I prefer these rather then quizzes with questions regarding what happened in the book because then we can’t go further into the story than what is written in the text. I also like how we have bonded as a class, and how we are able to work with each other.
3. I learn best with hands-on projects and visualizing things. I tend to get things, and they stick in my head better when I can do things for myself, or when I can see how things work or are put together. This is the reason that I like project quizzes better than normal quizzes. If I can physically put something together by myself, and take it apart and to it again, I understand the concept better and I can apply it better.
4. Our big question this semester has been “What matters?” We applied this first to ourselves by creating a blog and writing what is important in our lives. Then we made a collage online with pictures showing what mattered to us. Then we applied the question to all the texts that we read. This has been the most meaningful to me because it has made me think about what other people feel, whether in real life or in fiction. It has made me think about what’s going through peoples head when I read books. I have developed the skill of comprehending reading and thinking it through better in this class than ever before. This skill will stay with me forever and it’s the one that means that means the most to me.
5. Volleyball is very meaningful to me. It is a sport that I play almost year round and that I am passionate about. I also am involved in Student Council at Arapahoe. In the summer I play softball, and in the spring I run track.
6. I am most passionate about, my faith, volleyball and my academics. These things really matter to me, as well as spending time with my family and friends.
7. In the second semester I will be playing volleyball for Colorado Intensity, participating in Student Council and running track for Arapahoe.
8. I honestly don’t know anything about those books. I think that it will be very interesting to read them.
9. I define poetry as deep literature that means something. It goes much deeper than the context, and you have to dig into it and understand it. I have never written my own poetry, but I would be willing to try.
10. I think that you should know that our class is a great class to be in, and we always have fun doing things like working in group projects and discussions in class,
11. If I were teaching the class, one thing that I would change is the way we have PLN presentations. I would change having up to 4 go in one day to one or two, allowing the class to debate about matters in the world, and how we should go about them.
12. On the first day of the second semester, I wish to accomplish the concept of the second semester, and what is going to be the ultimate thinking question for the end of the semester.
13. I think that I am most motivated by my dreams and goals. I often set high standards for myself and do what I can to reach them, and that motivates me to do higher and better than the requirements.
14. One thing that I would like to know is
15. I think that I am most like the pauper in The Prince and the Pauper because I work for what I have but I have success. I have a lot of friends and get along quite well in life but I recognize the fact that I have to work for everything I have to find success, I do not jus have it handed to me. I have never switched places with a Prince, but I think my personality matches that of the pauper.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Semester Reflection
In regards to my education this semester, I have seen changes in how I read and interpret novels or articles. I have further learned how to find what is important to the character, and apply to it my life, and the world around me. After reading stories such as Into the Wild by Jon Krakaur, and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, as well as excerpts the book of Walden, I have learned that more goes on in a story than what is just on the page. I have learned to read deeper into the story, and because of that, I have learned to go deeper into the character as well. I think that that these skills will help me in the future in different English classes, but that it will also be applied into when I read on my own. The other day I was reading a book that I had gotten from the library for free reading. I noticed that when I read now, I begin to think while I read, and ask questions about the context where as before; I would simply read the story.
I have also seen changes regarding writing. After this semester, I feel that my writing has been changed from just slapping something down on paper to get it done, into actually expressing my, and others opinions. By having a rubric to follow for each and every assignment, I motivate myself to make it “A” quality each time. I have learned how to start, express, and end a PLN, and to make my writing interesting for readers. My skills have been changed because I start to express how I personally feel about a matter, and not just re-explaining what I read in the article. I have learned to see both sides of the story, and to show how I fell about the matter. I have found that I actually somewhat enjoy writing now, certainly more than I did at the beginning of the semester. I now enjoy writing PLNs that have to do with worldly matters or things about the government. I have learned to write about an article that I can really relate to, and not the first one that pops up onto the screen I think that this skill is very useful in life because it can be used in any career.
Technology played a big part into the changes in my learning. By using a laptop every day, I learned to rely more on the computer for all of my assignments. I thought it was really neat how I could turn in projects online, and not by hand. Technology has changed me because now I know how to create more and more assignments on the computer, making them easier, but also because we can connect with other things with technology. I could email my projects home every night and not have to start over each time. I could also talk with the people I was working with by email or by the phone. Technology changed the way I learned because it showed me that I could do things over and over again simply by pushing the erase button, and not have to start over each time. I enjoyed being in a laptop class because it gave me the freedom to search anything in an instant and not have to do it manually. I was able to do a much better job on my work by using the computer, and I think that that work standard will stay with me because of that.
I feel more motivated to learn because I have so much more options in how I learn. Because we set up an “A”, “B”, and “C” quality standard, I can basically choose what grade I want to get, and I know all that I have to do to accomplish that. I have a checklist that I know if I follow that I can achieve anything. This motivates me because it provides no excuse for anything below the best. With the rubric, all excuses are taken away that due with “I didn’t know that I had to do such-and-such to get an “A”,” because I have a list of what needs to be on every assignment. I think that I was motivated because I knew that I wanted an “A”, and I was determined to get it, so I did what it took to keep it.
Now that we are just a few days away from the end of the semester, it comes as a shock that now is going to be the time to get all my grades to where I want them, and to get all the help that I need to make sure that my report card looks acceptable at the end of the semester. In English, I feel that at the end of the semester, I will keep the “A” that I started out with at the beginning of the semester. I remember writing about what I was going to do to keep my “A” all semester long, and I feel that I have been able to accomplish those things that I said I would do. I have kept up on my work, and have not fallen behind pr procrastinated due to the option of multiple re-dos. If I keep up what I have been doing for the past eighteen weeks, I think that I have nothing to worry about with my English grade. Now that we are just a few weeks away from the end of the semester, it comes as a shock that now is going to be the time to get all my grades to where I want them, and to get all the help that I need to make sure that my report card looks acceptable at the end of the semester. In English, I feel that at the end of the semester, I will keep the “A” that I started out with at the beginning of the semester. I remember writing about what I was going to do to keep my “A” all semester long, and I feel that I have been able to accomplish those things that I said I would do. I have kept up on my work, and have not fallen behind pr procrastinated due to the option of multiple re-dos. If I keep up what I have been doing for the past eighteen weeks, I think that I have nothing to worry about with my English grade.
I think that student philosophy helped us learn because it made us think for ourselves. When we would do projects at the end of a couple chapters, we had to think on higher level thinking standards about what mattered to each character. When we had different characters we were independent in our own groups and couldn’t share ideas with other groups. I know that this helped me and will help me in the future because I developed the skill of higher level thinking, and I can go deeper into a story now then I could before.
Some things that could be done different next year is that the students should start higher level thinking from the very start. I think that quizzes should involve the creativity that they did at the end of the semester, but right from the start of Chris McCandless. I know that the types of quizzes that we did in the last six weeks really helped me to understand the book and what was going on more so than it did when we just took normal quizzes.
I think that the “No D” policy motivated me not to fail. Without the option to get a “D”, it was either an “F” or a “C”, so I chose to take the better option of a “C”, and work it up to an “A”. Without the option of a “D” I pushed myself not to get an “F”, so I did my best work, and it helped me. I think that you should keep the policy because it really helped me, and it can really help others.
I really liked how you started off with what matters to us because it gave me a perspective of what the rest of the year will be like, and how we figure out what matters. By starting with that I learned how to figure out what matters, but it was a creative way to get to know everyone as well. By looking through the collages and reading the blogs we got to know each other which made our class more fun throughout the semester. I liked how you made some of the quizzes projects because then they weren’t just normal quizzes like in every class, they were something that made you really think.
I am satisfied with my grade at the end of the semester. I think that it reflects my learning, and shows how I changed my skills. Compared to previous English classes, this one have by far provided the most education in the most creative ways. I have developed skills that will be with me forever, and it has changed the way that I think about things.
I have also seen changes regarding writing. After this semester, I feel that my writing has been changed from just slapping something down on paper to get it done, into actually expressing my, and others opinions. By having a rubric to follow for each and every assignment, I motivate myself to make it “A” quality each time. I have learned how to start, express, and end a PLN, and to make my writing interesting for readers. My skills have been changed because I start to express how I personally feel about a matter, and not just re-explaining what I read in the article. I have learned to see both sides of the story, and to show how I fell about the matter. I have found that I actually somewhat enjoy writing now, certainly more than I did at the beginning of the semester. I now enjoy writing PLNs that have to do with worldly matters or things about the government. I have learned to write about an article that I can really relate to, and not the first one that pops up onto the screen I think that this skill is very useful in life because it can be used in any career.
Technology played a big part into the changes in my learning. By using a laptop every day, I learned to rely more on the computer for all of my assignments. I thought it was really neat how I could turn in projects online, and not by hand. Technology has changed me because now I know how to create more and more assignments on the computer, making them easier, but also because we can connect with other things with technology. I could email my projects home every night and not have to start over each time. I could also talk with the people I was working with by email or by the phone. Technology changed the way I learned because it showed me that I could do things over and over again simply by pushing the erase button, and not have to start over each time. I enjoyed being in a laptop class because it gave me the freedom to search anything in an instant and not have to do it manually. I was able to do a much better job on my work by using the computer, and I think that that work standard will stay with me because of that.
I feel more motivated to learn because I have so much more options in how I learn. Because we set up an “A”, “B”, and “C” quality standard, I can basically choose what grade I want to get, and I know all that I have to do to accomplish that. I have a checklist that I know if I follow that I can achieve anything. This motivates me because it provides no excuse for anything below the best. With the rubric, all excuses are taken away that due with “I didn’t know that I had to do such-and-such to get an “A”,” because I have a list of what needs to be on every assignment. I think that I was motivated because I knew that I wanted an “A”, and I was determined to get it, so I did what it took to keep it.
Now that we are just a few days away from the end of the semester, it comes as a shock that now is going to be the time to get all my grades to where I want them, and to get all the help that I need to make sure that my report card looks acceptable at the end of the semester. In English, I feel that at the end of the semester, I will keep the “A” that I started out with at the beginning of the semester. I remember writing about what I was going to do to keep my “A” all semester long, and I feel that I have been able to accomplish those things that I said I would do. I have kept up on my work, and have not fallen behind pr procrastinated due to the option of multiple re-dos. If I keep up what I have been doing for the past eighteen weeks, I think that I have nothing to worry about with my English grade. Now that we are just a few weeks away from the end of the semester, it comes as a shock that now is going to be the time to get all my grades to where I want them, and to get all the help that I need to make sure that my report card looks acceptable at the end of the semester. In English, I feel that at the end of the semester, I will keep the “A” that I started out with at the beginning of the semester. I remember writing about what I was going to do to keep my “A” all semester long, and I feel that I have been able to accomplish those things that I said I would do. I have kept up on my work, and have not fallen behind pr procrastinated due to the option of multiple re-dos. If I keep up what I have been doing for the past eighteen weeks, I think that I have nothing to worry about with my English grade.
I think that student philosophy helped us learn because it made us think for ourselves. When we would do projects at the end of a couple chapters, we had to think on higher level thinking standards about what mattered to each character. When we had different characters we were independent in our own groups and couldn’t share ideas with other groups. I know that this helped me and will help me in the future because I developed the skill of higher level thinking, and I can go deeper into a story now then I could before.
Some things that could be done different next year is that the students should start higher level thinking from the very start. I think that quizzes should involve the creativity that they did at the end of the semester, but right from the start of Chris McCandless. I know that the types of quizzes that we did in the last six weeks really helped me to understand the book and what was going on more so than it did when we just took normal quizzes.
I think that the “No D” policy motivated me not to fail. Without the option to get a “D”, it was either an “F” or a “C”, so I chose to take the better option of a “C”, and work it up to an “A”. Without the option of a “D” I pushed myself not to get an “F”, so I did my best work, and it helped me. I think that you should keep the policy because it really helped me, and it can really help others.
I really liked how you started off with what matters to us because it gave me a perspective of what the rest of the year will be like, and how we figure out what matters. By starting with that I learned how to figure out what matters, but it was a creative way to get to know everyone as well. By looking through the collages and reading the blogs we got to know each other which made our class more fun throughout the semester. I liked how you made some of the quizzes projects because then they weren’t just normal quizzes like in every class, they were something that made you really think.
I am satisfied with my grade at the end of the semester. I think that it reflects my learning, and shows how I changed my skills. Compared to previous English classes, this one have by far provided the most education in the most creative ways. I have developed skills that will be with me forever, and it has changed the way that I think about things.
Monday, December 8, 2008
PLN 16: Lets Stop Preparing Kids for College
In the blog article “Let’s Stop Preparing Kids for College”, by Karl Fisch, what matters is the debate over spending our hard-earned money on college, or making high school more relevant and useful to apply in our everyday lives. I often think to myself as I am doing different assignments every night, “When am I every going to need how to find the area of a triangle in my life, especially when I am not going to be a mathematician when I grow up.” Some people have seen this and go as far as to say that instead of spending the thousands of dollars every year to pay for college tuition and food/boarding that high school should relate to worldly matters and real-life situations so that students are not required to go to college to get a decent job with average pay. Others argue that college is vital for developing adult skills to be able to survive in the world because it provides independence in which students make their own choices and don’t rely on parents to get them through.
With the prices of practically everything but gas going up these days, it has become harder and harder to afford things like paying tuition for college, so some people would much rather just have high school serve as preparation to be able to survive in the real world. They think that if high school was more relevant, that they wouldn’t have to go to college, but they could be suited for any job as soon as they got out of high school. From there they think that they could take a training course on the job and call it good. The problem comes up when someone wants to be a lawyer or a vet. These types of jobs require more than a simple training course to inform people on how to do the job. To be a lawyer you have to study the law and know about what each one means, and how it can be interpreted. To be a vet, you have to know how to take care of any different animal in any type of scenario. To be able to do either of these, you have to study for many years until you are fully knowledgeable and useful in today’s society. Know that wouldn’t hire someone if they’ve only been trained on the job because they are inexperienced and will not satisfy customers.
By going to college, you gain more than just an extreme amount of knowledge in the area that you want to pursue as a potential career, but you also gain life skills such as responsibility and independence. When in college, you stay at a different place than home, most the time, and so you have to rely more and more on yourself to go to bed at night, to feed yourself, and to make sure that all your stuff is done before you go out. Before, we had our parents to rely on for that. They told us when to go to bed, they provided transportation for whenever we needed to be somewhere, and they made absolutely sure that our homework was done every night. Once we get into college, all that decreases greatly because our parents aren’t there anymore to us. We have to learn in a survival of the fittest world. High school can’t prepare us for everything, but it gives us the minimum to survive in the real world, that’s why college is optional.
There is great debate about the matter of preparing kids for college. If we stop, will the percentage of kids that go to college decrease? Yes. Will there be less educated kids working in real-life jobs? Yes. Would stopping preparing our kids for college make an impact on the world? Yes. Will some people still do it anyway, even though they know how it will affect the way our economy and government is run, and potentially not for the better? Yes. Something to think about.
With the prices of practically everything but gas going up these days, it has become harder and harder to afford things like paying tuition for college, so some people would much rather just have high school serve as preparation to be able to survive in the real world. They think that if high school was more relevant, that they wouldn’t have to go to college, but they could be suited for any job as soon as they got out of high school. From there they think that they could take a training course on the job and call it good. The problem comes up when someone wants to be a lawyer or a vet. These types of jobs require more than a simple training course to inform people on how to do the job. To be a lawyer you have to study the law and know about what each one means, and how it can be interpreted. To be a vet, you have to know how to take care of any different animal in any type of scenario. To be able to do either of these, you have to study for many years until you are fully knowledgeable and useful in today’s society. Know that wouldn’t hire someone if they’ve only been trained on the job because they are inexperienced and will not satisfy customers.
By going to college, you gain more than just an extreme amount of knowledge in the area that you want to pursue as a potential career, but you also gain life skills such as responsibility and independence. When in college, you stay at a different place than home, most the time, and so you have to rely more and more on yourself to go to bed at night, to feed yourself, and to make sure that all your stuff is done before you go out. Before, we had our parents to rely on for that. They told us when to go to bed, they provided transportation for whenever we needed to be somewhere, and they made absolutely sure that our homework was done every night. Once we get into college, all that decreases greatly because our parents aren’t there anymore to us. We have to learn in a survival of the fittest world. High school can’t prepare us for everything, but it gives us the minimum to survive in the real world, that’s why college is optional.
There is great debate about the matter of preparing kids for college. If we stop, will the percentage of kids that go to college decrease? Yes. Will there be less educated kids working in real-life jobs? Yes. Would stopping preparing our kids for college make an impact on the world? Yes. Will some people still do it anyway, even though they know how it will affect the way our economy and government is run, and potentially not for the better? Yes. Something to think about.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
PLN 15: Teacher Sells Ads on Test Papers
In the article, “Teacher Sells Ads on Test Papers”, by David Warlick, what matters is providing creative ways to raise money to pay for school supplies because many schools can’t afford them due to the falling economy. In the basics of the article, teacher Tom Farber started to sell space on the bottom of his calculus test for sponsors to put an advertisement. He did this to help raise money to purchase paper, printer cartridges, and other office supplies for the school. The teacher charged $10 dollars to put an ad on quizzes, $20 for chapter tests, and $30 for a semester final.
I think that this teacher’s creative idea to raise money for the school is very unique, but is also a good way to raise money. Our economy has risen and fallen in great measures with in the past few months, it is good to save the money spent on paper, and spend it on paying employees. With prices so high on things like food and everyday supplies, it is good to prepare in advance for when another fall comes. It is also a good way to get a community involved in their school and support it.
I think that it’s good to prepare for the future in a way that we are earning money for an economic downfall. We have often noticed gas prices going down, but the further they go down, the further everyday product prices go up. By selling ad space on tests, the teacher is providing stress relief for the students by giving them entertainment while taking their test, and he is also doing s good cause to the community. Teachers and other staff members at that school can now keep their regular pay because more money is coming in through the ads. He is one of the people in our country trying to make a difference in our economy.
I think that this teacher’s creative idea to raise money for the school is very unique, but is also a good way to raise money. Our economy has risen and fallen in great measures with in the past few months, it is good to save the money spent on paper, and spend it on paying employees. With prices so high on things like food and everyday supplies, it is good to prepare in advance for when another fall comes. It is also a good way to get a community involved in their school and support it.
I think that it’s good to prepare for the future in a way that we are earning money for an economic downfall. We have often noticed gas prices going down, but the further they go down, the further everyday product prices go up. By selling ad space on tests, the teacher is providing stress relief for the students by giving them entertainment while taking their test, and he is also doing s good cause to the community. Teachers and other staff members at that school can now keep their regular pay because more money is coming in through the ads. He is one of the people in our country trying to make a difference in our economy.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
PLN 14: Learn Something. Pass It On.
In the blog article “Learn Something. Pass it On.” by Karl Fisch, what matters is helping the people around you to discuss their lives, whether they are going through a hard time or just had the best day in their life. The article said that this Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the National Day of Listening. This means that on Friday, people all over the world are going to ask their neighbors, spouses, friends, or even long lost co-workers what is going on in those people’s lives, and give them a chance to talk.
So many times in this world, people don’t take the time to care about other people around them. So many people just deal with their own problems and don’t have time to listen to others. So many people are happy for themselves when something good happens, but don’t take the time to be happy for others. That is how our nation, unfortunately, has become. People get so caught up in their everyday lives that nothing else seems to matter, and then when they need someone to talk to after something tragic happened, they don’t have anyone because everyone else is still too busy. I think that it’s a great idea to recognize one day out of the 365, to take a moment and listen to someone else. We can clear our schedules for one day and take the time to listen to those who have been trying to talk to us for such a long time. By nationally recognizing this one day in the year, so many friendships, marriages, jobs, workers, and so much more can be saved. Once we get all of our troubles and our accomplishments out in the open, and we have people to go to with our hearts, then in the future, people will be more open to talk to you when you need to talk. More people will take the time to listen to you when you really need a friend. The world won’t full come to peace, but this is once step closer towards it.
I know that on Friday, I will make sure to listen to those who come to me, and to not be afraid to go to others is I need to talk. I often take for granted my busy schedule, and I hope that by dedicating a day to talk to others, it will not only help me, but help millions of others to listen to someone who is struggling, and to lend a helping hand.
So many times in this world, people don’t take the time to care about other people around them. So many people just deal with their own problems and don’t have time to listen to others. So many people are happy for themselves when something good happens, but don’t take the time to be happy for others. That is how our nation, unfortunately, has become. People get so caught up in their everyday lives that nothing else seems to matter, and then when they need someone to talk to after something tragic happened, they don’t have anyone because everyone else is still too busy. I think that it’s a great idea to recognize one day out of the 365, to take a moment and listen to someone else. We can clear our schedules for one day and take the time to listen to those who have been trying to talk to us for such a long time. By nationally recognizing this one day in the year, so many friendships, marriages, jobs, workers, and so much more can be saved. Once we get all of our troubles and our accomplishments out in the open, and we have people to go to with our hearts, then in the future, people will be more open to talk to you when you need to talk. More people will take the time to listen to you when you really need a friend. The world won’t full come to peace, but this is once step closer towards it.
I know that on Friday, I will make sure to listen to those who come to me, and to not be afraid to go to others is I need to talk. I often take for granted my busy schedule, and I hope that by dedicating a day to talk to others, it will not only help me, but help millions of others to listen to someone who is struggling, and to lend a helping hand.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
PLN 13: Get. Off. Paper.
In the article “Get. Off. Paper.” By Will Richardson, what matters is advancing the economy so much in technology that we no longer need a pencil or paper, but instead we would do everything via computers, whether in Microsoft, or blogs online. The article talks about different conferences and presentation where 50 some people came and took notes with pen and paper, rather than using a laptop. He questions where those multiple pages of notes are now, and how they are used.
Many young people would agree that it is time to move on from paper, and to use computers for everything, including school and work. They agree that the advance in technology would be great for our economy, and would be a convenience to people everywhere. In some ways, they are correct. By using more and more technology, we would be saving rain forests and other trees by not needing so much paper. We could “go green” and help with the environment by not using things that cause pollution because we would have all our information on the computer.
The other side of that is that it’s not time to make such a drastic change as to skip from lots of paper to virtually no paper at all. There are elderly people living in our nation who grew up with pen and paper, who haven’t the slightest idea on how to work a computer. I am not saying that the article said to completely get rid of paper, but it suggested that its use become more minimal, quickly. There are people who wouldn’t know how to do anything with technology, because all of their lives have been without it.
I think that the best solution to this is to simply wait. Our generation has grown up with things such as iPod’s, computers, DVDs and other things. We should wait until technology becomes a part of more people’s lives, before we try to make it run the world. If we wait until more people become familiar with it, and know how to use it, it will be easier to convert over to using mainly computers.
The advance in technology has affected many things in our everyday lives. How long will it take to be an even greater part in which we hardly use paper? How long will it be until the people of the future think that we should move onto something greater, beyond the computer? Is the technology going to help us or hurt us in the end? Something to think about.
Many young people would agree that it is time to move on from paper, and to use computers for everything, including school and work. They agree that the advance in technology would be great for our economy, and would be a convenience to people everywhere. In some ways, they are correct. By using more and more technology, we would be saving rain forests and other trees by not needing so much paper. We could “go green” and help with the environment by not using things that cause pollution because we would have all our information on the computer.
The other side of that is that it’s not time to make such a drastic change as to skip from lots of paper to virtually no paper at all. There are elderly people living in our nation who grew up with pen and paper, who haven’t the slightest idea on how to work a computer. I am not saying that the article said to completely get rid of paper, but it suggested that its use become more minimal, quickly. There are people who wouldn’t know how to do anything with technology, because all of their lives have been without it.
I think that the best solution to this is to simply wait. Our generation has grown up with things such as iPod’s, computers, DVDs and other things. We should wait until technology becomes a part of more people’s lives, before we try to make it run the world. If we wait until more people become familiar with it, and know how to use it, it will be easier to convert over to using mainly computers.
The advance in technology has affected many things in our everyday lives. How long will it take to be an even greater part in which we hardly use paper? How long will it be until the people of the future think that we should move onto something greater, beyond the computer? Is the technology going to help us or hurt us in the end? Something to think about.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
PLN 12: A Prayer for the Day
In the article, Prayer for the Day, by Natavillage, what matters is religion, and the coming together of people to praise God by singing to him and praying. This shows real faith in the community in that they can come together and thank God for all their blessings. Even though they are not as fortunate as most other people in the world, they are grateful for what they have, and they show their gratitude by praising and thanking God.
I think that it’s really neat when there are people out in the world who know that they don’t have as much as others, but who are extremely grateful for what they have been blessed with, and who aren’t afraid to show it by thanking God for all their success. If we all took a moment to think about how much we have been blessed, we would all be amazed. Every one of us has a home to live under, heat when we are cold, food to eat daily, family, plumbing, and running water. There are places in the world who eat once every two to three days, who have to walk three miles to get water, who have weak roofs so they are not protected when it rains, and who have to suck it up when they are hot or cold. There are even people who eat what they can find on the street, and who live in boxes with no blankets during the winter. They don’t even think about owning such things as an iPod, a camera, a TV, or a computer. To them, that is dream world. To us, that’s reality. We have all been blessed with so much more than we really need to get by. We should be extremely thankful for all that we have today.
I know that my family blesses food before we eat, and we say our prayers before we go to bed, thanking God for everything we have been blessed with. I know that I feel especially thankful to be placed in a Christian family with God-fearing parents. I have so much to be grateful for, that I have nothing to be ungrateful about. I know that I often take for granted all the blessing I have. Around this holiday season, I would like to do what I could to help the less fortunate, whether it is giving food to a food drive, or giving a toy to a sponsored angle child, I am going to do what I can to help the less fortunate have as good of a holiday season as I have. Then more people will have something to be thankful for. By helping these people, I am helping bless another human being.
I think that it’s really neat when there are people out in the world who know that they don’t have as much as others, but who are extremely grateful for what they have been blessed with, and who aren’t afraid to show it by thanking God for all their success. If we all took a moment to think about how much we have been blessed, we would all be amazed. Every one of us has a home to live under, heat when we are cold, food to eat daily, family, plumbing, and running water. There are places in the world who eat once every two to three days, who have to walk three miles to get water, who have weak roofs so they are not protected when it rains, and who have to suck it up when they are hot or cold. There are even people who eat what they can find on the street, and who live in boxes with no blankets during the winter. They don’t even think about owning such things as an iPod, a camera, a TV, or a computer. To them, that is dream world. To us, that’s reality. We have all been blessed with so much more than we really need to get by. We should be extremely thankful for all that we have today.
I know that my family blesses food before we eat, and we say our prayers before we go to bed, thanking God for everything we have been blessed with. I know that I feel especially thankful to be placed in a Christian family with God-fearing parents. I have so much to be grateful for, that I have nothing to be ungrateful about. I know that I often take for granted all the blessing I have. Around this holiday season, I would like to do what I could to help the less fortunate, whether it is giving food to a food drive, or giving a toy to a sponsored angle child, I am going to do what I can to help the less fortunate have as good of a holiday season as I have. Then more people will have something to be thankful for. By helping these people, I am helping bless another human being.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
PLN 11: Kids Prefer Reading Online
In the article, "Kids Prefer Reading Online…", by Will Richardson what matters is taking the best standpoint on what to do with the new importance of learning technology, and how it should be used, particularly with online reading. The article discusses the pros and cons of having students read online, and the debate on whether that should be “taught” in school.
The first point that was brought up was that of how students standardized test scores have been decreasing as the use of the internet has been increasing. There are some parents who think that there child is spending too much time on the computer, which in turn is causing them to spend less and less, time reading and writing, which in effect has decreased their grades in school. As pointed out, these parents are against incorporating the internet any further into education. They are the people that would like to stick to traditional pencil and paper, plain old textbooks.
There are also the people who are for incorporating more technology into education, especially for online reading because they say that it is better is their child is reading on the computer rather than watching TV or doing other ineffective/lazy things. They think that in turn, technology could help students focus more on education, and could help raise test scores because their students are actually learning in their free time, instead of just lying around at home.
I, of course, have to put my two cents into the matter. I think that education should be incorporated into education to a certain extent. I enjoy the freedom of having an assignment that allows you to explore, and you are not confined to the same textbook that everyone else has. When all our assignments aren’t the same, for example our PLNs, where we can write about any article, not just one, we have the freedom to pick and choose what articles we want to read and write about. As the world is advancing in technology, and as our generation grows up living in a world in technology, it is extremely important that we know how to use technology, and that we are, in a sense, educated by technology. I really like the quote of one woman in the article, who said, “Nobody has taught a single kid to text message. Kids are smart. When they want to do something, schools don’t have to get involved.” I think that explains my perspective on the matter as well. Since we have grown up in a world with technology, we know more how to use it than our grandparents know. It is time that we start to incorporate that knowledge into our education, but we need not forget the traditional ways of read and writing, because those will still be on tests such as SATs and ACTs. I agree that we could do more work on the computer with the current technology, and I like that we have the option to be in laptop classes for classes such as English. We could learn a lot online, but we need to know where the line is that says where we are using technology to our benefit vs. letting it take control of our whole education.
The debate is still in the air about whether technology should be used as an online reading source. There are pros and cons to both sides, but eventually, we must face that the world will be come an almost entirely technology world, so why don’t we allow it to be used in our every day education?
The first point that was brought up was that of how students standardized test scores have been decreasing as the use of the internet has been increasing. There are some parents who think that there child is spending too much time on the computer, which in turn is causing them to spend less and less, time reading and writing, which in effect has decreased their grades in school. As pointed out, these parents are against incorporating the internet any further into education. They are the people that would like to stick to traditional pencil and paper, plain old textbooks.
There are also the people who are for incorporating more technology into education, especially for online reading because they say that it is better is their child is reading on the computer rather than watching TV or doing other ineffective/lazy things. They think that in turn, technology could help students focus more on education, and could help raise test scores because their students are actually learning in their free time, instead of just lying around at home.
I, of course, have to put my two cents into the matter. I think that education should be incorporated into education to a certain extent. I enjoy the freedom of having an assignment that allows you to explore, and you are not confined to the same textbook that everyone else has. When all our assignments aren’t the same, for example our PLNs, where we can write about any article, not just one, we have the freedom to pick and choose what articles we want to read and write about. As the world is advancing in technology, and as our generation grows up living in a world in technology, it is extremely important that we know how to use technology, and that we are, in a sense, educated by technology. I really like the quote of one woman in the article, who said, “Nobody has taught a single kid to text message. Kids are smart. When they want to do something, schools don’t have to get involved.” I think that explains my perspective on the matter as well. Since we have grown up in a world with technology, we know more how to use it than our grandparents know. It is time that we start to incorporate that knowledge into our education, but we need not forget the traditional ways of read and writing, because those will still be on tests such as SATs and ACTs. I agree that we could do more work on the computer with the current technology, and I like that we have the option to be in laptop classes for classes such as English. We could learn a lot online, but we need to know where the line is that says where we are using technology to our benefit vs. letting it take control of our whole education.
The debate is still in the air about whether technology should be used as an online reading source. There are pros and cons to both sides, but eventually, we must face that the world will be come an almost entirely technology world, so why don’t we allow it to be used in our every day education?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
PLN 10: Obama
In Will Richardson’s Obama, what matters is supporting our president. Though the article was very short, many things can be taken out of it. For one, Barak Obama just made history this past Tuesday. Many people were happy about that, while another group was disappointed, and yet another group is somewhat scared.
All those political ads for Obama, online, on TV, and around town really helped the Democrats. This election is considered to be the most advanced election yet. The campaigning was taken to another level from both sides. We saw advertisements on billboards, on TV, but this year, the major campaigning came online. Candidates from both parties used the internet to point out the good points about them and also to trash the other candidates. We have never before seen the internet in play so much as we did this election. I think that this is what made this election as close as it was, and as interesting as it was. Exaggeration was passed along via internet, claims were made, and assumptions were assumed. I had a lot of fun following all the rumors that went around, and I think that the people who enjoy politics thought that the results were rather surprising.
For all those people for McCain, I must say that I thought he was the winner, hands down. With Sarah Palin as his running mate, I thought he had hit a home run and was going to be our oldest president. Myself being a Republican, I was disappointed when Obama won. I don’t have anything against him; I just think that McCain is better fitted for the job.
For starters, McCain is a war hero. He fought in the Vietnam War, and served his country by fighting. He has also been in the congress for over 20 years. He has had lots and lots of experience on government and in politics, and I thought that that would make him a hand down winner. His running mate was also someone who connected to the people. She was a hockey mom with five children who was just like any other American. She could relate to the crowds she spoke to. She had the image of a person born in a log cabin, just like Abe Lincoln. She was a true American, and I thought she would make a great VP of our country.
Then there is the majority of America who obviously wanted Barak Obama to win. I think that Barak would make a good president……just not yet. As we are in this time of troubles with the economy and the war, and all of our tax money, I feel that we really need someone who has a little more experience. I personally believe that someone who has been involved in politics a little longer would be the best choice to pull us out of this almost-depression, and then somebody like Obama would be a better choice as president after our country was up and running again. The preponderance of the country thought that Obama would do a fine job of getting our country out of its lead on the path into depression.
As the next generation, it will be our job to get our country out of debt, and to keep it protected just like the generation before us. Now that we are in even more debt with the war, and the price for gas has been raising and dropping faster than you can fill your car, we have been going in and out of more and more debt. When this generation grows up and gets jobs in the real world, it will be our responsibility to make sure that our country stays safe, just like the generations before have done. We will have to build up an army with younger people and train them to be as good as the military is now. I personally don’t think that Barak Obama is suited to do that just yet. I think that with a little more time with the government and Obama could have potential to really help our country and its money issues.
We saw in many of the campaign ads that change was the main word theme. Candidates on both sides promised change for our country. Whether that meant to lower taxes or to raise them, to get our country out of poverty, or to help save our environment, change is what is going to happen. Too much change is a scary thing, but these men used propaganda to open up people’s mind to welcoming change rather than shutting it out. Change is what won the election for Obama. His two main slogans were “Change is Coming”, and “Hope”. He sold these ideas to many people around the country, and influenced them that his ideas of change were the best for our country. He used smart political strategies, and that’s why he won the election.
So now that the Democrats have control in the White House, and in congress and the senate, our country will be a little different for the next four years. We will see many changes, and the people who voted will see if they made the right choice in voting for Obama. We will see within the next four years.
All those political ads for Obama, online, on TV, and around town really helped the Democrats. This election is considered to be the most advanced election yet. The campaigning was taken to another level from both sides. We saw advertisements on billboards, on TV, but this year, the major campaigning came online. Candidates from both parties used the internet to point out the good points about them and also to trash the other candidates. We have never before seen the internet in play so much as we did this election. I think that this is what made this election as close as it was, and as interesting as it was. Exaggeration was passed along via internet, claims were made, and assumptions were assumed. I had a lot of fun following all the rumors that went around, and I think that the people who enjoy politics thought that the results were rather surprising.
For all those people for McCain, I must say that I thought he was the winner, hands down. With Sarah Palin as his running mate, I thought he had hit a home run and was going to be our oldest president. Myself being a Republican, I was disappointed when Obama won. I don’t have anything against him; I just think that McCain is better fitted for the job.
For starters, McCain is a war hero. He fought in the Vietnam War, and served his country by fighting. He has also been in the congress for over 20 years. He has had lots and lots of experience on government and in politics, and I thought that that would make him a hand down winner. His running mate was also someone who connected to the people. She was a hockey mom with five children who was just like any other American. She could relate to the crowds she spoke to. She had the image of a person born in a log cabin, just like Abe Lincoln. She was a true American, and I thought she would make a great VP of our country.
Then there is the majority of America who obviously wanted Barak Obama to win. I think that Barak would make a good president……just not yet. As we are in this time of troubles with the economy and the war, and all of our tax money, I feel that we really need someone who has a little more experience. I personally believe that someone who has been involved in politics a little longer would be the best choice to pull us out of this almost-depression, and then somebody like Obama would be a better choice as president after our country was up and running again. The preponderance of the country thought that Obama would do a fine job of getting our country out of its lead on the path into depression.
As the next generation, it will be our job to get our country out of debt, and to keep it protected just like the generation before us. Now that we are in even more debt with the war, and the price for gas has been raising and dropping faster than you can fill your car, we have been going in and out of more and more debt. When this generation grows up and gets jobs in the real world, it will be our responsibility to make sure that our country stays safe, just like the generations before have done. We will have to build up an army with younger people and train them to be as good as the military is now. I personally don’t think that Barak Obama is suited to do that just yet. I think that with a little more time with the government and Obama could have potential to really help our country and its money issues.
We saw in many of the campaign ads that change was the main word theme. Candidates on both sides promised change for our country. Whether that meant to lower taxes or to raise them, to get our country out of poverty, or to help save our environment, change is what is going to happen. Too much change is a scary thing, but these men used propaganda to open up people’s mind to welcoming change rather than shutting it out. Change is what won the election for Obama. His two main slogans were “Change is Coming”, and “Hope”. He sold these ideas to many people around the country, and influenced them that his ideas of change were the best for our country. He used smart political strategies, and that’s why he won the election.
So now that the Democrats have control in the White House, and in congress and the senate, our country will be a little different for the next four years. We will see many changes, and the people who voted will see if they made the right choice in voting for Obama. We will see within the next four years.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
PLN 9: The Next Election
In Karl Fisch’s blog article, The Next Election, what matters is educating all those people who are currently in high school, who will be eligible to vote in the 2012 elections, and making sure that they know what they are voting for and about. Mr. Fisch asks three questions that I think are really good critical questions, that make us think about what we are really going to do by the time the next election rolls around, and 17.5 million more students that will be eligible to vote, whether they choose to or not. He asks:
1. What are we going to do to prepare our students to be engaged, intelligent, informed, and competent voters in a world that is very, very, very different than the one we grew up in?
2. How are we preparing them to be successful citizens in a publish-then-filter world?
3. Are we transforming our classrooms to reflect real-time, instantaneous access to factual and political information?
After taking these questions into consideration, I think that I agree with his expression of opinion about educating all high school students in the information that they will be voting on in the next four years. It is a good idea to inform students of all ages in politics and their political issues and standpoints. I know that there are those people, such as myself, who really enjoy and get into politics, and like to follow current issues, but there are also those who could care less. It is important to educate all people so that they know what they are voting for, and won’t regret their votes later.
I decided to take two different perspectives on the matter. In doing so I asked my family what they would to do educate high school students in the next election, versus what students would like to see happen. From the information I gathered, students like me would like to see technology used in more classrooms, and to learn more about political events straight from the truth, without all the bias of sides that just makes matters more complicated. We would like to be able to learn about political issues based on how they apply to us, and what will be good or bad for us and our economy.
Our parents on the other hand, have had more experience in voting, and have a better idea about the economy, so they vote more towards things that will affect the country as a whole, and the future of our tax money. They think that students should inform themselves on political matters and to branch out to their own opinions. By researching matters in their own hands, they find what they believe to be true and to personally express themselves in what they believe, whether or not their parents agree.
The first question asks what teachers and other adults are going to do to prepare students for the next election. Again I chose two different perspectives, one on what adults are going to do, and another on what students would like to see happen. Here are the results I got:
Adults and Educators: As I was talking to my parents on what they would to do educate students in political issues, they had views similar but yet opposite to what students want. They think that politics should be discussed in class, and that students should be taught how to see past political advertisement, and into what the matter is all about. In the political campaigns, we often see opposing campaigners say things like “so-and-so voted no on helping so-and-so people raise money for clean water”. What we don’t take into consideration is the reason why they voted no on certain issues. They could have voted no because part of the deal was a raise in taxes for the average man in a percentile range that is unreasonable. For all that we know, by voting no for that issue the candidate could have saved their commonwealth millions of dollars in tax money.
This is an issue that adults and educators would like to be taught to students. They think that it is important to make sure that students know what they are voting for, making them educated voters.
Students and Future Voters: From the information I got from the students around me, I found that students would like to learn by technology and their parents. Many of the people that I talked to said that they will have their parents inform them, along with interacting a discussing with the people around them. This gives students the opportunity to get multiple perspectives, just like I am doing now, and to choose what they think will be the best for them in future years. This also allows students to get an idea from adults and educators, aka experienced voters on what will be best, or what entries on the ballot are reasonable or not.
Students will also be interested in learning from technology. With the current advance at the rate of change, ballots may be able to access online by the time of the next two elections. Some students view this as a good way to learn about current politics. While others think that it should be taught based on the basic understanding of our government and how it works. The people that want technology to play a bigger part in politics in the upcoming elections are more open to change and the future. They welcome new ideas and are open to trying new things. They think that politics will be best understood in such a technology based fashion since our country is being based in a technology based fashion. The people that want to stick to the traditional fashion of teaching politics like it is, with the campaigning verbally, and choosing your own side of the views that are being presented in plain paper are the best way to learn. They think that by not changing the way politics are taught, we will learn like our parents learned, and will understand the ways that they feel about such political issues.
Just based on this first question, we can see the difference between parents point of view versus the students. The second question that was asked was “how are we preparing our students to live in a publish-then-filter world.” I again got two different viewpoints on the matter.
Adults then Educators: As I talked to adults again, I found that they felt that students should be careful in a world where anyone can post on the internet, whether factual or not. Anyone can express their opinion and their feelings on a matter, no matter what the truth may be.
Adults would like students to be able to filter what they believe, and the biases of the internet to be known as bias and not fact for fact truth. By the law of freedom of speech, it is not illegal to stretch the truth on any matter, especially in politics. Adults want students to be able to decipher the difference between fact and opinion on such matters. They want students to be careful and not to believe everything that they hear or read, because it could be false.
Students and Future Voters: After talking to new voters who will be voting in 2012, many people thought that by having the internet, they could get many different views on what other people thought on different matters. By having freedom of speech and press, and by allowing others to publish their personal opinions, students can pick and choose what they want to believe, and have their own opinions on matters that they will be voting on.
Students have the opportunity to grow up in a technological world, and be able to see many points of view on matters. They are allowed to see many different bias’ on matters that they will be having a say in, allowing them to choose for themselves on what they want to vote on, and not being forced to vote what their parents vote for.
The last question that was asked was asking about classrooms are being turned into real life situations, and more and more discussion are reflecting what’s happening in the world. Once more, I chose to take two different sides on the matter.
Adults and Educators: Adults think that by discussing politics in class is doing no harm because it is all part of education and understanding the government and how our country works. It is good to be informed and to get new ideas on what we as students can do to make our country better,
The only concern that they have is who is leading the discussion and if students are being allowed to express their opinions without feeling pressured to base an opinion one way because that’s what their teacher and classmates are for. If a student has the write to feel and express their own opinion, then the adults that I talked to are all for political discussions in class.
Students and Future Voters: From the student point of view, it is good that it is becoming easier to access real-life information and to be able to discuss it in the classroom. It gives students a chance to express themselves and personal opinions in the classrooms, allowing us to view others perspective, and to create our own opinions on matters that will soon be into our own hands. Some students enjoy talking about matters that affect our economy, and enjoy expressing their opinions in what to do with our country.
By educating students in class, teachers are preparing us for the election in 2012. We are being able to choose our bias on matters and what we think is right or wrong for our country, including the president and the majority of congress and the senate.
As you can see, there are many different points of view between educated voters, and new voters. I have found it interesting to see the comparison between parents and kids. This will prove to be a different type of election with all these new voters taking their stance on politics.
1. What are we going to do to prepare our students to be engaged, intelligent, informed, and competent voters in a world that is very, very, very different than the one we grew up in?
2. How are we preparing them to be successful citizens in a publish-then-filter world?
3. Are we transforming our classrooms to reflect real-time, instantaneous access to factual and political information?
After taking these questions into consideration, I think that I agree with his expression of opinion about educating all high school students in the information that they will be voting on in the next four years. It is a good idea to inform students of all ages in politics and their political issues and standpoints. I know that there are those people, such as myself, who really enjoy and get into politics, and like to follow current issues, but there are also those who could care less. It is important to educate all people so that they know what they are voting for, and won’t regret their votes later.
I decided to take two different perspectives on the matter. In doing so I asked my family what they would to do educate high school students in the next election, versus what students would like to see happen. From the information I gathered, students like me would like to see technology used in more classrooms, and to learn more about political events straight from the truth, without all the bias of sides that just makes matters more complicated. We would like to be able to learn about political issues based on how they apply to us, and what will be good or bad for us and our economy.
Our parents on the other hand, have had more experience in voting, and have a better idea about the economy, so they vote more towards things that will affect the country as a whole, and the future of our tax money. They think that students should inform themselves on political matters and to branch out to their own opinions. By researching matters in their own hands, they find what they believe to be true and to personally express themselves in what they believe, whether or not their parents agree.
The first question asks what teachers and other adults are going to do to prepare students for the next election. Again I chose two different perspectives, one on what adults are going to do, and another on what students would like to see happen. Here are the results I got:
Adults and Educators: As I was talking to my parents on what they would to do educate students in political issues, they had views similar but yet opposite to what students want. They think that politics should be discussed in class, and that students should be taught how to see past political advertisement, and into what the matter is all about. In the political campaigns, we often see opposing campaigners say things like “so-and-so voted no on helping so-and-so people raise money for clean water”. What we don’t take into consideration is the reason why they voted no on certain issues. They could have voted no because part of the deal was a raise in taxes for the average man in a percentile range that is unreasonable. For all that we know, by voting no for that issue the candidate could have saved their commonwealth millions of dollars in tax money.
This is an issue that adults and educators would like to be taught to students. They think that it is important to make sure that students know what they are voting for, making them educated voters.
Students and Future Voters: From the information I got from the students around me, I found that students would like to learn by technology and their parents. Many of the people that I talked to said that they will have their parents inform them, along with interacting a discussing with the people around them. This gives students the opportunity to get multiple perspectives, just like I am doing now, and to choose what they think will be the best for them in future years. This also allows students to get an idea from adults and educators, aka experienced voters on what will be best, or what entries on the ballot are reasonable or not.
Students will also be interested in learning from technology. With the current advance at the rate of change, ballots may be able to access online by the time of the next two elections. Some students view this as a good way to learn about current politics. While others think that it should be taught based on the basic understanding of our government and how it works. The people that want technology to play a bigger part in politics in the upcoming elections are more open to change and the future. They welcome new ideas and are open to trying new things. They think that politics will be best understood in such a technology based fashion since our country is being based in a technology based fashion. The people that want to stick to the traditional fashion of teaching politics like it is, with the campaigning verbally, and choosing your own side of the views that are being presented in plain paper are the best way to learn. They think that by not changing the way politics are taught, we will learn like our parents learned, and will understand the ways that they feel about such political issues.
Just based on this first question, we can see the difference between parents point of view versus the students. The second question that was asked was “how are we preparing our students to live in a publish-then-filter world.” I again got two different viewpoints on the matter.
Adults then Educators: As I talked to adults again, I found that they felt that students should be careful in a world where anyone can post on the internet, whether factual or not. Anyone can express their opinion and their feelings on a matter, no matter what the truth may be.
Adults would like students to be able to filter what they believe, and the biases of the internet to be known as bias and not fact for fact truth. By the law of freedom of speech, it is not illegal to stretch the truth on any matter, especially in politics. Adults want students to be able to decipher the difference between fact and opinion on such matters. They want students to be careful and not to believe everything that they hear or read, because it could be false.
Students and Future Voters: After talking to new voters who will be voting in 2012, many people thought that by having the internet, they could get many different views on what other people thought on different matters. By having freedom of speech and press, and by allowing others to publish their personal opinions, students can pick and choose what they want to believe, and have their own opinions on matters that they will be voting on.
Students have the opportunity to grow up in a technological world, and be able to see many points of view on matters. They are allowed to see many different bias’ on matters that they will be having a say in, allowing them to choose for themselves on what they want to vote on, and not being forced to vote what their parents vote for.
The last question that was asked was asking about classrooms are being turned into real life situations, and more and more discussion are reflecting what’s happening in the world. Once more, I chose to take two different sides on the matter.
Adults and Educators: Adults think that by discussing politics in class is doing no harm because it is all part of education and understanding the government and how our country works. It is good to be informed and to get new ideas on what we as students can do to make our country better,
The only concern that they have is who is leading the discussion and if students are being allowed to express their opinions without feeling pressured to base an opinion one way because that’s what their teacher and classmates are for. If a student has the write to feel and express their own opinion, then the adults that I talked to are all for political discussions in class.
Students and Future Voters: From the student point of view, it is good that it is becoming easier to access real-life information and to be able to discuss it in the classroom. It gives students a chance to express themselves and personal opinions in the classrooms, allowing us to view others perspective, and to create our own opinions on matters that will soon be into our own hands. Some students enjoy talking about matters that affect our economy, and enjoy expressing their opinions in what to do with our country.
By educating students in class, teachers are preparing us for the election in 2012. We are being able to choose our bias on matters and what we think is right or wrong for our country, including the president and the majority of congress and the senate.
As you can see, there are many different points of view between educated voters, and new voters. I have found it interesting to see the comparison between parents and kids. This will prove to be a different type of election with all these new voters taking their stance on politics.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
PLN 8: The Weight Station
In the Nata Village blog, "The Weight Station", what matters is helping others support their family when money and jobs are scarce. Once a month, parents take their baby to a “weight station”, where the baby is weighed to see if they are in good health. If the baby is healthy, the government will give the family a food basket and baby formula. This is very helpful to those people who have very low-paying job, and find it difficult to provide enough food for them and their family.
By the government giving food and baby formula to those families with a healthy baby, it is showing that the government cares about the new generation, and is willing to put forth some help to keep them, and their families healthy and nourished. The government is involved in individual family’s lives, and takes note that jobs are very rare, making food harder to keep on the table. The government has taken a step into leading their village out of poverty. They have leaded the village into the idea of giving food and good drink to the hungry and to those who have large families and cannot afford to buy enough food need to support themselves.
If more and more individuals also donated food to those people in the world that have very little, it would help bring the world out of so much poverty. There would be less and less people who eat only once or twice a week, pr who live on the streets without food and good water, except what they can get from trash cans or the money that they get from begging off the side of the road. Places like food shelters, such as the Bread of Life and the Denver Rescue Mission are made up of people that care about those living on the street, and have done something about it by opening a place where canned food is collected and given to the homeless and the poor. By just giving a can or two around Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we can all make a difference in solving the issue of all the hungry people in the world.
By the government giving food and baby formula to those families with a healthy baby, it is showing that the government cares about the new generation, and is willing to put forth some help to keep them, and their families healthy and nourished. The government is involved in individual family’s lives, and takes note that jobs are very rare, making food harder to keep on the table. The government has taken a step into leading their village out of poverty. They have leaded the village into the idea of giving food and good drink to the hungry and to those who have large families and cannot afford to buy enough food need to support themselves.
If more and more individuals also donated food to those people in the world that have very little, it would help bring the world out of so much poverty. There would be less and less people who eat only once or twice a week, pr who live on the streets without food and good water, except what they can get from trash cans or the money that they get from begging off the side of the road. Places like food shelters, such as the Bread of Life and the Denver Rescue Mission are made up of people that care about those living on the street, and have done something about it by opening a place where canned food is collected and given to the homeless and the poor. By just giving a can or two around Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we can all make a difference in solving the issue of all the hungry people in the world.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
PLN 7: Helping the Less Fortunate
In the blog “Helping the Less Fortunate”, what matters is giving to others that can’t afford most things. In the Nata Village Blog, it says that the Department of Social and Community development and the Nata Orphan Trust helped more than 60 children by giving them a healthy breakfast and lunch, and also granting them with 400 pula (about $100) to buy brand new school clothes.
This really shows that there are people in the world that aren’t greedy and are willing to help those who don’t have very much money whether its because they live in a poorer community or if its because they don’t have a big paying job. There are people who recognize others living conditions, and have taken a step to help.
I know how much I love shopping for new school clothes, so I couldn’t imagine not getting a back to school outfit every year. Some kids in poorer villages are lucky to get a new outfit every couple of years, so I am sure that when they were given $100 to but new clothes, they were thrilled.
As we see homeless people living on the side of the street holding a piece of cardboard that says “Homeless, Out of Work, No Food, Anything Will Help, God Bless”, we usually just drive by them, and occasionally we will think about how lucky we are to have a car, and food, and shelter. We make the excuse of not giving them the 58 cents in our pocket because “they will probably go waste it on alchol or something”. I agree that there are people out there who have plenty of money and still stand out on the streets like a beggar, and there are people who waste every penny that people give them, but there are also people that really need that money to live on. Do we ever think about what it would be like to live without any of that, and to just have a jacket for warmth? What if we never knew when we were going to next eat because we depended on people to give us some loose change as they were driving by in there brand new Hybrid. We don’t realize how blessed we are. All of us have clothing, food, warmth, shelter, and clean water, plus all the technology we now have, such as computers, cell phones, television sets, and every other blessing in our house.
It was very pleasing to read about someone who has a heart willing to help others. These people recognize all that they have, and they have given graciously to others. They were not selfish or greedy, like so many others in the world. So next time you see someone who looks like they could use a helping hand, instead of just ignoring them, why wouldn’t we go over and help them. That’s what Jesus would do. It would make our world a better place to be.
This really shows that there are people in the world that aren’t greedy and are willing to help those who don’t have very much money whether its because they live in a poorer community or if its because they don’t have a big paying job. There are people who recognize others living conditions, and have taken a step to help.
I know how much I love shopping for new school clothes, so I couldn’t imagine not getting a back to school outfit every year. Some kids in poorer villages are lucky to get a new outfit every couple of years, so I am sure that when they were given $100 to but new clothes, they were thrilled.
As we see homeless people living on the side of the street holding a piece of cardboard that says “Homeless, Out of Work, No Food, Anything Will Help, God Bless”, we usually just drive by them, and occasionally we will think about how lucky we are to have a car, and food, and shelter. We make the excuse of not giving them the 58 cents in our pocket because “they will probably go waste it on alchol or something”. I agree that there are people out there who have plenty of money and still stand out on the streets like a beggar, and there are people who waste every penny that people give them, but there are also people that really need that money to live on. Do we ever think about what it would be like to live without any of that, and to just have a jacket for warmth? What if we never knew when we were going to next eat because we depended on people to give us some loose change as they were driving by in there brand new Hybrid. We don’t realize how blessed we are. All of us have clothing, food, warmth, shelter, and clean water, plus all the technology we now have, such as computers, cell phones, television sets, and every other blessing in our house.
It was very pleasing to read about someone who has a heart willing to help others. These people recognize all that they have, and they have given graciously to others. They were not selfish or greedy, like so many others in the world. So next time you see someone who looks like they could use a helping hand, instead of just ignoring them, why wouldn’t we go over and help them. That’s what Jesus would do. It would make our world a better place to be.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
PLN 6: No One Left Behind
In The Nata Village blog, under the post called No One Left Behind, what matters to the writer is her students, and being sure that everyone who wants an education can get one. In the blog, though rather short, there were vivid moments of when I could tell that the writer was going to be sure that there would be enough room in the schools, whether indoor or outdoor, for children to learn.
With the growing population in Nata, that means that more and more young children will be enrolling into Nata Primary School, more space will be needed, so more schools will have to be built. This could help increase the population of Nata even more, and eventually turn it into a well-known country.
The children say that education is important to every child in Nata. When I read this it made me stop and think for a minute. In America, children don’t always enjoy going to school, and take the fact that we have many different schools to go to for granted. In Nata, going to school is a privilege, and those who have it are very grateful. In America, education is how we get along in life, and without it, it is very difficult to find a well paying job. Those that have taken education for granted, now live off of a poor paying job in an apartment on the opposite side of town. That isn’t meant to be prejudice about those who can’t afford things such as cars and new technology, it just goes to show the cause and effect of those who cared about their education versus those who didn’t. This doesn’t appear to be the case in Nata. It seems to me that every child would love to have an education, and those who do get it take advantage of the fact that they are being handed knowledge.
If we weren’t given a free education five days a week, would we want one? Would we be like the Nata people, and view education as an opportunity to succeed in life? Would pour education matter more to us if we had to work for it? These were all key questions that came into my head, and I wonder sometimes, what would it be like to work all day instead of go to school? Some people would be thrilled at the idea of not having to study for tests, or not having to do homework for long hours every night. But if we really think about it, at school, we get to see our friends, occasionally we get to play a game in class, we don’t ALWAYS have homework, and we get our fair share of breaks throughout the course of the year. If we were forced to work instead of going to school, we would only see our friends after all of our daily work was done, we would never get to play any games throughout the day, we would get no vacations, no days off, no breaks, because the daily chores need to be done every day. If we had to work all day, we would be begging at the chance to go to school and learn for eight hours rather than work for up to 12 hours.
To the Nata people, education really matters, and everyone would give their 100% best effort at everything they did, just so they could keep learning, rather than having to go to work every day. Next time that you think about complaining about going to school, think about all those in the world who don’t get a chance to go to school. And then think about those people who wasted their education because they slacked off in school, or simply because they didn’t care. Look at where those people’s lives are now. Do you want to live that way for the rest of your life? Instead of taking our education for granted, let’s take advantage of the opportunity to learn.
With the growing population in Nata, that means that more and more young children will be enrolling into Nata Primary School, more space will be needed, so more schools will have to be built. This could help increase the population of Nata even more, and eventually turn it into a well-known country.
The children say that education is important to every child in Nata. When I read this it made me stop and think for a minute. In America, children don’t always enjoy going to school, and take the fact that we have many different schools to go to for granted. In Nata, going to school is a privilege, and those who have it are very grateful. In America, education is how we get along in life, and without it, it is very difficult to find a well paying job. Those that have taken education for granted, now live off of a poor paying job in an apartment on the opposite side of town. That isn’t meant to be prejudice about those who can’t afford things such as cars and new technology, it just goes to show the cause and effect of those who cared about their education versus those who didn’t. This doesn’t appear to be the case in Nata. It seems to me that every child would love to have an education, and those who do get it take advantage of the fact that they are being handed knowledge.
If we weren’t given a free education five days a week, would we want one? Would we be like the Nata people, and view education as an opportunity to succeed in life? Would pour education matter more to us if we had to work for it? These were all key questions that came into my head, and I wonder sometimes, what would it be like to work all day instead of go to school? Some people would be thrilled at the idea of not having to study for tests, or not having to do homework for long hours every night. But if we really think about it, at school, we get to see our friends, occasionally we get to play a game in class, we don’t ALWAYS have homework, and we get our fair share of breaks throughout the course of the year. If we were forced to work instead of going to school, we would only see our friends after all of our daily work was done, we would never get to play any games throughout the day, we would get no vacations, no days off, no breaks, because the daily chores need to be done every day. If we had to work all day, we would be begging at the chance to go to school and learn for eight hours rather than work for up to 12 hours.
To the Nata people, education really matters, and everyone would give their 100% best effort at everything they did, just so they could keep learning, rather than having to go to work every day. Next time that you think about complaining about going to school, think about all those in the world who don’t get a chance to go to school. And then think about those people who wasted their education because they slacked off in school, or simply because they didn’t care. Look at where those people’s lives are now. Do you want to live that way for the rest of your life? Instead of taking our education for granted, let’s take advantage of the opportunity to learn.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
PLN 5: Britannica Debate: Will Web 2.0 be an Integral Point of Education
Many people have noticed the sudden increase in technology. The use of computers in our everyday lives has gone from rare, to more common, to the point where we can’t live without them in just a span of about 50 years. In Britannica Debate: Will Web 2.0 be an Integral Part of Education, by Will Richardson, I found that many people are debating about how much computers matter in our education today. The post comes from two different points of view, the one pro more computers in education, and the won anti-more computers in education. Both sides pointed out the pros for their viewpoint.
Steve Hargadon argues that “technologies will make a huge impact on the future of learning.” His point of view is that of pro for having computers become a bigger part in the learning process. He believes that by putting more technology into education, the way that we learn in the future will be different, but for the good. It will help students learn more efficiently, and make studies easier.
On the other hand Daniel Willingham says “not so fast”. In Willingham’s blog, he compares the project based learning now, to the project based learning that people have been trying to realize in a traditional class point. By this he means how students are being taught today, for example using the computers for the majority of homework assignments, compared to the paper and pencil that were originally used. I read an excerpt from Willingham’s blog that I found made a good point.
Hargadon is clear-eyed in his list of challenges to making Web 2.0 an important part of K-12 education, but I think he underestimates the seriousness of his third point, “Teachers will need time and training to use these tools in the classroom.”
There has been an enormous push to leverage technology in K-12 education in the last decade. The costs in infrastructure, personnel, training, and ongoing access are difficult to pin down, but conservative estimates are in the billions each year.
Why has technology not revolutionized teaching, but rather been a series of “computer fads,” in Hargadon’s term, and an all-around disappointment?
At least part of the reason is that, despite expenditures, support has been inadequate. For example, support personnel tend not to be specialized, although the technology needs of the English teacher are different than those of the Science teacher. If still more money were spent, would that alleviate the problem? It might solve the technology problem, but the inherent difficulty of executing project-based learning well would remain.
From this excerpt, I took it to mean that Willingham thought that Hargadon has some good points, but that people can’t totally transfer to computers, at least not yet. It is too early to abandon the idea of the traditional pencil and paper. The cost of replacing every school with computers would add up to billions of dollars every year, plus the cost of different programs for different schools.
Willingham asks a question “Why has technology not revolutionized teaching, but rather been a series of ‘computer fads’ in Hargadon’s term, and all around disappointment?” I found this interesting because it comes across as “Why hasn’t technology stuck in schools, and in our everyday lives, but instead in just somewhat of a phase that we have been in and out of for the past 10 years, and each time we go out of it, it is a disappointment to all?” I think that Willingham makes a good point, but I think that people need to realize that we are in a new century now, and we are moving on. We are making a new legacy in our advance. We can’t stay the same for forever. As I said in my presentation on Friday, life will be boring if we are not willing to take a risk. We are taking a risk by moving computers to our main way of learning.
Computers have become a part of everyone’s life. By adding them into our learning, we aren’t actually taking that huge of a step. Its not like we are taking a foreign device and saying “this is going to be your life for the next 16 years of education. Most people know the basis of how to use a computer, teachers especially. We now have assignments being turned in online, or homework being online. Computers have already become a big part of technology, so I don’t see the risk in making them one of the main ways of learning.
On the other hand, I also don’t think we should totally abandon the pencil and paper. I think that knowing how to write with the hand, rather than typing on the keyboard is very important. To take tests such as CSAPS, students will need to know how to write, and not rely on the computer to fix their mistakes, unless these types of tests become computerized tests, where then all of learning and education will virtually be electronically possible.
I liked how the article wasn’t biased. Both sides of the story were shown, both points were viewed. I have found both ideas to be reasonable. Overall, I think that eventually, computers will be the main way of learning, but for now, we should have a good mix of writing versus typing. How will our stand point on this topic be changed ion the next 10 years?
Steve Hargadon argues that “technologies will make a huge impact on the future of learning.” His point of view is that of pro for having computers become a bigger part in the learning process. He believes that by putting more technology into education, the way that we learn in the future will be different, but for the good. It will help students learn more efficiently, and make studies easier.
On the other hand Daniel Willingham says “not so fast”. In Willingham’s blog, he compares the project based learning now, to the project based learning that people have been trying to realize in a traditional class point. By this he means how students are being taught today, for example using the computers for the majority of homework assignments, compared to the paper and pencil that were originally used. I read an excerpt from Willingham’s blog that I found made a good point.
Hargadon is clear-eyed in his list of challenges to making Web 2.0 an important part of K-12 education, but I think he underestimates the seriousness of his third point, “Teachers will need time and training to use these tools in the classroom.”
There has been an enormous push to leverage technology in K-12 education in the last decade. The costs in infrastructure, personnel, training, and ongoing access are difficult to pin down, but conservative estimates are in the billions each year.
Why has technology not revolutionized teaching, but rather been a series of “computer fads,” in Hargadon’s term, and an all-around disappointment?
At least part of the reason is that, despite expenditures, support has been inadequate. For example, support personnel tend not to be specialized, although the technology needs of the English teacher are different than those of the Science teacher. If still more money were spent, would that alleviate the problem? It might solve the technology problem, but the inherent difficulty of executing project-based learning well would remain.
From this excerpt, I took it to mean that Willingham thought that Hargadon has some good points, but that people can’t totally transfer to computers, at least not yet. It is too early to abandon the idea of the traditional pencil and paper. The cost of replacing every school with computers would add up to billions of dollars every year, plus the cost of different programs for different schools.
Willingham asks a question “Why has technology not revolutionized teaching, but rather been a series of ‘computer fads’ in Hargadon’s term, and all around disappointment?” I found this interesting because it comes across as “Why hasn’t technology stuck in schools, and in our everyday lives, but instead in just somewhat of a phase that we have been in and out of for the past 10 years, and each time we go out of it, it is a disappointment to all?” I think that Willingham makes a good point, but I think that people need to realize that we are in a new century now, and we are moving on. We are making a new legacy in our advance. We can’t stay the same for forever. As I said in my presentation on Friday, life will be boring if we are not willing to take a risk. We are taking a risk by moving computers to our main way of learning.
Computers have become a part of everyone’s life. By adding them into our learning, we aren’t actually taking that huge of a step. Its not like we are taking a foreign device and saying “this is going to be your life for the next 16 years of education. Most people know the basis of how to use a computer, teachers especially. We now have assignments being turned in online, or homework being online. Computers have already become a big part of technology, so I don’t see the risk in making them one of the main ways of learning.
On the other hand, I also don’t think we should totally abandon the pencil and paper. I think that knowing how to write with the hand, rather than typing on the keyboard is very important. To take tests such as CSAPS, students will need to know how to write, and not rely on the computer to fix their mistakes, unless these types of tests become computerized tests, where then all of learning and education will virtually be electronically possible.
I liked how the article wasn’t biased. Both sides of the story were shown, both points were viewed. I have found both ideas to be reasonable. Overall, I think that eventually, computers will be the main way of learning, but for now, we should have a good mix of writing versus typing. How will our stand point on this topic be changed ion the next 10 years?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
PLN 4; Presidential Ads Imbedded in Video Games
In Karl Ficsh’s blog, Presidential Ads Imbedded in Video Games, what matters is informing the public on matters in politics, particularly in the presidential election for 2008. The main question is whether this is a good idea or not. Some people may say that it is a good idea, while others have the stand point that it is a waste of time and money, especially when the election is over, and those ads won’t have any affect anymore.
There are those people who stand in the perspective in favor of placing election advertisement in video games because they think it will get the people’s attention. It matters to them to inform the nation and encourage them to vote, specifically for their candidate. Those types of people are correct when saying that by placing ads in video games, they have found another creative way to campaign and inform the public about what is going on in politics. They think that the cost is worth it, especially if their candidate is elected.
There are also the types of people who think that by placing ads in video games to campaign for the election, they are wasting money and time. They think that it’s a waste of money because when people are playing these games five years ago, the election will be over, someone new will be in office, and the showing of the ad will just waste people’s time, when they could be already playing the game. It goes to show that these temporary ads could prove to be ineffective, especially since most gamers don’t pay attention to the ads, and would much rather just get to the game.
I think that I tend to agree with the people who are against placing the ads into video games. I agree that it is a waste of money, and in five years from now, will be unnecessary, and not useful. Nobody will care about the election years from now, yet they will be forced to waste their game time while the ad continues to play over and over again, every time they play the game. I don’t see the point in spending billions and billions of dollars for an ad that will only be affective for the next 22 days.
Overall, I think that the fact that this has come up means that the election will be close. Even though it has only been reported by a few people, it goes to show that some people can get so desperate for their candidate to win that they are willing to go to the trouble to create and spend money on the advertisement. This also shows that the election will be close, and can create much tension and controversy between people campaigning for their candidate for the 2008 election.
There are those people who stand in the perspective in favor of placing election advertisement in video games because they think it will get the people’s attention. It matters to them to inform the nation and encourage them to vote, specifically for their candidate. Those types of people are correct when saying that by placing ads in video games, they have found another creative way to campaign and inform the public about what is going on in politics. They think that the cost is worth it, especially if their candidate is elected.
There are also the types of people who think that by placing ads in video games to campaign for the election, they are wasting money and time. They think that it’s a waste of money because when people are playing these games five years ago, the election will be over, someone new will be in office, and the showing of the ad will just waste people’s time, when they could be already playing the game. It goes to show that these temporary ads could prove to be ineffective, especially since most gamers don’t pay attention to the ads, and would much rather just get to the game.
I think that I tend to agree with the people who are against placing the ads into video games. I agree that it is a waste of money, and in five years from now, will be unnecessary, and not useful. Nobody will care about the election years from now, yet they will be forced to waste their game time while the ad continues to play over and over again, every time they play the game. I don’t see the point in spending billions and billions of dollars for an ad that will only be affective for the next 22 days.
Overall, I think that the fact that this has come up means that the election will be close. Even though it has only been reported by a few people, it goes to show that some people can get so desperate for their candidate to win that they are willing to go to the trouble to create and spend money on the advertisement. This also shows that the election will be close, and can create much tension and controversy between people campaigning for their candidate for the 2008 election.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
PLN 3; Life = Risk
Life is about taking risks. Actually, to be more accurate, the way your life goes, is based on whether or not you choose to take risks. It is possible to life a safe life, without taking any risks, living a sheltered life. There is also the possibility to live a daring life full of risks and choices, not knowing where you will be at the end of the day. In the You Tube video, “Famous Failures”, by Dale Basler, what matters is risk, failure, and not giving up.
The video talks about people who are famous for their success, and failures that they had. If these people, such as Lucille Ball, Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Abraham Lincoln had given up when they failed, or didn’t take the risk to try again to become successful, then the world would not have the legacy’s, the history, or the technology that we have today.
It was very surprising to find out interesting facts about people that I had always known to have copious success from the very start. For example, when coming across the knowledge of facts including Lucille Ball being dismissed from drama class, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and Walt Disney being fired from a newspaper for lack of creativity. Many would never even imagine this possible because today, these people leave a legend in history, and a spot in the minds of many.
The people shown in the video took a risk to try again. Lucille Ball didn’t give up her entire acting career, Walt Disney didn’t stop being creative, and Abraham Lincoln did not give up his mark in history just because they suffered failure. BY going back a second time, they were taking a risk for failure, but also a risk for change. By going back a second, third, or fourth time, each one of these individuals found a success that took them far, their lives were changed because they weren’t afraid of failure, and they weren’t going to lose the battle of success.
This is how a multitude of human beings live their lives today as well. Everyday, failure is faced, success is reached, risks are taken, and choices are made. The types of people who aren’t afraid to put themselves out into the world, present themselves forward, and go for it are the types of people who find success easy. The types of people that are afraid to take risks, and who live a very sheltered, safe life, are the types of people that remain the same without change, and live their life just like their ancestors did before them.
Success does not come knocking at your door, you have to go out and grab it. You have to take life for what its worth and not be afraid to step outside the box and take a risk or two. You can’t give up on life, and think that one failure means it wasn’t meant to be. If that is the way your life is currently being lived, and you are facing failure, and not finding success, don’t give up because it will get you no where.
The video talks about people who are famous for their success, and failures that they had. If these people, such as Lucille Ball, Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, Ulysses S. Grant, and Abraham Lincoln had given up when they failed, or didn’t take the risk to try again to become successful, then the world would not have the legacy’s, the history, or the technology that we have today.
It was very surprising to find out interesting facts about people that I had always known to have copious success from the very start. For example, when coming across the knowledge of facts including Lucille Ball being dismissed from drama class, Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and Walt Disney being fired from a newspaper for lack of creativity. Many would never even imagine this possible because today, these people leave a legend in history, and a spot in the minds of many.
The people shown in the video took a risk to try again. Lucille Ball didn’t give up her entire acting career, Walt Disney didn’t stop being creative, and Abraham Lincoln did not give up his mark in history just because they suffered failure. BY going back a second time, they were taking a risk for failure, but also a risk for change. By going back a second, third, or fourth time, each one of these individuals found a success that took them far, their lives were changed because they weren’t afraid of failure, and they weren’t going to lose the battle of success.
This is how a multitude of human beings live their lives today as well. Everyday, failure is faced, success is reached, risks are taken, and choices are made. The types of people who aren’t afraid to put themselves out into the world, present themselves forward, and go for it are the types of people who find success easy. The types of people that are afraid to take risks, and who live a very sheltered, safe life, are the types of people that remain the same without change, and live their life just like their ancestors did before them.
Success does not come knocking at your door, you have to go out and grab it. You have to take life for what its worth and not be afraid to step outside the box and take a risk or two. You can’t give up on life, and think that one failure means it wasn’t meant to be. If that is the way your life is currently being lived, and you are facing failure, and not finding success, don’t give up because it will get you no where.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Did You Know?
Did You Know?
Did You Know by Karl Fisch
34 babies in 8 seconds
what will it be like for them
college grads more in India?
did you know
10 years from now
exponential times
change
use of computers
MySpace is 8th largest in the world
technology
what does this all mean
shift happens
In Karl Fisch's Did You Know presentation, what matters most is change.There has been much talk of how technology is destroying our brain, and that eventually , it will be smarter than us. Several times in the video, graphs are shown, or information is given, that shows the change in uses of technology, or the change of rates in literacy or education. Charts and information is also shown showing the amount of technology used every minute of our lives.
While watching the video, I was very surprised when I realized how much technology has advanced in the past 30 or so years. The use of cellular devices, internet, computers, and all other types of technology created over the years has been advanced in so many ways to make life easier for all people. The video showed how much more it will help the entire human race within the next 15 years, to the point where we no longer really need our brains for actual comprehension, but only to keep our bodies working. I hadn’t previously realized how quickly the pace for advancement was moving. It is predicted that by 2049, a single $1,000 computer will be able to comprehend more than the entire human race.
I also watched the Shift Happens Narrated version on You Tube to get a better idea of what all this means. This is where I got the picture that America is no longer number 1. India and China have well exceeded our education standards, as well as the amount of people that graduate from college, the amount of people that can fluently speak English and their native language, and the amount of high honors students in high schools. I had always pictured America as the place to be for a good education, and the place to go to college because America was m0ore successful. After watching both videos, I realized that that isn’t the case. Compared to China and India, America is a puppy in the pack of wild dogs.
I was thinking about whether or not this information could really be true and accurate. I realize that the pace of technology is advancing very quickly, but I don’t ever think it will be perfect. To state my point, I found proof. As I was writing this blog the first time, and publishing it on my personal blog, something happened inside the computer causing it to delete my latest posts, including the first version of Did You Know. After searching profusely for about an hour, I accepted the fact that something had gone wrong I the computer, and a mistake was made. That is a point that shows that technology will never be perfect, no matter how advanced, quick, or high-tech it may be. There will always be some sort of glitch in the program, or there will always be some instance where something goes wrong, whether by accident, or intentional, by the computer of the human.
At first, I was having troubles deciding what else could matter to this video. I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t what mattered to the video, it was what mattered to the people viewing the video. This clip can be viewed in many different ways and perspectives, and many conclusions can be drawn from it. There could be many types of bias taken from this video. Some people, such as businessmen could take this as a good thing. They would be all for advancing technology quickly to make the lives of humans easier. Some would also love the idea of getting to the point where a computer controls their lives because they are to lazy to work for anything themselves. The types of people that are for getting to the point where human brains are almost not needed are the people that are trying to simplify life, and make work more easy, leaving more leisure time for everyone. Then there are the types of people that enjoy advancements in technology, but would like to keep the brain in use, and not have it overtaken by a computer. I must say that I am one of these people. I like working for things, and when it comes to the point where that is longer possible, is when enough is enough. People like this believe that if we keep up this rate of advancement, advancing any further will be impossible because the advancement is to advanced to advance any further. By pushing technology further and further, it will ruin our assiduous efforts to persevere and actually work towards our goals in life.
If technology keeps going at the pace it is said to be going, then before we know it, we will be warped into computers, and they will become our life, but we won’t know what to do about it. By slowing down to watch what we are actually doing, and to see the potential mess we could be creating, we could save ourselves from disaster, or we could miss many opportunities that lie ahead.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Machines are Using Us
The Machines Are Using Us
Notes:
-Michael Wesch
-The machine is using us
-Text is linear
-Rethink ourselves
-We are teaching the machine
-Why is digital media changing us
-Is the machine using us, or we using it
-HTML
-We have set up programs to make typing easier
-Digital text can do better
-Title defines content not form
-Data can be exported free of formatting constraints
-Do not need to know complicated code
-You tube
-Two sites can mash data together
-Web 2.0
-We are the web
-Each time we forget a link, we are teaching it an idea
-Web 20 is linking people
-We need to rethink
-Digital anthropology
Connecting words
-digital
-text
-links
-family
-anthropology
-love
-teaching the machine
-teaching
-web 2.0
-linking people
-community
-bold
-title
-rethink
-digital text
-change
-remove
One paragraph response about what matters:In the You Tube clip of "The Machines are Using Us", directed by Michael Wesch, he points out what "the machine" has done to people and society, or if the machine is people/society. I think that the machine is the computer, and that we are teaching the computer to help us. We have become one with technology, and we need each other to survive. The computer helps us do this by changing the way digital text helps us communicate. By using digital communication, we can type documents faster than writing paper. It becomes easier to chance words rather than having to erase everything on paper. The machine allows us to link ideas and sort data, so it is not all one big pile of unorganized information. The machine also allows us to communicate faster, via e-mail or IM.
When we make a mistake, the computer gains knowledge of how to fix it to make technology better. Every time a Web page is opened, the computer is able to track more and more information about the page, how many viewers it has had, and other such facts. When Michael Wesch said that the Machines our using us, I don't think he meant in a bad way. I think that he meant that the machines were using us to gain knowledge, and to advance in technology, which would make life easier. I think that when we give the computers ideas, we give more ways to help us fix our errors as simply as possible.
From this we can make inferences on what matters about the advance in technology. The world today is all about making life better by making it easier. There have been many advances in this day and age that life is much simpler than it was 50 years ago. We have made advancements recently in the computers by adding programs such as Microsoft Word 2007. By doing that, we have made typing documents easier, and more efficient. It is now harder to lose your work if the computer shuts down because Word auto saves your documents every five minutes. That is another example of how technology is making life easier. Before, we could lose all of whatever we were working on if we didn't manually save it to the computer.
The Advance in technology has impacted our ways of life in so many ways then we every thought it would. When we say the machines are using us, i don;t think it is a bad thing. The machines are using us for good, and we can help advance that when we add more technology to the world.
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