Thursday, December 13, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
PLN 26
I read a pretty disturbing post by the Rocky Mountian News and was written by Sara Burnett. It was titled Gunman sent 'hate mail'. It talks about a man who went on a shooting rampage Sunday. He wanted to kill as many christians as he could. He wanted revenge for the Youth with a Mission kicking him out of thier group. He then posted on his blog that the christians desereved it. That he wanted to kill as many as he possibly could. This is scary how many shootings there have been.
What matters: 24 year old Mattew J. Murray killed many lives this sunday. And for what? To get back at christians. It was at New Life Church. But it didn't start at the Arvada Center when he went there and asked if he could stay there. They told him that it wasn' t a shelter and thats when he started shooting. Several were killed and a couple injured. Then we retreated. Then he went to New Life Church and started shooting people who were leaving 11 AM mass. After wounding and killing a couple people he set of a homemade bomb and went inside the church. He started shooting at random and then when the security guard told him to surrender he started a gunfight with her. Murray died from the shooting and also shot himself to make sure he died. Now to people who knew him this wasn't a surprise. His old roommate talked about how Murray would hear voices and talk to them. He had also been advised to see a counselor or someone to just help him but he refused to. He said in his blog between the hours of the shootings "You Christians brought this upon yourselves. Obviously he was mentally ill. The people who saw all the signs should have checked him into a mental hospital because that would have saved many lives.
What matters to me: This is a very upsetting pln to write about because not many people like Catholics either and I go to a Catholic church. I remember when I went to church on Sunday they had us take and minute and pray for all the people who had been killed in their own church. Church is supossed to be a place of peace and happiness. It is a the house of God. There shouldn't be death and destruction in your own church. What really upsets me is that not that many people know about it. People think that it shouldn't be published in the news paper because it might upset athiests of others but I fail to see how this would upset them. Actually it seems that it would make them happy instead of upset.
What matters to the world: When I hear about things like this all I can think is "What is this world coming to?" It upsets me when i hear about school shooting, bombing, and shootings elsewhere. These are attacks to the American poeple from the american people. Why are we shooting each other when we should be standing side by side. We are in the middle of a War and we are still against each other. Something more needs to be done and we are yet to figure out what it is.
What matters: 24 year old Mattew J. Murray killed many lives this sunday. And for what? To get back at christians. It was at New Life Church. But it didn't start at the Arvada Center when he went there and asked if he could stay there. They told him that it wasn' t a shelter and thats when he started shooting. Several were killed and a couple injured. Then we retreated. Then he went to New Life Church and started shooting people who were leaving 11 AM mass. After wounding and killing a couple people he set of a homemade bomb and went inside the church. He started shooting at random and then when the security guard told him to surrender he started a gunfight with her. Murray died from the shooting and also shot himself to make sure he died. Now to people who knew him this wasn't a surprise. His old roommate talked about how Murray would hear voices and talk to them. He had also been advised to see a counselor or someone to just help him but he refused to. He said in his blog between the hours of the shootings "You Christians brought this upon yourselves. Obviously he was mentally ill. The people who saw all the signs should have checked him into a mental hospital because that would have saved many lives.
What matters to me: This is a very upsetting pln to write about because not many people like Catholics either and I go to a Catholic church. I remember when I went to church on Sunday they had us take and minute and pray for all the people who had been killed in their own church. Church is supossed to be a place of peace and happiness. It is a the house of God. There shouldn't be death and destruction in your own church. What really upsets me is that not that many people know about it. People think that it shouldn't be published in the news paper because it might upset athiests of others but I fail to see how this would upset them. Actually it seems that it would make them happy instead of upset.
What matters to the world: When I hear about things like this all I can think is "What is this world coming to?" It upsets me when i hear about school shooting, bombing, and shootings elsewhere. These are attacks to the American poeple from the american people. Why are we shooting each other when we should be standing side by side. We are in the middle of a War and we are still against each other. Something more needs to be done and we are yet to figure out what it is.
PLN 25
Today I read a blog that i discovered while when I was reading my ohter classmates plns. The title is Colorado eighth in suicides by Bill Scanlon. Colorado is not only eighth in suicides it is also 17th in depression. About 800 people die each year from suicide in Colorado. This is a very disturbing thought to me.
What matters:People wonder why Colorado has such a high suicide and depression rate. Some of the poeple figure its because of the cold tempuratures and the altitude. Also the distance from the ocean and some already depressed people come to the mountains as a last try for happiness. But Utah has the highest depression and rate and is 7th on the suicide rate. A weird fact is that Alaska has the highest suicide rate and yet it is 30th on the depression rate. Another weird fact is the the western states are highest in both suicide and depression.This is a very disturbing fact because I have heard of many people who have commited suicide in Colorado or in states close to it. But I hardly hear about people commiting suicide or having depression in other states like California, New York, and Hawaii.
What matters to me: The reason I picked this post is because it came very close to home for me. I suffered from depression last year and many of my other friends did also. I never knew that Coloradians were so depressed and suicidal. It scares me just a little bit. To know that I was one of those people last year scares me. To know that my friends used to be like and some still are makes me fear they will committ suicide. but the reasons they have depression isn't any of the reasons that I stated above. something needs to be done about this problem because I know what depression is like and it was the worst part of my life so I would never wish anything like that upon anyone else.
What matters:People wonder why Colorado has such a high suicide and depression rate. Some of the poeple figure its because of the cold tempuratures and the altitude. Also the distance from the ocean and some already depressed people come to the mountains as a last try for happiness. But Utah has the highest depression and rate and is 7th on the suicide rate. A weird fact is that Alaska has the highest suicide rate and yet it is 30th on the depression rate. Another weird fact is the the western states are highest in both suicide and depression.This is a very disturbing fact because I have heard of many people who have commited suicide in Colorado or in states close to it. But I hardly hear about people commiting suicide or having depression in other states like California, New York, and Hawaii.
What matters to me: The reason I picked this post is because it came very close to home for me. I suffered from depression last year and many of my other friends did also. I never knew that Coloradians were so depressed and suicidal. It scares me just a little bit. To know that I was one of those people last year scares me. To know that my friends used to be like and some still are makes me fear they will committ suicide. but the reasons they have depression isn't any of the reasons that I stated above. something needs to be done about this problem because I know what depression is like and it was the worst part of my life so I would never wish anything like that upon anyone else.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
PLN 24
I came across a very charitable and yet educational post today. Its titled Fight Hunger While Learning Vocab written by Karl Fisch. It talks about a website called Free Rice that quizes you on vocabulary words and every time you get a word right you donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.
What matters: This is one of the easiest ways to learn and still help out 3rd world contries. This website is also very easy to work. Its like MAPS questions.They start out with a average question and if you get it wrong they give you an easier question, but if you get it right they give you a harder question. If you get three questions right in a row then you are moved to the next level. There are 50 levels total but its very rare for people to make it past level 48. The website then adjusts itself to your level of vocabulary. Teachers should consider using this website because it will not only teach their students their vocabulary, but it will also help starving people.
What matters to the World: This website could help so many starving people who would do anything to have some food to eat. I hope that this will inform more people of this website because not only is it easy, its also charitable and maybe even fun for some people. We are so blessed to be living in a country that has a stable government, food, and money. So the least we can do is donate rice. This website encourages teachers to teach their students vocabulary also. Also students might go to this website just to help out and do their little part.
What matters: This is one of the easiest ways to learn and still help out 3rd world contries. This website is also very easy to work. Its like MAPS questions.They start out with a average question and if you get it wrong they give you an easier question, but if you get it right they give you a harder question. If you get three questions right in a row then you are moved to the next level. There are 50 levels total but its very rare for people to make it past level 48. The website then adjusts itself to your level of vocabulary. Teachers should consider using this website because it will not only teach their students their vocabulary, but it will also help starving people.
What matters to the World: This website could help so many starving people who would do anything to have some food to eat. I hope that this will inform more people of this website because not only is it easy, its also charitable and maybe even fun for some people. We are so blessed to be living in a country that has a stable government, food, and money. So the least we can do is donate rice. This website encourages teachers to teach their students vocabulary also. Also students might go to this website just to help out and do their little part.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
PLN 23
The article titled Teen booked in phone-bomb hoax is about an 18 year old who told a security guard that his cell phone was a bomb when it really wasn't. This surprisingly happens more often than you would think. But people dont seem to realize the seriousness of this. Security has tightened to the extreme ever since 9/11 and all the school shootings.
What matters: The home of delinquent is very close to us. More specifically Highlands Ranch. The man who caused all the disturbance is named Jordan Wells. It all started when he told a security guard at the Douglas County Justice Center in Castle Rock that his cell phone was a bomb and then repeated himself. But when they ran his cell phone through an x-ray and had bomb technicians look at it they reported that it wasn't a bomb at all. Wells was then rushed to the Douglas County Jail and charged with false report of explosives, disorderly conduct, possession of drug parphernalia, possession of alcohol by a minor and possession of fireworks. The most probable reason he said his phone was a bomb was because he was high on drugs or drunk. When they searched his car they found alcohol, parphernalia, and fireworks which just made matters worse for him. All this happened on Thursday morning.
What matters to me: This is not a surprise to me. The bomb claim, the drugs, the alcohol, and the fireworks all don't surprise me. There was a student at my school last year who said that he had bombs in his locker and was suspended from school for a while when the school found no bombs in his locker or backpack. People do this kind of thing all the time thinking its funny when really its a serious matter. Our nation has been through so much already and they don't want anymore to happen. The possession of drugs and alcohol and fireworks is no big surprise because kids my age have those kind of things all the time so I kind of figured that he was drunk or high when he said his cell phone was a bomb. I can't think of any other reason why he would say something like that because no one gets themselves in trouble on purpose.
What matters: The home of delinquent is very close to us. More specifically Highlands Ranch. The man who caused all the disturbance is named Jordan Wells. It all started when he told a security guard at the Douglas County Justice Center in Castle Rock that his cell phone was a bomb and then repeated himself. But when they ran his cell phone through an x-ray and had bomb technicians look at it they reported that it wasn't a bomb at all. Wells was then rushed to the Douglas County Jail and charged with false report of explosives, disorderly conduct, possession of drug parphernalia, possession of alcohol by a minor and possession of fireworks. The most probable reason he said his phone was a bomb was because he was high on drugs or drunk. When they searched his car they found alcohol, parphernalia, and fireworks which just made matters worse for him. All this happened on Thursday morning.
What matters to me: This is not a surprise to me. The bomb claim, the drugs, the alcohol, and the fireworks all don't surprise me. There was a student at my school last year who said that he had bombs in his locker and was suspended from school for a while when the school found no bombs in his locker or backpack. People do this kind of thing all the time thinking its funny when really its a serious matter. Our nation has been through so much already and they don't want anymore to happen. The possession of drugs and alcohol and fireworks is no big surprise because kids my age have those kind of things all the time so I kind of figured that he was drunk or high when he said his cell phone was a bomb. I can't think of any other reason why he would say something like that because no one gets themselves in trouble on purpose.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
PLN 22
I decided to read something different than what I normally read which is normally from the Fisch Bowl or 2¢ Worth. But today the post I read was from The Denver Post and was titled Students report gunmen on playground and was written by the Associated Press. It talks about how some children claim to have been threatened by 2 strange men on their schools playground. Not much information was given in this post but it is still a very troubling matter.
What matters: There have been so many school shootings in Colorado that the U.S. must think that everyone in Colorado has messed up minds. The school that this happened at was in Grand Junction at Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary School. Seven children reported the gunmen to be a teacher on Monday. They described the men to be between the ages of 14 to 25 years old. But when the deputies went to the school they found no sign of the men. But the deputies have no idication that the children were lieing. But if you think about it, this happened to children in elementary school who tend have a good imagination, but when you think about the amount of children who spotted the gunmen and were threatened then it seems impossible that that many children could tell the same exact story. This is also a very troubling event to me because if there is another school shooting then the security in all schools, especially in Colorado, will be so strick that students won't even be able to go outside.
What matters to me: This is not a good sign for schools because this indicates that schools aren't doing enough to secure its students. Even though no one got hurt this time, next time someone will and there will be devistating consequences. I also really want the school shootings to stop. It is really sad when people are so cruel that they think that children deserve to die. I want my school to stay protected and still be able to have off campus. But I'm not sure that we can do this and still be safe. When will this madness end!
What matters: There have been so many school shootings in Colorado that the U.S. must think that everyone in Colorado has messed up minds. The school that this happened at was in Grand Junction at Lincoln Orchard Mesa Elementary School. Seven children reported the gunmen to be a teacher on Monday. They described the men to be between the ages of 14 to 25 years old. But when the deputies went to the school they found no sign of the men. But the deputies have no idication that the children were lieing. But if you think about it, this happened to children in elementary school who tend have a good imagination, but when you think about the amount of children who spotted the gunmen and were threatened then it seems impossible that that many children could tell the same exact story. This is also a very troubling event to me because if there is another school shooting then the security in all schools, especially in Colorado, will be so strick that students won't even be able to go outside.
What matters to me: This is not a good sign for schools because this indicates that schools aren't doing enough to secure its students. Even though no one got hurt this time, next time someone will and there will be devistating consequences. I also really want the school shootings to stop. It is really sad when people are so cruel that they think that children deserve to die. I want my school to stay protected and still be able to have off campus. But I'm not sure that we can do this and still be safe. When will this madness end!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
PLN 21
I chose to read a post titled Three to think about by Karl Fisch. It talks about the new device called Kindle e-book Reader from Amazon. This revolutionary electronic has many uses.
- Listen to your class lecture by just tapping on your handwritten notes.
- View & listen to your notes on your PC and search by keyword.
- Email your written & audio notes to your classmates or study group.
- Translate a word or phrase by simply writing it on paper.
- Download one or more languages to your pen computer.
- Practice your pronunciation by tapping on a word and listening
- Write & send a message directly from your notebook.
- Create & send an animated voice message from your paper.
- Post a message, drawing or animation (with voice) to your blog or Facebook profile.
- Read a book of your choice
What matters: This is what education has been waiting for. This is one of the biggest steps into the future for eduaction. Just imagine schools without school book but Kindle e-book readers instead. Everything would be so much different in the classroom. It would also be so much easier to study. You can record your teachers lecture and then when you study you can just listen to the recording and study from it that way. Students can also share notes and do group projects so much easier by sending a messgae directly from your notebook and email your notes or projects to other students.
What matters to me: This will be a huge step forward into the future for classrooms now. Soon classes wont need anything but technology to do school work. We wont need to carry school books around but instead we can carry around our Kindle e-book and it will contain everything. We wont even need backpacks anymore. But before I leap to far into the future I need to think about if this new device will even succeed because I always see commericals for things like these and yet no one ever buys them. But they werent so advanced like the kindle e-book is. It has so many more features than the other devices created by Sony.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
PLN 20
I read a post Majority of state teens text while driving that sounded very familiar to me. There are already so many teens deaths because of car accidents and texting isn't really helping. 460 teen drivers were interveiwed and 97% of them agreed that texting behind the wheel is dangerous, but yet 51% of the them admitted to texting behind the wheel and 66% of them admitted to talking on their cell phones while driving. But there is something being done to help this situation.South High School gathered plegdes from students saying they wouldn't text and drive but only 25 students have signed up so far. They encourage other high schools to start doing the same.
How it matters to me: I see this problem alot when my mom is driving me. I see teenagers and adults talking on thier cell phones or texting while driving. To me it just seems like a great way to get killed because there is no way to text and still pay attention to the road.My neighbor used to help with car pull last year and she would always be on her cell phone talking to her friends or boyfriend. I was constantly closing my eyes because I thought we were going to die. The car swerved alot and we almost got in a couple of car accidents. I really think that teens should turn off their phones when they are driving unless it is an absolute emergency.
How it matters to the world: This isn't just an issue in Colorado. It is a problem world wide. The are several teen deaths everyday because of drunk driving, driving without a seatbelt, reckless driving, and texting and talking on your cell phone while driving. There isn't much that can be done to prevent it because the police can't take away cell phones. But parents and schools can help.
How it matters to me: I see this problem alot when my mom is driving me. I see teenagers and adults talking on thier cell phones or texting while driving. To me it just seems like a great way to get killed because there is no way to text and still pay attention to the road.My neighbor used to help with car pull last year and she would always be on her cell phone talking to her friends or boyfriend. I was constantly closing my eyes because I thought we were going to die. The car swerved alot and we almost got in a couple of car accidents. I really think that teens should turn off their phones when they are driving unless it is an absolute emergency.
How it matters to the world: This isn't just an issue in Colorado. It is a problem world wide. The are several teen deaths everyday because of drunk driving, driving without a seatbelt, reckless driving, and texting and talking on your cell phone while driving. There isn't much that can be done to prevent it because the police can't take away cell phones. But parents and schools can help.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Pln 19
I read Do schools have Birth- control role?. This is a very important issue in todays world. Girls are having sex at extremely young ages. Girls get pregnant most commonly around the ages of 15 to 17. People think that teens in middle school and high school shouldn't be aloud to have access to these things because it will only encourage them to do it more, but then the other side argues that teens are sexually active and there is no way to stop it so the only way to prevent girls dropping out of school because of being pregnant is to provide birth control to anyone who wants it.
What matters: If you ask any parent what they think of this they will think that it is a horrible idea and to stop it. The rate of girls getting pregnant at a young age is ridiculously high. I agree that something should be done. But I don't think that handing out birth conrol is the only way to solve it. I think that schools should start talking to parents about their children if the school is suspious that the child might be involved in sexual activities. I know that this sounds like a huge violation of privacy, which it is, but think it will help alot. But there are also alot of parents who don't really care and won't do anything about it no matter the warnings from the school, so i guess that giving birth control the kids in high school could be a helpful thing.
How it matters to me: I am not into doing those kind of things because I seem to have different morals that most high school students do. I'm not into drinking, doing drugs, or having sex out of marriage. Reading about schools just handing birth control really makes me... mad. This is just what parents are trying to prevent and the school isn't making it very easy for the parents to keep their children from having sex. But the other agument for this situation is very convincing too. The school has given in to giving students birth control because many teens are sexually active and parents can't seem to stop it. They are trying to prevent girls from dropping out because of getting pregnant. But I still don't think this is the best way to solve this problem.
What matters: If you ask any parent what they think of this they will think that it is a horrible idea and to stop it. The rate of girls getting pregnant at a young age is ridiculously high. I agree that something should be done. But I don't think that handing out birth conrol is the only way to solve it. I think that schools should start talking to parents about their children if the school is suspious that the child might be involved in sexual activities. I know that this sounds like a huge violation of privacy, which it is, but think it will help alot. But there are also alot of parents who don't really care and won't do anything about it no matter the warnings from the school, so i guess that giving birth control the kids in high school could be a helpful thing.
How it matters to me: I am not into doing those kind of things because I seem to have different morals that most high school students do. I'm not into drinking, doing drugs, or having sex out of marriage. Reading about schools just handing birth control really makes me... mad. This is just what parents are trying to prevent and the school isn't making it very easy for the parents to keep their children from having sex. But the other agument for this situation is very convincing too. The school has given in to giving students birth control because many teens are sexually active and parents can't seem to stop it. They are trying to prevent girls from dropping out because of getting pregnant. But I still don't think this is the best way to solve this problem.
Friday, November 9, 2007
PLN entry #18
I read an interesting post called I need answers: What will the home of the future look like? by Vicki A. Davis. She talks about how she fell in love with technology because of her dad. Her dad was taking her to a meeting at 3 PM to talk about the question "What will the home of the future look like?". The group holding this meeting has grant money and is going the build the house that we need in ten years.
What matters: I think that this is a really cool way to advance into the future because they can help think of new devices we can use in the future to make the futuristic home better.This will definitly be challenging for them to do because you can never know everything that is going to happen in the future and what new technologies will be invented. I think that we wont even be using the computer anymore in ten years and we will be using something entirely different and much more advanced. We will probably not have a tv but something better and more advanced and will have the same idea as the tv did only much better. The houses will probably be bigger and not made out of what is today, but something better and less flamable.
How it matters to me: This is very important to me because in ten years I will probably be a mother and I interested in what an average house will be like in the future and what my lifestyle will be because of the changes in technology and the ay homes are built .
What matters: I think that this is a really cool way to advance into the future because they can help think of new devices we can use in the future to make the futuristic home better.This will definitly be challenging for them to do because you can never know everything that is going to happen in the future and what new technologies will be invented. I think that we wont even be using the computer anymore in ten years and we will be using something entirely different and much more advanced. We will probably not have a tv but something better and more advanced and will have the same idea as the tv did only much better. The houses will probably be bigger and not made out of what is today, but something better and less flamable.
How it matters to me: This is very important to me because in ten years I will probably be a mother and I interested in what an average house will be like in the future and what my lifestyle will be because of the changes in technology and the ay homes are built .
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
PLN 17
Something very disturbing caught my eye when I was looking through the Rocky Mountain news. The title was Teen guilty of torturing autistic boy's tortoise. This was a very sad to read because now the seven year old autistic boy is now tramatized from this. He thinks that the same thing that happened to his pet will happen to him. The 18 year old boy responsible for this is named Jose Antonio Mosqueda. It took place in Ventura, California.
What Matters: When things like this happen, it is clear that the people responible are not healthy mentally. Mosqueda took the 40-pound African spurred tortoise named Bob from a backyard. He then slashed its legs and neck, puntured its shell and then threw it at a wall. This is an unquestionable sign that Mosqueda needs mental help because any normal person doesn't just do that to an innicent animal. The worst part is that the owner of the tortoise loved that animal more than anything and it was helping him with his disease of autism.Thankfully the animal survived and is recovering from its wounds. Mosqueda faces 3 years in jail, and 5 years on probation and he has to pay $5,479 in restitution. He also lost possession of his own pets. He later gave his apologizes to the family and his attorney.
Why it Matters to Me: This is a pretty upsetting article to read. It puzzles me why he would do such a thing to a poor animal and autistic boy. When I was little my nieghbors used to go a big grassy field behind my house and catch gardener snakes. They would then torture them...I wasn't sure what they were doing at the time but now that I am older and I think about it I realize how horrible it was. When I read this article it reminded me of that and I started remembering all the blood and the sadness in the animals eyes just before they died. I just hope that the autistic boy recovers from this very tramatizing experience and that Mosqueda gets mental help will he serves his 3 years in jail.
What Matters: When things like this happen, it is clear that the people responible are not healthy mentally. Mosqueda took the 40-pound African spurred tortoise named Bob from a backyard. He then slashed its legs and neck, puntured its shell and then threw it at a wall. This is an unquestionable sign that Mosqueda needs mental help because any normal person doesn't just do that to an innicent animal. The worst part is that the owner of the tortoise loved that animal more than anything and it was helping him with his disease of autism.Thankfully the animal survived and is recovering from its wounds. Mosqueda faces 3 years in jail, and 5 years on probation and he has to pay $5,479 in restitution. He also lost possession of his own pets. He later gave his apologizes to the family and his attorney.
Why it Matters to Me: This is a pretty upsetting article to read. It puzzles me why he would do such a thing to a poor animal and autistic boy. When I was little my nieghbors used to go a big grassy field behind my house and catch gardener snakes. They would then torture them...I wasn't sure what they were doing at the time but now that I am older and I think about it I realize how horrible it was. When I read this article it reminded me of that and I started remembering all the blood and the sadness in the animals eyes just before they died. I just hope that the autistic boy recovers from this very tramatizing experience and that Mosqueda gets mental help will he serves his 3 years in jail.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
PLN #16
When I read Parents and Internet-Using Teens it raised a very intersting subject. The blog talks about how the internet was originally created for educational purposes but now it seems that students are using it for social purposes more than for education.
What matters: There are alot of good things that can be helpful for students on the internet, but yet there are also alot of bad things on the internet that are very distracting and are inappropriate for teens. Today there less parents that say that the internet has been a good thing for their children than there was in 2004. That doesn't mean that there is an increase in parents who think the internet is bad for their children. It means that there is an increase in parents who think that the internet isn't effecting their children one way or another. Some parents also think that thier children spend to much time on the internet. But parents are often more concerned with what websites their children are looking at more than they worried about how long their children are on the internet.
How it Matters to Me: My parents are constantly concerned with what I am looking at on the internet. They used to be concerened with the amount of time I was on the computer because I used to be on it constantly and yet it was never to do anything educational. But alot of my friends parent don't really care about what their kids are doing on the computer or what they are looking at. I think that the internet is misused alot in todays world. Whenever I get on the computer is usually to keep me entertained and kids don't want to go to educational websites when they are bored. Most kids get on the computer for the same reason as I do. To email, IM, visit chat rooms, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, ect. Those sites are the main reason children aren't looking at educational things and are staying on the computer for hours on end.
What matters: There are alot of good things that can be helpful for students on the internet, but yet there are also alot of bad things on the internet that are very distracting and are inappropriate for teens. Today there less parents that say that the internet has been a good thing for their children than there was in 2004. That doesn't mean that there is an increase in parents who think the internet is bad for their children. It means that there is an increase in parents who think that the internet isn't effecting their children one way or another. Some parents also think that thier children spend to much time on the internet. But parents are often more concerned with what websites their children are looking at more than they worried about how long their children are on the internet.
How it Matters to Me: My parents are constantly concerned with what I am looking at on the internet. They used to be concerened with the amount of time I was on the computer because I used to be on it constantly and yet it was never to do anything educational. But alot of my friends parent don't really care about what their kids are doing on the computer or what they are looking at. I think that the internet is misused alot in todays world. Whenever I get on the computer is usually to keep me entertained and kids don't want to go to educational websites when they are bored. Most kids get on the computer for the same reason as I do. To email, IM, visit chat rooms, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, ect. Those sites are the main reason children aren't looking at educational things and are staying on the computer for hours on end.
Friday, November 2, 2007
PLN Presention reveiw
My pln presentation was way to short. I didn't talk to fast though and I talked loud enough for everyone to hear me. But I relied on my paper way to much. Alot of my comments said that I relied on my notes to much and didnt make enough eye contact. When I was writing my presetation I didnt realize that it was so short. I was just trying to summarize some of my plns that were similar. But when I presented it just seemed so much shorter that all the other people before me. But I did improve from my last presentation that because I didnt stutter as much, it wasnt to long, and I didnt talk to fast.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
pln 15
I saw something very familiar when I was looking through the fisch bowl today. The pln was titled Not your Parents' parent teacher conferenences. It was talking about how Ms.Smith did conferneces this year and how it was a better way to do conferences.
What matters: I think that it is really cool that our class is being recognized for being different and so advanced. The pln talks about how she asked the students these quetions first and then had them give a letter of their responses to their parents and teachers.
What matters: I think that it is really cool that our class is being recognized for being different and so advanced. The pln talks about how she asked the students these quetions first and then had them give a letter of their responses to their parents and teachers.
- Assess your learning in class so far this semester. Look at your participation, growth in writing, comprehension, etc..
- Where, in terms of your learning, do you want to be at the end of the semester?
- How are you going to get there?
- What can I do to help?
It then talked about how she talked about the letter with the parents and then talked to the parents about all of the questions. But since she was only aloud 5 minutes with each parent it wasn't enough time and she didnt get to go over all of the questions with the parent. Im very glad that Karl Fisch posted this because now other teachers will see it and then for the next parent teacher conferences they will do the same.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
PLN entry #14
A conversation about failure caught my eye because of the issue that it talks about. Dave Warlick went to New York State School Board’s Association conference in NYC this week. A man named Henry Winkler was the opening speaker and talked about kids with problems like dyslexia and ADD are labeled slow in class because they arent given proper help.
What matters:This is a big problem with many kids. There is a surprisingly large number of children with this problem and yet schools still aren't doing very much to help this problem. They do have separate classes for the "special children" so they can get individual help but no kid wants to be called special so they will never admit to the teacher that they need help and will just keep struggleing. Then as a result to this many students don't even finish high school.
How it matters to me: I can relate exactly to this pln because I have a mild case of dyslexia. No one can tell I have it because in elementary school I went to a tutor outside of school for two years that helped me.I don't have trouble anymore but I used to have alot of trouble in elementary school. I was labeled "slow". I even had to go to some of the special classes. I hated it because everyone treated me different. I had to get all of these test at childrens hospital and everything. I'm so thankful it's better now. I don't want other children to have to go through this so I hope that they are able to figure something out to help this problem.
What matters:This is a big problem with many kids. There is a surprisingly large number of children with this problem and yet schools still aren't doing very much to help this problem. They do have separate classes for the "special children" so they can get individual help but no kid wants to be called special so they will never admit to the teacher that they need help and will just keep struggleing. Then as a result to this many students don't even finish high school.
How it matters to me: I can relate exactly to this pln because I have a mild case of dyslexia. No one can tell I have it because in elementary school I went to a tutor outside of school for two years that helped me.I don't have trouble anymore but I used to have alot of trouble in elementary school. I was labeled "slow". I even had to go to some of the special classes. I hated it because everyone treated me different. I had to get all of these test at childrens hospital and everything. I'm so thankful it's better now. I don't want other children to have to go through this so I hope that they are able to figure something out to help this problem.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
PLN Entry # 13
Today i was looking through the things to read for my pln and something every interesting caught my eye. It is titled YouTube 101 and is written by Karl Fisch. It is talking about a class that is being offered at Pitzer College in California on YouTube. There isn't much writing about it but there is a video about it that explains it.
What matters: The class is taught by Alexandra Juhasz. You may think that this is a pointless class to take but when they asked Juhasz why they set up this class she explained that this class helps the students understand the new technologies that are coming at us so fast. The class studies how it works, why people watch it so much,what their rules are, how they are different from other technologies, and how people express themselves through these videos. The main site they are talking about is YouTube but in this class they also review other popular websites and ask the serious question of "What do we do on these websites and why do people go to them so much?" In the class the students help create the assignments. They are actually teaching the teacher about YouTube in their presentations because it seems that people in this century know alot more about technology than some adults ever will.
Why it matters to me: This is a huge advancement into the future which makes me very happy because I am constantly complaining in my pln entries about how schools aren't teaching things that will help us succeed in the future. But when I heard about this class I did question it a little bit. At first it sounded like one of those classes that you can just slack off in and still get a good grade. But when I watched the videos about the class then I began to understand why it is an important class. I don't think that it is a necessity but I do think that it would be very interesting to take that class one day. I want to ask you Ms. Smith if you think that this class is just a joke or that it is a huge advancement into the future?
What matters: The class is taught by Alexandra Juhasz. You may think that this is a pointless class to take but when they asked Juhasz why they set up this class she explained that this class helps the students understand the new technologies that are coming at us so fast. The class studies how it works, why people watch it so much,what their rules are, how they are different from other technologies, and how people express themselves through these videos. The main site they are talking about is YouTube but in this class they also review other popular websites and ask the serious question of "What do we do on these websites and why do people go to them so much?" In the class the students help create the assignments. They are actually teaching the teacher about YouTube in their presentations because it seems that people in this century know alot more about technology than some adults ever will.
Why it matters to me: This is a huge advancement into the future which makes me very happy because I am constantly complaining in my pln entries about how schools aren't teaching things that will help us succeed in the future. But when I heard about this class I did question it a little bit. At first it sounded like one of those classes that you can just slack off in and still get a good grade. But when I watched the videos about the class then I began to understand why it is an important class. I don't think that it is a necessity but I do think that it would be very interesting to take that class one day. I want to ask you Ms. Smith if you think that this class is just a joke or that it is a huge advancement into the future?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
PLN entry #12
I read a short but interesting pln titled Ethics & Information by Dave Warlick. It talks contemporary literacy. It has for main points.
- Respect for intellectual property (copyright, etc.)
- Respect for intellectual integrity (respect truth)
- Respect for each other (cause no harm)
- Respect for the information infrastructure
What matters: These are all very important but when i read these i still feel like there is more to be said. But they are all still very important. Some many people feel like they dont have to do any work when they have access to copying someone elses work and then just call it their own. That is what the first bullet is about. The second says intellectual integrity. This basically means nto cheating. There are alot of people who cheat by looking at someone elses answer on a test or assignment. There are also some people who will just give them the answer which is even worse. Dave is right when he says that this is a big problem and needs to be fixed. The next point says respect for each other which is a problem in every school. Some students feel like fighting is the only way to work things out. This is a huge problem that will probably never be fixed no matter how strict the school is. The last statement doesnt seem that important. I think that the first three are good enough.
How it matters to me: These are all huge problems in school districts and i think that it is good that dave warlick is bringing attention to them because some schools tend to forget about them. My school doesnt have alot of problems with physical fighting, but it does have problems with students cheating off each other and with students stealing information out of books and calling it their own or not showing a works cited. But teachers cant be watching students constantly so cheating is done by students sometimes. This problem probably wont ever be fixed because it seems impossable to control the students to not do that.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
PLN entry #11
I read an intersting pln called Rock the Web National Youth Presidential Forum by Karl Fisch. It talks about a program called Rock the Web.This program was put together by the EWN Foundation and the Lou Frey Institution of Politics and government at the University of Central Florida, the Presidential Classroom and the United States of Former members of Congress. They have set up a three hour National Youth Presidential Forum (NYPF) is going to webcast to about 25 million students, who will be the first time voters.
What matters: The canidates for this election are going to feild questions to the moderater and students representing the presidential classroom. Then after the webcast of questions then the student will do an on-line vote for the canidate they want for 2008. The students comments will be collected and given to the canidates after the event. This a great way for students to get involved so that when they are old enough to actually vote they will have experience and make a wise desicion on picking a canidate.
How it matters to me: I am always talking about how i want schools to start advancing into the future. Well this made me very happy. Schools are thinking about students and politics. They should be very concerned with the way students feel about poltics and if we even care about it because we are the future and the amount of young adults that can vote is decreaseing. I know that if they start getting us involved now, then we will actually know what is going on in the world.
What matters: The canidates for this election are going to feild questions to the moderater and students representing the presidential classroom. Then after the webcast of questions then the student will do an on-line vote for the canidate they want for 2008. The students comments will be collected and given to the canidates after the event. This a great way for students to get involved so that when they are old enough to actually vote they will have experience and make a wise desicion on picking a canidate.
How it matters to me: I am always talking about how i want schools to start advancing into the future. Well this made me very happy. Schools are thinking about students and politics. They should be very concerned with the way students feel about poltics and if we even care about it because we are the future and the amount of young adults that can vote is decreaseing. I know that if they start getting us involved now, then we will actually know what is going on in the world.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
PLN entry # 10
Today i read a article by Dave Warlick titled Voters Want More From Schools. It talks about how voters think that school arent teaching students everything they need to know in order to get a good job in the 21st century.
What matters: There are alot of new jobs in the 21st century that in the 20th century no one ever imagined would exist. But people seem to think that schools are still teaching the same things and need to start teaching more things that will prepare us for the new jobs in this century. 80 percent of the voters said that the kind of skills that students need to learn for jobs. But also a huge majority also said that schools just need to do a better job with keeping up with the changing educational needs.
How it matters to me: I agree with the voters because the 21st century is all about technology and there are alot of new jobs that are way different than 20 years ago. I think that schools are trying there hardest at preparing us by making computer class, video production and other classes like that. But sometimes it doesnt feel like it is enough.
How it matters to the world: It matters to the world because the world is changing at a rapid pace and school need to prepare us for the future because we are the future. If we dont know all the things we need to, to be sucessful then who knows what the world will be like in several years.
What matters: There are alot of new jobs in the 21st century that in the 20th century no one ever imagined would exist. But people seem to think that schools are still teaching the same things and need to start teaching more things that will prepare us for the new jobs in this century. 80 percent of the voters said that the kind of skills that students need to learn for jobs. But also a huge majority also said that schools just need to do a better job with keeping up with the changing educational needs.
How it matters to me: I agree with the voters because the 21st century is all about technology and there are alot of new jobs that are way different than 20 years ago. I think that schools are trying there hardest at preparing us by making computer class, video production and other classes like that. But sometimes it doesnt feel like it is enough.
How it matters to the world: It matters to the world because the world is changing at a rapid pace and school need to prepare us for the future because we are the future. If we dont know all the things we need to, to be sucessful then who knows what the world will be like in several years.
PLN presentation
I think that i did ok on my presentation but not that well because on alot of the comments my classmates they said that i need to make more eye contact with the audience and i spoke to fast and so they couldnt understand me at some parts. But they all said that i did a good job at summarizing all my entries. So i guess that for my next presentation i will speak slower and a little clearer.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
PLN #9
My choice for today was an article from the Associated Press called Boulder Man Kills Mountain Lion Attacking Puppy. It talks about a man protecting his dog from being eaten by a mountain lion. Wildlife officials arent sure what to do about the case because he has a right to protect himself and his livestock but since it was a dog they arent sure what to do.
What matters: Fear is a huge factor in this case. The article talks about how there had been two other reports about mountain lions also. So obviously there was an obvious problem that the family who shot the mountian lion should have piad attention to. There needs to be something done in order to prevent these kind of things. Like they shouldnt leave thier dogs out constantly, they should put up fences around their property. But also there are some people who dont think that they should have to put up a fence and live in an area where its impossible for them to do so.
How it matters to me: I know how the man feels when he shot the mountian lion for almost eating his dog because my cousin who lives up in Bailey, Colorado dog was eaten by a mountian lion. He was outside going to the bathroom and they didnt even know that the mountina lion had eaten him until they found him dead on thier driveway. If they had known that he was being eaten they probably would have gone out thier and shot the mountian lion too. Im not sure who to side with. Its not right that they shot wildlife and they had been warned by attackes earlier that month, but on the other side i know that sometimes oyu do things without thinking and you just feel like shooting the animal is the last resort.
What matters: Fear is a huge factor in this case. The article talks about how there had been two other reports about mountain lions also. So obviously there was an obvious problem that the family who shot the mountian lion should have piad attention to. There needs to be something done in order to prevent these kind of things. Like they shouldnt leave thier dogs out constantly, they should put up fences around their property. But also there are some people who dont think that they should have to put up a fence and live in an area where its impossible for them to do so.
How it matters to me: I know how the man feels when he shot the mountian lion for almost eating his dog because my cousin who lives up in Bailey, Colorado dog was eaten by a mountian lion. He was outside going to the bathroom and they didnt even know that the mountina lion had eaten him until they found him dead on thier driveway. If they had known that he was being eaten they probably would have gone out thier and shot the mountian lion too. Im not sure who to side with. Its not right that they shot wildlife and they had been warned by attackes earlier that month, but on the other side i know that sometimes oyu do things without thinking and you just feel like shooting the animal is the last resort.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
PLN #8
Today i chose to read from the Fischbowl. The article that I thought was interesting was Two Steps Forward... by Karl Fisch. It talks about the filtering program that schools set to their computers. Karl Fisch argues that this can be a good and bad thing because the filter blocks so websites that might be useful for students like videos on Youtube. He alos thinks that schools should set up their filters so that teachers can override it if they feels that the website is appropriate. Alot of schools dont have that like our schools so he suggests that we get it.
What matters: The article Two steps forward... grabbed my attention so much because I agreew tih Karl Fisch. That the filter can be a good and bad thing. It keeps students from getting off task and going onto inappropriate sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube. i agree that nothing on Facebook and Myspace is educational but Youtube is a different story. There are not only dirty videos on there. Are many that can help students with assignments and can inform them on whats going on in the world. Schools really need to see this article and then think of ways to fix this problem. They should think about whether they should get override for thier teachers or if they should get a whole new filtering system.
How it Matters to Me: I am very glad that finally someone sees that the filtering sytem needs to be fixed. It is causing more and more problems. In Ms. Smiths class we use computers all the time. Most of the sites we visit are appropriote but when we were doing our google earth projects i began running into problems with the filtering system. I wanted to put pictures onto my google earth project but the only way to do that was to download the pictures onto the picasa web album. When I tried signing up for the web album the filter kept blocking it. I fail see what is wrong with going to this site. So I had to go home and try to sign up on my own computer but my computer was having problems so I wasn't able to put any pictures on my project. This fustrates me because I bet that there are many other students at Arapahoe who are having the same kind of problems. AHS really should think about fixing their filter system so that the teachers can override it if they think that it is appropriate.
How it matters to the world: Nearly every school in the nation uses filters on their computers. So many kids these days like to look at inappropriate things so these filters are nessescary to have on the computers so that they can keep their students focused on their work. But not all kids are like that. Schools need to be informed aboutt his problem
What matters: The article Two steps forward... grabbed my attention so much because I agreew tih Karl Fisch. That the filter can be a good and bad thing. It keeps students from getting off task and going onto inappropriate sites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube. i agree that nothing on Facebook and Myspace is educational but Youtube is a different story. There are not only dirty videos on there. Are many that can help students with assignments and can inform them on whats going on in the world. Schools really need to see this article and then think of ways to fix this problem. They should think about whether they should get override for thier teachers or if they should get a whole new filtering system.
How it Matters to Me: I am very glad that finally someone sees that the filtering sytem needs to be fixed. It is causing more and more problems. In Ms. Smiths class we use computers all the time. Most of the sites we visit are appropriote but when we were doing our google earth projects i began running into problems with the filtering system. I wanted to put pictures onto my google earth project but the only way to do that was to download the pictures onto the picasa web album. When I tried signing up for the web album the filter kept blocking it. I fail see what is wrong with going to this site. So I had to go home and try to sign up on my own computer but my computer was having problems so I wasn't able to put any pictures on my project. This fustrates me because I bet that there are many other students at Arapahoe who are having the same kind of problems. AHS really should think about fixing their filter system so that the teachers can override it if they think that it is appropriate.
How it matters to the world: Nearly every school in the nation uses filters on their computers. So many kids these days like to look at inappropriate things so these filters are nessescary to have on the computers so that they can keep their students focused on their work. But not all kids are like that. Schools need to be informed aboutt his problem
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
PLN entry # 7
Today i decided to read My Flickr Conundrum by Will Richardson. After hearing my classmates talk about it on thier PLN presentaions it sounded like an interesting article.. I wanted to say my opinion on the subject. It is talking about how Will Richardson feels like he doesn't have to take pictures when he can just get them off the internet.
What matters: This century seems to be based only on technology. I mean there are are alot of things that im not sure I would be able to live without that have to do with technology. The internet is one of those things. It is a very powerful tool. But Will Richardson is right. There are so many picture on the internet that are taken of the same place and probably look better. But when I think about it that, it makes me upset. It makes me wonder what this world is turnng into. Now people dont even have to go on trip to see the world. All they have to do is look it up on the internet. I become upset by this because there are so many beautiful and amazing places on this earth that deserve to be visited at least once in your lifetime. We have google earth also where we can just type in the place you want to look at and then you can look at it in 3-D and feel almost as if you are actually there. As cool as this seems it makes me sad to know that there are some people who will never go to Washington D.C, to see the David, to see the Eiffel Tower, ect.
How it matters to me: The are so many things that i could get off the internet than actually doing it. Like meeting new people with actually meeting them, i could get pictures off the internet and say that i took them myself when i didn't, and i could copy other peoples work and call it my own. There are so many opportunities on the internet for me but i don't want to live without actually liveing. I love taking pictures when i go places and if i get them off the internet then it doesnt feel like its my memory. It feels like im showing someone elses memory. Which feels like stealing or plagurizing to me. I don't take very good pictures but my mom does. I mean that is what she does for a living. She is a photographer and it would be a huge insult to her if someone took a picture off the internet that she had taken and then called it their own.
How it matters to the world: The world is full of technology and the internet is a huge part of it. Nearly every country in the world uses technology. I wish that people would realize that stealing pictures off the internet isn't what makes the picture special. Most of the time pictures taken by people who aren't professional photographers are not very good. But what makes the picture so special is the fact that you took it yourself. That you went there yourself and saw the very thing that is in the photo. When its taken off the internet it isn't special anymore and ruins the effect.
What matters: This century seems to be based only on technology. I mean there are are alot of things that im not sure I would be able to live without that have to do with technology. The internet is one of those things. It is a very powerful tool. But Will Richardson is right. There are so many picture on the internet that are taken of the same place and probably look better. But when I think about it that, it makes me upset. It makes me wonder what this world is turnng into. Now people dont even have to go on trip to see the world. All they have to do is look it up on the internet. I become upset by this because there are so many beautiful and amazing places on this earth that deserve to be visited at least once in your lifetime. We have google earth also where we can just type in the place you want to look at and then you can look at it in 3-D and feel almost as if you are actually there. As cool as this seems it makes me sad to know that there are some people who will never go to Washington D.C, to see the David, to see the Eiffel Tower, ect.
How it matters to me: The are so many things that i could get off the internet than actually doing it. Like meeting new people with actually meeting them, i could get pictures off the internet and say that i took them myself when i didn't, and i could copy other peoples work and call it my own. There are so many opportunities on the internet for me but i don't want to live without actually liveing. I love taking pictures when i go places and if i get them off the internet then it doesnt feel like its my memory. It feels like im showing someone elses memory. Which feels like stealing or plagurizing to me. I don't take very good pictures but my mom does. I mean that is what she does for a living. She is a photographer and it would be a huge insult to her if someone took a picture off the internet that she had taken and then called it their own.
How it matters to the world: The world is full of technology and the internet is a huge part of it. Nearly every country in the world uses technology. I wish that people would realize that stealing pictures off the internet isn't what makes the picture special. Most of the time pictures taken by people who aren't professional photographers are not very good. But what makes the picture so special is the fact that you took it yourself. That you went there yourself and saw the very thing that is in the photo. When its taken off the internet it isn't special anymore and ruins the effect.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
PLN entry # 6
Today I chose to read Is Payment For Good Grades Legimate Motivation in this Day and Age? It talks about how they don't think that parents should have to bribe kids to do well in school with money. On the show Colbert Report it had an agrument about this. Joel Klien thinks that kids aren't pushed hard enough today and that they should not have to be paid to get good grades
What matters: In this article it argues about the conflict whether kids should be paid for good grades. In this day and age kids are different than when people actually wanted to learn and go to school. That was a few centuries ago and now kids are lazy and don't like going to school. They like the social part of it but the learning part... not so much. For some parents it feels like money is the only thing that can make their kids actually try. There are also alot more distractions for kids in this century. Our parents didn't have TVs, computers, the phone, ipods, ect. It seems a little harder these days to stay on task.
How it matters to me: Since I am a teenager I know how it is for kids to not want to work for their grades in school. I am torn on who to agree with. I agree that it doesn't seem right that kids have to be bribed with money to get good grades, but on the other hand. there are just some kids who are lazy and no matter what you tell them they will not do any of their work unless forced or bribed. I get $20 at the end of each semester for having A's and B's so I really have no room to talk, but the money isn't what makes me get good grades. Now that I am in high school I am realizing that college is in only a couple of years. In middle school I got good grades but slacked sometimes. I can't afford to do that now. Besides, education wasn't made to torture you, it was meant to educate you so that you could find a good job when you get older and have a good life.
How it matters to the world: As I have said in previous blogs, i think education is really important. There are so many homeless people who never got the proper education and are now liveing on the streets. A life no one wishes to live. But also I think that the kids of America are extremely spoiled and lazy. The kids in Europe work much harder than American children do. Now I wouldn't know this from experience but my mom lived in Italy for a couple of years when she was in high school and she says that the kids here don't work half as hard as the kids in Italy do. This had a huge effect on me because my family is extremely Italian. The kids of America need to step it up a notch and try actually getting good grades without being paid to.
What matters: In this article it argues about the conflict whether kids should be paid for good grades. In this day and age kids are different than when people actually wanted to learn and go to school. That was a few centuries ago and now kids are lazy and don't like going to school. They like the social part of it but the learning part... not so much. For some parents it feels like money is the only thing that can make their kids actually try. There are also alot more distractions for kids in this century. Our parents didn't have TVs, computers, the phone, ipods, ect. It seems a little harder these days to stay on task.
How it matters to me: Since I am a teenager I know how it is for kids to not want to work for their grades in school. I am torn on who to agree with. I agree that it doesn't seem right that kids have to be bribed with money to get good grades, but on the other hand. there are just some kids who are lazy and no matter what you tell them they will not do any of their work unless forced or bribed. I get $20 at the end of each semester for having A's and B's so I really have no room to talk, but the money isn't what makes me get good grades. Now that I am in high school I am realizing that college is in only a couple of years. In middle school I got good grades but slacked sometimes. I can't afford to do that now. Besides, education wasn't made to torture you, it was meant to educate you so that you could find a good job when you get older and have a good life.
How it matters to the world: As I have said in previous blogs, i think education is really important. There are so many homeless people who never got the proper education and are now liveing on the streets. A life no one wishes to live. But also I think that the kids of America are extremely spoiled and lazy. The kids in Europe work much harder than American children do. Now I wouldn't know this from experience but my mom lived in Italy for a couple of years when she was in high school and she says that the kids here don't work half as hard as the kids in Italy do. This had a huge effect on me because my family is extremely Italian. The kids of America need to step it up a notch and try actually getting good grades without being paid to.
Monday, September 24, 2007
PLN entry #5
I just read an article by Will Richardson called Back in the U.S.S.A! It was about how there is still alot of poverty in China and he saw much of that when he went there.
What matters: He saw that it is still poverty stricken in Shanghai. There was also a typhoon in China that materialized from the downpours on Tuesday. He had a picture of an old woman with a chair in her hands. She was about to go sit outside when they were passing by and was glad to take a picture. What Will Richardson was interested in was the fact that she was wearing a traditional Communist uniform. Also Sheryl and her son Noah who he went to China with noticed that here were many babies on the plane that were being brought to America for adoption. Then Richardson started thinking about how he didn't see any babies while he was there which is probably because of the law that restricts parents from keeping more than one child. Then he noticed that there were hardly any gas stations. How do the people fill their cars up with gas? People think that China is very advanced and powerful but from Richardsons point of veiw, Chinas people still arent living the life they wish to live.
How it relates to me: I seem to live a great life and yet I still complain. The people where Richardson visited live in poverty and yet they still manage to keep a smile on their faces. I am so blessed to live in America because if I lived in China then one of my triplets sisters and I would probably be sent to America to be put up for a adoption. I would probably live my life without even knowing that I am a triplet. I mean sometimes it can be hard being a triplet but just thinking about being taken away from my family and sisters just makes me want to cry. I am able to live a life of luxury compared to some of the people Richardson saw.
How it relates to the world: There are some many places in this world that live in poverty and sadness. But there are also many places that don't like America, Italy, France, Britain and so many more places. Everyone thinks that China is all advanced and is rising to be one of the most powerful countries but yet there are still many things about China that need fixing. There aren't as many homeless people as there are in the U.S. is what Richardson noticed. I hope that one day china can work out all its problems and help the people to live happy lives.
What matters: He saw that it is still poverty stricken in Shanghai. There was also a typhoon in China that materialized from the downpours on Tuesday. He had a picture of an old woman with a chair in her hands. She was about to go sit outside when they were passing by and was glad to take a picture. What Will Richardson was interested in was the fact that she was wearing a traditional Communist uniform. Also Sheryl and her son Noah who he went to China with noticed that here were many babies on the plane that were being brought to America for adoption. Then Richardson started thinking about how he didn't see any babies while he was there which is probably because of the law that restricts parents from keeping more than one child. Then he noticed that there were hardly any gas stations. How do the people fill their cars up with gas? People think that China is very advanced and powerful but from Richardsons point of veiw, Chinas people still arent living the life they wish to live.
How it relates to me: I seem to live a great life and yet I still complain. The people where Richardson visited live in poverty and yet they still manage to keep a smile on their faces. I am so blessed to live in America because if I lived in China then one of my triplets sisters and I would probably be sent to America to be put up for a adoption. I would probably live my life without even knowing that I am a triplet. I mean sometimes it can be hard being a triplet but just thinking about being taken away from my family and sisters just makes me want to cry. I am able to live a life of luxury compared to some of the people Richardson saw.
How it relates to the world: There are some many places in this world that live in poverty and sadness. But there are also many places that don't like America, Italy, France, Britain and so many more places. Everyone thinks that China is all advanced and is rising to be one of the most powerful countries but yet there are still many things about China that need fixing. There aren't as many homeless people as there are in the U.S. is what Richardson noticed. I hope that one day china can work out all its problems and help the people to live happy lives.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
PLN entry #4
I just read a blog by David Warlick titled The World is a 'Twitter. It discusses the new way of future eduation chat through Twitter. David Warlick is at a conferance called Classrooms for the Future when he is blogging to us.
What matters:
This new program called Twitter is a new way of chatting through blogger. Dave Warlick seems to think that this program is very effective because it can help him during presentations because all he has to do is put it up on a screen and then teachers could ask questions for other teachers to see and then the people in the audience could chat with each other about what they think. It matters because this is just another step forward to improving our schools and creating better schools for the furture.
How it matters to me:
It matters to me because I like to know that the teachers actually care about their students. They actually want to find new ways to make learning better for us. Normally when I think about the conferances that teacher have to go to I picture just someone boring standing in the front of the room talking about something that no one really cares about. Also in middle school I was a student assistant for my math teacher and 2 days a week I had to go into a different room while all the 8th grade teachers had meetings about the kids or about the curiculum . Then the teacher that I was student assisting for would come out of the meeting as if he was being tortured. I dont want to think that they are having meetings about how horrible their students are or talking about something boring that they have to teach us. I like to hear that they are actually trying to improve how we learn.
How it matters to the world:
If they are starting to advance into the future in America now then I think that there is a good chance that soon they will start in Europe. Twitter seems to be helping in conferances and actually keeping the audeince awake. They actually have a chance to interact with the other people there without even interupting the speecher. The internet is constantly changing the world by improving and developing new programs. The world in finally advancing into the future!
What matters:
This new program called Twitter is a new way of chatting through blogger. Dave Warlick seems to think that this program is very effective because it can help him during presentations because all he has to do is put it up on a screen and then teachers could ask questions for other teachers to see and then the people in the audience could chat with each other about what they think. It matters because this is just another step forward to improving our schools and creating better schools for the furture.
How it matters to me:
It matters to me because I like to know that the teachers actually care about their students. They actually want to find new ways to make learning better for us. Normally when I think about the conferances that teacher have to go to I picture just someone boring standing in the front of the room talking about something that no one really cares about. Also in middle school I was a student assistant for my math teacher and 2 days a week I had to go into a different room while all the 8th grade teachers had meetings about the kids or about the curiculum . Then the teacher that I was student assisting for would come out of the meeting as if he was being tortured. I dont want to think that they are having meetings about how horrible their students are or talking about something boring that they have to teach us. I like to hear that they are actually trying to improve how we learn.
How it matters to the world:
If they are starting to advance into the future in America now then I think that there is a good chance that soon they will start in Europe. Twitter seems to be helping in conferances and actually keeping the audeince awake. They actually have a chance to interact with the other people there without even interupting the speecher. The internet is constantly changing the world by improving and developing new programs. The world in finally advancing into the future!
Monday, September 17, 2007
PLN entry #3
I read an article by David Warlick called Could it happen here? and agreed with him that the U.S . needs to create conferances about developing tools for the future for educators, and students to attend.
What Matters:
What matters is that it is a really idea for the people of America to start thinking about the future of schools. I dont think that just certain poeple should have the opportunity to go to those kind of meetings. If every school had the chance to go they could change the way education is taught forever. I dont understand why David Warlick used to think that there was no hope of this every happening in America. America has a really good education system and schools are constantly looking for better ways to teach thier students so I am guess that many other schools know about this meeting and want it to come to America also.
How does it relate to me:
It relates to me because I always want a better education. I want the schools of the future to open many opportunities for their students when they graduate because today there are many people who aren't educated and dont have the opportunity to get a good education and a good job. What I see in the future is no books only computers. I want my school to have a chance to experience the future.
How it relates to the world around us:
If they had that conferance around the world and let anyone go to it then some many more schools would have the opportunity to advance into the future. Then the rate of homeless and uneducated people would decrease. Also more people would be able to have better jobs and make better money and clearly there would would be less suffering in the world if everyone had the opportunity to get educated and have a better life.
"Come join the search as we together build the future of schools."
What Matters:
What matters is that it is a really idea for the people of America to start thinking about the future of schools. I dont think that just certain poeple should have the opportunity to go to those kind of meetings. If every school had the chance to go they could change the way education is taught forever. I dont understand why David Warlick used to think that there was no hope of this every happening in America. America has a really good education system and schools are constantly looking for better ways to teach thier students so I am guess that many other schools know about this meeting and want it to come to America also.
How does it relate to me:
It relates to me because I always want a better education. I want the schools of the future to open many opportunities for their students when they graduate because today there are many people who aren't educated and dont have the opportunity to get a good education and a good job. What I see in the future is no books only computers. I want my school to have a chance to experience the future.
How it relates to the world around us:
If they had that conferance around the world and let anyone go to it then some many more schools would have the opportunity to advance into the future. Then the rate of homeless and uneducated people would decrease. Also more people would be able to have better jobs and make better money and clearly there would would be less suffering in the world if everyone had the opportunity to get educated and have a better life.
"Come join the search as we together build the future of schools."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
2 cents worth
I was very interested when I read 2 cents worth http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/. The fact that we will probably find out more information about planets outside of your univere thatn in our own just amazed me. The fact that we have that kind of technology. the brains it would take to build that kind of machine is beyond me. You would think that since we are closer to the planets in our own universe we would be able to figure them out fast but no. that not what Paul Glister thought. He is the other of Digital Literacy, which includes Internet Navigator and Mosaic Navigator. He thinks that anywhere there is oxygen there is a possibility of life. There is also evidence already that there is life on other planets outside of our univere. In about 20 years we will have the advanced technology to even maybe go to oneof the planets outside of our universe. But lets not get to far ahead of ourselves. Dave and Paul are neighbors and they had this dicussion over coffee. What amazes me is that they have casual talks about this just over coffee. This is something that never seems worthy of just coffee. Who knows we may not be alone in the universe or we are. Both are overwhelming
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)