Today I came across a different type of blog by Will Richardson called Dispatches From the Front Lines #324. Instead of several long paragraphs about the subject it was a conversation between Richardson and a principal of a school that has grades K-12. They talk about how the school doesn't have alot of technoloy for its school because of the cost of laptops and they small amout of money they are given to spend of laptops.
What matters:
The government is the supplier of the money for schools. But even though the government gives most school a large amount of money, it is still never enough to by to all the necessities for a proper education in todays world of technology. The princepal tells Richardson in thier conversation that they only recieve $100,000 from our local council for technology. That may seem like a large amount but that amount of money is only enough to buy 50 laptops. The cheapest for a good laptop is $2,000. The need for technology is schools is increasing and schools can't go on much longer without them. Most jobs involve even a little bit of technology at the very least and in order to get a good education you must have a little bit of knowledge of the subject. The government needs to figure out some way to provide schools with enough money to get them good laptops.
What matters to me:
Arapahoe high school is very fortunate to even have enough money to buy some laptops for my english class. But they don't have enough for every English class so only a couple lucky students get to use the laptops. Maybe some day AHS will get enough money to let every class have laptops. But the government doesn't realize how important and useful these laptops are. They can improve education so much. I don't know how much money the school gets for technology and other things and I don't know how much other schools get either so I'm not sure how the littleton school district distributes money for essential things. But I know that AHS gets more than most schools do.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
PLN 5
Something that related to me alot was the article titled Student Information Online from the Thinking Stick. It talks about how students need to protect themselves on the internet because even though the internet is becoming less and less dangerous, there are still creepy people out there who can hurt you and there is still a need for students to protect themselves. It also talks about how schools want to protect its students even though it doesn't have any rules about pictures and other things on the internet about their students.
What matters:
There are several things on the internet that are good and bad. But the school is the last place that you would think would put its students in danger over the internet by posting pictures, names, and other personal information. In Student Information Online talks about how there are unspoken rules for putting things on the internet. Well some of the rules are
1.Do not post personal information
2.Do not use last names
3. Use pictures with permission
These are pretty good rules because those are the main ways people are found on the internet and if they don't put those things on websites about students, then they are safe from any online preditors. Also the school is safe from getting sued. If a student was hurt by an online preditor because of the information the school put online then the school would get sued alot for putting that child in danger.
What Matters to Me:
My parents feel that the internet is a very unsafe place. That is why they won't let me have a Myspace. They always read about children getting stalked by strange people on the internet, most commonly men. I don't entirly agree with them on this subject but I do agree that the internet can be unsafe sometimes. But if you follow all the safety tips listed above then you are pretty safe. But my school posts things about me and other students all the time. When I did Cross Country the school posted my PR online. They also have a picture of the Cross Country team. so my school doesnt follow these rules.
What matters:
There are several things on the internet that are good and bad. But the school is the last place that you would think would put its students in danger over the internet by posting pictures, names, and other personal information. In Student Information Online talks about how there are unspoken rules for putting things on the internet. Well some of the rules are
1.Do not post personal information
2.Do not use last names
3. Use pictures with permission
These are pretty good rules because those are the main ways people are found on the internet and if they don't put those things on websites about students, then they are safe from any online preditors. Also the school is safe from getting sued. If a student was hurt by an online preditor because of the information the school put online then the school would get sued alot for putting that child in danger.
What Matters to Me:
My parents feel that the internet is a very unsafe place. That is why they won't let me have a Myspace. They always read about children getting stalked by strange people on the internet, most commonly men. I don't entirly agree with them on this subject but I do agree that the internet can be unsafe sometimes. But if you follow all the safety tips listed above then you are pretty safe. But my school posts things about me and other students all the time. When I did Cross Country the school posted my PR online. They also have a picture of the Cross Country team. so my school doesnt follow these rules.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
PLN 4
Today I read an article by Will Richardson. The title of this article is Students Pay A Price (Literally) For Cell Phone Use and in this article it talks about at some schools students aren't aloud to have their cell phones because the school thinks that it is a disruption. If the students are caught with their phones in school, then their phone is taken away until Friday, when a parent can come pick it up. But the students can't leave home without their cell phones because they need it for saftey and several other things. The only way they can keep their phone at school is to check it in and pay $3 for the school to hold it, and then get it after school.
What matters:
Richardson talks in his article that students shouldn't have to pay for them to take their phones to school because the cell phone can actually be very helpful. Students can use it for educational purposes also. He thinks that they should be able to bring it to school and actually use them in class. Now alot of schools won't agree with this because they think that it is a big distraction and is only used for social networking. That is also why Myspace is banned from schools even though Myspace isn't only used for social networking. But the fact that they are making teens pay $3 per day just to take their cell phone to school is just not right. Teens don't have alot of money and so whenever they do get money they try to spend it on entertainment. The rule about cell phones probably won't change anytime soon, because sometimes cell phone are used only for txting people during class.
What matters to me:
I half agree with Richardson. I think that it is ridiculous that teens have to pay so much for them to bring their cell phones to school, but I don't agree with him when he says that cell phones could be used in school. Sometimes when adults try to figure out ways to use all types of technology in school it doesn't really work out because if students were aloud to have cell phones in class, then they probably would be texting people the whole time. The same with Myspace. Nearly all my friends have Myspaces and they use it only to talk to friends. Not for anything educational. I think that the rules that our school has about cell phone use is good. They don't mind if you use your cell phone as long as your not in class, but when your texting in class then you will get your phone taken away and then your punishment is up to the teacher. I know that if AHS let us use our phones in class I would be texting all my friends. That is the only thing I use my cell phone for. That might change in the future but for now I don't think that the rules will change.
What matters:
Richardson talks in his article that students shouldn't have to pay for them to take their phones to school because the cell phone can actually be very helpful. Students can use it for educational purposes also. He thinks that they should be able to bring it to school and actually use them in class. Now alot of schools won't agree with this because they think that it is a big distraction and is only used for social networking. That is also why Myspace is banned from schools even though Myspace isn't only used for social networking. But the fact that they are making teens pay $3 per day just to take their cell phone to school is just not right. Teens don't have alot of money and so whenever they do get money they try to spend it on entertainment. The rule about cell phones probably won't change anytime soon, because sometimes cell phone are used only for txting people during class.
What matters to me:
I half agree with Richardson. I think that it is ridiculous that teens have to pay so much for them to bring their cell phones to school, but I don't agree with him when he says that cell phones could be used in school. Sometimes when adults try to figure out ways to use all types of technology in school it doesn't really work out because if students were aloud to have cell phones in class, then they probably would be texting people the whole time. The same with Myspace. Nearly all my friends have Myspaces and they use it only to talk to friends. Not for anything educational. I think that the rules that our school has about cell phone use is good. They don't mind if you use your cell phone as long as your not in class, but when your texting in class then you will get your phone taken away and then your punishment is up to the teacher. I know that if AHS let us use our phones in class I would be texting all my friends. That is the only thing I use my cell phone for. That might change in the future but for now I don't think that the rules will change.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
PLN 3
Today I decided to read an article from Karl Fisch. The title of the article was The Future of the Newspaper. In this article it talks about how the future of the the newspaper and many other things like the music business are not looking so good. The article talks about Karl listening to John Temple. The conference was interactive with the kids which I think is good because kids are the future and know more about this stuff than adults do.
What Matters:
The future is a sometimes very unpredictable. But still people seem to think that they can make accurate predictions about the future, especially in technology. Some of the things Temple talked about in his conference was that music isn't going out, but the music business of selling albums is. Most teens don't even buy CDs anymore because they can just get it off the internet. Another imortant topic that was brought up was the future of the newspaper. Do you think it will still be around in the future. Temple thinks that it will not because people can just use the internet to get the news or the weather, and serveral other things that the newspaper provide for us.
What matters to me:
In some ways I do agree with Temple. But there are also many other things that I do not think will fade away. Such as the newspaper. The internet can not replace the comfort of sitting at the breakfast table quietly reading the newspaper while you sit with the rest of your family. Sure the internet does provide all the news and weather but it is not as easy as reading the newspaper. You can just flip to the comics on a sunday morning and eat at the same time. The newspaper has been around for so long and even though technology is taking over several aspects of life, I do not believe it will take away the traditional newspaper. But I agreed with Temple when he talked about the music business going out because people can just buy music online. They can access it off Itunes, Limewire, and many many other websites that you can buy music off of. I have not bought a CD in a very long time and I see no point in it. It is just so much easier when I can just walk into my own basement and go on the computer and buy any song I want, without needing to buy the whole CD.
What Matters:
The future is a sometimes very unpredictable. But still people seem to think that they can make accurate predictions about the future, especially in technology. Some of the things Temple talked about in his conference was that music isn't going out, but the music business of selling albums is. Most teens don't even buy CDs anymore because they can just get it off the internet. Another imortant topic that was brought up was the future of the newspaper. Do you think it will still be around in the future. Temple thinks that it will not because people can just use the internet to get the news or the weather, and serveral other things that the newspaper provide for us.
What matters to me:
In some ways I do agree with Temple. But there are also many other things that I do not think will fade away. Such as the newspaper. The internet can not replace the comfort of sitting at the breakfast table quietly reading the newspaper while you sit with the rest of your family. Sure the internet does provide all the news and weather but it is not as easy as reading the newspaper. You can just flip to the comics on a sunday morning and eat at the same time. The newspaper has been around for so long and even though technology is taking over several aspects of life, I do not believe it will take away the traditional newspaper. But I agreed with Temple when he talked about the music business going out because people can just buy music online. They can access it off Itunes, Limewire, and many many other websites that you can buy music off of. I have not bought a CD in a very long time and I see no point in it. It is just so much easier when I can just walk into my own basement and go on the computer and buy any song I want, without needing to buy the whole CD.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
PLN 2
The Denver Post reports many horrible incidents, but when I was looking from an intersting article I saw a particulary upsetting report. The title of the article was I-25 "Samaritan" turns sexual attacker by Joey Bunch. It talks about a man sexually assulting women when they had car trouble and were stuck. He would act like he was going to help him and then he would attack them by raping them. The scariest part is that the man is still out there.
What Matters:
It seems like no one can be trusted anymore. When you are in a hard situation and all you need is just a little bit of kindness, you probably wont get it and will get the total opposite. That is what happened in this situation. On interstate 25 a women was sexually assulted when her car broke down. She thought the man was going to help her, when he actually had other plans in mind. The attack lasted for 30 minutes. The attack took place in the early morning around 1:30. The 30 year old attacker is still out there somewhere and anyone could be his next victum.
What matters to me:
When I hear things like this it makes me sad because no one is trust worthy anymore. You can't ever be alone in certain places because you could be putting your life in danger. I wonder what went wrong in the human brain. Why are there so many killers out there. Why are there so many messed up people. A couple of months ago I was walking home from Arapahoe high school and was followed by an older man I didn't know. I was close to my house so I just ran home. But it is things like these that worry me and wish that our society was a little more safe. What surprised me was that my neighborhood is very safe and you would never expect something like this to happen. But it doesn't matter now since it was such a long time ago. But I just want the world to become a safer place some day where we won't be afraid of our own species.
What Matters:
It seems like no one can be trusted anymore. When you are in a hard situation and all you need is just a little bit of kindness, you probably wont get it and will get the total opposite. That is what happened in this situation. On interstate 25 a women was sexually assulted when her car broke down. She thought the man was going to help her, when he actually had other plans in mind. The attack lasted for 30 minutes. The attack took place in the early morning around 1:30. The 30 year old attacker is still out there somewhere and anyone could be his next victum.
What matters to me:
When I hear things like this it makes me sad because no one is trust worthy anymore. You can't ever be alone in certain places because you could be putting your life in danger. I wonder what went wrong in the human brain. Why are there so many killers out there. Why are there so many messed up people. A couple of months ago I was walking home from Arapahoe high school and was followed by an older man I didn't know. I was close to my house so I just ran home. But it is things like these that worry me and wish that our society was a little more safe. What surprised me was that my neighborhood is very safe and you would never expect something like this to happen. But it doesn't matter now since it was such a long time ago. But I just want the world to become a safer place some day where we won't be afraid of our own species.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
PLN 1
In the article The distributed university by Will Richardson talks about how kids dont even need to go to college anymore because they can just go online and take classes for free. This is much cheaper that actually going to college. Paying for the books, the dorm room, and the actualy college adds up quickly so thats why people think that these courses will make eduaction more excessable.
What matters:
The internet seems to be taking over the world. It has changed education so much but never did I imagine it would replace college all together. There are some people who only see the money issue and when they hear about the internet providing a free college course they think it is great. But in my opinion there is nothing that can replace college. The whole experience is an important aspect to growing up. College is the real test to whether you know right from wrong. It also teaches you about time management and money managment. Most college kids have to get a job in order to have enough money for their survival. This gives them a little taste of the real world. College is also the first time you get to live out on your own. That is the most important because this teaches you how to take care of yourself. Most people in college find lifelong friends or their future spouse.
What matters to me:
When it is my time to go to college I know it will be very expensive for my parents since they have to pay for me and my 2 other triplet sisters at the same time. I sometimes feel bad that they have to pay so much for my education. But when I think about how amazing college will be I realize that it is all worth it. That is why my parents are happy to pay. They want me to have to a real college experience. They want me to discover myself, to establish who I really am to the world. That is why I dont want college to be taken over the computer. Sure my parents will be saving money, but they will be robbing me of the best 4 years of my life.
What matters:
The internet seems to be taking over the world. It has changed education so much but never did I imagine it would replace college all together. There are some people who only see the money issue and when they hear about the internet providing a free college course they think it is great. But in my opinion there is nothing that can replace college. The whole experience is an important aspect to growing up. College is the real test to whether you know right from wrong. It also teaches you about time management and money managment. Most college kids have to get a job in order to have enough money for their survival. This gives them a little taste of the real world. College is also the first time you get to live out on your own. That is the most important because this teaches you how to take care of yourself. Most people in college find lifelong friends or their future spouse.
What matters to me:
When it is my time to go to college I know it will be very expensive for my parents since they have to pay for me and my 2 other triplet sisters at the same time. I sometimes feel bad that they have to pay so much for my education. But when I think about how amazing college will be I realize that it is all worth it. That is why my parents are happy to pay. They want me to have to a real college experience. They want me to discover myself, to establish who I really am to the world. That is why I dont want college to be taken over the computer. Sure my parents will be saving money, but they will be robbing me of the best 4 years of my life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)