PLN Presentation Evaluation (second one)

Analysing the comments I got, I would say i did pretty well. A lot of people said that I swayed a little too much and talked too fast, but oppositely, many classmates said that I did a good job explaining my plns. I guess it is all dependant on personal belief, whether informality outweighs content, but overall, I'm happy with my performance.

Final Presentation

PLN 26

After reviewing a large mass of blog entries, one specific one grasped my attention. It was titled “Pocket texting and open phone tests” and was situated within the Weblogg-ed blog.

The entry itself notably described the unethical (in the world of education) habits of a 14 year old student. He is of South Korean descent and has adopted the repulsive tendency to text message during his classes. This is quite simple for him, for he has memorized his key pad and plainly types up a question that was addressed by the teacher and sends this completed message to his friends. The then answer the question back and Insoo (the student) completes assignments with ease. He has also composed an online port to his questions which is useful in the event of confusion during his homework.

Wow, this idea of texting to receive answers during tests and homework is unacceptable. I have always defended my belief that the practice of text messaging was evil, and this completely supports my point! Phones which posses the ability to send these messages should be banned during tests, yet the computer programs at home can’t become extinct without drastic measures. It is a tough question to answer; should (because of the potential hazard of cheating as instead by cell phones) all technology be abandoned within classrooms? Technology poses such an overwhelming advantage over conservative teaching, for the radical technology utilized in classrooms is sometimes even more resourceful than a teacher. My English class has introduced laptops to our class, and in the absence of the power, speed, and practicality presented by laptops and other comparable technological devices, I would find myself lost in that class.

Essentially, technology is helpful in the sense that it poses better alternatives to the contemporary textbook. Yet, if operated by teens like Insoo, the technology may not radiate the same positive feelings as it does in my English class.

PLN 25

According to “Gizmag”.com, the future of transportation has arrived. The scrawny “flying motorcycle” may spark the new era of flight controlled by ordinary people. Although scrawny in appearance, this definition fits not with performance. The contraption itself is essentially a three wheeled frame with a collapsible rotor on the top (giving it the appearance and maneuverability of a helicopter) and another vertical one in the rear so as to drive the vehicle forward. It is able to house one person and can exceed speeds of 55 mph on land and 100 in flight! “There’s nothing else like it, a gyroplane that can fly at better than freeway speeds, land in 20 feet, be driven home as a motorcycle, and fit in your garage” states Larry Neal (initial creator of the aircraft). The most significant aspect of this invention is its versatility; it can be driven on land (it is allowed on roads too) or in the air. Imagine the advantages; speed limits don’t exist in the air so maximum speeds may be encountered; if you are running late, are in a traffic jam, or just have a need for speed, this cycle will not simply suffice, it will out- perform any other available compact flyer on the market.

For only $37,195, I don’t think a person could possibly argue the aircraft’s expensiveness. Keep in mind though that most aircrafts of this stature are radically more expensive; take for example the Cessna 172. This tiny counterpart tips the scale at a staggering $50,000! Although the Cessna is slightly faster than the Flying Motorcycle, the cycle still claims advantage over the Cessna and other comparable aircraft, for it is able to operate in the atmosphere and on the earth, plus, it relies on a rotor blade mounted on its top; this feature will ensure maximum maneuverability unlike conventional “forward only” aircraft. Because Neal has priced his obviously incredible breakthrough in technology at a meager (for an aircraft) $37,195 he understands the benefits of his contribution to the world and wants it in circulation (obviously if he’s a vender).

I have always complemented the benefits associated with flight. For this reason, I would seriously consider purchasing one of these fine machines. They are compact (the blades fold inward), efficient (traveling at speeds exceeding 100mph), and an all around enjoyable experience to operate (for air pioneers like me). In 20 years, the sky will almost certainly adopt a new face, and I’ll be one of the millions up there in my super sky cycle contributing to that alteration.

PLN 24

While scanning the contents of available blogs, mine eyes glimpsed an entry, regarded in my opinion, as simply disheartening. It was titled “Why are kids failing?” and was contained within Michele’s CIT blog. The composition primarily demonstrates a teacher’s frustrated state when coping with the immense failure looming in class. Her chief concern expressed in this article is one of confusion as to why a vast majority of her students are currently failing her English course. She, out of desperation lowers the standards in her facility in hope of greater student achievement, but of course, these actions are to no avail. Michele states: “In my 9th grade classes, I have 3 categories: homework/responsibility where students can turn in late work for 50% of its worth; reading applications and analysis where students can do any assignment for 100% of its worth as well as the writing category where again students can do (and re-do) any assignment for 100%. This allows for penalties with day-to-day work, but allows for growth in the 2 categories key to English class.” She also bothers to note that: “Out of my 49 9th graders, 21 students have low D's and F's. I have 10 F's in my 4th hour alone!”. The most deceiving part of her job is also confronted when she explains how her students stand loyal to her (exclaiming that they love her), yet do not perform accordingly.

To me, this is truly discouraging, a teacher who does everything in her power to actually improve her struggling student’s grades should be considered heroic, thoughtful, and should be rewarded for her actions. Although this is all true in my personal opinion, the favor is not returned by her pupils. How come? I believe the answer is dependent on a student’s maturity level. Of course, Michele’s class consists of 9th graders (who are fresh out of middle school) and may (because of this) not have yet fully developed a sense of maturity to cope with the more challenging and less unaccustomed to assignments. During their middle school careers, students did not encounter excelled levels of thought. For most, the transition to high school from the more familiar middle school is a visibly radical feat. Because of the pressures associated with comprehensive tests, challenging homework, and in depth discussions, “Fresh”men might become seriously weighed down with these prospects. This leads to basically abandoning of these new challenges and a byproduct of poor achievement.

The problem surrounding Michele dictates her forgiveness. Essentially, she instructs the class in a manor proclaiming her elasticity. In her nature, she is a nice person, yet too nice; she simply bends around the fact that her students take advantage of her generous policies. When the matters of academic training are discussed, Michele should be prepared to not accept late work for any credit whatsoever. It is this trait expressed in her teaching methods which renders her capable of becoming a “babysitter” of students and not a genuine teacher. Because her students (the vast majority of them immature) understand her guidelines (accepting late work for 100%???!!!), they procrastinate until the assignment is “due” and ask for forgiveness keeping in mind that they will simply receive another chance with no reduction of points. Well, reality is not that lenient; in the real world, opportunities are encountered fairly rarely; to fail in an important task could potentially render one unemployed or worse. Students need to become more mature, face the facts, and understand the reality of life; if they simply procrastinate in their work, they can’t possible succeed in life. Likewise, teachers depicted as Michele must agree to become stricter, for if they do not accord with this warning, unforgiving students will not bask in the warmth of a prosperous life.

PLN 23

The article I have just completed analyzing is addressed as “Fight Hunger While Learning Vocab” and was located in the Fischbowl blog. The composition primarily describes a revolutionary new program aimed at nourishing the underprivileged. It is referred to as “Free Rice” and serves as a source of food distribution to the United Nations World Food Program. The UNWFP then collects the rice generated by “Free Rice” and circulates it throughout the globe to less fortunate nations. Though “Free Rice” does not simply open their hands to UNWEP, an average person can potentially force them to by answering a series of questions concerning vocabulary correctly. The program will donate 20 grains of rice to the UNWEP for every question resolved by players. The game itself is actually quite elementary; the player is simply instructed to choose of four possible answers, the one which acts in unison the best with a provided word. Because this organization is internet biased, maximum productivity will be achieved. It does not matter a person’s background, ethnicity, or other affiliated descriptions; anyone with access to the internet may participate in this extraordinary event.

On learning of this site, I immediately turned on my computer and ventured to “Free Rice”. The game was designed simply, but the questions did not accord with the simplistic rules. This sight offers a multitude of the most exotic words which may become helpful if a person, for example, wishes to excel their vocabulary comprehension levels. At the same time though, the sight indirectly donates rice to downtrodden inhabitants of the world. The program truly revolutionizes the dilapidation of hunger throughout the most pauper oriented countries. Because of its great accessibility, charitable nature, and vocabulary enhancement, the “Free Rice” legacy will potentially nurture millions in this year alone.

The greatest benefit of the program is its ability to not consume hefty amounts of time. Last night, for example, I tested out the sight and after around a half an hour’s work, I had already accumulated 6,040 grains of rice. If this number goal is pursued each day by millions of people a day, hungriness will become extinct. It is foolishly simple to play and increases your vocabulary levels, so give it a try; what do you have to loose?

PLN 22

Situated within the contents of the Littleton Public Schools blog, an article by the name of “Maine's 1:1 laptop raises writing performance” confronts a decisive issue concerning our generation. It is primarily focuses on the heightened levels of student achievement achieved as a result of the availability of laptop computers in classrooms. The author of the composition (Dan Maas) also bothers to point out the notion of these technological devices being able to also promote an instillation of greater achievement (as directed towards other fields of study) in students. To Dan, cyberspace is the most resourceful tool available and should be taken advantage of in every classroom.

Although this prospect of increasing writing abilities and possibly knowledge in other subjects and although I favor it, this usage of computers is corrupt. The concept Dan fails to grasp is the idea of mechanically induced not human assignments. The reality dictates a computer friendly, but almost too. It simply completes work independently. Its features such as the spell check, grammar check, and many more only depresses a student’s knowledge in that affiliated field. The computers are responsible for improving writing achievement, for they automatically fulfill an assignment’s legitimacy. As an example, I have already probably used the helpful yet harmful spell check over ten times now. Taking this into consideration, one may assume that computers are responsible for most of the formatting, grammar related corrections, and many more.

Although I have expressed repulsion towards the computer, it is oppositely helpful. It may lower understanding in the grammatical fields, but in reality it provides a user with the opportunity to elaborate on topics. Computers (when operated by true idolizers of them) prove to triumph over the more conservative pen and paper. Computer typing is in most circumstances, faster than brute writing. I offer the example concerning myself; in an English course, it is customary to encounter some form of writing at the closure of a unit. After the first “Odyssey” unit, the class was instructed to compose an essay concerning the literature. On this, we were permitted to utilize the powers of computers; of course, I finished well before I ultimately did in another subsequent hand written one concerning “Inherit the Wind”.

Both benefits and con oriented aspects are confronted when speaking on the topic of these machines. Although they decline knowledge pertaining to grammar and spelling, they also allow for lengthier and more thought out compositions. In the end, it truly boils down to personal preferences, whether it be length to be achieved or a drained understanding of grammatical and spelling skills.

PLN 21

I believe it absurdly disgraceful to witness the numbers displayed on the Denver post’s blog entry “How much does this really matter?”. This article’s primary focus is to underscore the stupidity residing within the boundaries of “the greatest nation on earth”. According to the assembly of statistical facts as the National Foundation of Science is credited with obtaining, “66% do not understand DNA, “margin of error,” the scientific process, and do not believe in evolution. 50% do not know how long it takes the earth to go around the sun, and a quarter does not even know that the earth goes around the sun. 50% think humans coexisted with dinosaurs and believe antibiotics kill viruses.” The piece also complimented our nation’s stupidity by stating: “88% believe in alternative medicine. 50% believe in extrasensory perception and faith healing. 40% believe in haunted houses and demonic possession. 33% believes in lucky numbers, ghosts, telepathy, clairvoyance, astrology, and that UFOs are aliens from space. 25% believes in witches and that we can communicate with the dead. The article then begins to move on to question legitimacy of understanding this elementary composition of obvious facts.

Maybe because of my high appreciations for the field of science, or my battle hardened yet still firm belief that science tremendously benefits society, I would classify the country as a whole (based on these results) prone to become shockingly accurately “the stupidest country on earth”. Presently, competition is brewing in the world. We as a nation are plummeting into the abyss, others are mockingly dethroning us from our previous position. We must act accordingly, for if we do regard this crisis as a mere fluctuation in the normal conduct of the nation, we will be deceived. If inhabitants of America do not even understand the concept of the planet earth circling our nearest star, I can’t possible envision success as bestowed upon brain dead individuals. A decrease in the success rate within America will also provoke the common stereotype dubbing us “stupid” to become one of truth. Do we want to be frowned upon by neighboring countries? Do we want to become in actuality “the stupidest”? No, we must take action.

To achieve this fete, it would be plausible to institute a more rigorous science curriculum in schools dotting the nation, for the adults who have proved brain invalid through these results have produced such due to their initial school careers. If the present schoolchild generation is to be more forcefully educated in factual realities of life, of course test scores will rise and as a result, this depression will rise.

I also do not understand an instance where people who fit these results may make a living. What institution in their right mind would allow the enrollment of some individual who can’t even comprehend basic science? How is a person able to nourish a family with the absence of a collage earned job? If understanding is not met in these topics, people who are unlucky enough to have been “educated” by faulty science teachers will inevitably spend their days as garbage collectors and other related professions. What a life that would be, boring, dirty, and lonely. Do we want to see our nation’s workforce comprise of un- marginal numbers of unskilled workers? No, all these hindrances of our possibly utopian society (after renovation of course) may be avoided if schools would devote more time and effort to science studies.

To me, it is most disheartening to face these facts. I guess it is partially the belief instilled in generations who have achieved so poorly that science is evil. People too immature simply listed to their grandmas from the 1600s (when science was considered a real evil) and meekly avoid the whole topic. Although I am not one to talk, I still respect people's decisions to elude the subject, but to me, not understanding the concept of the earth traveling around the sun is very embarrassing. Scientific discoveries have benefited man kind since its institution. Take for example cancer. Every moment, people are infected with this notorious disease, and what saves their butts? Science which derived Chemo therapy. How about the flu vaccine (also a product of scientific discovery), this year alone would turn into a scramble of confusion and cover from the infected if not for the medicine. I am not trying to convey the message that science is the all powerful, but understanding simple aspects may save a person from extreme embarrassment.

PLN 20

Soldiers, the enthusiastic young men willing to endanger their lives as protection agencies for the inhabitants of a warring nation. Their sacrifice inevitable as soon as foot was set on the unforgiving battleground; cannons boom, guns whistle, men screaming for comfort. Blood, suffering, pain, and emotion have all been pursued by any protector, whether these be greeted on the beaches of Normandy or the streets of Baghdad, they are equals. All men who have so gallantly surrendered their precious lives for the sake of our well being are undoubtedly the most unselfish and courageous individuals to walk the face of this earth. They should not be nor will ever be disregarded as mere memories in my opinion.

The article I have taken the liberty to discuss is titled “Vets will share their stories with students” and was found in the Denver Post blog. The primary objective of this composition is to inform the public of present student’s disregard for the heroic men who risked all for the country’s well being. The article also moves on to explain actions being completed to ensure an understanding of these men’s struggles. The piece states “Some kids aren't sure whether we fought with or against the Germans, and I see a lot of teachers who know just as little as they do,”. The article explained how Jim Hart and other brothers in arms attempt to inform today’s youth on the great struggles of their times. The problem surrounding this feat is the tendency of a multitude of students not to appreciate the men’s accomplishments. For this reason, the 7th Congressional District's Oral History Project was developed. The project’s goal is to essentially become educated on past and brutal wars. The project involves students attending Aurora, Colorado to interview veterans (primarily from the WWII era). Their recordings will then be transferred to the library of congress’ archives.

How could any individual simply ignore the whole second war? The veterans of this cruel struggle for peace should all be regarded as the greatest generation; no matter ethnicity, religion, or action pertaining to a specific chapter in a war’s chronology, they are all equals. Personally, I believe that more information concerning the vets who served their time in these notorious conflicts should be incorporated into classrooms around the globe, not just interviews. As the quote stated, many simply did not even understand which powers belonged to which alliances. To me, this would become truly disheartening after such a prolonged discussion of my experiences if I were a veteran. I would agree with a classification of this interviewing practice to be of valid nature to educate students, but the idea of this project not being of mandatory nature obscures my view. To me, only the students who actually did initially bother to account for veteran’s recollections on their oral presentations would only undertake this project. Because it is optional, other students will not peruse this amazing opportunity and of course, they will require the information most drastically. I would believe it to be a great deal more efficient to simply adopt a more rigorous curriculum concerning veterans, wars, and all such related aspects of war. This would become a mandatory for the class and more students would as a result, understand the numerous achievements as accomplished by the greatest generation.

PLN 19

Of course, we all during our times of adolescence and wonderful youth have developed a symbolic and immensely tolerated bond between our comic superheroes. Of the numerous include superman, wonder woman, and defiantly the heroic stature of Spiderman. Who could let the images of the gallant spider man rescuing innocent soles from inevitable death? The “friendly neighborhood” super hero not only represents justice bound within superhuman form, but also a lovable and sensitive individual (as seen in the three current movies). It is these traits and countless more which define the ultimate figure America has come to adore so.

On the topic of Spiderman, the factual story discussed in this entry concerns an innocent five year old boy from Brazil completing the task of saving a newborn baby from perilous danger as would the renowned spider man. The entry was located in the “Global Voices Online” blog and was titled “Brazil: 5 years old boy dressed as Spiderman saves baby”. Ironically, both the boy and Spiderman are credited with similar achievements in similar fields plus they apparently share the same tastes in apparel style. The sequence of events concerning this child hero were perceived to be as such: at the moment, a dynamic fire raged in a neighboring house to where the emerging “Spiderman” resided; the courageous youth was clothed in a spider man costume and yelled “I’m Spiderman” before taking a suspenseful leap into the burning structure. Later, he emerged from the rubble holding a one year old infant. The youth was only a mere five years of age; a worthy candidate for a praised award of some sort. His name was Riquelme and should as his more fictional counterpart, represent justice, heroism, courageousness, and many other terms affiliated with this unbelievable feat.

Although Riquelme is defiantly regarded as a hero, heroic deeds are a common scene. Although they be not of such a life threatening stanza, they are nonetheless still significant in an affected individual’s perception. Heroism in its strictest sense may be seen to represent any act be it great or small that impacts in a favorable product. I have become victim to many acts of heroism as portrayed through the actions of my friends and family. Personally, I view my parents as heroes; they are constantly offering help and support directed towards my every day life. My friends are likewise always present to provide emotional support whenever I may require it and to this, I return the favor. Many people are heroic; it is not of legitimacy if an individual may be perceived as a heroic figure solely due to an ability to be compared to Spiderman. People who are able to be compared to superheroes are still truly heroes, but people who lovingly assist in day to day matters still should be considered for the title. They have still donated their time and effort to a wonderful cause and are therefore classified accordingly.

PLN 18

Scanning the contents of the Denver Post blog, I happened across a very controversial article discussing the notion of introducing birth control pills in 12 school hosted clinics. This piece was known as “Do schools have birth-control role?”

As the teen pregnancy rate constantly rises, task force officials have proposed a campaign to stock 12 schools with a supply of birth control pills. This operation would target six Denver high schools, but also the equivalent amount of secondary schools.

Personally, I believe that the task force personnel should not attempt to define the conduct of a school’s clinic. Their proposal of adoption of such pills does not act in accordance with what I personally hold as true. This outrageous idea of supplying schools with such pills is preposterous, not only will the billing associated with this act will be seen to rise steadily at an alarming rate (last time I checked, birth control pills weren’t cheap; according to kidshealth.org, they cost $20 to $50 a month) but their presence will actually encourage more sexual related practices. After an extended period of time, schools may loose their valuable cash to an ineffective movement. The article stated that only “Of every 1,000 girls ages 15-17 in the city, 54.5 will become pregnant in the city, compared with 24.3 throughout Colorado”. When combined, for every 1000 girls, roughly 78.8 will face pregnancy at a young age, that’s not even ten percent. Schools which fund this pill fiasco will only waist their cash in vain, for not many will even depend on these pills. The bulk of the ordered medicine will most likely simply sit in confinement until they become invalid and must be discarded. What a waste!

Also, the presence of these pills may drive individuals to actually commit to a will to perform sexually oriented practices, isn’t that what we are trying to dilapidate? I do not visibly see the benefits associated with this waist; only a waist of money and increased levels of sexual practices will arise from this whole dim-witted project. The world needs to realize that its teenaged inhabitants are not adults; they should not be undertaking such adult situated practices. Why should we set their stages by adding birth control pills to our agendas? This will only encourage such practices; once teens understand the fact that they will be protected at their schools, they pursue the unimaginable. This increases the teen birth rate drastically, isn’t that what we have been collaborating against?

Indirectly, I have been introduced to the idea of teen sexual activity through books. The other characters always seemed so disheartened at the fact that their friends performed such madness. I have always sympathized with the downcast characters, for they did nothing truly wrong to provoke such events. Think about the reactions of friends and family when the news is broken, I would be visibly dead if I had a daughter who one day told me of my future grandchild. I do wish to forestall that event until she would be of legitimate age, so I do not favor this idea of adopting pills in schools.

PLN 17

Following an inspection of available blogs, I happened across Mr. Craig’s blog entries. Surprisingly, I am currently a member of his second hour biology class, so I thought it legitimate that I express my feelings towards some of his actions he accounted for in his blog. The one I have chosen was titled “Allowing Re-Takes To Improve Student Learning”.

Throughout the article, Mr. Craig primarily discusses his policy of presenting a special opportunity directed towards his students. This is the idea of allowing sections of tests in his course to be reattempted if the initial strive for success (as made by a student of his class) was completed in vain. His policy dictates as such: if a student receives a mark lower than an eighty percent on the “critical thinking” portion of his exams and wishes to redeem their grade, they may attend a review meeting after which Mr. Craig will test the student’s knowledge verbally. The student is presented with the opportunity to “reincarnate” lost points on the section (of the test) as long as the overall percent of the points they successfully earned back does not exceed eighty percent of the total grade. In other words, students are able to earn as many points as necessary to raise their grade (on the test portion) to eighty percent. He also stated that he would not permit a student to leave his retake session unless they truly showed signs of understanding. Otherwise, he does everything in his power to truly make a student understand a subject.

This to me demonstrates true determination to teach. I believe that I am truly honored to be pupil to a teacher who obviously cares much about the levels of understanding in his students. The idea of allowing retakes on a very critical and unforgiving portion of his tests is a great. The idea of teaching is not to instill in students ability to earn sufficient grades, but to instill in them knowledge. By allowing retakes, Mr. Craig is not only assisting in the understanding of knowledge by his students, but he is also sparing the grief the student will encounter with the prospect of receiving a poor mark. Wow, he truly kills two birds with one stone!

PLN 16

Following a thorough inspection of my available blogs, one in particular blog entry (formulated by the cool cat teacher blog) caught my attention. It was christened “If my friend Scott, a double amputee can run an ironman, what's your excuse”.

This article primarily focuses on the subject of miracle achievement by a so called “underdog”. Following a truck crash which resulted in an amputation of both his shins and feet, invalid Scott decided to test himself against some of the most brutal and unforgiving races. He vowed not only to compete in notorious racing events, but also to complete them too. Plus, the man also lined up sponsors and began a foundation aimed at enabling physically challenged athletes to peruse their dreams of racing. A couple of weeks ago, Scott defied world philosophy with his completion of an ironman triathlon. The notorious event encompassed many fields of physical exercise including, swimming, running, and biking. The idea of an invalidly situated man completing such a triathlon was unheard of. For this reason, Scott became the proud barer of the title addressing the idea of being the first ever handicapped individual to complete an ironman triathlon. That meant swimming 2.4 miles, then biking 112 miles, and finally running a 26.2-mile marathon with prosthetic legs. He had 17 hours to complete the task; ultimately, he achieved his goal in about 15 min. less than time permitted him to.

Scott should be seriously considered as a miraculously situated individual. Not only did he defy widely accepted ideas (that no handicapped person could complete an ironman) but he also founded an organization whose goal is to assist similar people in their plights to become true athletes like Scott. Scott is truly an amazing person.

In my lifetime, I have had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with a challenged individual. His name was Dillon (he was faced with a disease which rendered his legs incapable of moving, so he was always in a wheelchair); I met him at a camp known as “Geneva Glen”. Although Dillon was nothing close to athletic, I understand that he would have loved to simply run around for once in his life. Scott sets a great example; if someone as challenged as him could successfully complete the impossible, Dillon could too.

PLN 15

Following a thorough inspection of my available blogs, one in particular blog entry (formulated by the 2 cents worth blog) caught my attention. It was christened “A Conversation about Failure”.

The article primarily discusses an extremist boarder between the divisions of a state of normality and a state of “slowness” (due to dyslexia) in students. In accordance with the article, there is absolutely no evident middle territory; students are either classified as a composition of one of these two subdivisions (slow (meaning not smart) or normal due to the presence or absence of dyslexia). This is a common stereotype; it should be regarded as anything but factual; students should not become segregated (in the form of being called “slow”) from the pack as a result of a simple disorder. Students who are dyslexic are equally as intelligent as any other random individual; they are nothing associated with slowness; they merely possess a minor inability to process words correctly. People should not discriminate against the numerous groups of semi- invalid students. All men are created equal, so treatment for every individual should sympathize with this statement. The article also discussed the success achieved on levels even a “normal” person couldn't comprehend by a dyslexic known as Henry Winkler. He is a renowned actor, director, producer, and author; if all these amazing qualities can be expressed in a “slow” man, how is he different from the rest. In my opinion, he poses a great example of this “segregation” and how corrupt this idea truly is.

Also within in the article was a reference to the idea of students dropping out of school as a result of a mental feeling that dictates their so called “worthlessness”. In the eyes of some dyslexic students, their inability to read correctly and the attitude (as a product of this) forced upon them leads the innocent student to actually believe that they are unable. They may, as a result of this feeling, drop out of school. This leads to much potential talent wasted; action must be taken to prevent this sense of negative sentimental feeling towards innocent students. Many more dyslexic students would then follow in the footsteps of their forefather, Henry Winkler.

I am currently acquainted with a dyslexic person by the name of Matt. Like his counterpart Henry, Matt has excelled in many fields including track, speech, and debate. He is also currently a primary member of the honor role at Newton middle school. People like Matt and Henry should never called "slow" for they are both people, just like the rest of us and deserve our respect. They are just (if not more) as capable as any "normal" person.

PLN 14

While scanning the contents of the Denver post blog, an article of much importance grabbed my attention. It was titled “State pushes teens to buckle up more”.

The article primarily described a semi- state wide campaign which took place in October (this year) to convince high school students to buckle their seat belts. After Anya Strauss encountered a terrible ordeal involving the effectiveness of a seat belt (she survived a car crash down a thirty foot hill due to her seat belt), she devoted part of her time to a program called “click it or ticket”. In it, law- enforcement personnel along with Anya, toured the state of Colorado and addressed the students in the 11 counties they visited. Discussion concentrated on the idea of buckling one’s seat belt during a car ride in order to lower the current teenager car crash death rate (as a result of not wearing a seat belt). The key goal of the program was to gather at least 400 signatures from the addressed teenagers promising to buckle up. The organizational leaders also stated that in 2005, 71 teenagers died in Colorado from car accidents, 50 of whom were not wearing seat belts.

The presented statistics are very helpful to understand just how dangerous the idea of not wearing a seat belt can potentially be. That’s 5/7 – about 71.5% of the teens died during a crash because they neglected their seat belts. In a couple of years, I will be driving a car; according to the statistics, I would be significantly safer if I happened to become victim to a car crash and was wearing a seat belt. Because of this I plan to do so.

Although law concerning this issue has been formulated, it still proves ineffective. People still do not bother to wear their seat belts, and as a result of their foolishness, they die if they become a victim of a crash. It would be a great deal more efficient to employ more police officers into the spectrum to enforce this vital law. Because people can elude the law unnoticed and hurt themselves (as a result of the small minority of members who make up the police force not being able to be in many places at once), action must be taken.

Presentation evaluation (first one)

Overall, I would say that Friday's presentation went well. On the plus side, I thought I did a good job explaining my articles and not sounding too nervous. Oppositely, I think that my annoying habit of smacking my note cards and swaying at the spot could have been avoided. Also, many people said that I looked at the ground too much instead of facing the audience. I also may have talked for too long for any given pln; I also might have rambled on about nothing for a long period of time. Although I made a lot of errors, I think my explaining each pln made up for the losses.

PLN 13 :D

Today, an interesting article by the name of “ACLU decries school cellphone searches” caught my eye. It was located within the Denver Post blog.

The text describes a cell phone check performed by the Boulder Valley School District inflicted on its students. The whole fiasco initiated when a student from Monarch High School was allegedly accused of smoking cigarettes. The school obviously became concerned and gestured the accused to their office to perform a through inspection of his belongings. This was done in order to provide evidence to support the claim that the student actually smoked. Along with searching the student’s backpack and pockets, the office personnel also chose to review the student’s cell phone text messages. After finding the results of the phone check “incriminating”, the administration then began interrogating the student on the subject. Many other students who belonged to the same school faced similar circumstances. The instance caught the attention of the ACLU (American civil liberties union) which argued that the high school staff had no right to intervene in their student's personal information. "The educators at Monarch High School need some education themselves about the law and students' rights," Silverstein (American Civil Liberties Union legal director) said. "Students have legally protected rights of privacy, and the actions of Monarch administrators are violating those rights."

Although I agree with Silverstein, I still stand headstrong in my believe that the office attendants did the right thing. As with every institution, safety is the first and foremost concern amongst its staff. Preserving this safety may only become reality through inspections of certain accused students. The accused student posed a great threat to the unbiased student population of his school; if the accused was in reality a smoker, he could have potentially spread his ways to the innocent population of the school if not confronted. I don’t know nor will I ever know of any school which would welcome the idea of playing host to any majority of smoking students. The school board personnel do not act on emotion, but on law, it was not an issue of mistrust or judgment, it was for safety’s sake alone that searches were performed.

To me, I expect someone will try to offer me smoking and drugs in the future, but I would thank the school board for their actions if they followed Monarch’s example because this would better protect me from these harms. The unselfish nature of the school’s actions may have “scared” the accused and others into not commencing smoking and/or taking drugs. I know that Arapahoe is a very safe school, but searching text messages would not bother me because I would understand the actions of my school to be in my best interest.

PLN 12

While scanning through the contents of the Denver Post blog, I happened across an interesting article titled “Boulder man kills mountain lion attacking puppy”.

The article explained how a man from Boulder, Colorado shot a mountain lion which appeared to have been attacking his dog. After the man heard the commotion outside his home, he instinctively ran outside, only to witness his pet dog engaged in fighting fiasco with a mountain lion. As the man produced loud noises, this, in turn, provoked the lion to advance towards him. Thankfully, the man carried a gun and utilized its power to kill the approaching beast. Colorado wildlife officials were considering whether the man will face charges in the shooting of the mountain lion which was attacking his dog. "We're investigating what will happen to the person who shot the lion," Churchill told the Daily Camera. "We do have laws that allow people to protect their safety and their livestock. But this is the tricky gray area of it being a dog."

How absurd, the whole commotion is such a misunderstanding, the man obviously owned the dog, so he had every right to shoot the animal which was attacking his property. Churchill explained how it would be difficult to determine the man’s position (guilty or innocent) due to the “gray area” to which a dog could be potentially classified under. I personally do not see the difference between a dog and livestock (aside from the fact that livestock can be protected by law). In the strictest sense, they are both property, the dog perhaps having more of an emotional value and the livestock having more of an economic value. If livestock are protected by law, why can't a dog be, they are both property? If a dog and livestock are both classified as property, the man than defiantly had the right to protect his possessions (which he has full control over if they are really his possessions; if this means protecting them, than so be it). The article also clearly stated that the lion approached the man. There are no misunderstandings here. Killing in self defense should raise no question especially seeing as it was stated by Churchill himself that “We do have laws that allow people to protect their safety”. The procedures this obviously innocent man undertook were evidently acceptable provided the evidence above.

Events similar to these occur on a daily basis. From my perspective, it would be a great deal more efficient if some sort of definite law was instated which would address this type of circumstance. Instead of this huge and unnecessary upheaval over an issue so insignificant, a defiant law could have prevented the whole fiasco and given the man and his family some peace and quiet.

PLN 11 :)

Searching through my blogs, I found one that caught my attention, it was titled "Voters Want More from Schools". This entery was found in the 2 cents worth blog.

America as a nation is changing. Every day, new advances in many fields are established; wouldn’t America’s youth benefit from knowing this information? If educating America’s juvenile population on current issues occurs, students will become more prepared for life in this new age (because in a world which revolves around modernity, understanding up to date issues is of key importance to achieve success). A national poll administrated on October tenth, 2007, reveled that eighty eight percent of its contributors would agree with this statement (idea of educating students on modern concepts). The eighty eight percent also believe that schools can and should incorporate 21st century skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills, computer and technology skills, and communication and self-direction skills into their curriculums. Also, sixty-six percent of voters say they believe that students need more than just the traditional package of reading, writing and math; schools also need to incorporate a broader range of skills. Finally, fifty-three percent of the voters say they believe schools should place an equal emphasis on 21st century skills and basic skills. Things are not as they were twenty years ago, time has altered, so we must educate accordingly. My English class poses a great example of this situation. The school board has realized that time has moved on and new and more contemporary subjects should be taught. As a result, they have implemented the usage of laptop computers into our every- day learning. These laptop computers will ultimately drive our minds into the twenty first century because they educate us on computer and technological skills (which are very modern concepts). On the world’s stage, this is important because our little American poll could trigger a chain reaction, thus driving many other nations to follow our example. If American students like myself are open to modern concepts, we will become more likely to succeed in life. This is so because in a world which revolves around modernity, understanding up to date issues is of key importance to achieve success. Meeting success in life is attractive to most countries; they may possibly administer a similar poll in order to determine whether taking the same actions (as the US) should be considered. This could result in a potentially world wide adoption of twenty first century tactics in classrooms around the globe. Wow, the world would be a lot more modern if that occurred!

PLN 10

I have just completed reading a post contained within the "weblogg-ed" blog titled "Give 1 Get 1"

Presently, a multitude of lacking countries are devoid of any form of technological entities in their classrooms. This is not a good situation for, students of any country, whether poor or prosperous, deserve an adequate education (which can only be achieved through the usage of technological devices). We should perceive all men as equal, (as spelled out by the declaration of independence) every inhabitant of this earth should be of equal status in any field, one of which should be education. There are currently many countries of the world which do not provide their youth with a sufficient education. The impoverished countries simply are not able to finance the large expenses which are associated with an adequate education. Although this is so, by purchasing a laptop computer from “OLPC”, an exact copy of your purchase will be donated towards the betterment of an underprivileged nation (betterment meaning providing it's inhabitants with a better education through the usage of laptops). This donation will be in the form of a laptop computer. By purchasing one of these fine machines, your generous contribution will assist a child (residing in an underprivileged nation) in gaining more knowledge. The possibilities of a laptop computer are endless. A laptop computer presents such a mass of information to be delved into that if circulated throughout the world, laptops could potentially increase intelligence levels ten fold! This is poses a great opportunity for one to generously help a child! From experience, I know this tactic is effective. In my english class, the usage of laptop computers has better educated me on how to write, read, and frankly, operate a computer. If it worked for me, it can work for others too!

PLN 9

Whilst exploring through the available blogs that I am now presently subscribed to, I found one article that appealed to my likeness. It was titled “math in life” and was written by James H. In the article, James expresses his feelings towards current school curriculumes. He believes that the education that is thrust upon students of the modern world is not legitimate to what students will need to understand in order to survive in the world today. He also questions the applicability of this knowledge absorbed by the youth of today. James states: “Should we focus more math on applications like home mortgages, credit card interest, taxes and other things that you might not learn in school?”. From my personal perspective, I would agree with the message James is trying to convey. It would be more beneficial to pupils if only absolutely relevant (to surviving in the world) regions of education were incorporated into every day learning. This is so because the educational system, as a result of an institution of this form of education in it, would become much more efficient. Teachers would be excused from the practice of teaching unnecessary material which would result in more time to delve deeper into the necessary aspects of education. This would initiate a larger understanding of topics within the minds of students. The population of students in a specific region would benefit from this alteration, for, they would become, as a result, more prone to succeed in life if more understanding (on their part) (regarding areas in education that are necessary to understand in order to succeed in life) is achieved. This product can only be gained through the inscription of this alteration into the laws of educational conduct. On the world's stage, if this change was introduced to schools around the globe, more people in the world would be more ready for life in the actual world. That is because more people would be educated legitimately. Is that not what the world strives for as a product of its education?

PLN 8

Looking into the BBC News blog, I found something of interest. It was titled "Virus jab may help combat cancer".

Presently, the leading cause of premature death in the world is a product of cancer. A diagnosis with the “mutation” (cell wise) can render one invalid, altering the life of the host eternally. The disease has claimed the lives of over 201,000 people (in the year 2000) in the United States within the short frame of a year. It has the potential to cause many more deaths in this country (and around the world), but luckily, a promising new vaccine has been utilized to counteract the disease’s deadly consequences. The vaccine was devised, initially, to combat a virus known as EBV. Research has shown though, that the vaccine may be more of a multipurpose entity. Although it was traditionally used to battle the EBV virus, the vaccine has also been proven to counteract certain cancers which are infected with the EBV virus. The vaccine targets two proteins that are evident in cancer- mutated cells, which when eliminated, destroy the cancer. Tremendous benefits regarding the well being of people will arise from the universal usage of the vaccine. More lives will be spared if this vaccine is employed around the globe, so consideration regarding the implementation of such vaccines in hospitals (all around the world) should be widespread.

PLN 7

Recently, I have completed an article on the issue of technology in classrooms today; it is entitled “Classrooms for the Future”. Presently, schools in Pennsylvania have been introduced to many different technological devices, many of which are implemented in our English classroom. They include laptops, printers, cameras, projectors, and more. Many aspects of technology in classrooms matter; they are the following. With the establishment of a technological learning environment in classrooms, students will be able to freely express themselves. Opportunity to express themselves will be presented through the assignment of tasks that are to be completed through the usage of the available technology. This is so because unlike the previous pen and pencil, students are not confined to just a flat surface, they have the potential to go beyond and excel into the next dimension. With the introduction of technology in the classroom, students would be capable of carrying out anything they desired in order impress their teacher; every student possesses opinions on how their project should appear, so every project or assignment would appear different from any other. This is very resourceful from a teacher’s point of view, for it tests a student’s knowledge of a subject truthfully. As stated previously, students will not be confined to only questions on a paper; they may utilize this advantage and accurately paint a picture of their own abilities with new opportunities a technological device presents; they will become the governors, not the paper. This will, in turn, inform the teacher of their level of proficiency in that subject. There are no lies; questions on paper may be deceiving, but once this knew opportunity (in the form of assignments to be completed with the use of technology) is exploited in classrooms, students will receive more accurate grades and teachers will understand students more thoroughly too. These two advantages of technological classrooms are key because they both determine where a student will be in the world. Only by achieving sufficient grades will a person succeed in the world, the idea of receiving accurate grades can sometimes be the boundary line between failure and success. Teachers must also know their student’s abilities in order to decide whether to fail them or pass them. This too can be very influential in the grand scheme of life, for it, in some cases, governs whether a person is a failure or a successful person. On the world’s stage, technology within classrooms is very significant for the reasons stated above. Teachers of the present day are beginning to realize the benefits of technological expression (as stated above). They are therefore incorporating such devices (such as laptops, printers, and projectors) into classrooms. Our very own English class is a great example of this alteration from olden- day methods to more modern ones because technology is visible in the form of laptops, projectors, and more. Maybe some day, the world will primarily rely on technology for education. Because of its worthwhile benefits to teachers and students alike, technology should be implemented in classrooms around the globe.

PlN 6

Recently, I have completed reading a post entitled “Missing the science of teaching” located within the contents of the Denver Post blog. O’Brien, the principal of a rural elementary school situated in Colorado, stated that her school devoted five hours a day to math and English in an attempt to raise the insufficient CSAP scores that the school had previously achieved. As a result, science was neglected and the scores in that field plummeted. Today, science is in jeopardy; it is on the verge of expulsion from the required curriculum of Colorado. Presently, administrators perceive the issue as one to be simply neglected because the teachers who major in science are scarce and the student body as a whole despises the subject. There is a very accurate quotation by Thomas Edison that states “The reason most people do not realize opportunity is because it goes around in overhauls looking like hard work”. This quote is absolutely correct when related to this crisis. Administrators do not realize that a sufficient knowledge of science in a person can, in turn, go a long way. Yes, it will be hard work to better educate today’s teachers on the so- called “hard” subject, but the total outcome of the action will outweigh the effort. Scientific discoveries in the world make its inhabitant’s lives greater. More scientific advances could be made with the reintroduction of a rigorous science curriculum in Colorado’s schools. Because of this, society would be greatly benefited. Science is the way to go!

To link to the origional artical by the Denver Post, click here!

Motivational Resources

When inspecting the available blog posts to comment on, I found one regarding the idea of student payment for enhanced marks. I found this post in “The Fisch Bowl”, it was titled "Is Payment for Good Grades Legitimate Motivation in This Day and Age?"


Presently, the United States is situated in the midst of a crisis regarding the issue of student motivation. Currently, students disregard their education (as it is “boring” to them) to the point where they become practically ignorant in anything they do. The youth which do disgracefully ignore the vital stepping stones that will aid them in their quest for success do not realize the importance of their education. Incentive do perform well is already present for them to take advantage of (a good future), yet they do not utilize this incentive and oppositely slack in their studies for it is too “hard”. The answer to this problem is somewhat elementary, valid incentive for students is necessary for them to commence in their studies with all effort. Now, the question is the type of motivational prize that must be rewarded; money, perhaps? Once students are introduced to the idea that money will be earned (on their part) if sufficient grades are achieved, they will become more driven to succeed in school. Although this prospect sounds fine, it is partially corrupt. Yes, students will become more driven to achieve, but will they retain the information they learned. In their mission to earn adequate grades, they may tend to take advantage of the most easily accessible route and only memorize information for tests or homework. A week into the future, the subject will just be another lost memory. The goal of institutions are to better prepare students for the actual world, this goal will not be met if students are only able to account for information spanning a couple days. No, it is not worth it. Students need to realize the consequences associated with non- driven individuals. Once enlightenment is reached, students will become self- sufficient (do not need to depend on their parents for incentive to work hard) and better individuals.

To link to the "Fisch Bowl" to view the entire blog, click here.

PLN 4

During my standard inspection of available blogs, I happened across a post confined within the “weblogg- ed” blog. In it, Will Richardson posted his favorite picture from an excursion of China. The picture depicted an old woman who stood in a doorway holding a crudely carved chair. The woman portrayed in the picture was also noted to be wearing a traditional Communist uniform. This underscores the fact that China still poses a threat to democracy around the globe. The majority of people still believe that with the abolishment of Communism in the largest nation on the planet, the whole belief went with it. This idea is incorrect; although Communism in the Soviet Union collapsed, its partner in crime (China) did not suffer the same consequences. Entire wars have been fought regarding the idea of Communism; I for one do not wish to become involved in a conflict with China. As I progressed through the blog post, I noticed Will also began to discuss the lack of gas stations in one Chinese city to which he ventured (Shanghai). In the article, he stated that he did not see any gas stations at all in the largely populated city. This is curious because China’s Shanghai tops the charts at a population of nearly twenty million; many of these are drivers; where do they obtain their gas? If asked to provide a logical explanation for the question, I would reason that the government of China provides each family with a supply of gasoline that can be utilized to fuel cars or other appliances. The article also explores one of the more painful aspects of China’s government, the one child edict. Because of the country’s over excessive population, each family is only permitted to raise one child. The extras are then adopted by other willing families. A cruel concept this is, to separate mother and child is very agonizing to me.

To link to the origional post click here

Classroom Internet Good or Bad?

Looking into my most recent subscription, an article of much importance regarding internet hazards grabbed my attention. Within the contents of the post, its author, Jeff Utecht, encourages teachers today to confront their students on an important issue concerning internet safety. Utecht believes that video clips as opposed to lecturing are a superior method of conveying the message that the internet is a potential hazard.

As the country of America advances technologically, new techniques regarding the education of today’s younger population are introduced. Internet availability has become evident in many classrooms; is a useful, but also dangerous resource. Schools are starting to realize that their nation is evolving from a traditional era to a more technological era and are therefore incorporating computers into teaching methods. Although many students seem thrilled with the usage of laptops during their so called “boring and pointless” classes (promotes a more enjoyable learning environment), they disregard the fact that these computers can become potentially dangerous threats. Teachers understand these dangers and seek to spell out their influential power to their students, but merely lecturing students does not always convey the message. Clarence Fisher, currently a teacher, states he believes that a different approach may need to be utilized. Videos- the generation of technology is fascinated with videos (unlike lecturing) which they so dearly love. Previously, students simply ignored the “boring” lectures that were spoken to them, now, videos are noticed by the younger population and not disregarded, for they are interesting to the youth of America. If video presentations are universally used in classrooms around the globe, internet dangers will become much less of a threat than they are currently.

To view the origional work of Jeff Utecht, click here

School Tests and Their Importance

Whilst scanning through the contents of my subscribed to blogs, I happened across an unusual entry in “The Fischbowl” which defies normal conduct of many parents. In the blog entry, as Karl Fisch states: “we chose to open enroll our daughter in a magnet school in the district. This is despite the fact that the magnet school is about a 25 minute drive, and the fact that this school consistently scores second from the bottom in the district on the CSAP. In other words, we chose to move our daughter from a school that’s less than 5 minutes away with some of the highest test scores in the state, to a school that’s 25 minutes away (in good weather) and has mediocre test scores (very low for the district, but middle of the road for the state).Other than being insane (which is always a possibility), why would we do this? Well, it’s pretty simple. We think this school has the best chance of helping her become the adult human being we hope she becomes, as opposed to maximizing her chances to get a high test score. That doesn’t mean our neighborhood school is horrible, or that we don’t value readin', ritin' and 'rithmetic. It simply means that, philosophically and hopefully in practice, this school has a better chance to create a well-rounded, intellectually curious, happy, lifelong and continual learner who will live a life where she contributes to the greater good of the entire world. And, for us, that’s more important than her CSAP scores.”
Have these parents lost their minds? How insane and unbeneficial of them to place their daughter whom they obviously care for dearly in such a situation. Do they not understand that test scores are the building blocks of adulthood careers? If it were not for the standardized test scores, society would by no means, have proof of the child’s ability. Then, what? Would professions be assigned rather than earned? No, it is absolutely absurd (if America believes in the idea of “self determination”), how does an institute decipher its population pending admission; who will be allowed in? There would be no classification if not for the mere existence of standardized tests. Test scores are very important! I believe in independence. No body should be influenced by another without strict permission from the influenced. The parents who imprison their daughter in a lower facility must take into account the viewpoint of the child on this matter. If the child is in fact all right with the transfer, then it may (in my opinion) proceed, but much potential talent is wasted. The daughter can potentially benefit the world (on a large or small scale) through knowledge received in any school, but the chances of her profiting the world are much greater if she attends a good collage. Only through sufficient test scores in primary school will she prevail and gain admittance to a collage that could ultimately aid her in benefiting the world. A strong start is of vital importance to success, so elementary school careers should be carried out in first-class schools if ultimate success is desired. Yes, the chances of a world being benefited from the daughter are slim, but do not this reality extinguish the flame, there is still hope. Do the parents not care for the progression of the world? If their daughter was to be enlisted in a good primary school, strong foundations would be built for her that she could expand on and ultimately assist in the development of the world (in a small way or a greater one). Even if the daughter does not benefit the world, this is nothing to be ashamed of; the main goal of any parent is simply to raise a child that can succeed. Be registering the daughter in a high-quality (of learning) school, the daughter will find herself closer to the idea of success than in a lower class school and will complete her parent’s mission.

To view the whole origional poast by Karl Fisch click here

Thought for the Day 7/16/07

When scanning my subscribed sites, I decided to look into "The Fischbowl". I found a question that took to my liking; it stated: Everyone grows and dies; the same is true of countries. The only question is how long one can postpone the inevitable. In the case of some countries, life spans can be very long, so it is worth asking whether the United States is in adolescence, middle age, or old age. Do science and technology accelerate or offset the demise? And finally, how many stars will be in the U.S. flag in fifty years? There has yet to be a single U.S. president buried under the same flag he was born under, yet we often take continuity for granted.- Juan Enriquez, p. 282

In my own personal opinion, I believe that as stated, countries are personified to an extent where they can "live" or "die"; life and death in this sense presents the reader with two conclusions. One, that the nation is prosperous in one or many perspectives and exists at the present time (living) or two, the nation simply becomes nonexistent or has failed to become prosperous in many aspects (dead). Yes, once a nation of the world falls into a state of lacking in a significant number of fields, it may be considered dead.

In a situation where a country is undoubtedly weakening, it depends heavily on the rate of the country's abolishment to determine the time until the "death". If the rate at which the country is declining is slower, then, the time until "death" will be longer. On the contrary, when the rate of declination increases the time until "death" will also decline.

If adolescence is defined as the "learning" stage in life, if middle- aged is defined as "the starting to get it point", and if old age is the "reaching death" point in life, then, I believe that America as a country is basking in the warmth of its middle period. When the lands of North America were settled by early English Pilgrims, the territory entered a new era in its time period. As America developed, many mistakes were made and many lives lost, but America persisted through its early career. It then arrived at its "proficient" point where it developed based on its own learned lessons of the past. America has not met its old age, for, it is in no immediate danger of becoming nonexistent or a lacking nation.

When faced with the question of technology slowing or accelerating the “death” of a country, I will present the following. It depends. If the “death” is very evident and unavoidable, then the scientific and technological knowledge we as humans possess will not suffice in order to prevent a “death”. If the country is at a stage where it can see death in the future further away, scientific and technological advances may be able to aid the country in its climb towards proficiency. As normal “deaths” of nations are primarily caused by the poor marketing conditions and economics, technological advances in goods may help companies sell more products, earn more money, and as a result, pull the endangered country out of jeopardy. Likewise, scientific breakthroughs may lead a country to fortune through the utilization of their science in sold products. Although science and technology can be used in such a way as to postpone “death”, it can also be used negatively to speed the process. When products are stripped of their scientific and/or technological values, sales for the product will diminish. If enough products are affected, the process of “death” will quicken.

The question of America’s lust for power or belief in freedom is imperialism. Imperialistic societies are ones that encompass great amounts of land and the natives who inhabit the possesed lands. They do not view the conquered natives as valuable and do not grant them many freedoms. Today, we know that the American flag bears fifty symbolic stars. If new territory is gained, more stars will be added. Is America power hungry or freedom driven? If in the future America becomes maybe intimidated by neighboring empires or bored, it may turn to the idea of imperialism for answers. If so, our flag will bear more than the fifty stars it does presently. If, on the other hand, America is still the way it is today and values freedom for any person, our flag face may never change.

My Cat Kesa resting on the soft floor

My friends and I on a boat headed to Ellis Island

This is my graduating class from the school Littleton Academy in Central Park, New York City.