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.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
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.
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.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
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.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
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!
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!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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!
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!
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
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?
Sunday, October 7, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
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.
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