The Game of School

After reading the article Rigor Redefined by Tony Wagner, I have come to the conclusion that education is harder than I thought before reading this article. This article shows me that education is more than just teaching us content but also life skills.

            This article displayed the fact that schools are not giving us the life skills we need to succeed in the job market. This made me question how teachers are suppose to test the important life skills like critical thinking, communication skills, collaboration and leadership. Sure you can teach it in the classroom through various ways, but how do you give a test on leadership skills or collaboration. Even though you can’t test on them, the school system is still failing to teach them. Schools are so focused on cramming the “correct” curriculum that they are completely neglecting to introduce there student to what really matters in life. This situation reminds me of a quote that I have always grown up with, “give a man a fish feed him for a day but teach a man to fish feed him for a life time” (un-named). I think this applies because all the school system is doing is teaching us facts that we will eventually forget. So in a way all they are doing is giving us a fish. Once we leave school how are we supposed to get our own fish?  Let’s say that the school system teaches us how to fish instead? They could do this by teaching us life skills like questioning, critical thinking, communication skills, collaboration and leadership then once we leave the school, we can succeed. The fact is that kids are learning so much everyday that once kids test on something they have to forget most of it in order to start learning the next unit. Kids don’t forget all of  it, just most of the details are forgotten in order to prepare for the next test. School is a game that kids have to play well in order to succeed. This game that we play involves doing homework just enough to get a passing grade so that we can get started on the next assignment. This game involves remembering just long enough for the test and cramming at the last possible moment because we had homework that took up our time the other nights. This game doesn’t exactly need to stop because it allows the kids to learn facts and the truth is we don’t forget all of it. But this game needs to change so that it teaches the kids the abilities that will help them in life. Over all schools don’t need to stop what they are doing just also teach us the important life skill which we are neglected.

Actions and reactions

This U-Tube video The Machine is Making  Us/ing Us  is about how the internet is expanding the way we think, so much to the fact that could be becoming the machine. 

            This video really made me think about how much of expanding and how much change has happened in the area of technology. Since the invention of the internet and computer, life has revolved around it and all the knowledge that comes with it. But with this invention there is a reaction. This reaction is we give up privacy, the grace of distance, and most of all there are no more secrets. This video really made me realize that with all these great achievements there are reactions that are bad. Like with the invention of the telephone we gave up privacy and the ability to tell someone bad news face to face. With the invention of the cars we lost the sanctuary of distance between one another.  With all these inventions there is always a down side. And the computer is no exception. With all this knowledge at the touch of a button there is now no more secrets, and no borders of what you are suppose to know and what you shouldn’t know. It use to be if a kid didn’t know something they would ask their parents or teachers, and if it was something the kid was not suppose to know about, then they would learn it at a later time. But now with the computer the kid would just Google it and there is no age filter so if it is inappropriate the kid still learns it. After I came up with this idea I started to think about all the troubles that have started to happen since we (the population) started making machines that help us in our every life. One big thing that has started to since the inventions of technology is that nature is starting to disappear. Since we have to use our natural resources to make all this new tech. our forest are getting chopped down and the world is not at prosperous as it once was.  Nature seems to have taken a back seat to the computers and other technology. Another thing that seems to have taken a back seat to tech. is thinking. Now that the internet is up we don’t question as critical anymore. Now that we can find an answer on the internet we no longer think things through but instead just take the answer the web has told us. Overall this video has shown me that there is a negative to every positive and reaction for every action.

Why?

I am writing about the blog post on Vicky Bell’s Blog. This blog post stirred up many emotions for me. The fact that kids would be mean enough to do something of this standard and the fact that the guy was selfish enough to take his own life. I also came aware that everything I do is important.

                I believe that suicide is a self-centered move that makes the person look like he/she doesn’t care about his/her family enough to go through hard times.  He left everyone that he supposedly cared about alone and heartbroken. This might have been the easiest option but it was not the correct option. But this situation makes me question how much I should just blame the person killing himself. The people who posted that horrible video are just as much at fault as the person who killed himself. What would make someone do something that stupid? With all the sources of entertainment out in the world today why would you have to go make that type of entertainment? This was a stupid move by the boy and girl who did this, and know they have caused a death and are facing charges. Their whole lives are ruined because of one stupid night. Living with someone’s death is hard to handle and can destroy this boy and girl’s life. I personally don’t think that I could live with someone’s death over my head. The fact that I had caused someone else so much sorrow would make me so sad for the rest of my life. This made me realize that every action counts. Especially in this day in age, with the ability for something you write or do on the internet and the fact that it will stay there forever makes even the smallest things big deals. Even if things are not as serious as making someone killing them self it might prevent you from getting a job in the future. Another thing this blog made me feel was joy that some mom would care enough to send this letter to their son/daughter. When I go to college I know that I would love to have my mom or dad send me a letter like this. Telling me that they are still thinking of me and they care about me.

Oil Spill Influence

I agree with the beliefs,  put out by Chris in Paris on the article Obama in the fact that the White House referred to BP too much on the issue of the oil spill and how the countries environment was put after a oil company. 

                This article really made me think about who you trust when an epidemic happens. I am happy that the White House did use BP as a consultant, since they are experts in the oil field and know their systems, and how their machines work better than anyone else does. But on the other hand, it made me think about how if using BP as much as they did, if the White House was influenced by BP. The fact that the White House didn’t release worst case situations might be able to lead to the conclusion that BP was a factor to that decision. I understand that this might have been the best situation at the time to calm the public’s nerve, but it still leaves doubt. Then, I thought about how this article says that the countries environment was put behind an oil company. This made me think about how much of a pull big businesses have in our world. I know it is extreme to think that they have any pull at all in at White House level. They might have a say in it, and with the oil spill and BP they might have a bigger then one then I originally thought, but it is still not that big at all. But on the lower levels like in certain parts of the economy and maybe part of the judicially system they could have a little more pull. I made a connection to the movie Erin Brockovich.  This movie is about a lawyer assistant who takes on a big company who is destroying the environment around it by illegally dumping toxins in the ground. This connects well to big business having a pull, because they were doing this for a long time and was able to keep everyone quiet about it. The part of this connection that makes this so scary is the fact that it is based on a true story. This really shows how businesses have such a big pull. Throughout this whole big deal I want to leave you with on question. Who would you let help you with the oil spill and why if you where the White House?

2.0 is Closer Then We Think

The article Footprints in the Digital Age   by Will Richardson has three main ideas; the first idea is that kids need to be thinking more about their internet presents, and how it can affect your life in the future. The second point was that the internet is having a huge influence, and the last reason is that it cannot take too much of your time and the internet needs balance.

One thing that I do agree with is that kids need to be more aware of their internet presents. What I mean by this is kids need to know what they will  find when they google their name. I mean this could affect future jobs they might or might not get. If your boss looks up your name and it is bad then you are out of a job.  So kids need to start worrying about this and being proactive about it. I just goggled myself and there was nothing which I don’t know if that is a good thing or if that is a bad thing.

The next thing the he talked about was internet having a huge influence. He thinks that adults need to get with it to since we are moving into a 2.0 world. But I have to disagree, adults really are driving the bus to the 2.0 world by inventing it and stuff like that but there is just more kids on that bus then there are adults. There are just more kids then there are adults in this world so that is where people are finding a problem. This really doesn’t seem like a problem to me since kids are the ones who are going t be living in this 2.0 world someday while adults just need to get by with it since they won’t be around when the 2.0 world really kicks off.

The last thing Will talked about was the need for balance and I totally agree with him. I mean he is so right. If a kid only does stuff on the internet then he will not be ready for the real world and all the real life challenges that come with it. You also need a teacher teaching you stuff instead of just Google. Sure Google is great but you need the majority of your knowledge from hands on experience which is what Google is lacking.

This article shows that America  and the world is moving toward the 2.0 world. So we need to use it to our advance and use it right or we don’t stand a chance in this new world. It also says that this is the first change the world has had that is anything like this so it is a learning experience and we must treat it as one.

Stike two Denver Post

This week I read the blog by Karl Fich called, Dear Denver Post, Would you be ok with us cheating on CSAP too? This blog once again proves that the Denver Post needs to get its values straight. Why is the Denver Post trying to send this message to kids and even adults?

I thought that the Denver Post would get the message the first time, but I guess I was wrong. So in baseball terms that is strike two, but with the message the Denver Post sent this time they should just fake that they got it with a pitch. The stakes are big right, so in the words of the Denver Post, they wouldn’t be guilty of cheating just bad acting. With all these conflicting ideas being told to our youth how are they supposed to know who to trust?  Sure everyone say trust your mom, but when you see this world source telling you different it makes kid questions. I mean if you relied souly on your mom you would end up like “Bobby Boucher” in Water Boy. Well maybe not that extreme but you get my point. This article also said that parents should tell the kids the difference between major league and T-ball. Then it went on to say that the difference was bigger stakes. Well for different people different things mean more. I mean for a kid who is playing his last year of baseball in the finals it means a lot to him, but it is still not ok for him to cheat right? Maybe the author is saying it is just ok for pros. Well then why are the pros different from any other big game. I know they make their income off playing, and they are successful; so in the big picture, it is just a little thing they do that makes them a good role model or a Denver Post role model. One game is not that big of a deal, even if it their final game in the big picture for pros or any league for that matter.

                The overall message I am trying so send here, and I am almost sure that Karl Fich would support me here, is that don’t listen to the Denver Posts ideas. But take their information and come up with you own ideas… please!

Is Google a Teacher or making us Stupid?

This week I read the article Is Google Making us Stupid? This article is about how, with all this information on the web, how readers are now only able to focus for a short period of time since that is how the web is set up to display it. It also says that it leads to less deep thinking about a subject and more just skimming. It also talked about how the adult brain can still change and be shaped.  But overall I think this article is baloney.

                How this writer thinks that the human race is no longer thinking deeply on things because of the internet baffles me. There are so many different points and opinions on the internet it almost makes you think about things more. If you are writing a paper on something, and you Google search both sides of the issue it will give you so much to think about you have to think deeply. I mean with all that knowledge out there and all those opposite opinions it stretches to make your brain come up with its own ideas and its own conclusions. So, I actually believe that Google is not making us stupid but instead making us smart.  Another reason I think this article is terrible is because he says that in this day in age people can only stay focused for shorter passages of writing. I agree with him in the aspect that some writing loses peoples attention. An example of an article losing someone’s attention is this article (Is Google Making us Stupid). This is 8 pages of pure boredom. The reason I think some articles are boring and some are not is how the writer writes it. I mean this article is boring because it has like 20 examples of the same thing then goes on tangents during the article. Like one tangent it had was that it started talking about how Google is trying to make an artificial intelligent, which is not what he was talking about at the time? Then at the end it goes on and on about how he might be wrong.  I mean if you are making a point, stand up for it and don’t tear it apart by yourself. The last reason I think this article is really bad is because it didn’t listen to its own point.  If an article has all this extra information that distracts from the point then it is probably going to be a boring article. Another thing that articles do that loses readers is give to many examples. Like if an article gives 4 or 5 examples for something it is a little excessive. I understand one or two examples to prove your point but more than that is unneeded.  One good thing that came out of reading this article for me is I learned the power of annotating. Without annotating this article it would have taken me forever to read the article and even more to write about it. Annotating kept me focus and thinking during this article while all I wanted to do was zone out during it. This is one skill that I will never forget and do on all my readings now. I mean it makes thinking about things so much easier when I have it written down on paper. I realized that as the passage went on my anitations got less and less. I need to work on this so I am not just having good thoughts in the start of an article but all the way through it instead. I am really happy my English teacher showed me this important tool to learning because I know I will use it the rest of my life.