New York Times
The article above raises numerous eyebrows (I'm assuming) with its content. The fact that 45% of high schoolers already enroll in school and the argument that just how do the finances have to be shifted if there is already such a high number enrolling. Well then we're forgetting 55% of people who still can't afford college but have the intellect and motivation to do so but get held back by financial restraints.
People argue college is not for everyone and it is true that it is not, but why not give it the ole' "college try". College can be a pivotal "get serious" event in an individual's life. Myself, I've always banked on my coasting abilities and to come here and have myself whipped into some studious shape did have a bit of shock value. I never knew how to "study" before I got to college but it was a talent I had to learn as the days ticked by before a test. I found out that this idea I had in my head of standing in front of classroom telling students how to spell onomatopoeia was not as easy or as bland as I once thought. You go into a room, you teach, you go home and enjoy your vacations. There is much more to it than that, a ton more, and now I know that the idea of what I wanted to do was just the tip of the iceberg and now I know I chose the right path for myself.
Colleges do teach numerous other life lessons as the article goes on to mention. It encourages your skills to adapt to life outside of a place you may have known for 17 years. It teaches you that you can persevere if you test yourself to. It can teach you early to budget your earnings so you can focus on things such as your education.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Wireless Woes and Praise
I remember a time when I did not know that much about computers or the wireless internet. I said to myself "wireless? I can go outside with my laptop and into the middle of nowhere and still have internet?" Turns out that wasn't the case. I see the pros of a wireless connection with a lap top roaming around your house and not being cornered in your room for hours typing a paper or what not.
Now that I moved off campus we got a wireless connection for our modem. Perpetually it is a good way to "damn the man" so that you and your roomates can all use the internet without having outrageous bills. However, living in this setting you also have to deal with certain interfernces. I often have to reconfigure the signal and reset the modem and what not which becomes an annoyance. Also sometimes I pick up alternate signals which confuses me and my computer alike taking the internet longer to load. It is a step in a good direction though seeing that computers used to be as big as rooms you can now cut down on annoying wires and entanglements and if you're lucky enough to have thought to get a laptop you can roam your house, pick your favorite spot in the living room hang out with your friends, watch tv, and still get your work done.
Now that I moved off campus we got a wireless connection for our modem. Perpetually it is a good way to "damn the man" so that you and your roomates can all use the internet without having outrageous bills. However, living in this setting you also have to deal with certain interfernces. I often have to reconfigure the signal and reset the modem and what not which becomes an annoyance. Also sometimes I pick up alternate signals which confuses me and my computer alike taking the internet longer to load. It is a step in a good direction though seeing that computers used to be as big as rooms you can now cut down on annoying wires and entanglements and if you're lucky enough to have thought to get a laptop you can roam your house, pick your favorite spot in the living room hang out with your friends, watch tv, and still get your work done.
Get Rid of Who Again?
Schooling the Industry
Sure, education needs to be reinvented by processes that we discuss in class. The classroom needs to be integrated with the assistance of computer programs and other technological assests (TVs , DVDs), but as the school begins to appear more and more like an office building it still has to strive to define itself as its own entity.
Schools are not created to churn out individuals like an assembly line. We've all heard in our school years the classic line of "This isn't a democracy in here" regarding the classroom, but with a CEO-esque administrator dictatorships will pop up all over districts. I really appreciated Steve Jobs before I read this. His outlook on iTunes (he wanted to make songs cheaper than .99 and lobbied for them not to go up in price). He actually seemed to be a down-to-earth administrator, but I do take great offense to the actions he wants to take. Administrators and teachers alike hope to get their students to pursue educational careers past high school.
However, I feel the more you pressure and push kids the more disenchanted they are vulnerable to become. By opening avenues such as computers they can explore life inside and outside the classroom. I feel that the integration and a personal life is already bordering on intrusion to some students. I feel if it gets for a lack of a better term shoved down their throats their potential interest and furthermore success may peak too early and discourage them from performing tasks that will now become tedious. We strive to reinvent a classroom using technology, but with these advancements we have to wonder how long the reinvention of interest will last and when will it be time to revamp the system again?
Sure, education needs to be reinvented by processes that we discuss in class. The classroom needs to be integrated with the assistance of computer programs and other technological assests (TVs , DVDs), but as the school begins to appear more and more like an office building it still has to strive to define itself as its own entity.
Schools are not created to churn out individuals like an assembly line. We've all heard in our school years the classic line of "This isn't a democracy in here" regarding the classroom, but with a CEO-esque administrator dictatorships will pop up all over districts. I really appreciated Steve Jobs before I read this. His outlook on iTunes (he wanted to make songs cheaper than .99 and lobbied for them not to go up in price). He actually seemed to be a down-to-earth administrator, but I do take great offense to the actions he wants to take. Administrators and teachers alike hope to get their students to pursue educational careers past high school.
However, I feel the more you pressure and push kids the more disenchanted they are vulnerable to become. By opening avenues such as computers they can explore life inside and outside the classroom. I feel that the integration and a personal life is already bordering on intrusion to some students. I feel if it gets for a lack of a better term shoved down their throats their potential interest and furthermore success may peak too early and discourage them from performing tasks that will now become tedious. We strive to reinvent a classroom using technology, but with these advancements we have to wonder how long the reinvention of interest will last and when will it be time to revamp the system again?
Last Week
Last week was a very important week for us to learn about new skills in which we can apply to classrooms.
I was quite impressed and surprised by the Webpage group. I remember making pages for bands years ago with the annoyance of html and tedious redundancy. However, as I am beginning to truly find out, the Mac is all about making lives easier. The ease that went into creating that webpage was very encouraging for myself, I know, to have the faith in myself to build another webpage. I think you guys did a great job and the way you presented made everyone I hope feel like they are also capable of creating their own webpage.
Podcasts were quite interesting. I never viewed one before the group went wednesday and now I can see the impact they have the potential to create. It can as the groups discussed keep students up to date and be an avenue for absent students to utilize to make up work. It can also just act as supplemental teaching. Since time restraints often make the life of a teacher harder the podcast can be another place to display a lesson so you don't have to fall behind.
I was immediately intrigued with the my43things.com aspect of the social bookmarking group although the other bookmarking sites did offer great interest as well. I just thought that would be a fun thing to do for students inside and outside of academia. I was very surprised by Librarything and the seemingly endless avenues to be explored through that website.
I was quite impressed and surprised by the Webpage group. I remember making pages for bands years ago with the annoyance of html and tedious redundancy. However, as I am beginning to truly find out, the Mac is all about making lives easier. The ease that went into creating that webpage was very encouraging for myself, I know, to have the faith in myself to build another webpage. I think you guys did a great job and the way you presented made everyone I hope feel like they are also capable of creating their own webpage.
Podcasts were quite interesting. I never viewed one before the group went wednesday and now I can see the impact they have the potential to create. It can as the groups discussed keep students up to date and be an avenue for absent students to utilize to make up work. It can also just act as supplemental teaching. Since time restraints often make the life of a teacher harder the podcast can be another place to display a lesson so you don't have to fall behind.
I was immediately intrigued with the my43things.com aspect of the social bookmarking group although the other bookmarking sites did offer great interest as well. I just thought that would be a fun thing to do for students inside and outside of academia. I was very surprised by Librarything and the seemingly endless avenues to be explored through that website.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Curriki
What a great idea. I seriously use wikipedia all the time from looking up films and bands to doign research for projects. I am quite glad to see it getting some respect from teachers now taking it as a fairly credible site for researching.
The curriki idea is genius. The teaching profession is full of tediousness and sometimes a revamp is needed and now that is right at teachers' fingertips. As we speak in class at length about reinvention of more or less everything, I think this is a huge groundbreaking movement. I think that reinvention at certain points in teaching timelines is quite necessary not only for students but also for ourselves as teachers, I couldn't think of a faster way to burnout than teaching the same thing the same way for numerous years, although that does sound pretty good.
The curriki idea is genius. The teaching profession is full of tediousness and sometimes a revamp is needed and now that is right at teachers' fingertips. As we speak in class at length about reinvention of more or less everything, I think this is a huge groundbreaking movement. I think that reinvention at certain points in teaching timelines is quite necessary not only for students but also for ourselves as teachers, I couldn't think of a faster way to burnout than teaching the same thing the same way for numerous years, although that does sound pretty good.
Budget Woes
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/16653852.htm
Again the cynic in me is getting the best. As always this is a great idea opening up new forums for every student and an unbelieveable step forward for appropriate school budgeting. However, as this tred is really taking hold I can not help but to think of my high school. It was three million just for 1200 students, I graduated with 600+ alone with a freshman class peaking near the 1000 mark. In some districts the idea of having the utopian technology facets may be a dream away. We always speak about how is it going to be possible for every student to be given an outlet to the technology we speak of. I just don't see how it can be possible to supply everyone with the technology, I find it a mighty obstacle to overcome. With so many students there are bound to be people left behind in the wave of technological advances and I just do not see how it is possible to accomodate the few that inevitably will fall through the cracks.
Again the cynic in me is getting the best. As always this is a great idea opening up new forums for every student and an unbelieveable step forward for appropriate school budgeting. However, as this tred is really taking hold I can not help but to think of my high school. It was three million just for 1200 students, I graduated with 600+ alone with a freshman class peaking near the 1000 mark. In some districts the idea of having the utopian technology facets may be a dream away. We always speak about how is it going to be possible for every student to be given an outlet to the technology we speak of. I just don't see how it can be possible to supply everyone with the technology, I find it a mighty obstacle to overcome. With so many students there are bound to be people left behind in the wave of technological advances and I just do not see how it is possible to accomodate the few that inevitably will fall through the cracks.
The Flexibility of Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE
I guess I can go along with this thought that digital writing (or typing) is much more flexible than writing on paper. I just feel as an admirer of English as a whole that there is a certain loss of a major aspect of the subject. Handwriting is a very personal part of anyone even if you don't think so. You have been working to perfect a legible form for most of your life and over that time you have developed your own style given your works some personality.
With the emergence of type based texts I feel that writing is losing the personality it once had as you jot down thoughts on a post it or in the margin of a book. Through this emergence as you expand horizons you also uniform certain things in very subtle ways you don't have a font to make your own you have to choose what you would like to use, you don't get to pick how to dot your i's and cross your t's. Sure, the idea of a "paperless" classroom sounds appealing but at the same time it is taking away the individuality we stride to encourage in the classroom.
I guess I can go along with this thought that digital writing (or typing) is much more flexible than writing on paper. I just feel as an admirer of English as a whole that there is a certain loss of a major aspect of the subject. Handwriting is a very personal part of anyone even if you don't think so. You have been working to perfect a legible form for most of your life and over that time you have developed your own style given your works some personality.
With the emergence of type based texts I feel that writing is losing the personality it once had as you jot down thoughts on a post it or in the margin of a book. Through this emergence as you expand horizons you also uniform certain things in very subtle ways you don't have a font to make your own you have to choose what you would like to use, you don't get to pick how to dot your i's and cross your t's. Sure, the idea of a "paperless" classroom sounds appealing but at the same time it is taking away the individuality we stride to encourage in the classroom.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Reprise of Ideas
I read an article for another class which really made me think.
We are in essence giving children tools that they already know how to use. It is our duty to show them how they can use these tools to make something out of what they find. As we encourage students to explore the internet and "learn on their own" there are multiple consequences. As with most media related operations you have to take them with a grain of salt. We have recently been taught how to dissect the information we come across on the internet and growing up with the internet we have found that not all we see online is at it seems.
Perhaps the children of the next generation will already be able to decipher fact from fiction as technology is becoming more and more frequent in learning sitations at a younger age. But we have to take this knowledge they are attaining on their own and show them what to do with it. Telling a student to do research is one thing because with the internet at their fingertips it truly is quite simlple. Research to a student is pretty much just click and find it is that simple but it is much harder for them to compute it into something of their own opinion, I am always formulating my own opinions from things said and written but not every student looks into it that much. It is our job to show them how meaningful this information can become to make it their own and publish their thoughts and ideas of such a matter in a form resembling this, a blog.
A blog is a pandora's box of sorts though. It is very opionated and in times can lose focus of where the facts come from and whether they are valid or not. I may be a cynic but you have to take information found on the internet with a grain of salt. As stated before some students just click and take for granted what they researched without finding other sources to validate their find. It is a much more arduous process than what it seems and validation truly is needed and we need to branch out to students to realize this.
We are in essence giving children tools that they already know how to use. It is our duty to show them how they can use these tools to make something out of what they find. As we encourage students to explore the internet and "learn on their own" there are multiple consequences. As with most media related operations you have to take them with a grain of salt. We have recently been taught how to dissect the information we come across on the internet and growing up with the internet we have found that not all we see online is at it seems.
Perhaps the children of the next generation will already be able to decipher fact from fiction as technology is becoming more and more frequent in learning sitations at a younger age. But we have to take this knowledge they are attaining on their own and show them what to do with it. Telling a student to do research is one thing because with the internet at their fingertips it truly is quite simlple. Research to a student is pretty much just click and find it is that simple but it is much harder for them to compute it into something of their own opinion, I am always formulating my own opinions from things said and written but not every student looks into it that much. It is our job to show them how meaningful this information can become to make it their own and publish their thoughts and ideas of such a matter in a form resembling this, a blog.
A blog is a pandora's box of sorts though. It is very opionated and in times can lose focus of where the facts come from and whether they are valid or not. I may be a cynic but you have to take information found on the internet with a grain of salt. As stated before some students just click and take for granted what they researched without finding other sources to validate their find. It is a much more arduous process than what it seems and validation truly is needed and we need to branch out to students to realize this.
The Effieciency of the Computer
When we talk about cars we hopefully view them as efficient machines as amode of transportation. There is one thing in the heart of a car that makes it run so efficiently, in every new car there is an onboard computer that regulates the entire car. The computer is truly a tool of unimaginable effieciency.
The networking that Wal Mart created in lieu of the computer age has taken the world by storm. Sure, outsourcing is not the greatest idea for a pending American employment uprising, but it would not be able to happen without the conception of the computer as a marketing tool and communication device. The speed at which users across continents can manufacture ideas and information is unparralleled. What keeps Wal Mart rolling so smoothly is the inception of a modes of transportation of communication and facts. There would be a rift if you communication and facts could not be reached so swiftly and ideas and incoming competitive prices and shipments would throw production and success way off mark and cause a huge collapse of such an industrial juggernaut.
The networking that Wal Mart created in lieu of the computer age has taken the world by storm. Sure, outsourcing is not the greatest idea for a pending American employment uprising, but it would not be able to happen without the conception of the computer as a marketing tool and communication device. The speed at which users across continents can manufacture ideas and information is unparralleled. What keeps Wal Mart rolling so smoothly is the inception of a modes of transportation of communication and facts. There would be a rift if you communication and facts could not be reached so swiftly and ideas and incoming competitive prices and shipments would throw production and success way off mark and cause a huge collapse of such an industrial juggernaut.
The Computer, This Time It's Personal
In regards to an excerpt of Heid's ILife book the computer has become a beacon of personality. I remember a time when I had a computer that was an all black screen and typed in yellow font. What a lifetime ago. There is no way to contend that these days the computer isn't personal.
Music- Music expresses each person whether they like it or not. Media has become a foundation of communication with others. The outbreak of music related forums or forums in general have connected users in a way once though never possible. Spanning the globe people from the UK can introduce new bands or thoughts on european football with people in the US for instance at incredible speeds. The messages boards are a place to write down your opinions and get the interaction and find people with common interests that you may never find in the location you reside.
A music library is your library a trophy case of what you either really like or just recreationally like to listen to. Either way it is yours to make your own you dont have to satisfy anyone else's tastes but your own it is your own personal library.
The background you set for your computer the sites you visit are all expressions of yourself and no one else. The boundaries for you to make a computer your own are unfathomable. Any hobby you have is reachable on a computer. If you are into making music there are several programs out there to help you realize your visions. There are numerous transcripts of Shakespearan drama to fill your brain with, if your into anything from pottery to masonery you can find tips and "how-to's" somewhere looming around the internet all reachable by your fingertips.
I am really really looking forward to working with garage band. I have always wanted to try myself at music production. Garageband is the real reason I want to get my hands on a mac no matter what program I use on my PC nothing seems to really work to record guitar on or is it is almost impossible to use. My experiences with a Mac show a reasonable learning curve and most programs seem to be very user friendly and very simple to use and I am really looking forward to seeing if garageband can meet these expectations.
Music- Music expresses each person whether they like it or not. Media has become a foundation of communication with others. The outbreak of music related forums or forums in general have connected users in a way once though never possible. Spanning the globe people from the UK can introduce new bands or thoughts on european football with people in the US for instance at incredible speeds. The messages boards are a place to write down your opinions and get the interaction and find people with common interests that you may never find in the location you reside.
A music library is your library a trophy case of what you either really like or just recreationally like to listen to. Either way it is yours to make your own you dont have to satisfy anyone else's tastes but your own it is your own personal library.
The background you set for your computer the sites you visit are all expressions of yourself and no one else. The boundaries for you to make a computer your own are unfathomable. Any hobby you have is reachable on a computer. If you are into making music there are several programs out there to help you realize your visions. There are numerous transcripts of Shakespearan drama to fill your brain with, if your into anything from pottery to masonery you can find tips and "how-to's" somewhere looming around the internet all reachable by your fingertips.
I am really really looking forward to working with garage band. I have always wanted to try myself at music production. Garageband is the real reason I want to get my hands on a mac no matter what program I use on my PC nothing seems to really work to record guitar on or is it is almost impossible to use. My experiences with a Mac show a reasonable learning curve and most programs seem to be very user friendly and very simple to use and I am really looking forward to seeing if garageband can meet these expectations.
Cell Phone Expansion
In lieu of the recent comments I received, thank you everyone who commented and has some input, I am glad to see you agree to see both postive and negative side effects to this new cell phone age.
http://www.apple.com
The Iphone will surely revolutionize the entire cellphone industry. A cellphone with so many features will surely attract an ocean of consumers for it's technological advances. It is almost scary if you look back and see old cellphones which had to be carried along with a large battery pack. The emergence of the camera phone has brought along with it a vast expansion not only in the modes of communication but also expression and art. However, if you really dwell on it it could be viewed as a nail in the coffin of literacy. Think about it instead of penning postcards we find ourselves capturing landscapes and sending text messages in a new breed of language (shorthand). Call me a purist but I try my hardest not to ever use shorthand because I really take pride in my knowledge of the english language and I fear that I am cheating myself by using it. Moreover, this new form of language is quickly taking over and with the progress of using technological features in the classroom I believe it is very important to stress the advantages of these advancements but not losing grasp of traditional ideas such as fundamental writing.
To address the parent side of marketing. The Disney phone seems like a good idea if you really think about it. The major problem with the influx of internet, moreover, technological activity among children is the inability of parents to keep watch over what their children are participating in. With this new phone the market is for younger children so do I think the GPS control is bad, no, with young children I see myself even maybe a parent one day the worry of where your young child is could be an overwhelming burden of worry. However, in regards to Hulk Hogan you have to realize a point to let your child be who they are and can not be over their shoulder at every moment, to have the ability to shut off your child's car via online GPS tracking (as displayed in an episode of Hogan knows best) is ridiculous.
http://www.apple.com
The Iphone will surely revolutionize the entire cellphone industry. A cellphone with so many features will surely attract an ocean of consumers for it's technological advances. It is almost scary if you look back and see old cellphones which had to be carried along with a large battery pack. The emergence of the camera phone has brought along with it a vast expansion not only in the modes of communication but also expression and art. However, if you really dwell on it it could be viewed as a nail in the coffin of literacy. Think about it instead of penning postcards we find ourselves capturing landscapes and sending text messages in a new breed of language (shorthand). Call me a purist but I try my hardest not to ever use shorthand because I really take pride in my knowledge of the english language and I fear that I am cheating myself by using it. Moreover, this new form of language is quickly taking over and with the progress of using technological features in the classroom I believe it is very important to stress the advantages of these advancements but not losing grasp of traditional ideas such as fundamental writing.
To address the parent side of marketing. The Disney phone seems like a good idea if you really think about it. The major problem with the influx of internet, moreover, technological activity among children is the inability of parents to keep watch over what their children are participating in. With this new phone the market is for younger children so do I think the GPS control is bad, no, with young children I see myself even maybe a parent one day the worry of where your young child is could be an overwhelming burden of worry. However, in regards to Hulk Hogan you have to realize a point to let your child be who they are and can not be over their shoulder at every moment, to have the ability to shut off your child's car via online GPS tracking (as displayed in an episode of Hogan knows best) is ridiculous.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
