Saturday, December 6, 2008
PLN 16
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
PLN 15
Monday, December 1, 2008
PLN 14
Saturday, November 22, 2008
PLN 13
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
PLN 12
Sunday, November 16, 2008
PLN 11
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
PLN 10
Monday, November 10, 2008
PLN 9
Thursday, November 6, 2008
PLN 7
In the article it’s the Parents’ Fault. Not. What matters is whose responsibility it is to teach kids about the danger of Internet sights like myspace or facebook. In the article the author has a conversation with a principle from a high school. The principle states that he thinks that it is the parents’ responsibility to warn their kids, and therefore it is the parents’ fault that kids get into so much trouble. The author however states that it is the schools job to educate kids and that means on everything, from math to Internet dangers. The author suggests that schools should start teaching kids about the danger in first grade so that they never even get into sights like myspace. But I would ask that if it is the schools job to teach kids everything then why would we even have parents? No schools are responsible for teaching kids academic subjects like math and English, and while there is no problem with schools warning kids of these things. It is the parents job to make sure their kids know about the world and know what is right and what is wrong. Therefore it is the parents fault and their responsibility.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
PLN 6
In the article No Child Left Behind from the Nata village blog what matters is education. At the Nata Priamary School they have made classrooms outside to ensure that all the children get a chance to learn. The kids even love to learn and they are very grateful for the chance to learn and they take pride in their work. This makes me wonder what school would be like here if all Americans were so eager to learn and grateful for the chance. If Americans were as eager to learn and took as much pride in our work society would be in a much better place. There would be less poverty, less crime, and fewer problems with the teens of today. Instead of dropping out of high school teens would work until they achieved their goals, they would get good grades, go to good colleges and find good jobs that they love. America is a blessed country; every child gets to go to school, but in the Nata village it is a privilege for them to go to school and that is why they are so grateful. We can certainly learn from them, I think everybody could use a little lesson on being grateful. Because we have always had public schools that anybody can go to for free we take it for granted. If we were grateful for the chance to make something of ourselves then we would develop pride in our work. By taking pride in our work, the standard of business, living, and even the level of self respect would all rise because when people take pride in what they do their best to make it the best it could be and as presentable as possible. If we took pride in our work and in everything we do then we wouldn’t settle for something that was mediocre we would do everything with excellence and a higher standard would be set. Because education has always been available to us it has lost its value, but it would be wise of us to learn a little something from the kids in the Nata village who it truly matters to.
PLN 8
In the article Personhood Amendment Fails by the Denver post what matters is the right to life for every person. In the Colorado constitution it states the every person has the right to life liberty and property. This amendment puts a true definition to what a person is; it said that a person is a person from the time they are conceived. There really isn’t a definition of when a person is considered a person, and therefore it is left up to the courts to interpret what is or isn’t a person. When I think of a person I think something that has a heart, lungs, a brain, fingerprints, eyes and can feel, at just 5 weeks a baby has fingerprints, at just 8 weeks it has a brain and can feel, by ten weeks the baby looks like a human and has a gender. By 13 weeks the baby looks like a human has a brain and feels; it has bones and even fingerprints it is a person, yet it is at this 13 week mark that most abortions are performed. It gets worse many abortions are partial birth abortions where the baby is delivered all except the head then its brains are sucked out, causing its brains to collapse. This kind of abortion is usually performed between 20 and 26 weeks, by this time the baby has a detectable heartbeat can move and even has hair on its head the baby is even most of the way born, that is definitely a person. But that is still not the worst of it, even after birth abortion is still not considered murder. This is where the mother gives birth to the baby prematurely then the fully born living breathing baby is left to die. They are even issued birth and death certificates; if that is not a person then even I couldn’t be considered one. So how do they get away with all this being legal? It is because the courts have been left to define what is and isn’t a person therefore they can change the definition, making something like leaving fully born living breathing babies in a dark room to die legal. Amendment 48 would have given the word “Person” a definition therefore no longer allowing the courts to redefine the word for every case. It would entitle even the smallest person to the the constitutional rights of every person, making abortion against rights and setting the injustice straight.
Colorado Constitution
Live Birth Abortion
Monday, October 27, 2008
PLN 5
In the article Monument teen appeals over Jesus graduation speech what matters is constitutional rights. Erica Corder was denied her diploma after mentioning Jesus in her 30 second valedictorian speech. She was told that if she didn’t apologize she would not graduate. The school claims that because it was a “school sponsored speech” it was not okay for her to reference God. Erica claims that the first amendment gives her the freedom of speech. I think that it was wrong for the school to force her to apologize. America was based on freedom specifically freedom of religion therefore it would be right for people to express what they believe. She wasn’t making anyone else believe what she did, she didn’t even claim that that is what the school believed, she was simply saying what she believed. This incident reminds me of another I heard about happening in the science community of America. There are some very respected scientist that have been fired or considered uncredible after they mentioned the idea of intelligent design or evolution with a creator. They never claimed it to be the truth, what they believed or what they organization believed however they were fired as a result of it. This country calls themselves a free nation but Erica’s incident and ones like it make me wonder just how free America is and if our rights as human beings are really protected.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
PLN 4
Sunday, October 12, 2008
PLN 3
In the article Mountain Highways Snarled by bad weather by the Rocky Mountain News, it talks about winter coming!! They talk about the cold weather, slick roads, and snow. It is all so exciting with the season changing. With the snow and cold weather comes skiing and snowboarding, hot chocolate, fires, and snowmen. I remember the 10 foot tall snowmen I used to make with my dad when I was little – the taller the better! I’m going to try snowboarding again this winter. My brother started teaching me last winter but I need a lot more instruction and practice. To me the first snow of the season brings thoughts of how the Thanksgiving turkey smells cooking in the oven, the Christmas lights showing up all over the neighborhood, winter sports and catching snowflakes on my tongue. But the Rocky Mountain News had other things to report. The first winter weather of the season brought slippery roads, and car crashes, especially to the western side of the Continental Divide. West of the Eisenhower Tunnel an eighteen-wheeler truck crashed into the guard rail and blocked the road, tying up traffic for hours. Numerous fender benders caused weekend travelers a little inconvenience. Ski areas, however, were pleased to have some natural snow to help build a base for opening day which is coming soon. The Denver area was didn’t get snow today, but the article talks of a mixture of rain and snow tomorrow in Denver. If we do get snow the situation could very well end up the same on highways around here. Winter is coming and bringing with it all the fun and frusteration.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
PLN 2: Did You Know?
- 34 babies born in 8 seconds
- living in exponential times
- if myspace were a country it would be the 8th largest in the world
- shift happens
- we are preparing kids for jobs that don't exist
- being successful in the 21st century means more than being literate
PLN 2: Did You Know?
In the Did you know? presentation by Karl Fisch, what matters is the insane rate that technology is growing at. The number of computers, cell phones and different websites being used each has shot up in the last fifty years. Not only that but the amount that people are using them is huge. Furthermore the abilities of all the different technologies have greatly increased. Karl Fisch tells us things like if MySpace were a country, it would have the eighth largest population in the world. That is a huge website. Because people have learned to use technology so much it has become a huge part of life. Technology is no longer just for pleasure but it connects the world, the web contains all the information anybody could ever need. It has become such a big part of life that even small children know how to use computers. But this brings up another question about what it will look like to be “literate” in the 21st century. Kids who grow up in the 21st century will need to know how to use all the technology available to them. Or there is no way that they will be able to succeed in the world later in life. Karl Fisch is showing people that technology is changing how people live, work and connect and everybody needs to jump on board with the change or they will be left behind.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Machines are Using Us
- director: Michael Wesch
- professor of anthropology
- is it the machine using us? or are we the machine?
- text links anywhere
- has been made user friendly
- we create the web
- it mashes info together
- we have lost who we really are
- identity
- technology becoming who we are
What matters to Michael Wesch???