AOW Textbooks becoming dust REVISED!

Is technology sweeping away textbooks? Education Secretary Arne Duncan challenged people to switch to a technological way of learning instead of using textbooks. Who wants to carry around one hundred pound textbooks all day? What about all the money wasted over the years to supply and replace old textbooks? After awhile it just becomes a hassle and with new technology like the ipad, we can give students a better way to learn.

We have all walked into a classroom and seen old dirty textbooks lying on the floor under desks, ripped pages, written all over, the cardboard binding starting to give out. After many long years of use these have to be replaced in large quantities which cost tons of money. Another example of the inconveniences of using textbooks is the struggle to really use them on my own to finish up homework. It’s unreasonable to think I’m really going to carry around 3 different large books when I’m only going to need one or two pages out of each. Also, some of the information is out dated in the textbooks.

Technology is starting to show up more and more in schools. For example there are classes, like my English class, which are focused around learning with ipads. Duncan said, “Working with the same material on a digital textbook, when they get to something they don’t know, the device can let them explore”. Like Duncan said in the article, with a textbook you are limited to only that information on that subject where if you were to have a laptop or ipad you would have access to all subjects, all vocabulary, and updated information. Instead of carrying around multiple old dusty books, we can give students one thing that can access all the work they need.

With new technology, we can educate kids better and easier than we could with textbooks. With students having more access, they can work through problems they come upon in their work, and have it easy to carry around. With the world of education changing, this way is more helpful and just a logical choice. No more hassle just learning.

AOW- environmental awareness

I disagree that school aged are less environmentally aware than older generations. Tv talks about going green During our time is all this going green ideas recycling,using cloth bags for grocery shopping instead of plastic or paper bags,going outside to play

Are kids becoming less and less aware of the conservation of energy? When you think of teenagers you may think lazy, moody, and only focused on them and their social lives but they are very aware of the environment. Growing up I hear a lot on T.V. about “Reduce, reuse, and recycle!”, “Get outside and play!”, “Conserve energy!”.

AOW- Effects of texting

Is texting causing harm to peoples vocabulary? Studies have shown that texting has made people not want to accept more words. I definetly think texting can have a bad effect on all of us because we use slang and abbreviate to much.

Reading more traditional print will help us learn  more words because it dosnt use slang and stuff

3-20-12 holocaust reflection

1.Why should students learn about the holocaust?

Students should learn about the holocaust because it will help the new generations try not to make the same mistakes. Teaching people about the horrible treatment of the people during the holocaust and the destruction can show people to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. Along with that people just need to be very aware and educated about tragic events like the holocaust because it was such a huge thing in history. 

2. What contemporary issue would you be interested to learn more about and take action on?

Of course its no where near as bad as what the jews in the holocaust had to go through, but i think the issue of people being so strongly against gay marriage is very stupid. Of course gay people arn’t being killed and sent to camps or anything horrible but some kids are bullied to the point of breaking and gay marriage still isnt legal in most states. I don’t see why people have to keep them from being happy just because they don’t agree with it. I don’t see why people are so obsessed with something that has nothing to do with them. Why can’t two men you don’t even know or see get married? Because you don’t like it? Because your religion says its “wrong”? Thats ridiculous. I’d like to learn why they are so against it. A way i can take action on this problem is just showing my support for them and letting people see its not such a terrible thing. 

Textbooks becoming dust AOW

At first I disagreed with the article because I’m not really a fan of the whole idea of school getting into technology but the article pointed out some really good points that made me reconsider my choice. Things like the fact the textbooks cost so much money to make and how kids are carrying around 2-3 heavy textbooks all day when they could be just having all of that on one small easy iPad. It could be easier to do work outside of school if I could just carry about a small lightweight tablet because it’s very rare I carry my 5 textbooks everywhere with me.  

Doing papers and assignments could be easier again if I had it all on o e thing because I’d have the world at my fingertips instead of spending hours running through my hundred page textbooks trying to find one small section.  I think this way of learning is better because you can end up learning way more.  You can get your work emailed to you and not get behind on school.

Group Reflection

In my group discussion we talked about how today we don’t realize how lucky we are to have simple things like a bed of our own or clothes that fit. Reading the diary of anne frank she talked about how she felt so selfish almost because her hiding place and situation was amazing compared to people in other places or in the camps. She had hardly anything but felt like she had everything when today we all want luxurious things and don’t think how lucky we are. In Anne’s diary she really changes as a person over the two years. She has very mature points of view and even write in the book how she feels shes growing up and becoming more wiser when she used to be teased by her family for acting childish.

An issue that bothers me today is the amount of homeless and poor children in the world. Something I’ve done with my family is volunteer at a homeless shelter where we serve them food and get them clothes.

AOW Kenya Orphanage

Anthony Omari got a huge scar trying to protect his loved ones. He’s a true hero for doing this. He got attacked by a machete. After hearing about this, Ben Hardwick decided to help.

As thieves attacked Anthony Omari, children screamed in terror. A machete tore across his face. He was so brave for standing up and doing this. After this frightening event though, they soon realized that they needed more security if they were going to be safe.

Ben Hardwick knew this too. A website called Reddit saw the pictur of Omari’s scar and donated $80,000 to the orphanage. Even more peopl donated after that. With the money they were able to pay for stuff that would keep them safe.

AOW Does Talent Matter

Can practicing be the answer to everything? If you practice more you will only get better. Even when your good, if you keep practicing you will get even better. 

Studying helps you get better knowledge and understand stuff better. This article talks about researches that people have done about how practicing more helps you be smarter. It’s kind of obvious though that practicing makes you better. I always thought that talent was being good because you practiced but I guess not.

Some people think they have a natural born talent at something when really those people just practiced. 

AOW The Keurig question

The Keurig coffee maker is great for people who drink  coffee everyday but in the end is it really helping us as much as we think? Although the K-cups help not waste coffee, the cups arn’t easy to recycle and thats a bigger problem than wasting coffee.

The K-cups are a good way to help not waste coffee everyday but they don’t do so much good for the enviornment. The cups are made from materials that don’t recycle very well. They are made out of a plastic cup, which is lined with a heat-sealed paper filter, plus a polyethylene-coated aluminum foil top. Some people have shared their expierences with reusing the K-cups which makes the wasting less. If this would catch on then the enviornmental issue wouldnt be as big. As suggested in the article you can put your used cups in a composter.

About 40% of food gets wasted in America though. Which is more important to you? Saving the enviornment or saving the wasting of coffee? To me i think the issue of recycling is more important.

To solve these two problems there needs to be a k cup that is made from materials that can be recycled.  

I hate writing dumb blogs