We Need To Get Workin,' Pronto

In the article, “Rigor Redefined” by Tony Wagner, it is all about really that we aren’t getting a good enough education now for the future. Mr. Wagner says that we need to engage in analytical discussions. That’s where we at least should be. He also says we need to work independently and in groups. He says we need to also need to know how to work our laptops and fix things on them by ourselves or with little help from teachers. But about working in groups, I am more efficient and do better work overall in groups. It’s easier to say what you want to say in groups rather then being aloof and staring off into space and not thinking and saying what you feel. We being myself and fellow la classmates, engage in very good discussion. We comprehend our reading and can make a paragraph out of what we read. This is basically just a summary of an article. I think we know well about our laptops. I barely ever ask for any help with them at all. But, I do think that we are still not at proficient. I think the honors and ap kids are at the standards that Mr. Wagner states. I think to solve this we need more explanation in what we are doing and why we are doing it to further comprehend what we are focusing on. Its not going to be an easy fix but Mr. Wagner really makes us think what skills we will need for later in our lives and how we will need to start now to achieve those goals.

Are We Really ready For What Is Coming?

In the blog “Rigor Defined” by Tony Wagner, he explains that he thinks that kids aren’t well suited enough in what they should know in technology today. He explains that we need to engage in our thinking for ourselves, not in just a group where we can’t think alone, we think as a group. I work in groups and alone and in my opinion I work better in groups rather then alone because I can’t think out loud by myself, I have to think to myself rather then think out loud to my classmates. I also think we are more then well suited for what we should know now and what he thinks we should know now. We engage in discussions and know how to work our laptops, well most of us. This made me wonder, what the expectations now are really these days. Are honors and ap kids the norm? Or are they just more “prepared” then someone say in normal classes rather then an average student? I believe kids are aloof to what they really should or what we are or need to prepare for in education. I think the standard is an honors student. It seems like we get older there are a more and more smarter kids in my school, and the younger kids are taking harder classes because they are getting smarter then an average kid their age. The point is. Technology is getting harder and kids have more expected of them as the years go by. Are we really ready for it or is Mr. Wagner right, are we really ready for what is coming?

The Pen, or the Keyboard?

In the blog “Is the Pen Mightier Then the Keyboard?” by Karl Fisch, it says that a recent study from the National School Board Associates did a blog that was talking about if students write longer essays when they’re typing on a keyboard, or writing it out. Here is a quote from one of the professors at University of Washington; "Children consistently did better writing with a pen when they wrote essays. They wrote more and they wrote faster." said Berninger. So I was thinking, does it really depend on the kid? From my standpoint, I can write better and longer ON the computer. Is this study out of college students? It doesn’t say how old or anything about the kids. I would think that kids would want to rather type a paper if they had the chance, rather then write an essay by hand. In this technology we have today, I would think that would be the answer. I think it would be interesting to conduct a test maybe for a 9th grade classroom and ask if they would rather write or type out an essay. Again, with this technology we have today, who wouldn’t rather type something out rather then write, I just think its easier and faster to type, and im doing the same work I would have writing, but Im more efficiently working on it. This leaves me with one final question. The pen, or the keyboard?

Highlands Ranch Boy Collpases and Dies After Running

In the blog “Highlands Ranch sophomore dies after collapsing during run” by Daniel Petty, and The Denver Post, it states that a sophomore from Highlands Ranch Highschool was running and just collapsed when running in a sponsored cross country run along the Highline Canal on Wednesday September 30th. Spectators that called 911 say that he died on the way to the hospital. I thought possibly he might have had some sort of cardiac arrest. But then that sparked another thought, if he was a cross country athlete, he must have been in good shape. Usually cardiac arrest happens to not in shape people but then if he wasn’t not in shape, then maybe there must have been something wrong in his heart that doesn’t have to do with possibly pushing himself too hard in the run? I think that doctors should perform another autopsy on his heart and see what the results will be because doctors said the results were in conclusive. Maybe there was something wrong with it, maybe there was some defect or that just he really did push himself too hard. It’s really amazing how you can do something as simple as just running and have your heart give out and die. This makes me think about how I really value my life and how life is such a fragile thing in the world.

What Do They Really Know?

In the blog “Class Survey,” a 4th grade teacher in Nevada asked his students a few simple questions like do you know your address and can you name some cities in Nevada. (That is where the survey was taken place.) Only 1 student out of 24 students could name 10 cities in their own state, this shocked me. Even though they’re only in 4th grade, I thought they should know where they live n some other cities in their state. Kids are getting smarter, younger it seems so when it said that only 1 kid knew out of the whole class I was wondered, what are they being taught in their social studies class if they don’t even know some cities in their own state! These kids are about 9 years old it says, some only 8. I think that it’s crazy; we think they should know this kind of simple tasks by heart, but they don’t and it just seems so easy. Apparently it’s not so easy for 9 year olds. There were some other questions such as do you know what state you’re in right now. 12 out of 24 kids got it right, so half of his class knows where they are. I was so very surprised at that because I thought they would have been at least taught where they live. I can see not knowing more then a few cities but not knowing where you live, I think that’s a little crazy. Maybe they just don’t get taught that kind of material. I think teachers should let their students know more about what’s around them. This was a good survey but I think that kids should know more information about what’s going on around them.

Are Machines Using Us Or Are We Using Them? You Be the Judge

In the You Tube video “Mechanics Are Using Us,” by Michael Wesch, he is telling us that we are practically the machines teaching the machines. When we post a blog or even hyperlink a website, that’s sending information into the computer. It remembers the data and learns from it. So essentially we are teaching the computers, not them teaching us. I agree with Mr. Wesch because he is absolutely right, I think that we do things on the computer and they pick up on it and remember. In the paper, I was surprised when they said that these days we aren’t as good at writing because we just say whatever we want and abbreviate and such on Facebook and websites like that. I disagree with that statement because its not that we don’t write good because of that reason, I think its because we don’t have good things to write about. I like to just free write because you can write about anything and don’t have a prompt or anything. Also they said we write more then times before but I disagree with that again. I think we write less because we are bored with writing. at least I know I am bored with just plain old writing...
So I will leave with you a question. Are machines teaching us or are we teaching them? Think about it.