The way 21st century children are learning.

      In the article Rigor Redefined, Tony Wagner observed the way young men and women learn for the 21st century. Tony Wagner first started by going to companies and speaking to the bosses. For example the Chemical Management Division of BOC Edwards; Clay Parker says what he looks for while hiring new people for the job, that they asks good questions so they can engage in a good conversation. This was surprising to read because most people think that employers only look at your years of school and experience. In school the teachers teach us the knowledge and to be critical thinkers, but they don't prepare us for a job interview. In a way how can they; every employer is different. In the article he tells us what he sees in the advance placement classes in a school and how they the student react to the teachers questions. When he describes the AP classes and the Algebra ll class; the AP classes work swiftly with no questions and the Algebra ll class is totally confused and isn't quite sure what to do to solve the problem. Are we going to depend on the intelligent people to pull the weight for the people who don't comprehend well? At times the focus shouldn't only be on the smart people. He explains how team work is essential, but if the advanced is so far ahead of the average; how is average ever going to be able to work and compete with the advanced once out of school? 

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/oct08/vol66/num02/Rigor-Redefined.aspx

Our Web

          The video the machine is us/ing us, by Michael Wesch starts out about how we use the web now. Then it ends on how the web will be different in the future is up to us. When I saw this, I was board and heard this all too many times before. From what I see though he makes a good point; the web will be different in the future and my generation should have a good working knowledge about the web, because we have to take on the responsibility.  

      In the beginning he talks about how digital text is better than written text. This is all true because it’s a lot easier to revise and edit a paper by just using the delete button than an eraser, and we all know this but older generations are acting like it is so hard and we need to be prepared. In a way they don't understand how easy it is for us to figure all this out because we have been around the web our whole entire lives and we don’t know what life would be like without the web. But who really knows for us, none of us teens have worked for say Google or Facebook. I understand why some of the prior generations are worried because they think we won't be prepared and we will put the United Stated in a big information hole and won't be able to get out; they may not be able to give us all the answers we ask, but we can get their advice and use it to our advantage to figure things out ourselves. We will find our own way of life and set a path for our future, and if we are not fully ready to take on this responsibility then who is? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Is there any security anymore?

           The article, "Fort Hood witness says he feared there were more gunmen," was about Maj. Stephen Richter telling the Army Medical Corps that on the day of the shooting he felt like he was being stalked by Nidal Hasan, prior of the shooting in the SRP building. I thought when I read this, "why didn't he tell anybody sooner?" If he did so it would have prevented 13 lives lost and dozens more of other soldiers injured. Maj. Richter was lucky; he remembers the red laser reflecting his eyes; just before Nidal Hasan shot he got distracted by the gunfire from the civilian police; which saved Maj. Richter's life.

            Since I have lived in Fort Hood, Tx a few months before the shooting I wonder how did Nidal Hasan do all of this? For one it is difficult getting a gun on Fort Hoods Military Base, because of the security; and two how did he get so far and not get suspected of anything? Based on the shooting incident I believe the military bases across the country should increase their security in all of their main buildings; not just the main entrance gate and the office where the highest ranking officer works. It is disappointing that the largest military base in the United States has a not well enough security to prevent this from happening. It hurts me to know that a couple of my close friends dads or moms could have been killed due to lack of security on Fort Hood.  

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-20/justice/texas.fort.hood.shootings_1_police-car-police-officer-police-fire?_s=PM:CRIME

Hungary asks for helping clean up sludge.

       In the short article, "Hungary asks for helping cleaning up sludge" by the CNN Wire Staff is about the cleanup of at least one million cubic meters of toxic sludge. A reservoir holding industrial waste burst earlier this week. Three villages ended up covered in the sludge; of about 40 square kilometers. In some places the sludge is taller than the average man. This needs to be taken care of really quickly, because it is toxic and people have died from the sludge. In my opinion I think the United States, and other countries should go to Hungary and help them in their environmental crises.    
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/10/07/hungary.toxic/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Footprints in the Digital Age

The article Footprints in the Digital Age by Mr. Richardson describes how students today need to think about how we are using the internet to improve our learning. He refers to us students today needing to be googleable. So after I read this article I went on Google and typed in my name. What came up was a link to my facebook account and a writing I wrote in sixth grade from at my old school. So I know now i’m at least somewhat googleable. I think one of the only main ways to not to be googleable is to have really nothing to with the internet. So I wonder, "Can we ever control what is posted about ourselves on Google?" When I found myself on Google it was a bit weird in a way. I thought would people just judge me based on what’s on my facebook profile? When I read that a little girl named Laura Stockman who is as young as ten years old, wrote a blog that has inspired so many people with her writing makes me think, "What can I do to influence people?" I can maybe try to do the something with just something as simple as a blog or an essay.
 http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer09/vol66/num11/Footprints-in-the-Digital-Age.aspx

"Dear Denver Post, Would You Be Ok With Us Cheating On The CSAP, Too?"

 The article, "Dear Denver Post, Would You Be Ok With Us Cheating On The CSAP, Too?” by Mr. Fisch is about Mr. Fisch responding to an article by the Denver Post. When I read his article I thought what if the people just keep blowing off cheating, like it's no big deal? If more students start cheating on quizzes, tests, and major exams you wouldn't know who really understands the material and who doesn't. This would also cause the United States to fall far behind in the economic turnaround from the rest of the world; because based on their test scores people would assume that our generation knows just what to do. This week they were following up on Derek Jeter on how he faked getting hit in the leg to get on base. I think that the umpire should have looked more closely at the play and he should have never had made that mistake. It annoys me when grown men and women act like fools when they are aware that young children look up to them. It sets a very bad example for kids and it makes you wonder what are these young kids goals in life are these days. 

http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2010/09/dear-denver-post-would-you-be-okay-with.html

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

   In the article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" talks a lot about how we comprehend and think about what we read. The way people read now is more skimming the article than actually taking time to read and understand the article. When I read this article I thought about how I read and comprehend things. Nicholas Carr explains how he used to be able to read long stretches of articles and analyze and make connections to what he reads. Now he finds himself struggling to stay focus after two to three pages. When I read I can really relate to this because, I can't concentrate as much as I used to. When I read I usually have to read the page two to three times. Unless I’m connected or really interested in the writing I usually don't read it in the first place. I don't think Google is making us stupid. I just think Google is just making us read things differently, by summarizing what we read. Is Google really making us stupid or is Google just changing how we process things?

 http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/