Brave New World of Digital Intimacy

This article is all about the very thing that I hate about face book. I am with the first guy who made up the group that was against that news feed. When I very first started using face book I said the same thing. I though ok so now everyone can see what I am doing all the time I think that is a little invasive. My remedy to the situation was to limit the amount of information that I put up. The problem with this was that I soon found out that if you were at a party with Mary Joe and Bobby Jane and you took a picture of them it was not ok that you didn’t want to put it up on face book, and then if you did sent them the photo they would put it on face book and the purpose would be defeated all together. I don’t think that it is necessary for people to have all of your business all of the time. I barely have anything on my face book at all. I just think that it is unnecessary and I think that it allows people who would not normally be in your life into your life without reason. The hysteria was warranted. You don’t think?

Labeling Children

I love this cartoon! I have always thought the same way about labeling children. I don’t think it makes any since and it’s not really fair. Children change as they grow and that is also true for their interest in education. Just because if kid does bad one year or on one test doesn’t qualify them for special education it’s really a lazy way of organizing children.

Help Kids to Focus on giving in the Christmas season!

POSITIVE “PRESENTS”

What about the students in your class who do not celebrate Christmas? What about those students who cannot afford a couple dollars for a “Secret Santa” gift? Those are two of the questions that drove Mike Millard, a math teacher at South Middle School in Liberal, Kansas, to create a special end-of-term activity. He does the activity with his advisory group, which comprises students of all abilities in grades 7 and 8. Instead of exchanging gifts, the students exchange compliments!

Each year, Millard prepares for this self-esteem-boosting activity by typing all the students’ names on a sheet of paper. Two lines accompany each name. “I give students a day to come up with a positive comment about each person on the list,” explained Millard. “Then I collect the papers and type up one page for each student, listing all the positive things their peers said about them.”

Comments include sentiments such as, “You always have a smile,” “You were nice to help me with my math homework,” and other upbeat messages, Millard told Education World.

“Of course I add a positive comment of my own for each student,” he said.

“I like this activity because it encourages students to focus on the most positive aspects of their peers,” Millard said. Nobody feels left out because the end-of-term party doesn’t focus on one holiday celebration or another, and the kids have no worries about whether or not their gifts will measure up.

“The activity gives students’ self-confidence a huge boost,” Millard added. “It’s really great to see their faces brighten when they read the positive things their peers have to say about them.”

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson292.shtml

Blogging & Education

 

 

 

 

In the article, “The Pro’s of Blogging” Bachenheimer and high school teachers in Philadelphia introduced blogging into their classrooms as a test to see if blogging helps the students writing skills. They believe it improves students writing because they are writing more frequently.

Obama’s Opinion On Teachers

 

 

In the article, “Obama and Education” Washingtons Chancellor is worried about the decisions Barack Obama is going to make regarding education. “There’s no reason why an experienced, highly qualified and effective teacher shouldn’t earn $100,000,” Obama said. “There’s just one catch. In exchange for more money, teachers need to become more accountable for their performance–and school districts need to have greater ability to get rid of ineffective teachers.” I agree with Obama; I feel teachers need to be weeded out. There are many great teachers out there but there are also those that are wasting space because they don’t really like their job.

Chancellor Rhee Wants Change In Schools

 

Video:  Chancellor Rhee of Washington schools wants teachers to choose between job security and more money.

Barack Obama on Education

“Brave New World of Digital Intamacy”

Why is Facebook so intriguing? It is like reading the tabloids while your waiting to check out at the ShopRite except better because you actually know the people that you are reading about. I constantly ask myself why am I reading these newsfeeds? They are absolutely irrelevant to my life but I still do it. The article “Brave New World of Digital Intimacy” talked about the fact that people are intrigued by sites such as Myspace and Facebook because we feed off of others moods and emotions. Facebook allows social interaction at anytime and anyplace, but when does it go too far? In my opinion I believe that having an intimate relationship over the internet is a little risky. It is easier to deceive people online rather than face to face. You are unaware of who you may really be communicating with.

Brave New World…

The only question that I have about Facebook, is what did we do before it? I think that Mark Zuckerberg did the world of digital networking a huge favor. Facebook is a great way to meet new people, find old friends, and network. I mean before Facebook came along the only thing we had close to this was American Online Instant Messenger and that doesn’t even come close to the Facebook experience. But how far can this actually go? Now you can even get Facebook updates on her phone, without even having to go the computer. But along with of benefits of Facebook, comes the downfalls. Try getting a job after your boss looks at all the pictures you and your friends post online at your 21st birthday. Or when you update your status, giving people to much information on where you are and what you’re doing. These downfalls are just a few ways that Facebook can really get you into trouble. Facebook has become a way for people to know what your doing and when your doing it and for me that is to much information to just give away. It’s only a matter of time before people start to really get themselves in trouble with their Facebook profiles.

“YouTube vs. Boob Tube”

I found the article “YouTube vs. Boob Tube” by Bob Garfield entertaining. You Tube has created a new craze just as the first television did when it came out. The difference is back then only movie stars made movies. Now anybody with a video camera and an internet connection can become famous. You Tube allows people to upload videos online and depending on how many hits they recieve can become the next big craze. In todays society I feel people want to see other people just like them, thats why You Tube is so sucessfull. You Tube brings creativity and personality to communication . It is also helpful to educators as well. It allows for a teacher to have quick access to so much material.