What students really need

Recently I read an article called “Rigor Redefined” by Tony Wagner. The article discusses the skills students need to learn in order to obtain a successful career. The author gives helpful advice for what students need to learn in order to have a successful career in the 21^st century.

In the article the author lists what he believes are the most important concepts for students to grasp in order to have a 21^st century career. I think the seven concepts that the author mentioned that student’s have to have for a 21^st century job are correct. The things the author listed are critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration and leadership; agility and adaptability; initiative and entrepreneurialism; effective oral and written communication; accessing and analyzing information; and last but not least curiosity and imagination. Major companies want someone who is able to do the job efficiently, and someone who is able to think for themselves and not need step-by-step instruction. When he was talking with Clay Parker, President of the Chemical Management Divisions of BOC Edwards, some of the thing that he looks for when he is hiring people sounded very familiar. My Dad, he is the C.O.O of Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (Chfa), says that he I looking for same things. When Clay Parker was asked what he looks for in hiring new employees he said, “I look for some one who can engage in good discussions and I look for someone who asks good questions.” When my dad is looking to hire people he is looking for relatively the same things, some one who can engage with others well and some one who asks good questions because that shows him that they are actually interested in the company. When he is interviewing someone he is looking for attitude (how you do your job) and aptitude (your skill set).

Overall, the concept that stood out to me the most was number 6 Accessing and Analyzing Information), because it reminded me of the article that we previously read, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” I connected it in the way that students are presented with so many opportunities to access information but, are they actually learning from it? I know from my own experiences with research and studying, that I just memorize the information for a test; I don’t actually learn the material. I am sure many students do this as well, and I think that schools should help us actually learn the information instead of cramming for a test. But that is just my opinion, I think it could really help student in the long run.

The truth about knowledge

After watching Wesch's video “The machine is us” it really got me thinking about all the different technology that we have. I was thinking about how we all get information from different websites and how how easy and efficient it is for us to access information. It had never really crossed my mind that in order for us to be able to retrieve this knowledge another person is responsible for finding all the facts about a certain topic, creating a website, and sharing it. If you actually think about it Michel Wesch is right we are the machine. We get our information from each other and it is because of people that we are able to so easily access it. What would happen if there weren't people to blog, research, and create? Where would the world be with out people sharing knowledge and spreading it?

It Only Takes One Person to Make a Difference

For the last several years, Northern Mexico has become an increasingly dangerous place for both residents of the City of Juarez and the many American tourists that visit.  Northern Mexico has become one of the most dangerous places around because of competing drug cartels and the corruption of many parts of Mexico’s government. Drug Cartels are criminal organizations that traffic (move) drugs illegally throughout the world.  The business is very dangerous and has led to many cases of kidnap, murder, and violence in Mexico and the United States.  The increase in violence is due to cartels fighting for control of the trafficking routes into the United States. Theses days’ people fear walking down the streets alone because they might become victims of the cartel’s various gangs and the possibility of being kidnapped or murdered.

        I recently read the article “Just 20, young mother becomes Mexican top cop,” that appeared the Sydney Morning Herald.  The article is about a very brave woman that has taken the job of Police Chief for the City of Juarez, when nobody else would.  According to the article, Marisol Valles, a twenty tear old mother, recently accepted the position of Police Chief in Mexico’s dangerous northern region. Valles was studying criminology in nearby Ciudad Juarez - Mexico's most violent city, when she was presented with the opportunity to become Chief of Police. "She was the only person to accept the position," said the mayor's office in Praxedis Guadalupe Guerrero, amid the daily threat of violence here which has claimed the lives of police officers and a former mayor.” The article explains how the state of Chihuahua has “borne the brunt of Mexico's spiraling drug-related violence that has left more than 28,000 dead in the last four years.”

        I think what Ms. Valles is doing is incredibly brave but also very dangerous.  She is trying to make a difference but has to put herself and her son at risk to accomplish her goal.  Last week alone there were at least eight murders in Praxedis. "I took the risk because I want my son to live in a different community to the one we have today. I want people to be able to go out without fear, as it was before," Valles said. Valles said her job will not be to fight drug trafficking because that responsibility falls on soldiers and federal police. Instead, she will focus on rehabilitating public spaces and improving relationships between neighbors in order to improve general security.

        I fear for the safety of Marisol Valles and her son because of the risks she took taking this job. I think she has gotten herself into a sketchy situation that can only bring danger to herself and her family. However, I admire her bravery and pray she will be able to make a difference.

Extreme Courage

I recently read an article published by The Oval titled Obama: 'All Americans are safer' because of Medal of Honor winner's actions. This article was about President Obama awarding the nations highest military award, the Medal of Honor, to a Sergeant serving in Afghanistan. On Wednesday the President awarded the parents of Sgt. Robert J. Miller who died in combat after exposing himself to enemy fire saving the lives of the 22 U.S troops and the lives of 15 Afghans as well.  This fateful night happened on January 25, 2008 when he led a battle damage assessment team into a snowy valley in Afghanistan. Out of nowhere the squad was ambushed by 150 well-protected members of the insurgent Taliban who were rapidly firing bullets and throwing grenades at the squad. “Even under heavy fire, Miller -- wounded twice in the chest -- advanced while firing back and tossing grenades, and reporting on the enemy's position via radio. Miller's actions provided cover as other soldiers pulled out the wounded for medical treatment.”

            After reading about Sgt. Robert J. Miller’s actions I was amazed about how much courage and heart this one man possessed. What came over him to give him so much courage as to charge at the enemy who was shooting at him when he was already wounded? How many people in the world would be willing to do this? The bravery that Miller showed resulted him saving the lives of many Americans who were fighting for our country. He really is an extraordinary man and it makes me feel save that we have such brave kind-hearted men protecting out great nation. Although Miller’s motive is un-clear he showed extreme courage, bravery, and love for his country on the night of January 25^th.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Technology's New Footprints

Recently I read an article entitled “Footprints in the Digital Age” by Will Richardson.  The article was about Internet usage by students and how much the web is influencing the younger generation of kids.  It also describes how educators need to be teaching students, in order for them to reach their full learning potential. The article begins with Richardson describing some of his fears about how much the web is involved in our daily lives and how little information is actually being absorbed.

I really enjoyed his line “Not that they won’t be able to use Google well, mind you, but that when a certain someone (read: admissions officer, employer, potential mate) enters “Tess Richardson” into the search line of the browser, what comes up will be less then impressive.” His statement makes me think about how we as kids are always warned about what we post on the internet and how it is so easy now a days for anyone to find you via social networks. In a way this is scary because someone you don’t even know can learn almost everything about you. It could also be a disadvantage to have personal information on the Internet because an employer could make a decision about you based on that information without ever meeting you.

Richardson writes about the challenges that educators face right now balancing easier access to information with helping kids learn.  He states that educators are helping students “create, navigate, and grow the powerful, individualized networks of learning that bloom on the Internet.” He describes this new learning network as a “tectonic shift” in the way we need to think about the world and our place in it (Shirky,2008). This shift requires us to “create engaged learners, not simply knowers, and to reconsider the roles of schools and educators.” When I read this paragraph I immediately thought of the article, “Is Google Making Us Stupid” because the author of that article had similar ideas in how we as learners need to fully understand the material we are learning and not just complete assignments using easy to access information.

        According to the article the National School Boards Association took a survey in 2007 about the use of technology and found that of they 80% of students who used technology regularly - 70% of them used it for education related topics. I think that three years later these results are probably different because of the very popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  Internet usage has likely shifted from mostly education related topics to interacting with friends and communicating in a social manner.  I wonder..do people spend more time on Facebook than they do actually learning? I think that people have been able to learn how to multitask more efficiently. I really liked how Richardson said that we as students need to really push our thinking and try to understand what we are learning. I definitely do agree with him because we have access to so much information and it is so readily available that it is easy to become lazy in our approach.  Students today need to take the time they are saving on accessing the information and use it on studying the information so that it can be retained on a much deeper level.

Depression and Suicide Affect More Than Just One Person

Recently I read an article about the Denver Bronco’s wide receiver Kenny McKinley’s apparent suicide by The Associated Press. McKinley was found with what police say was a self-inflicted gun shot wound at his home in Denver. Investigators say that McKinley had been depressed over a recent knee injury only shortly after recovering from a similar injury last season. An officer reported that, McKinley made statements around his friends like “he should just kill himself.” Unfortunately nobody believed he was serious about his statements. He had a one-year-old son, his family, his teammates, his friends, and his fans that he left behind because he took his own life.

          After reading this article I thought about how one life can affect so many other people in very different ways. I thought about the son that was left behind without a Dad. I thought about the team that would have to deal with this tragedy and still not let their fans down. When someone is depressed they may feel like they aren’t worth much, or like they aren’t relevant, but they are. Everyone has people that love him or her and care about them; but when they can’t see that it is so sad. I know from experience that it is really hard to have an injury because when you can’t play, you tend to feel helpless.  You feel like you can’t do anything to help your team and are letting everyone down. You feel like they don’t need you, and it makes you question your value. I understand some of what Kenny McKinley might have been feeling, but not as deeply as he felt it.  I just wish someone could have recognized the signs of his depression. To realize it was more then just being upset about being injured again. Depression is a serous matter if more people could recognize the signs, and get help for themselves, friends, or family they could ultimately save a life.

         

One person can affect so many lives, even if they don’t realize it or understand it they really do matter. Last year we had two deaths occur at my middle school.  One was my really close friend who died from cancer. After the first death we were all slowly recovering only to have another student die two weeks later. The only difference was that the second student took his own life by means of hanging himself. If only he knew how many people cared about him maybe things would have been different. I remember walking down the hall and seeing so many people crying, and seeing people find out about the death was really hard; especially, because a lot of us were still getting over my friend Aaron’s death. Depression and suicide are very serious matters and it really is a hard thing to have to go through having someone you know kill themselves because they are unhappy. The worst part is that when someone takes their life they might think they are only affecting one life and that it is better for everyone else around them.  However, the reality is that it affects so many other people and makes a tragic situation even worse.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the McKinley Family.

 

 

How does the Internet affect our thinking?

          Is the popular search engine Google making us stupid? Nicholas Carr wrote an article in 2008 asking what the Internet is doing to our brains and how it is affecting us. In the article he writes, “over the past few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain.”  Is the Internet to blame?

When I first read this line in his article I was immediately alarmed at the thought that technology could have such a huge impact on our learning and the way we think. When Nicholas Carr begins describing his reactions to reading longer texts, I realized that I possessed similar reactions. For instance, when I read books or articles that have extensive text, I get fidgety, I dread the amount of time its going to take me to finish, and I begin looking for something else to do. Growing up with texting, social media, and instant access to everything, shorter and faster is always better.

This article describes how the Internet and the new media are making information more accessible and easier to read. The Internet allows us to locate information more quickly and answer questions about topics faster. But are we really learning and retaining the information we are seeing? These days, people (including me) are really just skimming articles and assignments instead of reading the full text. The shorter attention span we have developed in this age of technology has resulted in spending less time on research and missing important information.  The bottom line is that we may not be learning the information as fully even though access to more information.

Prior to the Internet, it was a much more extensive process writing a research paper.  First, you had to go to the library and check out a book on your topic, read it, take notes, and then write the actual paper. It was a much longer process but by spending that much time a student probably learned the information a lot better.  Today when writing a research paper, all you have to do is Google the topic, find a web site, read and write about it. This process is much faster and easier, yes, but are we really learning as much as we should?

So the question remains is Google making us stupid? I don’t think that it is making us stupid, I think that the way information is so easily accessible it provides us with more knowledge. However I also think that Google is making researching subjects more efficient but making our full understanding less proficient. We now have less academic discipline then before Internet but we now have easier access to information. So, no I don’t think Google is making us stupid.