PLN 5

Tyler Aikens
August 30, 2012
English 9
Buchwald

A Vision of Students Today PLN 1/5

        A Vision of Students Today, a video created by the students of Kansas University portrays what we suspect in the future of education in tour colleges. As the video begins, it reveals a college classroom that could hold around 100 students, and one teacher in which students are expected to learn from. After just a few words from the students,you can already tell that with the distractions, money wasted, and the multitasking that is included in their daily basis, college is not a very pleasurable experience. A survey asked a simple question, “What is it like being a student today?” 200 students made over 360 edits, and all 200 students seemed to be at a disgrace to what we believe college is. They spent thousands of dollars on textbooks that they never open, very few teachers know them, and the overwhelming cost and wages in the world all seem to be piled on top of their desks. They say technology is the solution. They say they will solve these problems, but they have yet to solve anything.
        A Vision of Students Today, created by Kansas University, I believe, offers and considers many different changes that can and should be made. The first change that I believe would solve problems would be to minimize the class sizes, helping to create a better learning environment for the students. Second, they say technology is the solution, but I believe that it is a problem. Too many students are on Facebook, chatting with friends, or are being distracted with some other sort of technology. At the end of the video, I could not help but notice the man writing on the chalkboard and this sparked an idea.Why don’t reel back time to maybe twenty years ago, back when education rarely consisted of computers more sophisticated than a calculator. Why? Because this way of learning is obviously not working.

High School, Only Shorter

Tyler Aikens
PLN 4
Buchwald

PLN 4

“High School, Only Shorter” an article written by Sue Shellenbarger, places us in the shoes of students who have decided to skip their Senior year of high school. Some 2.9% of sophomores in 2002 graduated from high school a year early this year because of avaliable online classes, gifted minds, and  the students future endeavors. Nicholas Meyers from New York City was one of these students whose dream was to get out of high school a year earlier. by doing this he said,”If I get out a year early, that's a year extra of pay, and that's a year earlier of retirement. That's a whole year of my time that I can do whatever I want—make some money, invest some money or just relax.” Luke Prieb was a middle schooler with a very bright mind. His father, afraid of the speed of learning causing him to lose his love for school, moved Luke up into high school classes. By his third year of high school, he had run out of classes to take; therefore he graduated before his classmates. Other vigorous students decided that they wanted to explore the more complex world and could not wait to do so. In conclusion, if you are a bright-minded student and/or looking forward to the world ahead, this may be the right path for you.
“High School, Only Shorter” a mind-boggling article written by Sue Shellenbarger gives us the good and the bad sides of graduating with the upperclassmen. In my opinion, graduating early and spending all of those extra hours for just one year less of high school is not worth it. Why not have a good time with your friends and not worry about you future as much as you focus on the now? If I were to graduate in  my junior year, I would be 17, and by that time, I do not believe that i will be mentally, and physically prepared for college. It would simply be rougher than sandpaper, and I do not want to go through that. As for a gifted middle schooler, I am perfectly fine to jumping to a skill level that is more comfortable with me and the pace at which I learn.  Also, if you were to enroll in this fashion, you would most likely get out-of-state collges begging for you, and I know that my mom would not approve of that. To conclude, I believe that early graduation is an idea filled with poor outcomes and that you should take lifes path to wherever it leads to.

PLN #3 "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

Tyler Aikens
September 12, 2012
PLN #3

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Summary

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, an article Nicholas Carr portrays just how much Google changes the way we think, read, and do things in general. As the article begins, Nicholas tells us how he feels uncomfortable, and that he senses that someone or something is tampering with his brain and been reprogramming it. For the last decade or so, he has been reading many online articles. Short, online articles. Mr. Carr says that these condensed articles have been altering the way we think about things, and are sparking are interest in a shorter amount of text causing us to become bored with reading more lengthy texts. Also, instead of spending hours at the library looking up needed information, we can type a few words and get answers to our questions within seconds. This proves to be less of a stimulating activity, proving that Google could quite possibly be making us stupid. At the conclusion of the article, we get a taste of Richard Foreman’s thoughts of Google. He explains that Google is actually draining us of our character, and opening us up to the technology of “instantly available.” In conclusion, Google may in fact change the way we think, read, and do things in general.

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, a controversial article Nicholas Carr, identifies the good and the bad effects of Google. Most of us now just how easy and convenient Google is for use in our everyday lives, but most of us do not know the side effects of this revolutionary system. Nicholas Carr says that Google is reprogramming the way that we read and act. Being a teenager, I read a plethora of condensed articles and blogs. The article says that doing this shortens our attention span and causes us to lose interest of ongoing books and such much faster than ever before. After taking note of that statement, I believe it and feel the exact same way that he does. Richard Foreman also states that Google is draining our character, and I do not agree with that statement. When I am using the system, one simple search sparks my curiosity further than at any other point, and I am engulfed in the world around me. Based on these statements, bonded by my opinions, I conclude that Google is a needed, world changing system that has done effectively more good than bad.

PLN #2

Tyler Aikens  

September 6, 2012

PLN #2

A Single Lucid Moment Summary

            “A Single Lucid Moment” by Robert W. Soderstorm displays to us the true love and hope of other countries, and the selfishness of our own. The short story starts off by introducing us to Robert and his wife, Kerry, who were both missionaries heading to the Eastern Highlands Providence of New Guinea. As they enter the village of 800 people, they are greeted by it’s people, and they were very generous when it came to caring for them.  After a few minutes, they had figured out that the colony was very self sustaining, had no connection to the outside world, and everyone was similar in terms of money, income, and housing. As the villagers were telling each other stories, Robert decided to pass pictures around previously snapped pictures of Chicago, his hometown.  One of the villagers pointed out two homeless man not knowing about the concept of homelessness, he asked. The reply he got was horrifying to the entire village. Out of the kindness of their hearts, the colonists built houses for the people of Chicago and tried to convince Robert to move them to their new world. This act was awe inspiring to not only Robert and Kerry, but to me as well.

            “A Single Lucid Moment” by Robert W. Soderstorm exaggerates how poorly we as humans do things as a whole. In America, we are to selfish to think about providing for a homeless man, or even give a dollar to his requesting, empty can. How did we evolve in such a way that we did? I believe that if we can put just a little more compassion in our hearts, the world will be a much, much better place. We should also not be so shy and afraid to rely on others for help because that is what we do. We help those in need when we can stand our own ground just fine. Too many people just like to watch their world pass by, and not enter others to help their own lives be easier.  Like others, I have discovered that small things do matter.