PLN rewrite

     A Vision of Students is about students at KSU feeling like education isn't working by current method. These students were self surveyed. They felt like technology didn't really help them in their learning. They so much as said it was never just used for its purpose in education. They also said that classes were never personal enough. These students said that classes were 115 students and and that 18% of their teachers knew their names. The video also gave some more statistics on how some students had paid for class, but never actually came. Kids had text books that they paid $100's of dollars for, but never opened. This video made it obvious that the students were not satisfied with the current education.

     I feel like A Vision of Students is correct, to some degree. You definitely can't generalize about education in America. Not every public school is bad, and every city has different schools. I in my life time have had some very good public schools. I've heard some are bad. Technology definitely isn't always used for its intended purpose. I always get distracted with it. It can though be very helpful in schools. I think education in America could be better if the right people did the right things. So, these kids had the idea partially right, but it's not entirely accurate. On a side note the video was pretty cool though.

PLN #4

      "High School, Only Shorter" by Sue Shellenbarger is about some seniors who
 are deciding to graduate early from high school earlier than intended. Nicholas Myers graduated from high school early subsequently trading off his senior prom for an early start on college. He said, "If I get out early, that's a year of extra pay and that's a retirement one year earlier." Some high schools are offering seniors to graduate early. This cuts schools costs and some college costs because colleges offer some families scholarships for this. However emotionally, students might not be ready to go to college at the age of 17. Many people think that the four years of high school are necessary plus early grads have harder times getting into competitive colleges. Some people are ready to get out of high school before their senior year is over like Luke Preibe. He didn't have anymore math to learn at his school so he was definitely ready to go to college. However, he was working 7 days a week just to get into ivy league colleges and graduate early. His father said that what Luke did was crazy in retrospect. This article mentions the pro's and con's of seniors graduating from high school early and thus represents an indifference on the matter.


     This article suggests a method of education that could be beneficial. I personally think that early graduation should be an option for all seniors. My thinking has been used in political circumstances throughout history and is as follows: laissez faire. Translation: Let the people choose. I'm not sure why anyone should determine what is best for a student besides themselves and their parent/gaurdian. No rule could cover every student accurately. This type of thing can not be generalized about. Some people would love this, but some people need the whole high school career. Plus, we allow students to drop out of high school. This is even more ludicrous than not allowing early graduation. Additionally, this could promote some responsibility on the students' part. I think I've made my point clear, early graduation would be great.

PLN #3

     "Is Google Making us Stupid" by Nicholas Carr is about this man's opinion on how this instantaneous availability of information via the internet might be having some negative effects on our cognitive though process. This article states that by having information so quickly accessible, we we lose our ability to read a long article. We tend to start thinking in  a way where everything we do has to be quick, precise, efficient. The author says that since he has started using the internet, he no longer can sit down and read a long book the way he used to. Now, he constantly feels like he has to go do something else quickly. This article says also that some scholars conducted a study and they found that the brain is actually changed by people using the internet. Nicholas Carr compares this to A Space Odyssey where the astronaut is unplugging the computer. The AI is pleading with the astronaut to not unplug it. Carr says that this instant info is causing us to become like the artificial intelligence in the movie, machine merely outputting data. "Is Google Making us Stupid" never voices an alternative to the internet, but it suggests some concern.

     "Is Google Making us Stupid" by Nicholas Carr is utter bull (due to PG rating) feces. Quite honestly if the internet is supposedly making us think differently and strive for quicker information, then it's only making us be more efficient as a race. According to this article, the internet is helping us progress and improve our selves. This motivation to achieve quicker isn't bad, it will have us improve everything in our society. Also, the movie comparison proved nothing. This was merely a story for entertainment. The article says that we are headed to being like a computer and computers are going to be more like us like the movie. This is totally impossible. Allow me to explain. A brain is a computer already and always has been. It does math. That's what a computer does. Only math. However, a computer is not a brain. A brain responds to chemicals allowing it to experience genuine emotion, thought, instinct, etc. A computer does not respond to chemicals, only the absence or presence of an open or closed circuit. It has no ability to be 100% adaptive, self sustaining, re-engineering...a brain. I've made my opinion clear about the subject, and I'm sure I have many whom mutually have this thought.

The Perfect Murder

The Utterly Perfect Murder by Ray Bradbury is about a 48 year old man named Doug who decides to kill a bully from his child. This bully's name is Ralph Underhill. Ralph abused Doug physically and emotionally as a child. He wakes up sporadically and decides this due to no cause. He packs up and takes a train across the country leaving his wife and children for this. He goes  to the town where live(d/s[present/past]). Doug knocks or Ralph's door and when Ralph answers Doug sees how pathetic Ralph is now. Ralph is very sick, short, grey haired, and partially bald. Ralph asks, "Doug?" Then Doug doesn't shoot Ralph, but says, "Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" and walks away. He then returns to his home. The story never actually says that Ralph is satisfied, but it is implied that he is.

I think this story is intriguing and a well written one too. I don't have an opinion of agreement or disagreement as it is not very applicable here because this story is not non-fiction. The story is riveting though. It tests whether you know what insanity is because this story follows a person who resembles insanity. If you are insane though, you don't know your insane, and the character said he was insane. Also, he merely had emotional trouble. This emotional trouble was lying dormant until one night. He didn't deal with it right which wasn't/isn't insanity. The character was trying to satisfy his childhood desires. This was innoscent. Also, he never actually killed Ralph. This story demonstrates character vs. character as well as character vs. self which definitely adds to its entertaining nature.