PLN week-11 post-22

I read a short blog called “How Much Does This Really Matter?” By David Warlick that had me thinking a lot about the topic. He was showing some brief statistics of how little American citizens know about science:

66% do not understand DNA, “margin of error,” the scientific process, and do not
believe in evolution.
50% do not know how long it takes the
earth to go around the sun, and a quarter does not even know that the earth goes
around the sun.
50% think humans coexisted with dinosaurs and believe
antibiotics kill viruses.

When I read these I must admit I felt pretty dumb myself because I thought some of these things and didn’t know other things. I wonder who this article was mainly targeted at. This relates to the world obviously in the way like I said before who should this apply to? Should a ten year old boy know this? Or should a pastry chef need to know the process of DNA to be successful? Or should just the people who deal with this type of thing every day know this? Like scientists, doctors, teachers?

There are some things that everyone should know it’s just that plain and simple. It’s like common sense. But knowing exactly what people should know is the tricky part. I was watching this show where a girl didn’t even know the Presidents name was, and thought that the sun was a planet (this girl was well old enough to know these things too.) So is it really that bad that 50% of people do not know how long it takes the earth to go around the sun? Well that’s pretty sad but I’m not sure that it is such a huge deal and that it’s going to end the world. Maybe we just need to start teaching these things more vigorously in schools so that when these kids are adults they will know these things.

PLN week-11 post-21

For my PLN I read a post called, “Allowing Re-Takes To Improve Student Learning” by a Biology teacher named Craig. He was talking about how he makes his exams re-testable if a student receives less than a 80% on the test. He says that the reason for this is to make sure that the student fully understands the concept of what they are learning.

I personally have mixed feelings about being able to retake a certain test. Sometimes I think it is unfair because there will be some students who will get an “A” the first time they took the test because they really tried and studied. Another student may have just blown off studying knowing that they would have a second chance.

This teacher though has a rule that you have to go to this meeting, or review session to make sure that they will understand the subject the second time taking the test. I think that this is a good idea because at least you know that they are trying a little more the next time.

This relates to the world because this kind of has to do with second chances. It reminds me of driver’s tests. I don’t know all the laws and rules but I’m pretty sure that if you don’t pass the first time you can just keep retaking the test. I bet if they didn’t have this rule that a lot less people would be receiving their license or permit. I don’t know if this is such a good idea because if someone has to take a test 20 times than they probably don’t understand the information needed to know, and know they are out their driving risking the lives of others and themselves

Reflection-2

Overall I think I did a pretty good job on my presentation. I need to not rely on my notes so much because I know what I'm talking about I just get nervous so I like to look down to read what I'm saying. I think I could have spoken a little louder but others thought I did that well. I think I might hav improved a little from my last presentation, but maybe not.

PLNweek-10 post-20

In David Warlick’s post called “A Conversation about Failure” was talking bout how kids with disabilities such as A.D.D or dyslexia are denied and labeled “slow” as soon as someone learns of their disability.

This related to me because my mother has dyslexia and it has never stopped her from completing any goals. She was not the best student in high school, and her math teacher gave her passing grade just so long as she would never get a job dealing with math (remembering that this was a long time ago and now teachers could never say this; because parents would have a heart attack if their little baby heard such a thing.) Now my mom uses math every day as a Reality Specialist working for the government. Her job deals with huge numbers (as in numbers with a $ sign following after it) that if she made a mistake it could put her in jail. But she knows that this “disability” could never stop her!

This related to school because there are many kids in my classes and some friends who have related problems like this. I have a friend that has A.D.D and though he can be the stereotypical A.D.D kid and sometimes uses that excuse to get out of trouble or work at school, I know, and he knows that he is better than that. When he seriously tries this kid is a genius! But people in the past telling him that he is different and dumb I think has gotten into his head. There are classes that I believe are important to help those with these needs, but it should never hold back or deny a student from their full potential.

This related to more than just school but to the world. Some of the greatest minds in all time had problems like this that they overcame. I decided to do a little research and found that Leonardo DaVinci one of the greatest artists, scientists, and revolutionists in all time had dyslexia. He and many others saw it as not a weakness but a gift. I thought that this was such an amazing thing for some one to take something that many have thought was a bad thing, and turn it in to such a positive uplifting gift! That is why I don’t think the title of this post represented this well, it shouldn’t be “A Conversation bout Failure”, but “A Conversation about Success!”

PLN week-10 post-19

In an article I read titled; “Is it an English as a Second Language?” by Karl Fisch was talking about how the English language is changing and so are the people that are speaking it. This was a subject I had been thinking about for a while now. In this post were some things that had me shocked, but yet at the same time not so surprised because I could see this coming.

“The issue is: whose English will it be? Non-native speakers now outnumber
native English-speakers by three to one. As hundreds of millions more learn the
language, that imbalance will grow. Mr Graddol says the majority of encounters
in English today take place between non-native speakers. Indeed, he adds, many
business meetings held in English appear to run more smoothly when there are no
native English-speakers present.”

That is just crazy to think that the people who use English as their first language, are out numbered by people who don’t even speak English natively! This language is becoming more known and used all over the world, and maybe used less in the places that actually has it as a first language. He also said that the majority of conversations that are in English are spoken between people who are non-native speakers.

Then it when on to talk about how this language may be changed, and completely different from how we know it today. The people who are adopting this language are altering the way it is spoken too. It has changed drastically over time thinking of the way English was spoken back in Shakespeare time compared to now, so what would be stopping it from changing again? This is a very shaky subject and has causes many debates on this having to do with immigration and the language being spoken here in the United States.

PLNweek-9 post-18

After hearing Berek’s presentation on Friday and him talking about a post that caught my attention I decided to read that article and use it for my PLN. The article was called “Do schools have Birth-control role?” Which was talking about the controversy of schools taking part in birth-control for their students.

Six different Denver schools are already taking part in handing out birth-control pills to students. They say that teenagers are sexually active so it is better to have them be protected. People that are for this idea say that it will drastically lower the dropout rate in schools. I don’t think that this is a wise idea. To me school staff handing out these pills are encouraging teens to have sex. Some kids might now think oh because even my school is basically saying its ok to do these things just as long as I’m not going to get pregnant is a bad message.

I think it is ridiculous to have this going on in middle schools too. Some middle school students are only 11 going into 6th grade and that is way too young to even have a boyfriend or girlfriend I think, so to give out birth-control pills to these young kids is outrageous.

I think that it is the students choice to do these things and their responsibility to be protected, and if they can’t handle that they are definitely not old enough to start being sexually active. Overall teens this young should not be having sex, and schools should not be encouraging that kind of behavior!

PLN week-9 post-17

In this article I read titled “First Impressions” by Scott McLeod on his blog site; http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2007/11/first-impressio.html was talking about encounters he had with some people and his impression of them. He was talking about first impressions have such a huge positive, or negative effect on things.

Obviously the main subject of this article was first impressions. It related to me because he was talking about school receptionists and secretaries who send out a very careless and atrocious attitude about the school. I have also noticed this when I go into schools main offices and get treated rudely. They usually will ignore me for quite some time while they are continuing their conversations about how they can’t wait to get out of there and go home, or how annoying a student was earlier that day. Now I’m not saying that all school workers are like this but when they are it sends off such a negative vibe about the entire school. If they are saying how they can’t wait to leave than it makes you wonder what is so bad about this school that makes them want to go home? Or if they are discussing a student will that be me they are talking about next?

Also just simple things that I see in other places to like stickers or signs saying rude comments like ‘I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn’t look good either.’ This was a quote that Scott had mentioned seeing on a sign in a teacher’s office as well. Though these things are meant for humor, should a person have that at their desk if they are a psychiatrist? These kinds of statements can be taken in the wrong way and are unnecessary to have in a respectable work place. These are some of the feelings that I have on first impressions.

PLN week-8 post-16

In an article I read called “Bringing Your Heart With You” by David Warlick which I found on his web page at http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/2007/10/25/bringing-your-heart-with-you/ was him briefly talking about an experience he recently had at a business conference he attended. A speaker there was talking about how workers should love their jobs. He said, “You want your employees to bring their hearts with them to their jobs.” This comment was pretty much the base of what this post was about.

This article related to me and my school because I think that it is very important that my teachers have a positive attitude about their job. When ever I see a teacher that just looks miserable and is being very bitter towards their students I always say to myself, “then why would somebody who hates kids, and teaching, become a teacher?!” I have had numerous teachers and even counselors or nurses, or attendance ladies in the front office who have had very disgruntled attitudes.

When one of my teachers has such a grumpy attitude it affects my learning experience. That crummy attitude will sometimes rub off on me and I will start to think “well if they don’t want to be here, why should I even be here?” I’m guessing that isn’t the attitude that a teacher is going to want from their students. So the simple solution is as Mr. Warlick stated before; bring your heart to work!