PLN 14

My Space, Blogger, Face Book; they all have one thing in common: personal information. Everyday, people post information on the web without even realizing that even the smallest detail can be used to Google someone. Create your online profile by Jeff Utech focuses on safety on the web.

Create your online profile relates to the world in many ways. Thousands of people out there have my spaces. A lot of those people are just trying chat with friends, however, many of those people are out to hurt others, in one way or another. Everyone hears about kids who get attacked by online predators on the news but everyone figures "nah, that will never happen to me, I am careful." But a lot of times, we aren't half as careful as we think we are. We never really grasp how important it is to be careful about using personal information on the web. One of Jeff's students said, “We know all this stuff is there, we just pretend it isn't.” We have all been chewed out by an adult because we said to much about ourselves on the web.

This article really related to me. I was always paranoid that someone track me down using information they got on the web, so I never got a my space. It even took a lot of convincing before I decided to get an email. A lot of my friends have my spaces, and it scares me to think that people can type in their name and get listings on Google. I was always scared to give out too much information, so I never let my friends talk about me on their my spaces. I was always "AL" or some other nick name that I am sure made people think, "what kind of freak show names their kid THAT?" when my friends posted things about me.

Now that I have a blogger account, I am a little less paranoid. I can type in my name and find listings, and in a way, that still scares me, but I know that I am smart enough not to put any information about myself that could ever help someone I don't know find me.

PLN 13

Abortion is often times, a way many teen girls get out of early motherhood. For those who feel they are not ready for a baby, it is a way out of unhappiness. There are hundreds of people out there who stand opposed to it. In Construction exec's home target of abortion protests, many anti-abortionists stood outside a construction executive's home after learning that he was to expand a building that would house health clinics and administrative offices after it's completion in about a year.



After reading this article in the Rocky Mountain News, I was really shocked. I am firm believer that there is always a way, and that abortion is not it. However, the protest in front of Gary Meggison's (the construction executive) house, I believe, was ridiculous and uncalled for. Meggison never said he supported abortion, and the new clinic he was hired to build may well be just a job, not a statement, to him. I strongly disagree with abortion, and I think things should be changed concerning it, but the protesting of a construction executive's house, in the long-run, will solve absolutely nothing. If anti-abortionists really want to make a difference, they should talk to the men and women who run the clinics that provide abortion, not the men who build them.



The points raised in this article affect the world as much as they affect me. Hundreds, if not thousands of women a year get abortions, and millions of others don't approve of it. There are protests and meetings about it, but nothing really ever gets changed, because the dunder heads who disagree with it don't protest to abortion providers, they protest to the contractors.



Women will always get abortions, and others will always stand against them, but until we start talking to the right people, there will never be any change. Nothing, except for perhaps, the sayings on the picket signs.

Self Evaluation of Presentation

I think I did pretty well on my presentation. I could feel myself shaking, but since I haven't looked at my comments yet, I have no idea if anyone else noticed. My topic started up a good conversation on filtering, so that was encouraging. I can't even remember if I used any filler words, (I certainly hope not, because filler words drive me crazy!) but I think my voice was a little shaky. I try not to listen to my own voice, because I focus on my mistakes, thus making more... I still need to look at my comments, but I didn't crash or burn like I thought I would. I feel pretty confident in my presentation, I hope everyone enjoyed it!

PLN 12

Technology is slowly becoming more and more common in classrooms. Things like web cams, laptops, and wiki pages are now regular learning tool in many schools. In Wikified Personal Philosophy Statements, Mr. Fisch talks about incorporating personal wiki pages in classrooms.

This article relates to our classroom because we too are using wiki pages in our class. Kristen Kakos' class is using wiki to relate to their readings and in-class activities.

In my American Literature classes, my students each formed a personal
philosophy statement that will form the focus for the semester, and
perhaps even for the year. Many of their philosophy statements explore the
root of evil, the impetus for rebellion and/or obedience, the destructive
force of fear, the significance of vulnerability, and other concepts that
emerge from early American literature.

Our class is using wiki pages to learn and teach more about the book Inherit The Wind. The wiki pages are to help us understand more about the Butler Act, and to learn that Charles Darwin was did not just come up with his Theory of Evolution because he didn't want to believe that there is a god. Like Mrs. Kakos' class, we are using wiki pages to personalize our learning environments.

Wikified Personal Philosophy Statements relates to the world because technology is slowly embedding itself into classrooms all over the world. Wiki pages can be used, not only in our English classes, but in other classes as well. All over the world, wiki pages can be used in science, English, and social studies classes, not only to help students learn, but also to help personalize learning environments. Like Mr. Fisch I like what Mrs. Kakos writes on her blog:

I like using wiki spaces because the technology doesn't get in the way; a
wiki space is essentially a 21st century folder that allows for almost any type
of media, emphasizes professionalism, encourages feedback, and lasts as long as
you want it to, unlike a notebook that you clear out at the end of each
semester. We'll keep coming back to the wiki spaces throughout the semester and
adding to them, and hopefully by the end of the semester they'll be able to look
over their work and their ideas say, "THIS is the little piece of my soul that
grew in American Literature," whether they focused on hope, goodness, evil, or
any other personal topic that found its way out of a seemingly boring Puritan
text.

I had never thought that wiki pages could ever be useful in a classroom, but after our Inherit The Wind wikis, I realize that wiki pages are so helpful in a classroom. We can personalize our learning in a way that is fun and interesting, but the necessary material is still being learned.

PLN 11

AIDS has always been a threat. We have no medication for it, no vaccine, just the hope that we ourselves don't catch it. We think AIDS is a problem in the U.S., but in South Africa 'losing Aids battle' , it states that in Africa, somewhere between 30% and 50% of the population in Africa have been infected with HIV/AIDS. We don’t really see how deadly something really is until we have either experienced it ourselves, or lost someone to it. To most of us, AIDS seems like a problem to other countries, but a great deal of us never stop to think about how AIDS could affect us in the U.S.

This article really touched me. I did a lot of research on AIDS and I can't begin to imagine how hard it is to find out you have it. Because of the number of people who are affected with AIDS, the number of AIDS orphans has risen to 1.5 million. I had never thought that so many people could die from one disease. I always thought; if you don’t want to catch it, don’t sleep with someone who has it. Now I realize that it isn’t quite that simple. The disease itself takes years to run its course. Some people live for several years not knowing that they have caught AIDS. AIDS breaks down your immune system so small things like a cold can turn into Tuberculosis.

South Africa 'losing Aids battle' Affects the world for many of the same reasons, but also many more. No one ever really stops to think about how many people are really dying from this disease. Most of us prefer not to think about it at all, AIDS and the thought that so many people are affected by it scares us. AIDS is killing people all over the world, and orphaning twice as many. Our scientists sped all day working to find a cure for this disease that has orphaned so many, and ruined the lives of over 1.5 million people.

AIDS affects each and every person living on earth. Some are afraid to pass it on to their children, some have died from it, and the rest of us can only hope that they find a cure, and that we can save children in Africa from ever having to face losing a parent to it.

PLN 10

We never really stop to think about how things affect us. Never, do we stop to think, "I wonder how this experience will affect my life." or "What did I learn here?" Personal journeys don't really matter to us, we just think, oh, that was fun, can't wait until next year. In A Google Earth Odyssey , Mr. Fisch talks about our class's personal journey project on Google Earth. Personal journeys help every one of us to grow into the responsible (or not so responsible) members of society that we are. Personal journeys teach us things about ourselves that we never knew, even if we don't recognize it at first.



This project really mattered to me. Before this project, I had never really thought about how the places I have visited have affected the way I live my life. I had never stopped to think about the life lessons I learned at Chepstow Castle or Stonehenge. This project really made me think about my life and what I was learning along the way. When I was writing down all the places I have visited, I realized just how much all of the places I have visited have helped me to grow as a person.



The personal journey project relates to the world because no one ever stops to think about what they learned that day. Personal journeys affect our daily lives in so many ways, but until you really think about the places you have visited and the experiences you have had, the fact that personal journeys are so important doesn't really register.We all learn something from the different places we visit. Whether it was in that time in the grocery store when you saw the temper tantrum in aisle 3 and thought, "no way is my kid going to ever act like that." or the time you learned about patience from sitting in a line for three hours. Every little thing that we witness in our life time teaches us more about ourselves and how to live our lives to the fullest.

Personal journeys never register as ways we learn to live happily or places where we learn more about ourselves in an instant than we could otherwise in a lifetime, but the places we go and the things we do there are what shape and mold our minds. Personal journeys help us to become the greatest we can be, and to do things we never thought we could. Personal journeys are what make us, well, us.

PLN 9

When we type on our handy laptops during class each day, we never stop to think about filters, or censors. That is, until we get blocked from the ever popular website, YouTube. On Even More On Filtering by Karl Fisch, this idea of responsibility on the web is focused on.

I focused my last PLN on filtering of websites like YouTube as well, but like Mr. Fisch said:

"Okay, I’m about done with this topic, I promise. But I keep finding more and more thoughtful folks talking about filtering and responsibility and what/how/why we should be teaching our students about this..."

I find it interesting that, no matter how old we get, and how much we mature (well, most of us) we can't be trusted enough to take filters off websites that most people our age use every day. It isn't fair that we should all be punished because a few students choose to abuse their web privileges. Websites like YouTube do not even allow anything to be concerned about to be posted, and yet, it is blocked to us. Everywhere, websites are being blocked to students. I realize that this is for our own safety, but we can never learn to be responsible decision makers if we are never given the chance to try.

Carolyn Foote stated this perfectly:

“Swimming pools can be dangerous for children. To protect them, one can install locks, put up fences, and deploy pool alarms. All these measures are helpful, but by far the most important thing that one can do for one’s children is to teach them to swim.”

Censors are set up to protect us from websites that might be "offensive", but honestly, no student will ever know anything about the web, or even know how to make wise decisions when surfing the web if we are never given the opportunity to chose for ourselves. I believe in blocking pornography sites, but otherwise, if we never get the opportunity to decide for ourselves, "maybe this website isn't appropriate for me" in school, how can we be expected to know what to do when the censors are gone, and there are no teachers to say "no" when we go to a filtered website on accident?

PLN 8

Today I read an article on the Fischbowl called More Thoughts On Filtering. This article was about how, in our district many websites like YouTube are being blocked to students. Many believe that this is a violation of both staff and student's view and read, in turn you are violating their right given to them by the first amendment.

This article relates to my class because the block of YouTube and similar sights is in affect at our school. We may not necessarily need to use these sights at the current moment, but sometime during the school year, we may want to add a video to enhance a project, but because of filtering, we would not be able to even view the video. There are certain websites that I do believe should be blocked, but I think it is ridiculous that websites like YouTube (which do not generally allow any videos that should need to be blocked) are censored. We aren't little kids who look for the definition to a particularly naughty word and then giggle about it, we are all old enough to know better than to look for websites we shouldn't.

The article More Thoughts On Filtering relates to the world because there are many other schools that filter websites like YouTube. Some students may not object to the censoring of these websites, but many more do. The censor does not prevent anything, nor does it help anyone. As stated in the article:
"You violate your staff's and students' intellectual freedom, their rights to view. By arbitratily blocking other sites, you are violating your staff's and students' right to read. You are denying them their rights accorded by the First Amendment."

It is not fair that anyone should be denied the right to upload a video for a project just because some of the adults who run our schools are scared we might get into something "naughty".

PLN 7

So many students wonder, "when am I going to use this?" We don't understand how variables relate to our futures. Mr. Holman talks about his in on post, math in life. He talked about how many students wonder when coefficients and variables are going to come up in our lives to the point of where we need to know them. Mr. Holman now wonders, "Why am I teaching this?" Should there be specific things that teachers teach? Should they focus on balancing check books, taxes, and home mortgage.



This article is particularly important to me. Not only because Mr. Holman is my algebra teacher, but because I often find myself asking that question. "Why do they teach us algebra?" Most of us will never become scientist, or math teachers. Most of us will never really need to know some of the things we learn in our math classes, its true. Some of my friends used to joke and say, "We are taught these things so that when our kids can't figure it out, we can sit ad be confused with them." But now I know this is not the case. Eventually, we will have to be able to do our taxes and pay mortgages. The math skills we learn now are going to help in college, and even later on, when our kids are sitting at the kitchen table, wearing that same puzzled look, and trying to work out the same problem we struggled with so many years earlier.



math in life relates to the world because there are many students in many schools, who are asking the same question we ask every day. There are students who cut class because they think they will never need to know calculus, so whats the point in going? Many students go through life, not listening to what their teachers are saying, because they don't think that the things they learn in class will ever come up in the real world.

Math is a huge part of our lives. Without it, we can't cook, do taxes, or even count out money to make sure our parents aren't shorting us on our allowances. Mr. Holman brought up a good point, why do we teach what we teach. Well, its true, not for school, but for life, we learn.