PLN8

In the article, “One Proud Uncle” by Admin, the author’s nephew, Mathew, sends him an email talking about how his governor decided the amount of money he gives to schools will be based on standardized tests scores. First, this matters to me because I will soon have to take a lot of standardized tests. I agree with the author's nephew that good standardized test scores will not automatically help me get a good job in the future.  Second, this is important to education because if  schools will only get money for high scores, schools that have a large amount of students that fail on the test will get less money. Less money will mean budget cuts, less teachers and less programs for kids.  Third, our countries abililty to compete in the world may be effected due to less money going to education.  In conclusion, I found the article interesting and that it made a good point about how standardized test scores don't automatically lead to a good job and that some schools may get less money due to low scores. 

PLN 7

PLN 7

The video, “The Machines are Using Us,” done my Michel Wesch, is an important video that I find important to myself, education, and the world. First, the video discusses how every time someone clicks on a web page it teaches the machine something new. I find this important to myself because I use the Internet a lot, and probably have contributed to teaching the machine something new. Second, the video also disuses how web pages are set up, and I never knew what that meant. I find this important to education because students in the world today need to be taught how the Internet functions. Third, the video shows that everyday more people are linked together through blogs, or on Youtube. This is important to the world because the world revolves around the Internet, and everyday new people are being linked together. In conclusion I find the video important to myself, education, and the world.

PLN 6

PLN 6


             The article, "Dang! I Just Missed It" by David Warlick is important to myself, education, and the world because it discusses how unreliable the Internet is. It is important to me because I use the Internet for both entertainment and education, and that I as easily could have believed the hoax as anyone else. This is important to education because of how many students use the Internet as their main source of information, and it is frighening how unreliable the Internet is.  Also this relates to world because most of the world revolves around the Internet and technology.  How long will it be until there are millions of hoaxes going around affecting the entire world?  In conclusion, David Warlick’s discovery of how unreliable the Internet is important.

PLN 5

PLN 5

            The article "Footprints in the Digital Age" by Will Richardson matters because it talks about how kids can interconnect with others on the Internet and take ownership of their own learning. First, this article made me think about how everything I do on line could affect my life outside of the Internet.  I now understand why Ms. Smith wants us to blog often.  It is for our benefit to connect with other students and learn how to edit and write excellent work.  I have heard that future employers will look at my facebook page and make decisions about me before they hire me.  In addition, this article is written to teachers about how to help students use new technology. Teachers are encouraged not to be misanthropes and learn with their students, and share their lives on line.  Our class is doing this with our blogs.  Finally, the Internet can be distracting at times due to facebook, youtube, and games, but it can be useful for learning.  A couple of examples are reading blogs and fischbowls in class.  In conclusion, the web is great for networking with others and learning.     

PLN 4

        

PLN4



For my PLN, I read “It’s not radio, its NPR,” by Gary; the article is about how India is planning to do $35 dollar laptop for education; this matters to me, education, and the world. I found this idea very cool because most of my school work today is done on the computer, and it would be neat to see a lot of people around the world have access to one. This is important to the world because if an as large country as India has a “one child per laptop policy,” the whole world would be a little more educated. This matters to education because the author “Gary,” also a teacher, said that he recently celebrated his 20th anniversary of teaching around the world, where all of his students had a laptop. All in all I think that the idea of a “One child per laptop policy,” is a good but difficult goal to accomplish for the world and education.

Is Google Making us Stupid?

            In Nichols Carr’s article, “Is Google Making us Stupid?” he poses a simple

question.  How is technology affecting how we carry out are life today?  This question is

also posed in my personal world, in the classroom, and in the world around me.  I personally enjoyed this article because it made me think about how I now manage the way I do things.  As Carr discussed, the internet has made information available quickly.  It is much easier to Google information about something than pick up a book.  I find myself just skimming as fast as possible through books trying to find info fast, and then I can move on.  I like that in our English class we are doing less of just getting information quickly, and more of really analyzing what we are learning. For example, through out

The Most Dangerous Game we stopped at least once every 30 seconds to discuss what was taking place.  It was nice to slow down and examine the story. I agree with the author, Carr, that the Web is affecting the world in a major way. We now know that the human brain can adapt and adjust to new ways of doing things.  The internet has led people to be shallower in their reading and the way they get their news. Our brains are adapting to this. This may have an overall negative affect on the whole world.  Will we stop being deep thinkers?  I think maybe, yes.