Think Aloud: Do Tax Cuts Create Jobs?

Think Aloud: Do Tax Cuts Create Jobs? from cortneywilt

Double Entry Journal #14

Chapter 7: Citizens Navigating in Literate Worlds: The case of digital literacy.

Read the introduction through to the sub heading "Studying Digital Youth" on page 102.

1. What is the purpose of this chapter?

It is to look closer at the term "digital literacy" as a way of understanding how young people relate to the digital world that they live in, and how education can enhance their skills.

2. Why did the author choose to focus on your people in the Nordic countries?

Most of his research has been conducted there.

3. How does education differ in Nordic countries from education in other parts of the world including the United States?

There is more project-based learning, more equal opportunities, and higher access to media within the school systems.

4. Why is more research  needed about how young people use digital media in their lives outside of school?
There is such a difference throughout the world of how media is used in and out of school, and we need to figure out why that is and what can be done to change it.

Then begin reading again on p. 110 Digital Literacies and Educational Practices

1. Why is it important for there to be more opportunities for young people to use Digital Media in school?

It improves basic skills, media has become a domain of knowledge itself, knowledge is connected to cultural tools that are available, need to learn how to build knowledge by using information, and how learning is connected to identity.

2. What skills do people need in order to be considered digitally literate?
 To be digitally literate, one needs to have the basic skills to operate technology, while being able to take the information given to them and apply it to build a better knowledge of the subject.

Double Journal #13

This article has 10 solutions to global warming that are small things that everyone can do.  Small things that can have a huge impact.

Ten Personal Solutions to Global Warming

Value

Value: Was the page worth visiting? Does the site offer anything informative, substantial, or insightful? Is the site free of spelling and grammatical errors?

I believe that the page was worth visiting.  It gave me information that I did not know about.  Most of society and everything you see now is from a left side point of view, and so seeing a different side of a topic makes is refreshing.  It is informative, substantial, and insightful.  It would have been nice for him to give some resources to show where the numbers and such came from, but it could have just been his prior knowledge from growing up in the time period so referencing just his experience.  It is also free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Coverage

Coverage: Is your topic being addressed? Is the information basic and cursory or detailed and scholarly? Explain the major argument being made.

The topic is certainly addressed.  He uses history to explain and provides specific examples of what he is talking about.  Even though it is not a very long article, what he has said is very detailed (in my opinion) but isn't in a jargon that goes over my head, so I'm not sure if that classifies as scholarly.  Usually when I think of something that is classified as "scholarly" I can't usually understand all of the vocabulary.  

Some of the quotes that I feel really nail the argument are listed below:

"Tax cuts alone do not create jobs."

"By the time of Clinton's '93 budget, Reagan had managed to lower top marginal tax rates from around 70% down to the 20s, so not even the increases of Bush 41 and Clinton could significantly slow America's roaring economic engine.

(just to back that up, here is another source saying so:  "In 1981, Reagan significantly reduced the maximum tax rate, which affected the highest income earners, and lowered the top marginal tax rate from 70% to 50%; in 1986 he further reduced the rate to 28%"  Reaganomics)

"An administration that respects the rewards of individual initiative and risk-taking could well see an economic renewal like none before."

Basically what Bozeman is saying is that by creating tax cuts, it's not going to create jobs.  To give the "working class" a lower tax break, but give the "rich" (making $250,000+ a year) higher taxes is not going to create any jobs or help the economy.

Currency

Currency: When was the information on the page originally written? Has the site been kept up-to-date?

It was published September 22, 2010 and it does not say that it has been updated.

Objectivity

Objectivity: What is the author's point of view? Summarize the argument being presented. What is the purpose of the site?

The author seems to be right winged.  He is responded to Froma Harrop's article about tax cuts and creating jobs.  In Harrop's article, she accuses Republicans of frightening workers by making them feel like "wards of the rich," and he argues this saying that that is not true and that maybe Republican just understand the idea of a totally free market.  This is a website of a collection of right-winged writers expressing their opinions.

• What is the author's / speaker's socio-political position? With what social, political, or professional groups is the speaker identified?

         Libertarian and conservative.

• Does the speaker have anything to gain personally from delivering the message? 

         I don't believe so; he was just expressing his opinion.

• Who is paying for the message? Where does the message appear? What is the bias of the medium? Who stands to gain?

         It is a non-compensated, independent  group of writers.  The bias is placed on the right side of the spectrum and is defending the Republicans against the attacks from Democrat writings.  It is trying to persuade non-right voters to consider the thought.

• What sources does the speaker use, and how credible are they? Does the speaker cite statistics? If so, how were the data gathered, who gathered the data, and are the data being presented fully?

         There is no actually citing.  Everything is just in-text cited and mostly just responding to the other writer.

• How does the speaker present arguments? Is the message one-sided, or does it include alternative points of view? Does the speaker fairly present alternative arguments? Does the speaker ignore obviously conflicting arguments?

         He addresses the other point of view and agrees with it partially, but then explains where he disagrees.  

• If the message includes alternative points of view, how are those views characterized? Does the speaker use positive words and images to describe his/her point of view and negative words and images to describe other points of view? Does the speaker ascribe positive motivations to his/her point of view and negative motivations to alternative points of view?

        He seems slightly condescending with the way that he spoke of the alternative view, but he did, however, agree with the statement partially.

Double Entry Journal 12

Chapter 6: Analyzing Students' Multimodal Texts: The Product and the Process

1. Why do educators need to be careful about  terms like "Digital Native"?

 It will "lead to an understanding of a whole generation as a homogeneous group."

2. What outcome occurs when young people are encourage to transform their understanding of particular topics by designing a multimodal text?

 It's positive.  It "supports the notion that digital transformations and designing can enhance the learning process."

3. You may skip the section titled "Context for the Project".

4. What was the goal of the project in terms of product?

"The goal in terms of product was to track the development of the participants’ multimodal literacies over a two-year period by comparing two multimodal products created at the beginning and end of the period (see Levy & Kimber, 2009)." 

5. What was the goal of the project in terms of process?

 "The goal in terms of process was to gain a deeper understanding of how multimodal texts were created, especially when the students were working in pairs at the computer (see Gardner & Levy, 2010)."

6. How were the participants for the study selected?

"..initially chose to focus on a small group represented by one school. Then, from this group, we selected the students who fulfilled the following three criteria: they had worked collaboratively in pairs, they had fully completed the task, and the video screen data recordings were intact and complete.

7.  Describe the task students engage is for the purpose of this study?

 "The 2004 task required students to evaluate possible solutions in response to the environmental threats posed by plastic bags; the 2006 task followed a similar pattern, but with global warming as the topic. Each task was carefully structured and divided into three phases of development: researching, designing, and reflecting. Part of the research process required the student to complete two templates: first, a concept map to organize information acquired from web sources; and second, a decision-making matrix to facilitate transformation of the ideas in their concept map into a preferred solution, as required for their multimodal text."

8. Explain how the researchers compared the student created multimodal texts?

 • the first slide/page in the set (title slide/page)

• the choice and shape or wording in the headings of individual slides/pages throughout the set (headings)

• the quality of knowledge revealed in each slide/page and the complete set (knowledge representation)

9. What differences in Jenny's PowerPoint presentation do you find the most interesting?

The fact that her position on the topic went from directness to neutral.

10. How is working together on a computer unlike working together using a pencil and paper?

 1.  Typed words appear on the screen immediately, but there is usually a wait between keying an instruction and the response of the computer. 

 2.  The length of the wait time is unpredictiable

11. What was interesting about student's behavior as they collaborated on a task at the computer?

"and the computer response acts as a cueing device for the users to resume their onscreen work."

12. What can teachers learn about designing learning activities that involve the creation of multimodal texts from this study?

Teachers can learn that it is "beneficial to develop in students’ time management skills and a sense of priorities in relation to the task at hand."  Also, that
the technology needs to work effectively and efficiently and in a timely manner" because the temptation to become off-task increases while having to wait for results or the technology to work properly.

13. According the the conclusion of this study, what do student need to learn in order to successful complete a multimodal text construction?
should include a range of skills that are required for task completion and include ICT skills; cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, summation, and logical organization of ideas; and focus and time management skills.

14. Are you surprised by the conclusions drawn in this study?
"Students still require traditional skills for successful task completion."
 It's not so much that I am surprised by this actual statement, but more surprised that people didn't believe or assume that traditional skills are not necessary.



Source:

Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p.83-95). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. 

Accuracy

Accuracy: Do you have good reason to believe that the information on the site is accurate? Are the facts documented? Identify a claim and use another source of information on the web to verify the accuracy of the claim.

This article is more of a response to another columnist, so he refers to her writing.  To verify those comments that he makes that have information, researching her writing would be required.  

Claim: 

"Harrop cites Bill Clinton, whose 1993 budget raised taxes and who, despite warnings from Republicans, saw roughly 20 million jobs (according to Harrop) created in his two terms."

Froma Harrop has columns that appear in over 150 newspapers and was a Loeb Award finalist for economic commentary in 2004 and again in 2011.  This leads me to believe she knows something about the economy and may know about tax cuts.  

Bill Clinton had the longest economic expansion in American history and 22 million jobs were created.  So, this claim is correct.

The Clinton Presidency:  Key Accomplishments

Authority

Authority: Who are the authors, or who is responsible? What gives them their authority or expertise?
 

The author is an article writer for the Conservative Crusader.  The opinions of the writers, however, are their own and may not represent the opinions of ConservativeCrusader.com.  It is a non-compensated, independent group of writers that are "bringing common sense commentary to the public in the midst of the mainstream media's blatant liberal bias."  It is a .com website so it is available to anyone.

The article author is David Bozeman.  He graduated from PARS Travel College in 1988.  For over thirty years he has worked in newspaper and in a telecom warehouse, so he has had some practice with searching for information and writing articles about.  In 1984 he was a Libertarian Party state chairman, and in 1982-1983 he ran for the state house, so he is well aware of the politics that he is writing about.  Once he was in his thirties, that's when he decided to take his two passions of politics and writing and combine them.

I believe that he has knowledge of the topic and does have the authority to speak on behalf of it.  With controversial  topics, there will always be a slight bias.  However, I feel as if he sticks to facts.

Do Tax Cuts Really Create Jobs?

Do Tax Cuts Create Jobs? - Republican Side

Evaluating Web Pages Worksheet

Title of web page:  

Do Tax Cuts Really Create Job? - Conservative Crusader

URL of the web page:

http://www.conservativecrusader.com/articles/do-tax-cuts-really-create-jobs
 
What can you tell about this web page from the URL?
It's a conservative website and it is a .com so it's for commercial/commerce.

Authority

Is there an author of the document or web page?  If yes, who is the author?
Yes, David Bozeman.

Are his/her affiliations and qualifications given?
If yes, list them.
Within the website, it does a biography of him.  He worked in newspapers for over 30 years and in a telecom warehouse, in 1984 he was a Libertarian Party state chairman, and in 1982-1983 he ran for the state house.

Is contact information provided (address, phone
number, email)?
There is a form to submit any questions or concerns to the website itself.

Who is the publisher or sponsoring organization for this web page?
"ConservativeCrusader.com is a group of non-compensated, independent writers bringing common sense commentary to the public in the midst of the mainstream media's blatant liberal bias."

Accuracy

Do you trust the information given on the web page?
It is slightly bias, it seems, but does cite and factual.

Is it reliable and valid?
After researching a little, it seems that the facts are reliable and valid.


Does the web page document its sources? 
No, but it does cite columnist Froma Harrop.

In other words, does it tell you where the information comes from?
The columnist, yes.


How does the information on the web page compare with what you already know?
I actually did not know the history of the tax cuts.  It speaks of Reagan and Clinton's terms, along with W. Bush's 2 terms and how it is now.  

Currency

Does the web page tell you when it was created and last revised?
Yes, September 22, 2010.

Are there outdated (dead) links?
No.

Coverage

What is the depth and breadth of the information on the web page?
It's not exhaustively long, but it is full of information.

Does it contain original information or just links to other sources?
Some original, some from another columnist.

Does the information have real value? Explain.
I wouldn't have known how valuable or true it was if I hadn't gone and cross checked the sources.

Objectivity

What is the web page's purpose or intent? 
Promote Republican/Conservative views.

Why was it created?
• inform/facts/data - Yes.
• explain - Yes.
• persuade - Yes.
• sell/advertise -No.
• share/disclose - Yes.
• other - Possible.

Is the information biased? Is it designed to sway
opinion? From whose perspective is it given?
Yes, it is a Conservative website.  Definitely to persuade views to those that are not conservative.

Do Tax Cuts Create Job? - Democrat Side

Evaluating Web Pages Worksheet

Title of web page:  

Jobs and the Economy | Issues | Democrats.org

URL of the web page:

http://www.democrats.org/issues/economy_and_job_creation#more
 
What can you tell about this web page from the URL?
 It supports the Democratic view on the issues and it is an organization because of the .org domain.

Authority

Is there an author of the document or web page?  If yes, who is the author?
A single person is not listed, but the organization is.  The Democratic National Committee.


Are his/her affiliations and qualifications given?
If yes, list them.
Democratic.

Is contact information provided (address, phone
number, email)?

Mailing address:
Democratic National Committee
430 South Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003

Main phone number: 202-863-8000
For questions about contributions, please call 877-336-7200.

There is also a form to submit any questions or concerns to on the website itself.

Who is the publisher or sponsoring organization for this web page?
It is paid for by the Democratic National Committee, but not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Accuracy

Do you trust the information given on the web page?
 Not thoroughly.  There is nothing that is cited or supported by links.  Extremely bias as well.

Is it reliable and valid?
After looking up some of the "hard facts" that were given, it appears to be valid.

Does the web page document its sources? 
No.

In other words, does it tell you where the information comes from?
No, you have to look for that yourself.

How does the information on the web page compare with what you already know?
I actually did not know about these things.  If I had not done the extra research and would have only read this Democratic Organization website, I probably would have written it off as bias and mostly untrue.  Now that I did the extra research, I learned that it is valid.

Currency

Does the web page tell you when it was created and last revised?
Yes.  It was yesterday, actually, October 18, 2012.

Are there outdated (dead) links?
No.

Coverage

What is the depth and breadth of the information on the web page?
It's not a very long article, but gets the point across; it's short and sweet.

Does it contain original information or just links to other sources?
It's all original.  

Does the information have real value? Explain.
I wouldn't have known how valuable or true it was if I hadn't gone and cross checked the sources.

Objectivity

What is the web page's purpose or intent? 
Promote Democrat campaign which happens to be Obama at the moment.

Why was it created?
• inform/facts/data - Yes.
• explain - Yes.
• persuade - Yes.
• sell/advertise -No.
• share/disclose - Yes.
• other - Possible.

Is the information biased? Is it designed to sway
opinion? From whose perspective is it given?
Yes, it is a Democratic organization page.  It is definitely bias and trying to persuade viewers to join the Democratic side.

Double Entry Journal #11

 High Noon: Chapters 7,8, & 9

 

1. Why are networks better than hierarchies?

Information will stay at organization base where people connect to customers, suppliers, or partners.  The information will stay at a level that is easy to manage when change is needed.

2. What is a nation state and how is it being threatened?

The nation state is a territorial concept defined by a geographical border.  Inside there is a political system, economic system, and environmental system.  When the nation state is in control of all 3, the sovereignty meter is at 100, but has never happened.  What is threatening the nation state is the two big forces, the economy force and the demographic force, will take the economic system and the environmental system outside of the national borders. 

3. How is civil society gaining legitimacy over government agencies? Give an example of a NGO (Non-Government Agency) whose goals and services you think are beneficial to solving a global problem. 

Some groups are so well ahead of detecting momentous changes to come and are further in global activism and surveys show that the U.S. and Europe show that the public at large trusts civil society far more than government agencies.

The Advocates for Human Rights

4. How can business be a helpful global enforcer?

Businesses do a better job than governments of looking beyond the next few years.

5. What can too much economic and social change lead too?

A gap where human institutions are unable to handle the stresses at hand by the economic and demographic forces.

6. What Global Issue concerns you the most? Why?
Most people would probably say "global warming" is their biggest concern, but not for me.  I'm more worried about the financial crisis management and the oil problem.  Oil is a non-renewable resource and once it's out, it's out.  So, what's going to happen?  And I fear that whenever that awful day comes, there will be a financial crisis so large, nobody is going to know what to do.

Double Entry Journal #10

Chapter 3: Students, the Net Generation, and Digital Natives

1. What is the fundamental problem with the discourses around children's use of technology?

It will "hide the key shaping actors, the values and power relations behind the increasing use of ICT in society” (Selwyn, 2003, p. 368).

2. What is meant by the term "moral panic"? Link to an image, online article, cartoon, or some other resource that depicts the "moral panic" associated with young people's use of digital technologies.

"Moral panic is a term that has arisen to describe conditions in which an identified group in society is portrayed as a threat to social values and norms."

 

Ethical Issues in Technology

3. How do you feel about engaging in more  "collaborative learning" during your education at Fairmont State?

 The word "collaborative" isn't usually something I like.  In some cases it may be helpful, but in all of my previous experiences, that is not the case. 

4. Do you think Universities should move to a more free-market based privatization business model? Why?

I'm not really sure how I feel about that.  It would be nice if all general eds were accepted in all institutions so that credits could transfer easily.  However, there should always be a difference as to who gets accepted in to certain schools.  Someone that just made it in to public college should not be eligible to just get to choose to have a professor from an Ivy League school.  It just doesn't seem fair.

5. According to the author what is wrong with Prenskey's revised position on his definition of "digital native"? Do you agree with this authors criticism  of Prenskey's view of the role technology plays in the education of young people?

Prenskey doesn't address that digital enhancement must be accepted to succeed.  I'm not entirely sure if I agree with the author or with Prenskey.  Sometimes even I have the mindset that when technology is being used in the class and group/collaborative work is taking place in a classroom, I feel like the learning level decreases.  I only have my own experiences to go by and whenever in my math classes, the teachers would have a requirement to do a group work assignment or incorporate technology some way.  It never worked and the lesson always had to be retaught.  So...I haven't been won over just yet.

6. What are the characteristics of Millennial? Are you a Millennial? 

"...most recent form of the civic generation, who are said to be heroic, collegial, and rationalistic. Interestingly they are also said to have core values that include community, technology, and affluence."  If you we were going by age, I guess I would be a Millennial. But, I wouldn't consider myself heroic or having the values of community, technology and affluence.

7. Do you think there is such a thing as the "Net Generation"? Why? Why not?

I do think there is because technology has been developing and becoming almost all of what our society is now. 

8. What is meant by the term "networked individualism"?

"The term “networked individualism” suggests a move away from place-to-place interaction towards interactions that are person-to-person in character."

9. How would you feel about Fairmont State discontinuing the use of Blackboard and Webmail to using Gmail and Google tools?

I don't use my Webmail at all, so it doesn't really matter.  I linked it so that anything that is sent to my Webmail account is sent to Gmail.  I've not really used many Google tools, but I'm sure it'd be more user-friendly than Blackboard.

10. Why does the term "Digital Native" persist despite lack of empirical evidence of age related difference due to rapid increase of digital technologies?

"...there is a general need to stereotype in order to reduce complexity and to apply simplified rules of thumb."

11. Who societal sector seems to be benefiting the most from the social construction of a "Digital Native" generation?

 Commercial and market interests.

12. Which argument about "digital natives" needs to be discarded and which one needs to be explored? Why?

"The ubiquitous nature of the certain technologies, specifically gaming and the Webt, has affected the outlook of an entire age cohort in advanced economies." - Needs to be abandoned because of the empirical evidence.

"The new technologies emerging with the generation have particular characteristics that afford certain types of social engagement." - Needs to be explored.  The way new technologies are changing the approaches that young people take, not in generational ways, but in ways that are significant and require careful observation and assessment.

 

 

Sources:

 

Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 33-42). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.

  

Double Entry Journal #9

1. Why is inflation less of a concern in the new world economy?

The new world economy has created a less inflation-prone environment with its twin economic and technological revolutions.

2.What is the difference between a negative feedback economy and a positive feedback economy?
Negative feedback economy is when equilibrium is restored at a lower level of demand; it is limited by short-term supply-and-demand constraints.  Positive feedback economy has the capacity to become available so quickly and inexpensively that traditional supply constraints become almost unimportant.

3. Give a example of how new technologies can provide developing countries with an opportunity to catch-up with modern economies?
"In Mexico, the Monterrey Tech University has in a few years become one of the world's foremost distance learning systems, with some thirty connected campuses across Latin America offering each student access to the same star professor.  In many developing countries, teacher networking over the Internet is leading to better curriculum development and rapid exchanges of best practices."

4. What is one prediction the author made concerning the new economy that appears to be true?
Disparities between countries have increased.

5. Why is excessive trust in free-market economies promoted by free-market fundamentalists a cause for concern?
 If all problem-solving is left to the market, emerging social problems will be left unattended.  Also, trusting the market to find solutions to everything inevitably brings its own long-term problems as it further taxes the planet's carrying capacity beyond the already bad overload coming from the population increase.

6. Read and Link to a Website that provides information about regulation and markets. Based on the information provided in the website, what is your position on markets and regulations? Then list two questions you have about markets and regulation.

Is a free market "free" if it's regulated?

 We don't really operate under a "free-market" economy because everything is regulated.  If it was truly a free market, it would be based on supply and demand solely.  And, the government shouldn't be involved.  We also live in a somewhat capitalist economy so having to use socialism whenever there is a crisis isn't exactly what I feel is a good idea.  I guess it's because I believe in capitalism and wish there was a true free-market.

1.  How can it be free if there are regulations?

2.  Can we say the market we have now is really doing an exceptional job?

8. What is the cause of the crisis of complexity in the new world economy?
"...The two forces of population increase and the new world economy spew unprecedented complexity in economic, social, political, and environmental matters."





Quote:

"If we trust the market to solve all our problems, we'll end up with scores of unnecessary social stresses over the next twenty years--and a lot of protestors in the street."

Response:

I don't believe we should trust the market to solve ALL of our problems,  but I do believe it having the government involved causes a few problems.  And, we already have protestors in the street and unnecessary social stresses due to the market and many other aspects.


We call what we have a free-market, but we actually have what is called managed-economy.

Sources:


Rischard, J. F. (2002). High noon: 20 global problems, 20 years to solve them. (pp. 25-39). New York, New York: Basic Books.

How the Free Market Economy Works – Laissez Faire

Double Entry Journal #8

1. What was the term "Digital Native" meant to be used as?

 "The distinction was intended to be a metaphor for describing the differences that many people observed, around the turn of the twenty-first century, between the attitudes of younger and older people regarding digital technology (Prensky, 2006)."

2. According to author what are the characteristics associated with Digital Natives?

 "children were born into the age when these technologies were around from their birth, whereas their parents were not."

3. Do you consider yourself a Digital Native?

 I do not.  I may understand certain aspects of technology, but that does not mean I support the further expansion of it.

4. What is Digital Wisdom?

 "Digital wisdom is a twofold concept, referring both to wisdom arising from the use of digital technology to access cognitive power beyond our innate capacity and to wisdom in the prudent use of technology to enhance our capabilities."

5. How does the author define "wisdom"?

 "How and how much they make use of these resources, how they filter through them to find what they need, and how technology aids them will certainly play an important role in determining the wisdom of their decisions and judgments."

6. How can technology enhance our Wisdom? Give three examples from the chapter.

 "Digital technology enhances memory...Digital data-gathering and decision-making tools enhance judgment...Digital cognitive enhancement is a reality in every profession, even in nontechnical fields such as law and the humanities."

 

• Allows us to gather more data than we could on our own
• Helps us perform more complex analyses than we could unaided
• Increases our power to ask “what if?” and pursue all the implications of that question

 

7. What concerns did Socrates have about the technology of writing?

 It undermines the memory.

8. How can teachers practice Digital Wisdom?

 "...letting students learn by using new technologies, putting themselves in the role of guides, context providers, and quality controllers."

9. The author states that he is "...opposed to those who claim the unenhanced mind and unaided thinking are somehow superior to the enhanced mind." Are you? Why or why not?

 This question doesn't settle well with me.  I feel that sometimes with the aid of technology, the mind doesn't work to its full capacity.  However, with other things, when enhanced with technology, it is better.  So, I don't have an answer

 

 

 

Quote:

 

"But the worst, in my view, were those who thought I was making the absurd claim (or who themselves made the patently absurd assumption) that if someone was born after a certain date, and was therefore included as a Digital Native, that person automatically knew everything there was to know about digital technology."

 Response:

 

This is assumptions that so many people make and I think is silly.  There are many, many people out there that are classified as a "digital native" because of birth, but that does not mean they know how to do all of the "native" things.  I know that I know more than a lot of my peers about some technology and how to do things on the computer, but that is because I had the opportunity of growing up in a household of having a 3-D animator as a father along with taking a bunch of computer classes in high school.  As for most of my friends, they didn't have that so they always come to me when they have questions about computer-related things.  However, 80% of the time, I still don't even know the answer.  So this assumption is definitely inaccurate and causes what seems to be a lot of controversy.  

This really speaks for itself.  A baby using a laptop!  The article that had this photo is also very interesting, it's called Understanding the Digital Natives.  When I read through it, it seemed that it was speaking poorly of Digital Natives, so it's interesting to see both sides!

 

 

 Sources:

 

Filloux, F. (2010). Digital native. [0].  

Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 16-27). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. 

 

 

Skype Session

Skype Response:

I really enjoyed the Skype call with the students.  It gave use insight as to what the students felt about our magazines and also gave us advice as to what they would want in a teacher.  Also, I feel like they were a little more confident talking to us via Skype than if we had actually been in the classroom.  They didn't seem very shy at all, and I think that it because a lot of people have more confidence behind a computer than in real face-to-face interactions.

Skype in Math Class:

I've been searching for some ideas of how to use Skype in a high school math class, and what I've been finding is that teachers like to collaborate at the end of units with another class across the country.  It's kind of like this class learns the material, this through Skype, teaches it to another class.  It seems like a fun activity!  I am also all about projects, so maybe sharing their projects with other classes would be exciting.

Also, I've been seeing that if teachers are absent for the day, they will Skype the classroom and leave turn their video off (obviously if they're sick haha) but leave the audio on, but that way they are being monitored by their teacher and are able to ask questions as need be.  That way the substitute doesn't get taken advantage of!  I thought that was a great idea.  The behavior of the students would be wonderful if they knew that the teacher could see them at all times.

Skype in HS Math Classroom 

The 30 Day Web 2.0 Challenge

Photo Analysis

This could be used in a math class to talk about speed, velocity, angles, and distance.

1.  How far does he throw it?
2.  At what angle does he throw the ball?
3.  What will be the maximum height of the ball?
4.  At what speed does the ball travel?
5.  How long does the receiver have to catch to ball?

Action Obama

People	Objects	Activities
President Obama	Boat	Walking
BP employees	Ocean	Smiling
	American Flag
	Crowd of people

1. Based on what you have observed list three things you might infer from the photograph.

Obama has received the news and has planned to act upon it.  He has gone to the problem to investigate.  He is speaking with staff to figure out what they can do to solve this crisis.

 

2. Read the article title and photo caption.

 

3. What questions do the caption and article title raise in your mind?

 Are these pictures taken on the same day?  What are they saying to one another?  What does it mean by "Ready to seize claims process?"  Who are all of the people?

4.  Which picture gives you more confidence in the presidents leadership abilities? Why?

This one gives me more confidence because it shows him actually handling the situation, rather than having someone else deal with it.

 

5. Do you think the editors of these news papers have a liberal or conservative bias? Why? How could you find out?

By the titles alone, they seem conservative because of their doubt in Obama, but when reading the articles, I feel that they are liberally bias.  Researching (Googling) the news papers to see what results show.

 

Concerned Obama

People	Objects	Activities
President Obama	Books	Scowls
	Scowling face	Furrowed eyebrows
	Gray hair
	Checkered shirt

1. Based on what you have observed list three things you might infer from the photograph.

Obama is receiving the bad news about the BP oil spill.  Obama is thinking about what can be done to fix it.  Obama is worrying whether this will be his make-it-or-break-it decision.

 

2. Read the article title and photo caption.

 

3. What questions do the caption and article title raise in your mind?

 Was this his real reaction or was this staged?

 

Double Entry Journal #7

1. Choose one of the unprecedented stresses on the earth resources and describe how it will negatively effect the quality of life of people living in developing countries and people living in modernized countries.
Migration is an unprecedented stress that will negatively effect both developing and modernized countries.  Today's planet is so imbalanced that only 20% of the world's population live in the 30 or so modernized countries and they consume 85% of the goods and services.  3 billion people live on less than $2 a day, 1.2 billion on less that $1, and and several hundreds of millions live on less that $0.60 a day.  2 billion more are coming and almost all of those are going to be in developing countries, so it makes the urge to migrate to modernized countries a very pressing issue. 

2. What is the major debate around the future of market-based economies?
The major debate is about how to balance the basic market-oriented approach with this or that regulatory feature or social safety policy.

3. How is this technological revolution different than previous technological revolutions and what two factors of production are now more important than capital, labor and raw materials?
This technological revolution is centered on low-cost telecommunications and information technologies whereas earlier technological revolutions were about transforming energy or transforming materials.  It has made knowledge and creativity the number one factor of production instead of capital, labor, and raw materials.

4. What new service ideas have you had direct experience with? Drawing on your personal experience what are the benefits and drawbacks of these new service ideas?
 Couldn't cell phones (now smart phones) be considered "a product that is a more of a service?"  Think about how you pay for the phone itself but also, you're paying a monthly bill for all of the things that phone can do - call and talk to other people, send texts, and access to the internet, along with purchasing apps.  And, with the bundling, if you purchase more than one line and phone, it could become a better deal for the person paying the bill.  I don't really see anything wrong with this, because paying for a service is something we should do. You pay your server for taking care of you when you go out to eat, right?  You pay a doctor to check you out and make sure you're healthy.  You pay the mechanic to fix your car.  These are all services, just like Internet, cell phones, cable, cars, etc they all require a service that you should have to pay for.


Quote:

"An example of bundling to come: multi-use smart cards with biometric data that would serve simultaneously as identity cards; airport security devices; credit or debit cards; frequent flyer, hotel, and care rental cards; telephone cards; medical insurance cards; and even voter registration."

Response:

Again, this frightens me.  Although this book was written 10 years ago and that still hasn't really happened, it doesn't mean that it won't.  I know there was some crazy talk about chips being placed in humans to keep all of their information in one place.  That is so scary!  For example, when I was in high school, they required us to have our fingerprints scanned in so that we could rid of lunch cards and lunch numbers and they would just have your finger scanned instead.  I hid in the library while everyone else got their fingers scanned because I didn't like the thought of the school having my fingerprint on file. Why can't we just use a lunch card?  Our fingerprints are part of our identity and it just didn't settle well with me.  But, that's slightly off topic.  Having one card that does and contains all of that information may sound appealing in theory, but think about if you misplace it.  That's a lot of information and very important stuff you just lost.  That must be why someone thought to place a chip with that information into bodies, that way you can never lose it....creepy stuff.  

Slightly dramatic, but this image is from an article "Is a 'human barcode' on the way?" by NY Daily News.

Sources:

Rischard, J. F. (2002). High noon: 20 global problems, 20 years to solve them. (pp. 3-23). New York, New York: Basic Books.

Seven Power Lens on 21st Century Literacy

1.What is semiotics? 

The study of how the reading of signs and symbols together communicate complicated ideas in the
form of codes (Lester, 2000). 

2. How can teachers capitalize on students preferred literacy behaviors?

Students speed-read online, so we can teach quick ways to check for credibility like cutting back the URL or pasting the author's name into a search engine 

3. According to this article why is it important for students to learn to analyze the news media? 

" The tools of visual, media, and information literacy must be taught in school because they will (or won’t) be used at home."  Atlock, D. (2003)

4. Copy and Paste a West Virginia CSO that a photo analysis activity might address in a content area.
Mathematics - Probability/Stats

 M.O.PS.5.2
using a real-world problem solving investigation, create and interpret data using various methods of displaying circle graphs, histograms, and frequency curves, make predictions, include information concerning  outliers, present and justify results.

Quote: 

"Just as basic textual literacy uses vocabulary, metaphors, and genres, visual literacy employs colors, icons, and various media to communicate ideas and feelings to readers."

Response: 

When I was in high school, I took classes such as Desktop Publishing, Web Page Design, and Digital Imaging.  In all of these classes I was taught about visual literacy and how to properly portray it to certain audiences.  This is so very true.  Reading images is just like reading a book.  It has to get across a message and have the audience feel a certain way through colors, images, and font.  It's such an interesting subject!  For example, if something is too cluttered with text, people won't be attracted to it and probably won't read it.  Keep it short and sweet.  Certain colors send different ideas and moods.  Only 3 colors are allowed to be used per page/project and only 3 different fonts also.  If otherwise, the audience will view it as sloppy or unappealing.  

These are 5 Key Concepts of Media Literacy and I feel it's very true and incorporates everything we've been talking and reading about.

Resources:

Atlock, D. (2003). Seven power lens on 21st century literacy.

AMS Grade 6 Media Literacy

 

Double Entry Journal #6

1. Are you a technoloevangelist of a technoloskeptic?

I am going to have to say I'm a technoloskeptic.

2. Why is the term Digital Native problematic?

 It does not promote inclusion in education.  

3. What is  interactionist pedagogy and how does it differ from the "transmission model" of education?

1. linear to hypermedia learning 

2. instruction to construction and discovery 

3. teacher-centered to learner-centered education 

4. absorbing material to learning how to navigate and how to learn 

5. school to lifelong learning 

6. one-size-fits-all to customized learning 

7. learning as torture to learning as fun 8. the teacher as transmitter to the teacher as facilitator. 

(Tapscott, 1999, pp. 6–11)

4. List three vocabulary terms you were unfamiliar or unsure of their meaning and provide me with their definitions. 

• Technoevangelist - a person who attempts to build a critical mass of support for a given technology in order to establish it as a technical standard in a market.

• Digital Native - a description now typically identified by marketers with a young person who has grown up with digital technologies and the Internet as ever-present parts of their lives.

• Transmission model - one-size-fits-all mentality, assumes that knowledge can be disseminated to all learners regardless of individual differences or learning styles.

Quotes:

1. "...they are concerned with the attempt to dismantle decades of tradition without having anything to replace it with."
2. "In addition they demonstrate “free expression and strong views,” “innovation,” and, in contrast to the “baby boomer” generation, net generation members emphasize their mature attitude to life and learning."
3. "...students see a conflict between the use of Web 2.0 technologies in their social and educational lives, and would like to see them remain separate rather than intertwined."

Responses:

1.  I agree with this.  As exciting as all of the new technology is, it really does worry me that all traditional things will be thrown out of the window (such as handwriting and certain aspects of mathematics!).  With technology changing so rapidly, how can there be a stable curriculum?  That is the only word I can think of for it is unstable.  It said that the education isn't keeping up with this generation and we have basically outgrown this curriculum because it is so one-size-fits all with teaching methods, but has anyone considered how new curriculum is going to allow exceptional students excel?  This is what is truly one-size-fits all, not the teaching methods.  Every student will be placed upon grade level, not capability.  The reason I am so upset about this is because by the time I will be teaching the mathematics curriculum will have changed.  There will no longer be Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, etc. and will not be available for those students that are in need of the challenge.  Algebra 1 used to be offered to 7th graders who were capable!  But, in just a few short years, almost all states will have accepted a core curriculum where it will become Math 1, Math 2, Math 3 where all of the previous courses are blended together in each Math 1-3.  Therefore you are placed in your math class due to your grade level, not your abilities.  Holding students back and generalizing education.
2. I disagree with this.  I feel like this generation is no where near "mature", but actually significantly immature and spoiled.  Everything is on demand, instant, and selfish.  It's ALL about the individual and not anything about the fellow neighbor. Me, me, me and MY successes.  I don't see that as maturity, I see it as the opposite.
3. Keeping social and education separate is something I strongly believe in.  I deactivated my Google+ account from this blog because I didn't want them connected.  My "social" life needs to remain separate from my educational life.  It's easier, safer, and more professional.

This is Louis C.K., my favorite comedian.  He has a piece about how SPOILED this generation is and how upset we get when a text or e-mail or the Internet doesn't work instantly.  I wish I could post him actually saying it, but it is highly too inappropriate for education purposes, so luckily I found an image of the best part.

Sources:

Meme Generator

 Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 2). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.  

 Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (pp. 2-3). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. 

 Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 3). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.

Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 5). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.  

Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 6). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. 

Thomas, Michael (2011-04-29). Deconstructing Digital Natives: Young People, Technology and the New Literacies (p. 7). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.