Shooting couldn't have even happened. . . .

What was Fort Hood shooters motive by CBS describes the scene of why Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan went on a rampage in the army base. The first reasons described in the article are he was being harassed about his Middle Eastern background and he was angry that the U.S.A was even in the war with Iraq and Afghanistan. That makes sense to me, but there is other ways to show that you’re angry without having to kill any innocent soldiers. He can have his opinion about the war and that is his right. Many people think the same as Mr. Hasan does and many others disagree.
Later in the article when they interviewed his cousin there were a couple things that really stuck out to me. First he never got into any trouble before he did this, and he played sports. This piece really stuck out because he killed innocent army men just to prove that he was being put over the edge. I get that he was getting picked on pretty bad. The thing that I do not get is why he cannot be moved into a different group of people. That seems to me like it would solve the problem right then and there.
Another part that really stuck out was when he said that he was stationed to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. To me that piece of information really put the whole thing together. He had his reasons that he did it but there is still no reason that he could not have taken care of them without killing. I looked up the army; they were the ones that caused the problems. Now they are challenged to be nicer and stop problems before they start. You have to look out for more people than just yourself.

The magic 7

The article “Educational Leadership” has facts that I strongly believe in. The article, written by Tony Wagner, tells the truth about what students need to learn. He talks to businesses and people about what students will need to do in order to thrive in the new world of work. He makes seven major points that every student should know.
The quote, “Yesterday’s answers won’t solve today’s problems” really stuck out to me. I am used to memorizing material in order to get a good grade in class. For example in history class, how will all that history help us thrive? The only answer that I can come up with is so that we will not make the same mistakes as some people did in the past. I think that is reasonable and all, but that does not just go to me. It challenges me to know all that history then apply it to my life and how it can be helpful in today’s workforce.
Another one of the seven points that I find very interesting is the one entitled agility and adaptability. This is something that I find I cannot do well. For example when the due date of a big project is changed, it throws me off. I did the work and I would like to turn it in that day not waits another day or two. On the other hand, I can adapt well to other circumstances. If there is a new teacher, for example, I get to know how they do things pretty quick.
All of the seven skills challenge my fellow classmates and me. Even though we do not realize how much we need all the skills the teachers are teaching us; we do understand that teachers are preparing us for the modern workforce.
I really hope that my classes are not like any of the ones that Mr. Wagner interviewed. I do not think that we are, but then I have found myself doing the same thing as some of those kids did in their classrooms. I know that my teachers are trying to teach to these seven points, but I do not think we understand what we are learning about.
Reading this article has changed my views on school. I used to just go to school and everything leads up to a big test. That test determines what grade you will get. Now I think more about understanding the material they cover and how it relates to the jobs they are preparing us for. Teachers are really helping us with more than pure knowledge. They are helping us view the bigger picture.

my foods are whats causing illness?

In the blog 10 foods most likely to make you sick; It says that, “Some of the healthiest foods may also be the most likely to cause food-borne illness.” When it says that I automatically think that there is no way that some of the healthiest foods could be causing so many problems. I was wrong because some results favor the quote. “Eggs, involved in 352 outbreaks and 11,163 reported cases of illness.” This quote is ridiculous. How can it be that eggs can cause that much illness? That made me think about some ways that this could be possible. One of the most obvious possibilities is that people just eat the egg raw. After doing some research I found out that raw eggs are an excellent health tonic. This blew my theory right out the door in a heartbeat. Maybe eggs just went bad a lot quicker than people thought. This could be a good explanation because you could forget about them then eat them when it is too late and not even notice. This idea also ties into the category of leaving the eggs out of the refrigerator which is a very bad idea. Another food that was on the list was potatoes coming in at number three with 108 outbreaks and 3,659 cases of illness. Potatoes are some of my favorite foods. I also looked at what the web had to say on potatoes. One of the most interesting things that I found was that “Potatoes are good for you as long as you prepare them in a healthy manner. Boiled and baked potatoes are good for you, French fries and potato chips are not.” This really challenges me to think about this and take this into affect every time that I cook or my mom cooks. This because it makes me do more, but I will still stay healthy at the same time. Finally, to make the right choices when I want a snack. I do not want to end up with an illness or an outbreak from potato chips. That is why I will think before I just let my stomach choose and go right for those yummy bags of potato chips.

2016 olympics bids start at 1$

The 2016 Olympics is something that is a big deal to all. Even if countries are not Seeing Eye to eye at that point everyone still gathers for this huge event. In this article it talks about the pros and cons of the selected places for the 2016 Olympics to be. Those top competitors are Chicago, Madrid, Rio, and Tokyo.
One of the top competitors is, right here, in Chicago Illinois. Some pros, as listed in the blog, are that the United States has not held an event since 1996. Also that Chicago’s airport has all the world wide airplanes. This brings up some conversation about some other countries that have not held one for longer that that. This could really benefit us for a couple reasons. Having home field advantage has a big factor believe it or not. This also challenges our president since he has strong ties from Chicago anyway. But also this challenges all of us because if we did not have the fans turn out than it would be a huge waste of time and money. This probably would never happen because it is such a big deal, but still have to take it into affect. Chicago is one going to be one of the top two in my mind.
Madrid would be really cool to hold the Olympic Games there, but in my mind it does not have as good of a chance as some of these other. The same way as Tokyo. In my mind it just seems too crowded and they would have no place to fit these large stadiums. Rio, on the other hand, in my mind has the best chance against all of these other places. As it is said in the blog it has never hosted an Olympic games. Also it has the highest budget. This is really important that every country can agree on one. We really do not want to have a fight about where they should be. It should be a time of fun not fighting. Even though Brazil is hosting the World Cup in 2012; Rio still should get its chance to show off at their home court. Even though the decision is not up to me; I really wish it was. Since I do not have this opportunity I can only hope that Rio is picked.

education vs. technology

The blog “Are We Selling It to the Wrong People” had some major points that struck me as a student today. When Mr. Warlick says, “most of the learning tools speak the language of today’s students, teach them where they are.” It really made me think about how we do want to get the latest technology that is out there. That technology almost always helps our learning in some way shape or form. Just the other day I was at the T-Mobile store helping my mom pick out a better phone. I found myself wanting the newest phone when my phone can do some pretty high tech stuff. On the other hand the newer phone can do that much more. This could benefit my learning in a couple of ways. One with the largest impact would be that I could look up stuff on the web faster on my phone than having to go all the way to a computer.
“I’m not suggesting that we turn purchasing over to students. But one of the things that continues to irritate me in the conversations about education reform/restructuring/retooling (not to mention the spending of stimulus monies) is that so much of it is aimed, with the best intentions, at serving teachers and schools — serving education.” states Mr. Warlick. This quote in not only powerful, but it is also very meaning full. This quote challenges us as learners to get the latest forms of technology. The retooling, restructuring, and reform of education are simply us getting more and more ways to learn. This statement is true because the technology not only benefits the nation as a whole. It makes all of us smarter at the same time. This connects to me directly in the form of a student. I am in the learning process and want to learn about information found from technology. The students, us, are some of technologies largest inverters for simply the task of bettering learning.

the H1N1 is two parts

The H1N1 is a virus that has said to be a more that what it actually is. In the article, “Two H1N1 Patient’s Two Different Outcomes” it talks about how there are two kids that are just forty feet away in the hospital, but “There chances of recovery are miles apart,” the doctors say. Tony is the one that is in much better shape than Leteasha. Leteasha is going to be put on a machine called the EMCO. It is her best chance of survival because the machine acts like her heart and lungs and oxygenates her blood.
This is the same virus that is doing this to both of them. My question along with the doctors is: Why is Tony doing a lot better than Lateasha is? This question we will wrestle with because it is one that could have many answers. One of those answers, in my opinion, is that Tony has that desire to live more that Lateasha does. This can be ruled out just as fast because she loves to sing and dance at home. Which makes me think why would not she want to live? Another response to this question is that Tony got a less severe case of the virus. I hope that is it and not many more will be as harmed as Lateasha was.
This relates to me because at Arapahoe there are more than a few kids that are sick. I really hope that none of them have a case of H1N1 like these two patients have. I would be really scared for them for a couple of reasons. One of the top reasons being, that they would be fighting for there life and I really do not want to lose anyone of my friends. So that is why I hope none of my friends do get this virus nearly as bad as Lateasha got it. Think of these two kids and how hard they are fighting each and every day.

learning to a new extent

The article “What is 21st Century Learning” really stuck out to me when I was looking at a list of the others. This mainly because I really want to know how we learn now compared to how my dad learned for example. In the article it talks about the three major categories of learning have changed from. In the 20th century those categories were listening, watching, and remembering. Just in the past century has changed a ton. Now we are questioning our learning, gathering our information environment, proving what we found, constructing new learning and knowledge, teaching others what we learn, being respected for the power of our learning, and being responsible for our learning and its out come. I think those bullets really do express how we work today. For example this blog we are writing we have to deepen our thoughts. Our teacher wants us to do this because she wants us to go somewhere in life. If we use these things every day when we learn we will be in very good shape for the future. Then, when it comes to the real world we will know what to do with every problem that comes up. For example if we are making a deal with another company, we will question and think deeper about the deal. The type of learning that has occurred is amazing compared to what it was. There are only three major points that made people in the elder generation smart. We have more points so could not we be smarter? We will be because we are always expanding our thoughts mainly under these categories.

PLN learning blog

I first read the hand out about how kids today cannot write as well as they once have and technology is to blame. Later in the paper those same people saying that kids today write far more than any other generation. Finally they say that people today write to an audience rather than just one professor that everyone usually does. They say that this is better because kids today take into effect a lot more than those kids just writing to a professor. My first reaction to this was that my generation can be the best of writers. We can do this because my generation learns in the most efficient ways with the technology that we have access to. We use it to provide for our learning day in day out. Technology is our way to learn and interact. It is how we get most things done when it comes to school. For example this blog is a form of technology. Without it, we would have to write on paper where only one person could see as opposed to the amount that can see it on the web. Technology has really changed the way that we learn. We are privileged to have access to all of this.
The machines are using us is a video in which it take us on a journey of what the web is capable of. It says things about how the text is movable versus the text that is not on a regular piece of paper. One of the things that struck me the most was when he was talking about how we teach the machine every time we add something to the web. I thought that the video was really cool and it opened my eyes to what the web can and will do. I learned that the whole web is things that we create. I think that is amazing because the web is something that most all of us go on daily, and it is made up of things that other humans put on it. There is not just an all knowing super computer that puts everything on the web. The statement, “every time we post something we are teaching the machine” really made me have some second thoughts about that. If we are teaching it, Will not it soon be able to do anything just on its own? In the future that is what I think it will turn out to be. This is not going to be a bad thing though. It is going to be very helpful if and when it is created. The video really helped me open my eyes to what the new web 2.0 can do for us on a daily basis.