PLN7- Semester 2

Today I read an article titled Quiet Students by Kristen L. This article talked about how a teacher (Kristen) did seminars with her class and unfortunately some of her students did not participate. The goal of a seminar is to say your opinion the topic and interact with your fellow students. Other teachers, like Kristen, grade seminars as a participation grade. So if you do not participate in one of the seminars the student will get a non-grade or a zero. Kristen though knows that some of her honor students are very shy but can see my the reaction in their faces that they are interested in the discussion, but do not know how to say what they are thinking. Now, Kristen asked what's more important--encouraging students to participate, or creating grades that reflect their roles as accurately as possilbe?
This article relates to me because in several of my classes we have small seminars on the topic we are learning and we are graded the same way Kristen and other teachers grade their students. Some of my fellow classmates do not participate in the discussion because they are shy people or they just are not interested. I can tell on some of their faces that they would like to say something and get a good grade by being part of this but are afraid of becoming embarrassed by those around them. Personally it is fun to share your opinions and then hear what those have to say to what you just spoke. It is basically a mini arguement because while some agree with you, others may not. That is the fascinating part. Now, those who do not participate but would like to should still get a zero in the grade for two reasons. Reason one is that no one should be forced to do something they aren't use to even if it is a confident booster. My other reason they should get a zero is because it would not be fair to those who spoke what was on their mind and helped the seminar go on smoothly, because if someone is getting graded on how they are trying to discuss the same topic, then soon the whole class will be doing that.
This relates to everyone because the more people that participate the more fun and interesting a topic in a class can be.

PLN6 Semester2

Today I read an article called "Schoolboys Face Court in Racial Taunting" by Myung Oak Kim. This article talked about three seventh grade students taunting a minority student, by following him with their hoods over their heads chanting, "KKK." This article meant a lot to me because I am full on against racism and knowing that it is still going on today hurts me and others deeply. The KKK is a group that murdered African Americans and any whites who helped African Americans get out of slavery. This certain group started around the Civil Rights time when Johnson was president. The main reasons why this article means a lot to me is because racism then was horrible and knowing that there is still racism going on today is even more horrible. Personally you would think citizens would have learned something from history and realized that what happened then was a tragedy for so many civilians. Another reason this article means a lot to me because every single person all around the world is different and yet the same. We all have different opinions , looks, styles, backgrounds, families, etc., the list goes on and on, but one thing we do have in common is we live in a place we call home. Our home turns into a house or a just another building when someone takes what you have away. Meaning that if someone came in and took what you believed and had so much faith in and just took it away from you, what are you left with? Nothing. This reason of mine also relates to the world as well.
In conclusion, these seventh grade boys should face a large consequence because it was wrong then and it still is today. No one should ever get away with a crime like this.

PLN5 Semester 2

Today I read an article named Soaring Snowpack Raises Flooding Concerns from the Denver Post. This article focused on how after years of drought, snowpack this season in Colorado has hit above-normal and near-record levels. March, Colorado's snowiest month, is concerning those with flooding. Mark Haynes, chief of dam safety with the Colorado Division of Water Resources said, ""We need to make sure to monitor and watch how the snowpack will melt off." This means a lot to me because I for one do not want to be get flooded because the snow does not melt. It is a dangerous situation and people that do live it Colorado need to watch for this problem incase flooding is to happen. People should be concerned about this problem because homes, offices, farms and/or fields, and much more can and will be destroyed if a flood was to occur from the snowiest month. This also matters to other states that tend to get a large amount of snow and not have most of it melt away. Flooding can't usually be prevented that is why it is extremely important to watch for the snow to melt. No one wants to lose their home, car, friends or family members, offices, all because of a flood that occurred from the snow not melting.

PLN4 semester 2

Today I read an article called Students Pay a Price(Literally) for Cell Phone Ban. This article talked about how in NYC schools banned cell phones and myspace from their students. A man (the author of this article) talked to a 9th grade english class and asked them questions about the technology. A lot of them did not know you can text questions to google.com on your cell phone, until this man showed them when they asked him whats the population of Spain. 90% of the students also use myspace to communicate in school to find out homework and other things like that because most of them do not have internet connection at home. This matters to me because I don't think I could ever live with out my cell phone and to know that I can now google things on it makes it even more important to me. I text my friends daily to communicate about everything. I use the computers at school and at home to do homework, get on facebook, and myspace. I personally don't think how much technology we use and how it is increasing in so many different places. What matters to the world from this article is that so many people could know a lot just from the computer at home, school, or the library, or just by flipping open their phone. It is amazing how technology is becoming larger and larger all over the world and how more and more people use something brand new everyday. If we could use technology for facts for school, to communicate with friends and family, to take photos, to upload/download items, imagine what technology will be like in a year from now and where and how we will be using it.

Semester 2- PLN2

Today I read an article called Teen traffic deaths down in Colorado by Kieran Nicholson, of the Denver Post. This article talks about how teenagers in Colorado deaths are caused my car crashes, are now down by more then a third. It also said that if young adults would buckle up the amount of teens dying from this incident would be even lower. After reading this article and comparing it to other articles similar to this one, what matters the most is that teenagers driving and or passengers do not wear their seat belts. Col. Mark Trostel, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, said "While the decline in teens killed in traffic crashes is good news, it is still disturbing that so many promising young lives are cut short needlessly because they were not wearing a seat belt." It is a disturbing fact that a simple thing, like wearing a seat belt which protects your life, does not sink into young adults heads. Even after watching the news, reading articles on people dying, hearing someone they knew got in an accident, having classes that teach you the dangers of all of this, does not get through to those who drive or ride in a car with others. When getting your permit and or licenses, as a driver you automatically learn to wear your seat belt and those riding in your vehicle must wear theirs as well. This article mattered a lot to me because as my friends are getting to the point of driving and having older friends drive it is a very scary thought to think of one of those people could easily die because they did not wear their seat belt. This matters to the world around us as well because it is an awful habit to not wear your seat belt at a young age, because I see other older adults not wearing their seat belt and again it is a scary thought to image them dying and the reason would be not wearing a seat belt.

PLN 1 Semester two

Today I read an article called Why time in the hallways is time well spent by Jeff Utecht. This article talked about how students in middle school and in high school are starting to find an interest in what they are learning and how some will keep talking about their assignment outside of class. This relates to me and some of my friends as well, because since there are some interesting classes I am taking I find myself talking about how fascinating it is and actually wanting to learn more about a certain topic. The article relates to the world because the more interesting things are in life the more people grab at them to learn more. It's interesting how many students get semi excited over what they are learning. Personally I think that the older we get and the more mature we are the more fascinating things become for us.