academic blogging.

1.)When asked to blog about something I feel as thought I'm being given a template to express my creative opinions and arguments in a very public way. Writing a paper essay is similar but, for some reason, I feel much more limited when i have to write an essay knowing that only one or two people will be reading it. Yes, a blog is more public, more eyes to see my flawed arguments, but it gives me a reason to try so much harder when I write. There is even an environmental friendly results of blogging. There is no paper or ink! So the need to waste those resources are in very low demand which i am all for. So all around, I do prefer blogging to traditional paper essays.
2.)The selection given to me for blog posts each week were always very easy to choose from there were at least one or two topics that I felt I could thoroughly respond to. Almost all of the blog topics were relevant to the weeks discussions and felt I could use the weeks material in the posts if need be. A requirement that we were expected to have was at least one Hyperlink embedded into our posts. This made it easy to give any explanations or extra information that didn't seem "common knowledge" for the reader. Or to provide an opposing side to our arguments made it difficult to completely support our points. Either way , I felt the class materials and choices for blog topics were more than sufficient to help me passionately argue any point that I felt needed to be made.
3.)The non_ text elements of blogging didn't seem to phase me that much. Sure it was a little out of the ordinary for me not not sit in a lecture or memorize a text book. I felt more apart of the weeks topics when i could discuss them with my teacher and classmates weather it be in the class or on my blog. I didn't seem to struggle or felt that it took away from the knowledge obtain during my semester.

Is a picture really worth a thousand words?

You know that old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" ? You will realize that its pretty difficult for that saying to be taken seriously especially when you probably can't think of more than 50 words to describe anything, let alone a specific picture. Like i said, it would be pretty difficult to literally use a thousand words to describe a picture. But on the other hand I guess I can understand the non literal translation of the saying. Yes, there are many ways to view a picture, situation, or story. Everyone is going to have a different point of view and opinion. Things like religion, society, and even generation gaps can distort the conclusion of a person viewing a moment caught in time. Take the painting "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh into consideration. Its one of the many more well known paintings of the world. A college art student and a 7 year old child will view the painting differently. A child will see the colors and the shapes because its all the child will know at that age. The Art student will see the brush strokes and the way there is a difference in shades amongst the colors. When and elderly couple see a picture of a group of high school kids they will see the "tasteless" clothing and have a hard time understanding the ways of the younger generation. A high school student looks at the same photo and will notice the trendy clothes and feel a sense of relation to the individuals to the photo. Everyone's point of view will be different and very circumstantial. there are so many different things like age, religion, and culture, that can alter an onlookers opinion. In conclusion, a picture may not be worth a literal 1,000 words, but the amount of diversity in others opinion of a picture is a lot more accurate.

animoto video

http://animoto.com/play/R5EC3zuB7xGL71lJvtKhtA

Why not wikis?

Every time you are assigned a school research project or even if you're just looking for some quick info on a person place or thing, the most efficient technological resources is the internet. Vast databases of knowledge are just a mouse click away. Infinite amounts of information are so easily found on the World Wide Web, but unfortunately not all sources are very accurate. This factor is affecting the validity of the site Wikipedia.org and other online encyclopedias. It's an online encyclopedia that can information can be added and edited by pretty much anyone. But because of the sites particular feature educators are debating on whether to let students to use "wikis" as a satisfactory source for information. On the one hand the site is composed of knowledge from the "wisdom of the crowds" giving the researcher to gain knowledge from every type of authority on the topic. For example you can be researching Pearl Harbor and the events that happened there. You could have posts from actual Pearl Harbor veterans who were eye witnesses to the events or you could have history professors telling of their knowledge of the events. Then there are those individuals who are out to ruin the fun for everyone and post false information to trick or throw off researchers. This is one of the many problems with the Wikipedia site the concerns educators. Even though the site is reviewed by the masses and false information is quickly removed information is changed daily. Something you may have gathered from the site may not be the same 2 weeks later. It is not a perfect source of accurate information but if you do find something useful in the site and you check more than one source (which should be one anyways) you should be able to use online encyclopedias for schoolwork. People spent time to upload useful information for others to use. But it seems that educators have too many problems with the flaws of the wiki databases. I don't see the approval of the wiki's to be legitimate authorities on information being passed in the near future unless we accept the pros and cons to online research.

Is there ever a right answer?

So many people in our society today can not feel comfortable making a decision without that tiny hint of doubt lingering behind. I mean let’s face it, rarely you will find someone who lives without regretting something in their life. There are many factors that can prove decision making to be not such a simple task. The pressure to choose what will be socially accepted by the people you look to for approval, the feeling of helplessness when faced with two logical answers and not knowing which to choose, or the fear of regret when a decision is made and not knowing if it was the right one. Women of all ages who encounter an unexpected pregnancy are the perfect examples of those who have a hard time dealing with the RIGHT solution to their impending situation. The two parties that create such a dilemma for unsure pregnant women are the pro-life and pro- choice activists. On the one side there are those who feel that once a woman becomes pregnant it is no longer her decision to abort the child. On the other hand there are those who feel it is the woman’s choice to do as they please with their unborn child. Both parties feel their way is the only way. The pressure from such activists can make any person become unsure of what is the right solution to their problem. An unsure decision could be quickly followed by a feeling of guilt or insecurity about one’s life changing choice. But in this particular situation there really isn’t one right answer. Factors like, rape, marital abandonment, or even unexpected diseases can be a reason for an abortion. These are selfless and unexpected reasons why some women would not or could not continue carrying a child to full term. If a woman is raped, I don’t see how you could expect her to carry an unwanted child to full term when the emotional and physical effects were not even desired in the first place. If a woman is abandoned during her pregnancy by her husband and feels she will not be able to support or care for the child she has choices like abortion or putting it up for adoption. If a couple is both HIV positive and they become pregnant the risk of passing the virus on to the child may be higher and an abortion may be requested. They will not want to burden a child with the struggle that comes with that disease. All these decisions are made with a heavy heart but all are possible because there is no ONE RIGHT answer to this situation. Not all things will have a concrete solution but there will be those factors like social acceptance, feeling helpless or unsure, which will influence a decision whether it be right or wrong..

What is technology doing to us?

Technology is one of the most advanced resources in our society today. It can provide unlimited assistance to our daily lives whether it is a need for; information, entertainment, food preparation, and even transportation. Everything we could ever need to make our lives easier is at the touch of a button or turn of a key. It may be that technology, although helpful, might be making its using population lazy. Think about it, if we want a question answered we can grab our cell phones and access the World Wide Web and have infinite knowledge right at the tips of our fingers. If we want a source of entertainment we don't have to leave the comfort of our houses because we have a television that can produce sometimes up to 800 channels of endless news, movies, shows, and shopping. Even computers can be a resource for entertainment. You have the ability to social network with friends and family, watch movies, listen to music, and live in your own fantasy world if you wanted to. If you wanted a quick meal, certain technologies, like microwaves, can instantly gratify and hunger urges four times faster that the traditional conventional oven. If we want to go commute to work, school, or home, walking or even riding a bike isn't necessary. You can hop in your car or the public bus to shuttle you to where ever your heart desires. The day to day obstacles we face can easily be accomplished thanks to the conveniences of technology. But have you really thought of the effects technology has on us because it is such an easily accessible resource? Instead of going to a library and researching information we can call, Google, or even text a search engine to find the answers for us. Resources like KGB can answer almost any question for you with the touch of the "send" button on your cell phone. Our social skills are even suffering due to a lack of reach social interaction thanks to things like myspace.com, facebook.com, chat rooms, and other online networking sites. Twenty years ago you could find people walking about the streets for leisure, neighborhood kids playing in the front yard. Today it is a rarity that you see voluntary exercise unless there is the motivation to lose weight. The work some people have to put into accomplishing a goal is most often times effortless thanks to today's technology. Don't get me wrong, technology is a WONDERFUL resource but it is used so often that it is making our society just plain lazy. In conclusion, today's technology has been proven to be a great resource for information, entertainment, and transpiration, but it's easy accessibility has made its users lazy and more inactive than in previous decades. Not only are its users becoming lazy, but unhealthy as well. We have all become dependent on technology one way or another but that doesn't mean we have to rely on it for everything. Some things can always be done the old fashioned way. Let's not let technology take control of our lives.