PLN 23

The world of education has changed rapidly in the last several years. The funds have slowly disappeared causing programs to be cut and teachers to be fired. i recently attended a Littleton Public Schools board of education meeting and in the meeting they went over what we have spent and what we were given for the budget as apposed to what we have left. Apparently, the federal government gives the state a certain percent of money to be given toward education. Then the school district can use the money as needed. But the state of Colorado is given that money and then takes a percent of it and puts it toward the state deficit. That means that the school districts in Colorado get a percent of a percent of the funds we need. Thats why we have to cut programs and fire teachers. I think that if I have to go to school, I need the programs that make my years enjoyable available to me and the teachers available to make sure that I never leave that building without learning something that can change my life, possibly, hopefully for the better.

PLN 22

The snow is back, and winter is just around the corner. It's time to go out in the garage and dust off those ski's and hit the ski resort. In the article "Ski resorts enjoy a snow start to the season" by the Denver Post, it explains how the ski resorts are enjoying the start to the 2010-2011 ski season due to all the fresh powder that has fallen. I am not a skier or snowboarder myself but I bet it has to be extremely exciting to have such a big start to the ski season this year. The vast majority of Colorado has skiers or snowboarders and there can't be a better way to start winter than heading up to Breckenridge or Copper Mountain and having a grand old time skiing. Steamboat springs resort has already received a record 90 inches of snow by the end of November and they are looking forward to more.

PLN 21

Education is constantly changing, with no sign of a pattern or reappearance. But I think that it is for more of an economic problem than a cultural problem. The economy has cut down the amount of teachers we have or the programs that the schools offer. I recently attended a Littleton Public School Board of Education meeting. The meeting discussed the budget and what we have spent so far in 2010. Apparently the federal government is giving us a sum of federal money. Then the state government that received it is supposed to give all that money to the school districts. But if nobody has noticed, we are in a recession. So using Colorado for an example, the federal government has given the state a total sum of money to give to school districts. But the state has taken some of that money to try to end state deficit or at least make it look like Colorado is as broke as the rest of the nation. So therefore the schools get a percent of a percent of the money we are supposed to get and that is why we cut programs and fire teachers. My Elementary school was closed almost two years ago for that reason, but also because of a lack of students signing up to attend that school. Lewis Ames was a great example of a cultural problem. The lack of students in classes made the government wonder why they should fund a school with no students. Therefore the culture around Ames forced the government to close the school. I think we should get the money we rightfully deserve so that no more schools close, no more teachers get fired, and no more programs get cut. I think that if I have to attend school for another 4 to 8 years, I should have the programs needed to enjoy my time in high school and college.  

PLN 20

As a student in high school, middle school, or even college, do you ever find yourself asking yourself "Why do I have to learn this subject" or "Do I have to study this because it has absolutely nothing to do with my chosen profession?" The all boys’ English class I attend 5 days a week asked this question and then made their opinion quite clear that they didn't need any of the core subjects that we are required to take. In case you’re wondering by now, for PLN 20, I read "Why do I have to study [fill in the blank]?" by Mrs. Smith. Period one, English 9, all boys had a discussion on whether what we learn in school is totally relevant to our future. So I had to dig down inside and find my own answers to understand how other peoples answers affected me. I want to be a storm Chaser [Meteorologist] when I grow up. So then I had to dissect this profession to figure out the technical aspects of the job. To do this job, I need to major in Math and Science Courses during college so that I can add data and do graphs and know what is happening scientificly. History is important so that I can find patterns in the weather over certain periods of time. English [reading and writing] is important because I have to be able to do research by reading books to know about weather and patterns in the weather, and I'll need to be able to write because I'll have to document everything that I have expirenced on the road. So this led me to think, if I need all of that just for my job, why wouldn't you need all of it to cook, or be an asturnaut, or a biologist!? You always need all the core subject to be able to read, write, measure, add, subtract, multiply, graph ect. Every subject has it's own way of helping you mold your future into what it will be. But it's your job to figure out how they can help. Don't take the easy road. Do what I did and disect your chosen job so you can see what exaxtly you have to learn. So this begs the question, do you still believe that the core subjects required in middle school, high school, and college are a waste of time, or will you take advantage of them while you have the chance?!

PLN 19

Did you know that boys get bored quicker than girls most of the time? For girls it's easy. You can sit around and discuss what your wearing or discuss your feelings with other girls Boys don't want to talk about clothes and would almost rather die than discuss their feeling with anybody. We know we should tell someone how we feel, but why do that when I can just go home, turn on the TV and watch "Sports Center". In the Article "Boys and Boredom" it discusses the feeling of boredom. To me the feeling of boredom is just that feeling that their is nothing to do or when I've done something over and over again. It's never fun to be bored especially for boys. But when there is truly nothing to do, We can always fall back on ESPN or Sports Center. But if there is no TV then boys are definitely in trouble. Girls can just sit around and talk all the time. But boys preferably don't like to do that. Boys don't like being bored. That's why I think boys get in trouble more than girls. When boys are bored, we generally don't think straight. That's why we make bad decisions and get in trouble. Is there ever an actual cure of boredom? Probably not but we will keep looking, that's for sure.

PLN 17

Students today believe that a pen is the way to make their permanent mark on history. But what they don't know is that a pen is the only way to permanently show your mistakes to the world. A pen is full of ink and cannot be erased. In "What If?" I learned that today students are to dependent on paper and ink and have forgotten how to simply use chalk and a piece of slate. Chalk is easily erased unlike pen. Back in the 17 and 1800's people used a pen that was made out of a feather and an old piece of parchment paper. Now we are to dependent on fine point pens and lined paper. We have become so technologically advanced as a culture that we don't remember how easy a pencil or chalk is. The only class I'm required to use a pencil in is math because that's the subject that typically has the most mistakes in it. But a writer wants his/her writing to be remembered for many years to come. A pen is easier to preserve. But the problem with that is that it is easier to preserve mistakes. I believe a piece of chalk and slate would make writing easier.

PLN 16

For PLN 16, I read the article "Tainted water kills fish in Glenwood." What is important about this is that an estimated 190 gallons of bleached pool water was dumped into the Colorado River, killing 84 fish. This is important because if the tainted water continues to run down stream, it could potentially kill fish in other states as well. A lot of people fish out of the Colorado River and if they catch a poisoned fish, it could affect their health in severe ways and could possibly kill the person. We need personal reassurance that it will never happen again. Not just a guess or a statement that says "we will try to make sure that this issue doesn't happen again." I believe that after yesterdays election, there should be a whole group of people that try to prevent an issue like this, not give us the illusion of protection.

PLN 15

In the article "School would be great if it wasn't for students" by Alfie Kohn, it states that instead of blaming teachers for students failing, we need to start blaming the students. I think this is important because it's not always the students fault that they are failing. Sometime the teachers don't go over what the student needs to know enough or they somehow give a student false information, causing the student to fail. But on the other hand, the student can ask for help or come in on their own time for help. So this can really be a two sided argument. But which side would you pick? If you go into an active school environment like I do everyday, you can hear people talk about how they do in school. Mostly you here negitive coments like "I'm failing this class" or "I'm failing that class." But then you have to wonder why. The answer lies in the class room. How does the student behave? Do they do they're work? Or does the teacher not teach. The answer to why the student is failing lies within those questions.

PLN 14

All mandatory evacuations from the wildfire in Boulder were lifted this morning after the fire that burned 140 acres became 70% contained. In the article "Boulder Residents evacuated sue to wildfire can return home" by the Denver Post, it explained that a wildfire broke out near the city of Boulder, forcing people to be evacuated from their home. What matters is that the fire caused 1600 homes to be evacuated after burning only 140 acres. This is important because alot of people were forced to leave their homes and their possessions behind and they didn't know if it would be there when they get back. The fire is now 70% contained and at 10 am people were aloud back into their homes. I believe we must have one of the best fire protection programs in the country just based on the fact that we have been putting out a large amount of fires quickly. We have dedicated officials on the job getting the job done. Colorado has a history with bad fires so it means a lot to the state to have a good fire department. We have some of the best Fire/ rescue programs in the country ranging from Littleton Fire/rescue to Estes Park Fire/rescue and more. I think that I can show alot of faith in the states fire departments just based on how quickly they respond and get the fire put out.

PLN 13

I read "Googley Advice" for PLN 13. I found several important facts. What matters to me from this article is what google looks for in a learner. They look for  analytical reasoning, communication skills, a willingness to experiment, team players and passion and leadership. I think these are important because they show good qualities in people. If a person has all of those, they can be a diverse thinker and a great leader. Even if a person doesn't posses all those characteristics, they can be good in certain places. It's good to have a wide variety of things you can do. You don't have to be good at everything. If you try hard at something, eventually you can be good at it. For example, did you know that Thomas Edison tried over 2000 times to make the filiment for the incondecent light bulb. When asked about it he said "I never failed. I just found 2000 ways not to make the light bulb. But there was only one way to make it work." I think this shows that the characteristics of this man helped put his name in every history book. He had to expiriment over 2000 times to make the right filiment for the incondecent light bulb. But he never quit. He put his mind on the project and followed through. If we all set out mind to something and attempt to follow through with all we have, our named can be in the history books. Another example is from 1933. A man named John Dillinger led a series of organized bank robberies and prison breaks in Chicago. During one robbery a man set all of his change on the counter. Dillinger said that he wasn't there for civilian money. He was there for the banks money. In an interigation sesson Dillinger was asked how long it took him to get into a bank, stael the money and leave. He said "oh about 1 minute, 7 seconds.....flat." Everyone laughed at him but the fact of the matter is he set his mind to get in, grab the money and leave in under a minute and a half. He is in all the history books as the fastest bank robber of all time. So the point is, those men put their mind on a project and followed through and are now known by history.

PLN 12

I read the article "Victims identified in fatal C-470 crash" in the Denver post. What matters about this is that the victims of a crash on monday were finally identified. The driver was 57 years old and she died. The passenger was a 10 year old girl who remains hospitalizes. The importance in this is that the Denver police department were finally able to identify victims in a crash on monday. It was a short amount of time so that shows that the denver police department is quick at finding evidence and were quickly able to solve the mystery.

PLN 11

In the article and video "2020 Vision" in The Fischbowl i found severasl important things. What matters to me is that now resorces are easier to get at school thanks to BYOB or bring your own laptops. This struck me as important because now we can use our own resorces in our learning enviornment. This saves money toward our school budget because now we don't have to buy expensive computers for every student in the school. Now we can put that money toward more important things that support our education. Education will change in the next few years and the class of 2020 will be the class of the future because they will have seen it all. The problems with education and the high points of education.

PLN 10

I read the article "Health issue likely led to crash that killed Denver couple" in the Denver Post. What matters to me is that a man had heart complications that likely let to his car turning into a tree and flipping into a parking lot, killing him and his wife. This is important because it makes me wonder exactly what happened that day that made that car crash. The police department concluded that the man died of heart disease and his wife died of injury's acquired at the scene of the crash. Further information will be released when more information is known. I think this should lead to further research into heart disease so that we can prevent this from ever happening again. If we can prevent death from not only the diseased but the Innocent people with the diseased people than we can prevent a lot of known deaths in the United States.

PLN 9

In the article "Rigor Redefined" I found many things important. What matters to me are the questions, "what skills will students need to build successful careers? What skills will they need to be good citizens? Are these two educational goals in conflict?" I think the skills listed in the article are essential to both forms of situations such as work or social. Critical thinking is good because it helps you solve problems in either work or life situations. It's also good to have collaboration and leadership because then when you have group projects or social events, you can get help from others, and if the team or group isn't doing the right thing, then you or someone else can take leadership and get everyone back on track. The last essential I thought was really a key in this article is communication. I think that communication is key because if something is wrong then you can tell someone exactly how they can help you. Also some people learn differently than others, so communication can help you tell someone that you don't understand how something works or why it is done the way it is done.

PLN 8

I read the article "Officials investigate homicide after hikers find body near Silver Plume." In this article, what I found important was that a body was found in Silver Plume and was identified as a 31 year old man from Kiowa, Colorado. The Clear Creek County police department identified the body as a man named Conrad Keith Crall. The importance in this is that it makes me wonder how it happened. The case is being investigated as a homicide but why is it being investigated as a homicide. Is there any proof that this could be a murder? No further information has been released from this investigation.

 

PLN 7

In the short clip, "Machines are using us", I found several important things. What I think matters about this article is that I agree that now days, with the technology we have, we can type everything and then have the computer check it for mistakes. But if your writing everything down then it could take multiple times because you can make more mistakes. Also, with the internet and hyperlinks, you can bounce from one place on the web to another quickly. But if your reading a book to find imformation, you actually have to take a little time to read through most of the text.

PLN 6

I read the article "No criminal charges in Fourmile Canyon fire start, D.A. says", by The Denver Post. I found this article interesting mostly because of the title. I couldn't believe that no charges were filed for the start of a fire that burned 6200 acres. The article states that the D.A. and his team, didn't feel that the fourth degree arson charge against George Fairer [age 71] whose smoldering slash is blamed for the fire, could be proved. I think that if the Boulder Fire and rescue team and the Boulder County Police team would look a little harder for the evidence, that they could find a substantial amount of evidence to prove him guilty. That is what I think matters about the article i read for PLN 6.

PLN 5

In the article "Footprints in the digital age", by Will Richardson there were several good facts about how we use technology and how it's affecting our digital footprint. What matters to me out of this article is a wide variety of factors about how we are creating our digital footprint. With web pages like Google, alot of different things can be happening. A child or a student can be looking up inappropriate web sites and in some cases people can Google a person or organization and pick up an entire life story or an entire list of profits and secrets businesses hide. Having so much technology available to us including the Internet and cell phones can also bring up the risk of increased cyber bullying on chat sites or over text messages. I think that we should try to stop bullying, not give increased access to it. I believe that's one of educators biggest challenges is helping students and that the Internet and other sources of technology are key in finding information for school. I believe our digital footprint is full of sources that may make life seem easier but is really making life more difficult in a slow pace.

PLN 3

In the article "Is google making us stupid?", by Nicholas Carr, I found several different points interesting. What matters to me out of this article is the point the article is putting across about our knowledge today with the Internet. I agree with the fact that it's easier to do your work on search engines like Google and Yahoo. But by having an easy way to do just about everything, it makes it easier to slack off in class or at your job. With text books you have to read through the boo to find the exact information your looking for. With the Internet and search engines such as Google, you can type exactly what your looking for into the search bar and you immediately get several different options to find the answer your looking for. I think Google is making us stupid because it is giving us ways to cut corners on just about everything we do so that it's easier and faster.

PLN 4

I read the article "Broncos WR Kenny Mckinley found dead in apparent suiside" in the Denver post. I found this article interesting because it made me want to think about what could've possibly been going through his head when he killed himself. The article states that in early August, Mckinley was placed on the disabled list for the second time in 2 years with a blown out knee. I know that this has happened to him twice now so I understand where the frustration came from but I still believe that thats no reason to kill yourself. I would've had surgery and gone through rehab and made myself better than I was before.

What Matters?

There are alot of things in my life that matter in my life. I was always told that life doesn't give you anything, but that you can earn all the things that you need.
    Family is one of the most important things in my life. My family is definitely different from everyone else's. My family is really big on earning what you want and earning other peoples respect. In my family, I have my Mom and Dad, my older brother, my older sister [both Arapahoe graduates], and my step Dad. My brother and my mom have always been hardest on me because they know I can do better than I do, but i don't. The rest of my family is pretty relaxed.
    Friends are probably the most important thing in my life because I feel that I can tell my friends just about anything about me and that it won't effect how they think of me. My friends are really what keeps me going because they always have my back whether I'm right or not, but if I'm wrong I have to answer to them.
    Another thing that matters to me is myself. I make myself come last because I was always told that it's not always about me. I take pride in my friends and would defend them no matter what it meant. I can admit that I don't always do the right thing and that I don't always try my best. But I think I can improve in some areas.
   These are the things that matter to me.