Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Floppy Disk Fallacies

I feel Bohnhorst's introduction needs some work. The essay seems to me that it is more on the use of computers in school rather than just the use of powerpoint. The reference to powerpoint and the use of Jennifers statement is good, but the thesis needs to be changed or add more to the opening paragraph to incorporate the overall use of computers in school.
The overall essay is written very well, there is a lot of good information on computer use in elementary school. I did not know that there are schools out there, elementary or otherwise, that were actually going to issue laptops to students. I don't think that it is a bad idea if the funding is there. It would definitely give younger students a jump on computer programs and overall use. There is no getting around the technology advancement of the world. There is always going to be someone that is trying to come up with something to make there lives easier, whether it is a new computer program or some new invention to make a task simpler. Invention is human, if not we would not be on top of the food chain. There would be some carnivore that would dominate the planet. the human mind is able to create and invent things through trial and error and cognitive thinking.
I do not feel that the laptop should replace book or pencil and paper, but if there is the means to make things easier for students to adapt to the world they are living in than so be it. if the laptop is introduced to make life easier than the curriculum should also be ramped up. The school curriculum is based around a text book, if the laptop is introduced it would make school work to easy and students would not have the knowledge needed to survive in the real world, some times computers crash!!!

Beware of Drug Sales

Cherry does a great job in her essay getting her point across. Sher uses a lot of information that is available to common citizens, lie the Health Affairs and Journal of the American Medical Association magazines. Cherry points out drug advertisements on T.B. and in magazines as to the location of their use, but to support her essay she turns to the INCB, International Narcotics Control Board, and the FDA, Federal Drug Administration, for facts to support her concerns of drug advertisements.
Cherry, I feel, is very successful in using the INCB and the FDA as her supporting sources. Where better to get drug information than from a federal source. I do not think you can go wrong using a governing body to support your essay, as long as there is no corruption within the system, Watergate for example.
There are multiple sources of information on drug advertising. Cherry could have received some useful information from a study or a survey. I am sure there are multiple surveys out on public opinion of drug advertisement. If not it would not be hard to create your own. Of course this would not be solid statistics for the nation, but it would give an opinion at her location. Cherry did look at some poles that were published through Health Affairs and the Journal of the American Medical Association. She could have gone to a doctor to find out their opinion. She stated in the article that doctors are prescribing drugs that the patients want because they saw it on T.B. or in a magazine. There may be more to the fact that doctors are getting something from the companies that advertise certain drugs. Cherry could have made here essay more of an investigative rather than argumentative.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The Greatest Gift

It probably sounds weird, but the first thing I thought of after finishing the first paragraph of this story was my elk hinting obsession. I think what triggered it was the sentence about reading every thing you can get you hands on about a certain subject. The whole story seemed to related to my obsession, as I read on. I realize giving birth and taking care of a baby has nothing to do with elk hunting, but let me help you out to see my side of things.
The first paragraph fits right in as I stated above, I have and continue to read every book about elk I can get my hands on. It seems as though i cant learn enough about them. My problem though is the same as Tengelitsch's when I go to apply what I have read about elk it seems that I know nothing about them. After Tengelitsch gave birth she could not apply what she had read about children to he own child. The more tactics I read about and tried to implement the fewer animals I saw. I was trying to recreate what I read and hunt like the authors of the books. Tengelitsch tried and tried to be like Martha Stewart, but the more she tried the more she failed.
My lack of success made me stop and think what i was doing wrong. I figured I needed to get back to the basics of animal needs food, water, and shelter. Tengelitsch realized that having a puppy was to much for he to handle. She needed to find her self as a mother, the same as I did with hunting. All in all quit trying to be people you are not, be an individual.

A Beat Education

Kress's story is a great real life experience story. There are many great ways to get an education in this world, but I feel one of the vest ways to gain knowledge is through experience. I am not saying go jump on a train and see what happens, but experience things that you have not or are afraid to try. I believe, just as many other people do, that there are two types of knowledge, "Book Smart" and "Street Smart". If you just have one or the other your knowledge base will not be very well rounded. People that only have a formal education, "Book Smart", might be a little naive to the way some things may actually work out side of a college campus or class room. The same goes for the "Street Smart" people, they may not realize how things work, scientifically, mathematically, or academically at all. These people may be afraid to learn from a book or feel their not bright people.
Kress's story shows that you need to have a few real life situations or events under your belt to be a well rounded individual. Kress wanted to be free, hon on a train and see where it would take him. This was just some thing he always wanted to do, not to become better educated, but for personal gratification. He was not planning on being any more knowledgeable after his ride, but he did learn a few things. There were some unexpected things that happened, meeting the "Hobo" being one major one. Kress received some use full information from the "Hobo" before he tried to jump on the train. Kress acquired knowledge through the "Hobos" experiences with out having to experience it for him self.
So, I guess what i am trying to say is you can gain a lot of knowledge through life lessons and experiences that are not written in a book. Also, listen to what other people are trying to tell you, they may have more "Street Smarts" or "Book Smarts" than you realize.