Final Exam: A look Back

I can this for sure, looking back over the semester; this is not what I expected from the class when I registered for the class. Given that this was just another GE credit class to me, I came in the class not expecting much. At the beginning of the class I wasn't so sure if I would like this class, but as time went by I really stared to appreciate the self-directed learning aspect of the class. Over the semester I have learned a great deal and I a proud to show my friends my work and the insights that I learned. Over the semester I have had lots of views from my blog. I was also glad to find that other people cared and respected my views on issues. Here are some the highlights from the semester.

Historical Content:
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-17th-century-and-issue-power-in-1629.html
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/01/information-is-crucial-to-civilization.html

Core Concepts:
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-17th-century-and-issue-power-in-1629.html

Digital Literacy:
Consume:
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/03/social-proof.html
Create:
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/02/most-of-my-research-andquestions-that-i.html
Connect:
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/02/this-one-of-topics-i-have-proposed-for.html

Self-Directed Learning:
I had a chance to read many articles and books. Some of the Books I read:

-Andrew J. Coulson
Market Education: The Unknown History
Market Education explores the educational problems facing parents and shows how these problems can best be addressed. He begins with a discussion of what people want from their school systems, tracing their views of the kinds of knowledge, skills, and values education should impart and their concerns over discipline, drugs, and violence in public schools. Using this survey of goals and attitudes as a guide, Coulson sets out to compare the school systems of civilizations both ancient and modern, seeking to determine which systems successfully educated generations past and which did not. His historical study ranges from classical Greece and ancient Rome, through the Islamic world of the middle ages, to nineteenth-century England and modern America. 

-John Taylor Gatto
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling.
He was the New York State teacher of the year. In this rare and insightful book, Gatto explains the seven lessons that are taught in most schools. They constitute a damaging and costly national curriculum.

-Also here are some the videos that I watched to inform me of some solutions to education.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IFE3IW4yadA - free market education
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zyswCDwe3uo - Charter School, also the author of the book I read, is one of the commentaries.

Collaboration:
I contacted and worked with Rossier School of Education to use some of their art and information about education in the US and the World. This is where I got the info-graphic for the education group.
http://digiciv-jonesadam.blogspot.com/2012/03/education-info-graphic.html

I will conclude with a thank you to the professors for creating a class like this. I have found that when you try to come up with a solution to a problem, first look to history to see what has been tried, and then second try to tie those practices within the bounds of the information age. I have learned that I sometimes for granted how much technology is changing our world. I have personally enjoyed being able to use social websites for creating conversation and thought rather than just letting people know what you did that day.

Post: Event Report

Post: Event Report

Here is a list of some of things that I did to better the participation form external aspect and the assistance I provide in the presentations.

Invite:

I invited all of my social proof people, Katherine Hurst, Jessica Linford, and Joann Jones. These women are all teachers and eager to see a change in the education system. Only Jessica Linford was able to come via Ustream. I also invited some of my friends who are involved in politics and also would like to see a change in the education system. I also invited some of my coworkers who I have regularly talk to about the chapter I helped right and also the other topics. They were not able to attend, but they are eager to see what solutions are presented in the e-book.

Participation:

My contribution in the Education presentation was that I was the artist in the video; I came up with the sketch and ideas for that part of the presentation. Even though I was not presenting live, I still attended every practice session for the presentation. I provided critiques in how to portray the information and helped the presenters with diction.

I also helped the e-book presentation with being a stand in. Most of the Time during the presentation I was very active in the Ustream chat. For each presentation I provided a thought question and answers for when the education group was on.

What is a Charter School and how does it differ from a public school.

Charter schools are by definition independent public schools. Although funded with taxpayer dollars, they operate free from many of the laws and regulations that govern traditional public schools. In exchange for that freedom, they are bound to the terms of a contract, or "charter," that lays out a school’s mission, academic goals, and accountability procedures. State laws set the parameters for charter contracts, which are overseen by a designated charter school authorizer—often the local school district or related agency.

The President encouraging less regulations on schools?

An Article showing the head of the state(The President) is encouraging a less regulated approach to Education. by Stephanie Condon

The U.S. education system needs to undergo dramatic reform, President Obama said today -- with new investments but also with new policies.

"You can't defend a status quo in which a third of our kids are dropping out," the president said this morning during a live interview on NBC's "Today Show." "You can't defend a status quo when you've got 2,000 schools across the country that are drop out factories."

The Obama administration has introduced a sweeping set of education reforms -- some of which have met some resistance -- such as the $4 billion "Race to the Top" initiative. The program offers educational grants to states that meet certain reform criteria. The president today called it "probably the most powerful tool we've seen for reform in a couple of decades."

While $4 billion is a relatively small figure to spend on education, Mr. Obama said it's "enough to get people's attention."

Furthermore, he said, money alone is not the solution to education reform.

"Money without reform does not fix the problem," he said.

The president said he expects "Race to the Top" to continue to meet resistance from politicians whose states may not be getting aid immediately. He also acknowledged that other players, such as teachers unions, can act as barriers to reform. Yet he said that many unions are cooperating with states to improve their education plans.

"I'm a strong supporter of the notion a union can protect its members and be a part of the solution instead of the problem," he said.

Part of the administration's educational reforms also include plans to close the poorest performing 5 percent of schools in the nation, turning some of them into charter schools.

"There's no silver bullets here," the president said. However, he said, "There are some charters that have figured out how to do a very good job. What we've got to do is look at the success of these schools and find out how do we duplicate them... What I'm interested in ... is fostering these laboriteies of excellence."

But while he said the education system needs to be revamped, Mr. Obama added properly investing in education still plays an important role.

"Those who say money makes no difference are wrong," he said.

For instance, the administration is going to focus on training 10,000 new math and science teachers, Mr. Obama said. He also said spending money to keep schools open an additional month would be a wise investment.

"I think we should have longer school years," he said. "We now have our kids go to school about a month less than other advanced countries."

The president acknowledged his own daughters, Malia and Sasha, would not get the same quality of education in the Washington, D.C. public school system that they receive at the private school they currently attend in the District.

"The D.C. public school systems are struggling," he said

Cons/ and solutions to free market education

      In a Free-market there are winners and losers. That would be one of the Cons to this approach, what about the very poor families that might not have enough monetary resources to send their children to a good school or to get one of the best teachers should the government get involved to solve this issue? The Government should provide a monetary voucher to assist the very poor. 

      What about if the only schools those poor families can get in to, due to cost, would be schools that are under-performing with lower tuition? This is where once again the government needs to step in, just like they have done with food production, the government should set up minimal expectations for a school to operate. Therefore providing a fair and just system, where the consumers, the students, are not taken advantage of and the producers can still operate with freedom.

Education Info-graphic 

 http://mat.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/us-schools-vs-international3.jpg

Education: An Annotated Bibliography

My research process was a combination of looking at catalogs of books on the subject of free-market education system and a search on Google plus on education Reform. When i looked at different people on the subject of education, I chose those that provided the clearest and most historical background rather than opinions.

All of those that are chosen dwell on the subject that using a free market approach provides an option for an effiecent education system. My main claim that due to the dominate hand of the government in the education system, the culture of our society as devalued education and lacks motivation. With the implementation of a free-market system in education would solve those two issues.

Future Readings

Andrew J. Coulson
Market Education: The Unknown History combines public opinion data, twenty-five centuries of historical precedents, and the latest research to find out how schools should be organized to best meet the needs of families and citizens. The way the author portrays the information in a logical fasion


John Taylor Gatto
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling. He was the New York State teacher of the year. In this rare and insightful book, Gatto explains the seven lessons that are taught in most schools. They constitute a damaging and costly national curriculum.


James Tooley
Reclaiming Education (Cassell, 2000). With this work, Tooley addresses a question that few other scholars have had the vision or the expertise to ask: What sort of education system will best serve the public? The cogency of his answer and the soundness of the evidence and arguments on which it is based make Reclaiming Education a great chose.

Leaders

Sheldon Richman

He is the editor of The Freeman and TheFreemanOnline.org, and a contributor to The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. He is the author of Separating School and State: How to Liberate America's Families.

Eric Patnoudes

He is an innovative educator who is driven to reform public education by promoting the shift of focus from the memorization of facts, to teaching communication, collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking. He believes that through the use of technology, we can engage our students and awaken their imagination. This is crucial if we expect to teach them the essential skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century.

Phil Hill
Phil is a consultant and industry analyst covering the educational technology market primarily for higher education. He is executive vice president at Delta Initiative. Traditional education or online education. In the past decade it seems that the dominant conversation has been around the potential for online learning, both from for-profit and non-profit options, to disrupt education as an industry.

Social Proof

Social Proof
            It is important to pull from the experience of current teachers, people who are dealing with the problems of our current education policies. Here are some critics from current teachers, ranging from elementary to secondary to collegiate levels. 

            From a 4th grade and music teacher, Katherine Hurst has been a teacher for 8 years in Texas and Idaho.  “Due to the entitlement society, some parents feel that whenever their child has bad behavior or does poorly in class, it is because the teacher is out to get them or is picking on their child. The parent feels that their child is entitled to get a good grade for just coming to school. Hurst also said that since public school had almost a monopoly on education it is hard to do anything outside of what the state wanted. Even with the governments’ regulation of “no child left behind act”, the act has almost done the opposite affect from what the government wanted. Since the government has a force and highly structured curriculum, if some students haven’t grasped a concept the teacher has to move on and teach the next concept. The government just needs to get out of the way.” Hurst also had the opportunity to work at a charter school. She said “that with fewer regulations, the teachers were able to work more and have focused teaching on what the students needed.” Charter Schools are a step towards the right direction. Hurst experience in different teaching environments provides a unique view on each system. She said “that in the Charter school there were more hands on assignments rather than paper worksheets, and provided an atmosphere of innovation and creation.” 

            The next teacher is Jessica Linford; she is a high school math teacher in Texas. “The problem I see with it is that very few families would actually participate in it because if the costs. And our workforce would then greatly suffer. Also most teenagers have zero to no motivation about their futures because they can't see past if they have a date this weekend or if they have the coolest clothes, even if their parents are willing to pay or care about their own child's future which sadly many do not. So you can't count on parents to help motivate their children (any teacher can tell you that).” 

            The mentality of our society has changed over time. Is it humanly ethically to give back tax money that was going to be used for schools to the citizens, and then let the people pay for their own education with in the foundation of a free-market approach? It is apparent, given the current mentality, that there will be groups of citizens that will choose to spend that money on different things rather than the education of their children. The next question, if that does happen, how will a large group of children, with uncaring parents or kids that don't want an education affect our economy? Or is that group who wants to live the entitlement society is the same people who choose not to participate in the education system, thereby the size that is already a burden to our economy will be the same size if the free market education system was in place. Is there a line where the people in general just have to accept that those who choose not the education path have the right and freedom to do so? 

            Next is JoAnn Jones, she is a teacher at a community college in Texas. After reading the historical component of this text said this, “Interesting comparison of ancient civilizations to our present day educational system. I agree there is more success where there is free enterprise and competition. Competitive schools will be looking for ways to improve. I was impressed by the statement: “attributed to the wise behavior of its citizens”. Great teaching attributed to the wise behavior of its citizens which would of course attribute to greater teaching, and so on. The ancient Athenians “sought out the education that met their needs and preferences” and in this way they were very involved in their own education, which also contributes to greater teaching. Lessons for us to learn now: free enterprise, competition and parental and student involvement all contribute to a better education.” 
            There is nothing about the concept of education that cannot be solved by a free-market approach to education. Education is a product, and if it is subject to the law of supply and demand, you will have parents and students being to ones who set the guidelines. Rather than the way it is run now. The Governments runs it like a monopoly, just as in economics, the state has little incentive, or competition, to improve education for those receiving it. Our current education system lacks an interconnected network of incentives, which can only be addressed by a free-market approach. 

            I watch a video clip that expresses one of the main problems with the way our current education system is run. As an overview, our education system was created during the industrial revolution, so the main purpose was to teach simple subjects, and then after high school they would go to work in the industrial world. Currently the United States is no longer a major manufacturer. Our system runs like a factory, there is rarely any kind of individual treatment of the students, rather they are looked on as groups. Why back students in age groups, why do classes in the morning, why can’t we have learning in groups or as an individual. Education needs to become more specific on how the student will succeed the best, this outcome is best achieved by the free- market approach, rather than the cookie cutter approach from the government. 

            Why break students up by age? What if 10 out of the 30 students in the classroom work better in the afternoon instead of the morning? What about the fact that many students would like to work by themselves, or that some would like to work in groups? You cannot and will not have creative, innovative, brilliant, and imaginative young adults come out of an industrialized, cookie cutter system of education.

Social Proof: Education
I asked one of my contacts on what she thought about moving to a free-market system of Education. She is a high school mathematics teacher in Texas. She said this,"The problem I see with it is that very few families would actually participate in it because of the costs ... And our workforce would then greatly suffer.
Also most teenagers have zero to no motivation about their futures because they can't see past if they have a date this weekend or if they have the coolest clothes or in some cases where they are going to get their next hit on some drug ... Even if their parents are willing to pay or care about their own child's future which sadly many do not. So you can't count on parents to help motivate their children (any teacher can tell you that)"

My response, "Oh, that makes sense, i do think if any real change in the education is going to occur, their must first me a change on how our society views education. It is a privilege and a blessing, and not just another entitlement from the government."

The mentality of our society has changed over time. Is it humanly ethically to give back tax money that was going to be used for schools to the citizens, and then let the people pay for their own education with in the foundation of a free-market approach? It is apparent, given the current mentality, that their will be groups of citizens that will choose to spend that money on different things rather than the education of their children. The next question, if that does happen, how will a large group of children, with uncaring parents or kids that don't want an education, affect our economy? Is it  then our responsibility to force and provide education for those children? Is there a line where the people in general just have to accept that those who choose not the education path have the right and freedom to do so?

How can we better education, and what manner should we administer it? These questions have been a major concern throughout time. Knowledge of History is a major component on creating a solid and informed decision. From the book Reason in Common Sense, George Santayan said, "Those who fail to
learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them." I have also heard "A wise man learns from the mistakes of others". So we have had centuries of history where people have had the goal of educating their children. In the eyes of the past what is the best approach to education. What creates the highest level of efficiency and creates the best product.

In the United States we currently have a government run system or at least and government dominated system. As time goes by we see that the individual have less and less options. Parent don't have a say in what the curriculum their child has and almost no control on what school they can attend unless they want to spend a lot of money on a private institution. If you look at what other civilizations have tried, and what has been successful it is apparent which system of education provides the most desirable product. In the book Market Education: The Unknown History, The Author argues that free educational markets have consistently done a better job of serving the public's needs than a state-run school systems have. With a free market education schools could be more flexible, more innovative, and more responsive to the needs of parents and students. Just as with almost all other goods and services education works best in a free enterprise system. When parents may choose it and must pay for it, and when
schools may set their own curricula and hire their own teachers and must compete for tuition-paying students, you will see that in general you will receive a better product. The profit motive, it turns out, is the key to high-quality education. That time-honored market motive produces choice and innovation. Since our current system lacks the motivation and the competition needed, we are left with a very unpopular public education system.

What is the proof

Ancient Greece: Athens vs Sparta

Within the same civilization we have examples of an education system run completely by the government and another using a free-market approach. The Athenians assumed that young people and their families had the common sense to seek out the education that served their needs and preferences, and it is logical to assume the same thing of those living in the modern days. The Athenians also searched for persons such as Socrates and others to respond to that demand. Sparta acted on a different assumption. It ripped children from their homes and subjected them to a rigid, state-prescribed education in order to mold them into Spartan warriors, or a mold that the government thought would be best for the children. Is there any doubt
which system was sounder or which contributed more to civilization? Whenever the world thinks of the great Greek philosophers, what comes to mind, are not Spartans. Plato, Aristotle and Socrates are the one that come to mind and participated in the free-market educational system. In Athens the need to attract enough students to remain profitable, however, forced potential instructors to tailor their offerings to reflect parental demands and also required that they keep their fees competitive. The success of Athenian education, as reflected in its impressive literacy rates, economic prosperity, and immense contribution to the Western cultural tradition, can thus be attributed to the wise behavior of its citizens in an open market for knowledge. When there are more freedom's within a society as in Athens, we saw that it led to a vibrant and commercially successful city.

the Republic of Rome: Ex

The Roman's took over much of Greek learning, but it was taught by slaves, who had no incentive to be effective teachers. When the republic failed and the empire took over, rulers increasingly regulated education toward the end of glorifying the emperor. Though Rome was the seat of civilization for a long time, it never really advanced it.

the Ancient Islamic world

While the Dark Ages engulfed Europe, western learning had been transmitted to the Arab world and was alive and well. Education was private and unregulated and advances in the sciences and literature abounded. The Islamic state played little role in education for half a millenium, but in the eleventh century they put their fist down and started suppressing secular and non-muslim education.

Bettering our School System

Within a country’s educational system, the relevant institutions and policies include the ways in which a society finances and manages its schools, how a society assesses student performance, and who is empowered to make basic educational decisions, such as which curricula to follow, which teachers to hire, and what textbooks to purchase. If resources are to be used effectively, policies must create incentives that encourage school personnel to behave in ways that do not necessarily further their own interests. But When there is to much oversight the allocation of resources are no longer preformed at a desired efficiency. Just because you have an increase in resources does not generally raise educational performance.

 SO the question we must ask ourselves why do we score so low, when we spend so much money and resources?

-entitlement society: why work hard when you are given benefits without putting any effort. site (fall of Communist Russia), Fall of the the Current Greek economy. downward trend of the Socialistic mentality of Europe as a whole. The question is weather we want an entitlement society, which throughout history as resulted in failure, or an opportunity society which has made this Country Great(the Economy, Innovation, and Exploration ).
If we want to solve the problems in our country, we must eliminate some of the benefits so that those who like to rely on the welfare state have to start relying on themselves.

This one of the topics I have proposed for final project

Here is some responses. what else?

Adam Jones  -  10:04 AM  -  Limited

Education Reform: Does everyone need to go to a University, get at least a Bachelors, is it part of the American dream to go to a 4 year institute?

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7 comments

Eden Johnson  -  I think that most people in an ideal society would like to go to a 4 year university, and have their dream job, but I am not sure whether that will continue to be the American Dream. More and more people are making tons of money without going to a 4 year university at all, so more and more people probably will want to follow suit I think as the years go by.

10:14 AM    

Kourtney Cox  -  On the other hand, education has become so competitive and is pretty much mandatory now to get any good job. I feel like more people are actually getting more than the 4 years and becoming more specialized so that they can get better jobs. Education is very important on a resume and often trumps experience.

10:16 AM   

Bryan M  -  I like these inquiries. We have spoken about this in class. This is good set of outline questions for a content segment in the ebook.

10:17 AM   

Garret Bassett  -  Rick Santorum recently called President Obama a "snob" for saying that he wants every American to go to college.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/santorum-on-obama-what-a-snob-129/2012/02/27/gIQA99rDeR_video.html

10:19 AM   

Kourtney Cox  -  How is it snobbish to want Americans to be educated? That is crazy

10:28 AM   

Bryan M  -  +Kourtney Cox it could be seen as snobbish because the notion of allAmericans being educated with advanced degrees is idealistic, not realistic. For starters, not everyone enjoys sitting in classrooms and learning in the university setting for years upon years. Individually, it is not "fair" to impose a mandate that will consume the majority of an individuals life to one who does not want that. Additionally, a college education does not necessarily equate to prosperity (Example given = Steve Jobs). I'm not bashing here, i'm just trying to show how the point could be shown as valid. After all, I'm in college and i think it is great and do think that more people can gain a lot from a college education.

Expand this comment »

10:34 AM   

Adam Jones  -  +Garret Bassett i actually saw video clip where Rick Santorum called President Obama a "snob". i thought calling the President a snob was the wrong rhetoric to use about the situation. but i do think he was correct in his assessment, in that to think that everyone has to go to college, is the wrong train of thought for the federal government to dictate that policy. There is a mindset that If you don't go to college you are a failure.The fact is that our society is built on diversity, diversity of culture, diversity of social-economics, diversity of jobs or careers.
And again, the Government should not be there to dictate what is best for us , let communities, and particularly teachers and families ultimately be the deciding factors.

Expand this comment »

10:47 AM  -  Edit    

most of my Research and questions that i have had, have been on the reformation of the education system. In the 16th century education and striving to do things better was a main focus. I have had a lot of responses on this particular subject. whether it be on education system reform or the moving towards e-books. from my Facebook account here are some of the responses.

what would you change, like funding(should federal government be involved), testing, wages for teachers, do we need teacher's unions, books vs e-books, class sizing. anything
-Wow! Too much to write. Let me think. That's a loaded question.
-I would get different students...
-Better parents!!
-More respect for the teaching profession. In order for students needs to be met the way government and parents want is to have more one on one or learner initiated environments--i.e. computer learning because there's no way to have personal tutors. The teaching method we have now is only good for group learning. Without more teachers or a way for each child to have more control over their own learning we can't perform at the rates the government or parents want us to be at. The more children with IEP we have the more that means that more time and more teachers are needed to fulfill it. And really, all kids need their own education and not to be lumped into a group. Some are left by the wayside because of other's IEPs. So, there it is. At least some of what I think.


Some from Google+

· Right now e-books aren't that much cheaper than real books which I think is crazy. I think that it will take a lot more revision of these publishing companies for e-books to make a real financial change.

· i do agree that e-Book should be at least 50% of the cost of a new hard back book, because the cost producing the product is way cheaper. Delivery cost - 0: ebooks are delivered almost instantaneously. Production- No trees are required to manufacture paper for the pages of ebooks. (Green) There is no inventory cost. just those few point should justify a cheaper product. I bought one of my math books online, it was about 30% cheaper than buying a used book. i bought it on Kindle, and i didn't even need a kindle, i use my computer.




· This is absolutely AMAZING!

· One of the problems of No Child is the goal of all children reaching a sufficient reading proficiency level by 2014, especially if teachers continue to teach to the test. This disregards disadvantaged children and their specific needs (as illustrated in this comic). I just found an article on NYtimes that I will post about what Obama is doing to give states more freedom to compensate for the problems of No Child Left Behind.

E books are starting to become the driving force in education, but it seems as though large education institutions are resisting this change. I currently bought one of my math books online, it was about 30% cheaper than buying a used book. Here are some of the advantages that i found online about transferring books to E-books.

What are the benefits and advantages of ebooks?

1. Ebooks are delivered almost instantaneously. You can purchase, download and start reading them within minutes, without leaving your chair. You don't have to go to a bookstore to buy them, neither wait for them for days, weeks and sometimes more to arrive in the mail.

2. No trees are required to manufacture paper for the pages of ebooks.

3. When you need certain information, you can get it immediately, by downloading an ebook.

4. Many ebooks are sold nowadays with bonuses, which you usually do not get with a printed book. This adds value to your purchase.

5. Ebooks take up less space. You practically don't need any space to store them. You don't need a library or a room for them. You can store hundreds and thousands of ebooks in your computer.

6. Ebooks are portable. You can carry a whole library of hundreds of books with you, on CD, in a laptop, notebook or any ebook reader, without worrying about their weight.

7. With today technology you can read ebooks anywhere, on the bus, train, airplane and while standing in line.

8. Ebooks are more safely stored and carried from one place to another, than ordinary books. They also withstand time more than books.

9. Ebooks can show links, for easy access to more information and related websites.

10. Ebooks are searchable. You can easily search for any information in an ebook, instead of turning page after page.

11. Ebooks can be interactive and contain audio, video and animations, which can enhance the message that the author is trying to convey.

12. As ebooks are delivered through the Internet, there are no packing and shipping expenses.

13. Ebooks can be printable, so that if you wish to read an ebook in the traditional way, you can very inexpensively print it with your home printer or at any printing shop.

14. Fonts in ebooks can be re-sized, making it easier to read for people with disabilities. With an additional software it is possible to turn some of the ebooks into audio books.

15. Ebooks are very easy to to sell and distribute.

16. It is very simple and easy to purchase and download an ebook. People living in big modernized cities, in a remote village in a far away country or on a small island, can equally access an ebook. It takes them the same amount of time to purchase and download an ebook, provided they have an Internet connection.

17. It is possible to purchase an e-book 24 hours a day, every day of the year, from the comfort of your own house or office. You can purchase and download an ebook, even if you are on a vacation, if you have a laptop and wireless Internet connection.

18. People are already spending a lot of time in front of their computers, so why not read and ebook, instead of doing something else?

When is Revolution Justified, or moral, or good?

FREEDOM

when your rights of freedom, life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is infringed on. Whenever a country starts to limit these rights, I argue that it is not only the right of a voice of the people is not represented in the government, corruption inters in and then there is a need for the group to revolt and then elect those that represent them. You can have a revolution without blood shed, but if that government doesn't allow for the expression of change, then that group must then resort to taking action that leads to their voice being heard and responded to. i think it should be a majority of people, without it you are not justified, i think if you are the only one with that mind set, just go to a different country. Revolution is justified only if the government changes from its direction contrary to the voice of the people.

On 17th century and issue-power


In 1629 an Italian engineer, Giovanni Branca, was probably the first to invent an actual impulse turbine. This device, a stamping mill, was generated by a steam-powered turbine. A jet nozzle directed steam onto a horizontally mounted turbine wheel, which then turned an arrangement of gears that operated his mill. I feel that that the steam engine was one of the greatest inventions. A majority of the electricity that is produced in the United States is produced by heating water, whether it be coal or nuclear. The steam engine is an integral part on the way we live in our society. This brings up a good point about Nuclear power. I have always been very pro-nuclear power, because i am all about paying the least amount for something as possible. i am one of those people who takes a calculator to find the best price for ounce. i understand why people are hesitant about nuclear power, but there has not been a problem with nuclear reactors since the 1980s, and that was in Russia. Even when Japan's nuclear reactor was hit by a tsunami and earth quake, it had some major problems but nothing bad happened, they were able to solve it.


· when they make these nuclear power plants they include these things,

· high-quality design & construction,
· equipment which prevents operational disturbances or human failures and errors developing into problems,
· comprehensive monitoring and regular testing to detect equipment or operator failures, redundant and diverse systems to control damage to the fuel and prevent significant radioactive releases,
· Provision to confine the effects of severe fuel damage (or any other problem) to the plant itself.

when i lived in California for two years, energy prices was a big thing, California has a problem with producing enough energy for all of its population. i feel that every state can make their own decisions, but there was a couple of nuclear power plants that were shut down do to environmental concerns. i am just saying, that if you choose to not partake in the benefits of nuclear power, then don't complain about you energy crisis or steal electricity from Arizona.

Here are some of the comments about my poll question.

going along with multiple choice tests. I think that not true learning occurs. I really feel like it is just a matter of a regurgitation and we will not be able to recall or remember what we have learned in the future.

Also the matter of skills, in this university we are so set on book smart that we forget to have the hands on skills and knowledge to go out into the workforce. For example, I have heard from many doctor’s offices and clinics that they don’t really like BYU-nursing students because they are just book smart and don’t really have the skills needed to start working.
We need to have a better learning environment that helps us slide right into the real world and start working.

Certification vs. vocational training vs. university education:
What do we want? I came to BYU because I WANT a “universal” education. I WANT to have to take Geology as a Computer Engineering major. My friend only wants his piece of paper so he can go practice the vocation he loves with the assurance that the lack of a degree won’t hinder him--he loathes generals. Mostly, in this country, people want to be productive professionals. The spitshine a university used to stand for isn’t necessary--it’s a vocational question. (This is part of why community colleges are so amazing In My Humble Opinion. ;)

government has created high standards for schools(too high), referring to the no child left behind act. There is Diversity with in our society. We are all different.
the mentality of the society is if you don't pass these test, then you are stupid, or you didn’t reach the goal, you failed. If you don't go to college you are a failure.The fact is that our society is built on diversity, diversity of culture, diversity of social-economics, diversity of jobs or careers.
the Government should not be there to dictate what is best for us , let States, communities, and particularly teachers and families ultimately be the deciding factors.

I am so thankful of the privilege of living in an age where information and the spread of ideas is readily available. As people are trying to figure out what direction they want the country and government to go down, it is great how we have a plethora of video clips and options. Almost all of the arguments are supported by historical facts. Overall this is a Great speech, hope the GOP Presidential nominee pick him as the vice president.

1/28/12 - Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) Delivers Weekly GOP Address On The Promise Of America

Too much control at the Airport? GIVE US MORE LIBERTY AND FREEDOM

Senator Rand Paul was detained by the TSA.

PAUL: I was detained on one of those clear cubicles where they detain you. I was very aggressively told not to leave the cubicle. In my mind, I felt like I was being detained, I did step out of the cubicle one time to talk to the TSA. I was very forcefully told I needed to reenter or face more serious repercussions.

In fact when I wanted to use my cellphone to call my office because I was supposed to here for a march for life rally on the mall area and tell them I wasn't going to make it, they told me because now I used my cell phone I would get a full pat down. To me I took that as a threat. I didn't take that very well that they were going to punish me for using my phone.

VAN SUSTEREN: In a twisted way, I'm happy this happened to you. Let me tell you why. The reason is because many of us travel a lot. There are so many things we need to fix about this system. We need to be secure, but there are so many things. You are in a position to fix this. Your experience is not unlike others in the country where the system isn't working perfectly.

PAUL: I don't want special treatment. All Americans should be able to choose pat down or go back through the scanning machine.

The other thing I learned today that several TSA officials told me off the record that the scanning machine sends a false positive signal that they can randomly patted down people. I was told that's why it was positive. And then they finally let me go back through the screener an hour and a half later and it was negative. So either the machine is not very good or they programming in random screening, and a couple told me off record, I probably was subjected to a random screening, but they are kind of tricking the public into thinking you set off a buzzer so we don't have a choice in doing this random pat down.

Has the TSA taken to much control and limiting are liberties. Many people feel that this agency have not been logical and respectable in their approach to eliminate the threat of terrorism
.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/2012/01/24/sen-rand-paul-my-encounter-tsa#ixzz1kOmKS7fu

Victory for the Spread of Information

*Lawmakers withdraw support of anti-piracy bills after online protest.* http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/tech/sopa-blackouts/index.html?iref=allsearch#

Many large and well known online sites decided to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill, and Protect IP Act (PIPA). Most Americans do not want to be censored. i am all in favor for limiting the powers of the government. What i am wondering is how does these companies get their stuff stolen, they should cleanse their own companies first before wanting to censor the rest of us. i am always hearing of leaks of a movie that is now online, rather than blaming the internet for this problem . Even though i agree with the movie companies that it is illegal for others to copy their movies, i don't agree with the way they are going about doing it. Anytime i see lobbying of congress, i immediately know that what that group wants is not what the general public wants. Congress should represent the members of there districts and not who just gives them money, that is corruption, and that is one of the reasons why the approval rating for Congress is 13.3%.


Information should be free and easily accessible, rather then trying to limit information, we should be becoming a more open society.

Music, Expansion. organ music during the Renaissance grew greatly. for your own personal enjoyment. famous organist, Andrea Gabrieli http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLlQWVwlSjM

Information is crucial to a civilization progressing. After the Black Death, the focus of the early part of the renaissance was very much on rediscovery, due to the loss of information during the dark/middle ages. Information and technology from the Roman Empire were no longer really understood. Wanted to go back to the original text and learn the Philosophical teachings of Plato and Socrates.

"How digitally civilized am I"

I am,
-familiar with Java programming, and two statistical programming languages, R and SAS.