Exercise #2

My point here is that computers in our schools should interest everyone. Business owners and future employers, parents, teachers, everyone who cares about the direction in which our society is moving.

Synthesis.

The two articles “Computers and Technology” and “Video games and the Future of Learning” attempt to teach the reader about computers in the classroom using contrasting views, from the good of epistemic gaming to the bad of big business .

By reading both articles, the reader gets a good picture of the issue and is allowed to look at technology in the classroom from all sides. It is represented by a conundrum, one that asks us whether it is worth it to spend money on technology that will be obsolete in a few years or if something as frivolous as video gaming can prepare us for life’s experiences. In the article “Video games and the Future of Learning” the author gives examples of the gaming community’s effect on people’s lives. He cites that epistemic games like “The Sims” can give gamers experience that they normally wouldn’t have, such as a 12 year old girl running in a presidential election, or commanding an army in “Gears of War”.

In the article “Computers and Technology” the author brings up many very good points in talking about big business’ control over schools and their computer labs. Essentially he points out that this whole push for technology is controlled by the C.E.O.’s at the top companies of our day. He says that technology in our schools is all about a huge sales game. For example, the average household may buy a maximum of three computers; one for the house, and one for each of the kids as they leave for college. This means that most of the computer sales today are to schools and other businesses. The bigger of these two venues are school districts, Schools never buy just one computer. They buy ten, twenty, thirty, computers at a time to keep up with new and emerging technology. The buying of new computers goes hand in hand with the business principle of planned obsolescence, inevitably you buy something and it breaks. Then you have to buy the newer, more expensive model because the old model isn’t compatible with the things that are just coming out. This is the quandary that schools are faced with.

The whole point of running a business is to be profitable. The more expensive these computers are, the better off the computer companies. It is a simple and undeniable truth that in today’s world, much of our learning is computer based. Computers influence everything from how we withdraw money from the bank to how we find out what our grades are in a class. We need them in one form or another. So we are presented with a two sided coin. We need computers, but big business is controlling the whole situation.

By reading these two articles, I have come to the conclusion that technology has its advantages; it is good to assist in learning and to further our educational experiences, but big business has seen the promise of riches and bigger profits, this has corrupted that ability.

Synthesis

Thesis :

The two articles “Computers and Technology” and “Video games and the Future of Learning” attempt to teach the reader about computers in the classroom using contrasting views, the good of epistemic gaming but the bad of internet plagiarism .

Outline:

I. The Great Computer Debate

A. Video Games and The Future of Learning

1. Give examples from the text (Sims, Epistemic gaming)

2. Talk about the influence of video games on children

3. The Usage of newer video games for learning (Leapfrog etc.)

4. Too reliant on technology or video games?

B. Computers and Technology

1. Talk about the deteriorating technology at many high schools

2. Cite the drawbacks of computers in the classroom (Gaming, being off task, etc.)

3. Cite the struggles of upping the technology usage in the classroom.

4. Corporate control in the Classroom?

Hidden Intelectualism.

In the article Hidden Intellectualism, Gerald Graff suggests that schools are overlooking a certain type of intelligence. He points out that while some children might struggle with math, reading, or science; those same children make know how to rebuild an engine or which restaurants serve the best Saganaki. Graff shows the reader this by reminiscing about his childhood, when he says.

“Until I entered college, I hated books and cared only for sports. The only reading I cared to do or could do was sports magazines…. In short, I was your typical teenage anti-intellectual – or so I believed for a long time. I have recently come to think, however, that my preference for sports over schoolwork was not anti-intellectualism so much as intellectualism by other means.”

Graff takes this opportunity to be very blunt with his point. He goes out and tells the reader that he, as a child, exhibited intellectualism by other means. He also points out that in school it isn’t considered popular or cool to be an intellectual. He offers this as an explanation as to why lots of kids shy away from the stereotypical intellectualism. Later in the Essay he says “Being “Tough” earned you complete legitimacy… If you were less than negligible as a fighter… you settled for the next best thing, which was to be inarticulate, carefully hiding telltale marks of literacy.”

This type of hostility toward what could be referred to as “Standard Intellectualism” causes “Hidden Intellectualism” to flourish. Graff suggests that teachers should use this to draw kids into school and make their homework more interesting. “It’s a god bet that if students get hooked on reading and writing by doing term papers on Source [Magazine], they will eventually get to On Liberty.”

Response #2

pt 1. In David Zinczenko's "Don't Blame the Eater" he stresses that it obesity is the fault of restaurant or fast food company. This is easily argued with, due to the fact that just as there is a fast food restaurant in every town, there is also a grocery. At that grocery, healthy food is sold. Healthy alternatives are sold such as granola bars, fruit, and juices. The fact that these stores sell such healthy things at usually affordable prices essentially takes Zinczenko's legs out from under him. While it might be easier to see the golden arches from a few miles away, just down the block is a grocery store.


pt 2. In this day and age, America is fatter than ever. According to Zinczinko, occurrence of type two diabetes has raised 25% since 1994 and children are growing up playing with golden arches. The fact that most teenagers don't have much time, or much money makes fast food the easiest alternative for our lives. In this post 9/11 world where society tells you that you must do everything and there is no room for error, children are running from place to place trying to cram one more thing into their day. The easiest option for food is to go to a drive-through. Looking at this I don't believe that lawsuits are the issue. We already live in a sue happy culture where people have to be told that their coffee is hot, not to blowdry their hair in the shower and not to smoke while pumping gas. I believe that groceries should have a drive through where I can go to buy fresh fruits and healthy snacks, the fast food restaurants have made themselves accessible so the groceries should make themselves more accessible than fast food.

They Say/I Say

http://politicalhumor.about.com/b/a/201898.htm

This humorous monologue by Bill Mahr, pokes fun at the President while slipping in relevant commentary about the recent disaster in the political world known as the Bush presidency. It is very full of "I Say" and contains almost no "They Say". It still makes for an interesting read.