PLN 23

I watched Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world and he was talking about collecting information donated by individual efforts, globally and locally, through media representation on public internet sites, mobile technology, and other forms of public access media, and then mapping that information to then aggregate and conceptualize societal trends and formulate opinions based on those trends, which he refers to as “cognitive surplus” (although, surplus would be defined as excessive), will, in his opinion, create some kind of global change.  This matters to me because if more and more people start trying to work on things getting better, and this information is provided to them via media sites, then that could change my whole future.  This matters to education because public and private schools could get help and get money to work better and to have a higher budget to hire better teachers.  This matters to the world because if more people use this cognitive surplus (meaning extra) then the situation the world is in right now could get better. Surplus can make better things happen.  Go surplus!

PLN 22

I read Man Killed in one-vehicle crash near Copper Mtn., by Denver Post, and it said that a 33-year-old Leadville man was killed in an accident, and that he had possibly been drinking, and he was not wearing a seatbelt.  This matters to me because I want to know how to be safe on the road when I start driving.  This matters to education because students get into accidents all the time whether it's because of drinking or texting or other similarly stupid activities while driving.  This matters to the world because everyone needs to find better ways to keep each other safe while driving because most people are just awful drivers.  Cars can be very dangerous so we need to know how to keep each other safe.  

PLN 21

I watched RSA Animate-Changing Education Paradigms, by RSA, and it told about all the problems and epidemics of education.  It explained the background for why and how the public education system was founded, and discussed the many ways and reasons why this system is no longer relevant, and requires an overhaul.  This matters to me because I am a student in the public school system, and if education was made more relevant to our current society, it might change my life.  This matters to education because if everyone thinks the same, never updating values to current standards of living, then people aren't getting better, they are staying the same while education deteriorates because it isn't keeping up either, and the human race can't progress. This matters to the world because if the whole education system in America changes and the world is linked together, then our global society is going to have to make changes and the whole economical situation might and should change for the better. Education is crucial to progress, and it will create change if we repair the way we are doing it.  

PLN 20

I read Drawing on my (family) past, by David Warlick, and what this blog entry was about is that he is questioning how we might draw on our ancestor's livelihoods to bring value to our daily lives.  This matters to me because my ancestors may have been farmers that helped with the land.  This matters to education because to discover our family's ties to specific land and locales is critical to understanding our connection to ourselves and our society, and education benefits with our understanding of ourselves.   This matters to the world because I think that basically everyone's ancestors somewhere back were farmers, since land was vast and not being used.  Knowing our history, we can move on with our future.  

20

I read Boulder Humane Society wins national contest, by the Denver Post, and it says that the Boulder Humane Society won first place ($100,000) from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by adopting out the most animals in a three month period.  This matters to me because I got my dog, Riley, from the Boulder Humane Society.  This matters to education because schools could benefit by the influx of money into our local economy. This matters to the world because we, as a species, should be conscious of other species and their needs.  

19

I read Lost in Electronica, by George F. Will, and he was saying that everything that boys do, like watch TV shows, play video games, and talk on the phone, makes boys believe they are bored, but he believes they may be just over-stimulated.  This matters to me because if this is true, than it's not that teachers are just terrible and boring, I am just over-stimulated, IF it's true.  This matters to education for the same basic reason, because boys won't pay attention and we use forms of media in education so this hypothesis would have an effect on school.  This matters to the world because we are globally connected and reliant on the media he is trashing.  I don't believe that the media is to blame for our boredom.  

18

I read Colorado ski resorts enjoy a snowy start to season, by Yesenia Robles,  and she said that this year is La Niña, which means some of our resorts will get more snow for the ski season.  This matters to me because now I can ski on good amounts of snow, if I go to Steamboat Springs.  This matters to education because lots of students might not be in school sometimes because they are out skiing on good snow.  This matters to the world because if everyone knew the Climate then it would stimulate our economy based on tourism.  Snow is fun, lets have fun with it :).

17

In What If by Karl Fisch, he is saying that he is all for education and technology but he is afraid that disallowing the use of some technology in the classroom is going to hinder the progress of the use of technology in the classroom. This matters to me because I am not allowed to use my phone in clas,bbut I shouldn't be using it anyway, so I think we could be able to use it when a teacher tells us we can. This matters to education because if we do start allowing the use of phones and iPods in class, then students will start failing and being more and more unsuccessful in class and not getting the required information for graduating or worse yet getting a career. This matters to the world because if more and more schools start allowing handheld mobile technology in the classroom, than less and less people will be successful with their lives, and we as a race won't progress nearly as fast. Phones aren't bad, but we can't use them in classrooms if we are going to just be distracted from learning.

PLN 16

I read "CSU, health officials providing free vaccinations for meningococcal disease" by the Denver Post and it was about how a  CSU student died recently from this disease.  This matters to me because I have a step-brother who is a sophomore at CSU and he could get the disease if he hasn't been vaccinated.  This matters to education because students can't focus on their studies if they and their friends are at risk of exposure.  This matters to the world because this disease needs to be understood and avoided.  That is why this disease article matters to me, the world, and education.

PLN 14

In "Creating my personal learning network" by Lauren Lee, she talks about the importance of networking and strong relationships with interest groups or professionals.  This matters to me because I should start understanding what connections mean and how other people affect and are affected by what I do.  Good connections are positive and bad connections make me look bad.  This matters to education because she is a teacher who graduated from a school and she can make a difference with local education and educators.  This matters to the world because the internet opens a larger networking environment. 

PLN 15

In the article  "Schools would be great if it weren't for the kids" by Alfie Kohn he talks about who we should blame for education's non-performance.  I think we should stop wasting time blaming, and start trying to raise the achievement level, that is why it matters to me.  This matters to education because it can't get better if we keep trying to find out who to blame and not trying to get kids and teachers to work harder and work together.  This matters to the world because if we don't raise the achievement level none of the kids can become corporate material.  School would be very pointless and dismal without the kids because they are the point of school.  That is why this grammatically incorrect article is somewhat important.  

PLN 13

In Johnathan Rosenberg's Our Googley advice to students:  Major in learning, he is saying you need to take your education seriously and think in creative ways.  This matters to me because I am a creative thinker and I sometimes keeping my interest in my school work.  This matters to education because they are trying to teach students to be interested in their education and in their lives and to benefit business all around the world.  That matters to the world because businesses thrive with creativity and creative thinkers. 

PLN 12

In Karl Fisch's It Gets Better he says that Bullying and hating is not okay because even if you don't like someone, it doesn't mean you have the right to hurt them.  He also says standing by and doing nothing is also part of the problem because it's not the solution.  This matters to me because I can't just stand by and let stuff like this happen, I should help.  This matters to education because bullying happens at school.  It probably scares the victim to be bullied and they are probably distracted and can't think about their school work.  This matters to the world because if hate is still going around then it could get worse and there can never be peace in the world.  That is why this article is important.

PLN 11

In 2020 vision, it was conjecture about the future.  Karl Fisch was thinking about what it would be like in 2020, so instead of thinking ahead, he pretended to be at that point in time, looking back.  I can't see how this can matter to me, education, or the world.  As interesting as it was I don't see how it can matter to anyone if it was all fiction and just a guess of what could happen, and most of the time he was talking about has already passed and none of the things he thought would happen ever actually happened, so I believe this is the wrong way to approach thinking about 2020, or the future. It is easy to think and hope for what could happen, but having these inventions takes time and effort to actually take place and to actually happen. That is what I think of the 2020 vision.

PLN10

I read, and watched, Creativity in Education: There is Room for it by Joel Arquillos and it was about a "Young Authors" Club. How they each year chose a school to work with for three months and have an after-school program where they work with kids to become published authors. This matters to me not because I write, because I am not a writer, but because if my education had creativity in it then I might show more interest for what I am doing. This matters to education because education would change if it had so much more creativity in it then the success rate would go up. It would go up because more people would be interested and want to succeed. This matters to the world because if we bring creativity to people that are just learning then we would have a creative globe and everyone would think outside the box and we would develop more quickly. There is room for creativity in education, we've just got to allow for it.

PLN9

In Rigor Redefined by Tony Wagner he talks about how he wonders if the education system is keeping up to date with all the businesses standards. He asks if schools get students prepared for successful careers. This matters to me because if the education system doesn't get me prepared for a successful career than how will I make money, and how can I be happy? If I can't be prepared for my life I couldn't live my life happily. This matters to education because if education can't keep up with teaching to what employers are looking for, than our standards of living will go down. If education can't keep up than the whole American system could fall apart. This matters to the world because if the American system falls apart than the world's economy will suffer because our system will be under-educated. If no one is prepared for their jobs, than we won't be able to compete. So, as Tony asks, is our education system preparing us for successful careers, and to be good citizens, or is failing us?

PLN8

I read The End of Books? (For Me, At Least?) by Will Richardson, and it was about e-readers. He had the Kindle app on his iPhone and he said it wasn't that bad, and that he liked how he could take notes in a different way. This matters to me because if I could just have the novels I read in my classes on my phone, it would be easier. Not only would it be more organized and I could just get out my phone and then read, but it also saves backpack space. This matters to education for basically the same reason. If students just used there phones or e-readers for reading, then they could save backpack space and paper. This matters to the world because if these did almost replace books then a lot of paper would be saved and not wasted. I don't think it is necessarily the end of books, but it can replace a whole lot of them.

PLN7

Web 2.0... The Machine is Us/ing Us by Michael Wesch was about how Michael thinks that the internet is controlled only by what people tell it to think.  In other words, "code" is written by people, and the internet only understands what you decide.  This matters to me because I use the internet almost every day. When I use the internet I have to be careful because what I see is what just a bunch of random people in the world put out there and the information might not always be correct. Which is also what is important to education. If it isn't correct then how can you research on the web or look up information for a class? It matters to the world because since it is the World Wide Web it connects through to the entire world, and most stuff out there is just opinion and not really important unless you know you have to agree or disagree with what they're saying. The internet doesn't really use us, it is controlled by what we tell it to think.

PLN6

In Oprah gives $1 million to Denver School of Science & Technology by Jeremy P. Meyer, Oprah gave one million bucks to DSST (the charter school, Denver School of Science and Technology) because she thinks it is an important charter school since it has a waiting list of 500 students. This is important to me because charter schools have the ability to change the face of education by exploring new ways of reaching kids with lots of different ways of learning. I have a different way of learning, since I am more inclined to learn through visual stimulation and through things that interest me, rather than the standard "do this, and get a grade according to the amount of time you've spent on it" instead of thinking outside the box, as a charter school would promote. It matters to education, because our schools need to try to teach to everyone, not just the ones that are easy to teach because they do everything a teacher says is important. It matters to the world because we keep having wars, and we don't try to understand different opinions and lifestyles and ways of thinking, and this type of education will maybe be  a way for people to be interested in new things. SO, it is important that charter schools get the money they need so we can get closer and closer to world peace.

PLN 2

Lots of things matter to me, like guitar, lacrosse, music, friends. These things matter to me because they make me who I am today. I got into guitar about a year and a half ago, and I have been really into it since. I play it for hours after school, or when there isn't school, usually in the afternoon. I take lessons and I often times go to other friends houses and play with them. Sometimes I play songs for large crowds.

Lacrosse has been an interest of mine for two years, not very long, but I still like doing it. I don't play it very often, but when I need to get out of the house, I go with friends to the park and play lacrosse with them. I played at my old school, I did several fall programs and summer programs. I plan on playing for Arapahoe.

Also, music matters to me. Wether I listen to it while doing homework, or if I am in the car, music gets me through the day. Bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Iron Maiden, and others are bands that matter to me. I listen to music whenever I am bored, when I do homework, and I always have on ear bud in my ear when I am talking to friends. Friends also matter to me. Friends matter to me because if I need help or am just bored, I can hang out with them. These are the things that matter to me.

PLN5

The point of Footprints in the Digital Age, by Will Richardson (perhaps a misanthrope, who dislikes mankind), is that he says people need to be extra careful and worried about what we put on the internet about ourselves.  He also points out that Google search is more intelligent, if it has lots and lots of information with your name on it, so we should start sticking stuff on the internet from the age of 7, no matter what. I agree but at the same time I disagree. We cannot always control what goes on the internet about us, other people can post things about us and we can't control that, that is how this matters to me. It matters to education because what we put on the internet shows the world who we are, and makes our schools look either good or bad. It matters to the world because the internet is worldwide so anyone can search us on the web and get information, which is why it is smart to be careful, but again you can't control what other people say. The bottom line, is that we need to only post things in safe places we know and also only post high quality information.

PLN4

Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom, by Sara Corbet, was about a classroom in New York that learned in an unusual way. Doyle,  the teacher of the class that was studied, taught in a more "understanding the kids viewpoint" kind of  way. He taught the kids using video games which all the kids are used to at home. This matters to me because I think it would be kind of cool to learn with that kind of teaching style. Learning because of video games would be cool because it is a more outside of the box way of teaching. It matters to education because it appeals more to the kids, instead of being boring.  The teacher is trying to connect more to his students to get them to be interested. It matters to the world because, if other classes and teachers did this, then more people would be interested in what they are doing, and more people would be succeeding in life. This class may open up a new way of teaching in the future, and prepare students for new technologies, and new ways of thinking.

PLN3

In Nicholas Carr's Is Google Making Us Stupid? I don't think technology makes us stupid, it just makes us think differently. It makes everything easier for people trying to do stuff. The internet matters to me because it makes doing school work ten times easier. Since I have poor handwriting, I can send files to teachers if I want or through to myself so I can print it at school. Before we could use the internet, we had to spend way more time researching information.  We had to get up and get a book or a dictionary instead of just looking it up really quick on their computer; that is why it matters to education. And it matters to the world because technology will become greater over the years, maybe even smarter than any human. The only way it could be smarter than any human, is if it could learn on its own. People use the internet a lot so they wouldn't have to use their own brain, but that doesn't necessarily make us stupid, it gives us the ability to get more involved in our research, and understand more completely, and spend less time in the process.  Google doesn't make us stupid, it opens our minds for information.

PLN1

After watching A Vision of Students Today by Michael Wecsh, what matters most to me, is that we learn to multitask.  “I work 2 hours a day,”  “I Iisten to music 2.5 hours a day,”  “I spend 2 hours on my cell phone,”  “I spend 1 ½ hours watching TV each night,”  “I spend 3 ½ hours a day online,” etc… “That’s a Total of 26.5 hours per day.” Since it takes more time to get everything done than there are hours in a day, it is important to me to multitask. This matters to education because education should take up a huge part of the day.  Students spend much of their day doing homework and stuff for school, and also benefit from time spent doing the things they want to do.  This matters to the world because people need balance between work and play. In order to provide for everything that needs to be done and still have time for things that we enjoy doing, we need to learn to multitask effectively. If the human race is able to multitask, why not use that ability?