Online learning

Discuss the future of online class as a viable alternative method of learning.
For centuries, the “school building” (in all its varieties) has been the dominant “place” for educational activities. Will online learning replace the traditional classroom learning? Why or Why not?

How will educational programs change as a result of online learning? Will all colleges and universities be compelled to offer classes online? Will online students be distinct and different from the students who pursue traditional classroom learning? Should all students be required to participate in online learning?

Any other comments about online learning of the future you would care to make are optional.

Online classes have enable students to continue their education by giving them flexibility and convenience. More and more students who work full time or have families to take care are opting for online learning. Each year there are more classes being offered to online students because the demand for it, is increasing. I don't think we're going to see the rate decline anytime soon. Online learning gives that flexibility to learn and do homework anytime the student can. However, I do think there may be a disadvantage of online classes. I personally would love to be sitting in a classroom face to face with the teacher but I can't do to my schedule with my job. The online classes I'm taking right now are my pre-requisites but I do plan on taking my major courses on campus, because I feel sometimes that I'm being self-taught with the online classes. Online classes are just convenient but I think classroom learning will always be important for the student's learning ability. I don't think that all students should be required to take online classes at any point because again the majority of the students that are taking it is because of the flexibility around their schedules. Classroom learning has a greater impact in a student's learning because it allows them to interact not only with the teacher but with their peers as well, and that is very important. Classroom learning will always be important and I don't think it may be replaced by anything.

Fast Food restaurants- Should they government pass laws to regulate this kind of food?

Should the government pass laws to regulate the types of food served in fast food restaurants? Why or why not?

Support your answer with examples from a minimum of two restaurants, as well as specific food items at those restaurants.

My personal opinion is that government should not pass any laws regulating the kinds of foods served in restaurants. One of the things that makes this country so different is the freedom we have. Fast food restaurants are an example of that freedom to us citizens to choose where and what to eat. My favorite fast food is sonic I love the fact that I can drive in and park my car while I order my favorite burger or chili fries. I mean how boring would it be if we didn't have fast food restaurants like Mcdonalds, Burger King, or Fat Mo's. As citizens we need to have that choice and decide on our own if we choose to eat at fast foods or not. I think passing laws to regulate the kinds of food in fast food would be a waste of money. Fast food restaurants have been linked to the cause of obesity in this country and that may be true to some extent. However, I do think that instead of regulating laws for fast food I think we need to have lower prices for healthy food that people can eat as well. It is outrageous how the price for a natural juice is much higher than that of a soda. This are the kinds of things that they need to focus on, not take our own personal preference in the kind of foods we choose to consume.

Ryman Auditorium

Predictions on the family in year 2109

Speculate about the nature of “the family” in the year 2109, one hundred years from now. Will anything about the family as we know it today be the same? What will have changed? Why the changes (if any)?

Wow, I can't even imagine 5 or 10 years from now much less 100 years from now. My view on it is this, by the rate the nature of "the family" is going right now I don't even think such family can exist in hundred years. Just like we're seeing some animals extinct I think that will be the case for the family if we don't do something right now to save it for our future generations. For one, the fathers are starting to extinct from its role in the family. Many children today are being raised by a single parent, others have their fathers but there are just there just another furniture in the house ( there's no relationship). Mothers too are starting to just give up on their kids leaving them in orphanage or having some other people in their lives take care of the kids while she goes out and finds her true self. And what can I say about the children today, well they think that they can control their lives and manipulate their parents to doing whatever they please. I must mention the other part of the equation that's missing and with all due respect of those who are reading. The other part are those who want to create a "family" when and how they want to. Like single woman who want to do artificial insemination, or the Homosexuals or Gay couples who want to create their own belief of what family really is.If I was to predict in one hundred years from now this will be my prediction; family will be really close to extinction or on the bridge of that. Why? because we have all lost in some way or another what the true meaning of a family is and we have lost the key foundation of it-Love and God!

Communities

Write your own definition of “community.” Expound upon the different types of communities in our modern world (give examples and explanation) and speculate on what is it that binds together the various communities that you discuss.

My own definition of community is that of a group of people who might share common interest, share same space,share same ideas, same beliefs and who live in communion with one another. Many communities exist in our modern world today. Like race group communities such as; Hispanic community, Asian community,etc. There are other comunities such as church or religious communities, neighborhood communities, business communities, and well the list can go on. However, although these communities exist and many others may be created the important thing that will keep the community bind together will be the communication and the communion with one another. Communities cannot be a community without a bond of fellowship and connection that makes it strong to fulfill its purpose. We all might be different in many ways but strong communities can be formed if we allow ourselves for change and be open to new things.

Academic Dishonesty

There exists compelling evidence that academic dishonesty on college campuses is growing. Some universities have “honor codes” that entail students signing a pledge by which they agree to complete their work honestly. Additionally, some campuses have ceremonies to publicize the signing of the codes, and they post reminders about the code around the campus (for example, one university has students sign banners that hang on display in selected buildings).

These code programs often include a judicial process whereby students serve on committees to review cases of students who break the code.

What do you think about the idea of “honor codes” on campuses? Do you think they would be effective in stopping academic dishonesty?


I think it does have its effects but I don't think it STOPS academic dishonesty. Why? because when some intends to do wrong things he or she will do it no matter what. Honesty is something of character and it all starts in our homes and whatour parents have taughts us. If a student who's never been disciplined or has never been asked to be accounted for his/her wrongdoing by his parents, that student will develop a habit of lying and cheating throughout his life because he/she does not have any sense of what morals are. The way I've been raised is to always be honest and pratice good ethics in everything I do. Everytime I'm researching for an essay I'm always terrified that I might be tempted to plagerize on my work(because we all at some point are tempted to be dishonest about things). But I just tried my hardest not to do that and remind myself that I am smart and that I can finish my work on my own abilities and not someone elses.

Reality Shows

What is the cause and effect of the popularity of television reality shows?

Whether or not you are a fan of reality shows, whether you love them or hate them, you will have an opinion on them. Mention one or two of the popular ones in your writing. Why are these shows popular? Why do people watch? Why do you watch? Or, why don’t you watch?

Reality show are popular for three reasons only- Drama drama and some more drama. Over the past few years the shows have increased their popularity because how real these shows can get. I used to watch them a whole lot when I had time but now I live a very busy life that I only glance at it here and there. These shows can lure you in and it can definitely be addicting. I remember the reality show I used to watch all the time it was "the real world" on MTV. Why I watched them? Because I could relate to some of the cast members and because I liked seeing what went on behind the scenes. That's another thing why I think people love the reality shows, because we are all by nature desperate wanting to see what's going on with the lives of other people. Nowadays TV shows are all about Reality TV like American Idol, Top Chef, The bachelor, Jon & kate plus eight, America's next top model, The biggest Looser.. and well the list goes on. Jon & Kate plus eight was one of my favorite shows to watch because I loved seeing the cute little kids grow up in front of my eyes. Also seeing how both Jon and Kate struggle to keep all eight kids under control. Then it turned bad when Jon & Kate started talking about each other and how they wanted to separate. That's when I stopped watching it ! I did not want to see how a really nice family who had worked hard for what they had but with fame and everything lost what truly matter. I did not want to watch it but millions of Americas did. The cause of these reality show is that people find that they can relate to these situations or characters but in reality the effect is that people want to judge and take part in the lives of others that is not theirs!

Wind Energy

What do you think of the future of these farms? How will they help, or hurt the U.S. economy and the world economy? Discuss price and feasibility of using the product and any other issue relevant to these farms.
I think the future of these Wind mill farms seem to be very promising because it does not consumes fuel, and emits no air pollution. Its a clean type of energy making it safer for our environment. It is begining to be socially accepted in other parts of the world such as germany. In the U.S there are several states that have implemented the method. However as with every thing that is new and to some extent unknown ,people and comunities who lack the knowledge of how these mills work have made obsctacles for such mills. Stating that is not a promising that is costly therefore high cost for taxpayers. There are other people who said the mills are putting the wildlife animals such as birds in danger. I personally think that anything that is a natural source such as the mills that use wind is definitely a better option than that of what we use to pollute our environment. I've not researched enough on this topic but as I was searching a little bit of it, I came across with a remarkable story about a young man in Africa who is now 22 years old that without education found a way to help his village and his family by building a windmill all by himself with anything he could find. His motivation to do so was driven by hunger , poverty , and the lack of resource that surrounded him. He saw a picture of the wind mills in a textbook and was interested that the mills could make electricity and pump water. He thought to himself that he could do it too, so on he went on his journey to make the mills out of junk he could find. They are many people who don't even have electricity, water, or any other sources vital to living that is why I think we need to reconsider the idea of having windmills in our communities and to find ways we can take care of our planet.

More on the story of the young boy in africa can be found at this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8257153.stm

Political Blog analysis -top 50

It was interesting to see the top 50 political blogs, some where kind of boring and did not grabbed my attention but with others I could pick up in the first few lines which political party they are with. They basically gave their view and opinion about a subject or on a political figure. I had a hard time figuring out the persuasive techniques to me a lot of them were sarcasm maybe their pitch tone changed when it came to something that the writer did not believed or agree with- but I don't think there wasn't much persuasion in them, they only thing that I think it may have encourage me to do by reading these blogs is that what we hear in the media is not necessarily always true and we need to search for a reliable source- so that we can have our own beliefs in it.

Will movie films last?

Just as the music industry has changed in the last 10 years so is the film industry has evolved as well. Before the music industry would rely on Cd's when an album would come out but as technology grew it enable people to download music on mp3 or down to their pc. Same thing I think is happening to the Film industry. I personally don't think that the film industries are coming up with good movies to watch. Most of the movies that they come up with does not make any sense there's not a good plot in it. The only movies that I think are fun to watch are the movies from Disney Films. The year is almost over and I can count the times that I went to the movies which it was only one time. The last time that I went I watched a chick flick movie " The Proposal". I really do think that in the future films would be something of the past. With the internet growing as much as it is that you can watch anything and even see movies that have not come out yet in theater, I really don't think the film industry will last very long.

Image Association

The first image that comes to mind is the famously image that comes around every year on February 14 which is love which is represented by a heart. Our real heart organ does not really look like that, people in our culture and in other countries recognize that heart shape means love. With that link comes cupid who is one of the gods of roman mythology. In that mythology he symbolizes love carrying a bow and arrow that whomever he strucks will fall in love.
Another image is the a cross , which for christians symbolizes the cross where Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead and that is why the cross is empty. For other Christians like the Catholic they carried the cross but with Jesus in it crucified, believing that he died for the love of his children.

What is propaganda?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, propaganda is "the spreading of ideas or information deliberately to further one's cause or damage on opposing cause." Propaganda is not always a bad tool that advertisers use, good one's do exists. Like those that are from non-profit organizations that persuade people to join or support humanitarian causes. Last year, I was on my way home, tired from an exhausting day at work, I turned on the radio to a particular show I listen all the time and heard that they were asking people to call in and join the cause with Compassion International-to help save one child at a time from poverty. I listened to the whole propaganda about what Compassion was really all about, it truly touched my life and I did not hesitate to call in and join. That was a good propaganda that I'm thankful of ,because of it I'm able to know and write to a wonderful little boy name Banjo who lives in the Philippines. I've begun to love him and cared for him that it doesn't matter how far he is away from me, he is always close to my heart.
Of course they are other propaganda that does not have the same positive message. Like the bad propoganda that the media portrayed on celebrities or any other person that is famous,that persuade us to buy those magazines full of rumors and sometimes lies to harm their image. And, talking about image, propaganda is really at work when it comes to politics and that time of the year when we have to elect our next president. We are bombarded with ads and information about the ideas and proposals of those who are running for presidency. The 2008 campaign was very memorable because for the first time in history the youth was so involved in the elections and partly because they were so much propaganda that persuaded us to do that. This shows that propaganda is a powerful tool that can be used for a good or bad purpose.

The place where I write

Well writing for me is a challenge because I don't do it as much as I should. Honestly, the only time I write is when I'm in an English class other than that I don't really write. I get nervous and start panicking every time I have to do an essay, so this class is definitely a big challenge for me.

When I do write, I like to be in quiet place-no distractions whatsoever. I like to be relaxed with maybe a soft music playing in the background. One thing is certain, I must eat something before I write, otherwise I'll get up from my desk and start stalling around and loose focus. Even though I say I get nervous about writing (since english is my second language). I've noticed that once I start writing and actually engage in it, I like what I'm seeing and what I'm able to express in words. So, I just think I need to get over my fears and just start expressing myself out more. Once I start improving my skills and my knowledge in writing, I'll feel more comfortable in it!