Things have been relatively quiet in the world of science this week, so I thought I would throw some other topics out for discussion.
First - (OK, this one is science related - I just couldn't help it) - check out the new video of Lun Lun and her cub. There is another one here (www.ajc.com - you might need to register to see it, but it's worth it). Click on the link "New Video of Baby Panda."
Second - this topic came up in my homeroom, as well as on the blog: student laptops. It's back in the news because an audit done of the county books showed that Apple should not have received the contract for the laptops. It turned out to be a huge mess that cost people their jobs and cost the county money. What did you think? Did you want the laptops or not? Based on your classmates' behavior, do you think the laptops would've been taken care of or broken all the time? How do you feel about Apple vs. PC (I know we have some techies out there with an opinion!)?
Third - A mother and grandmother in Clayton county were arrested because they falsified paperwork and sent their children toa Fayette County school. They could get a $1,000 fine and 5 years in prison (I doubt it, but it's a possibility). Do you think that is fair? How do you think we should decide which schools kids can go to?
Finally - I love the shows "Dancing with the Stars" and "Project Runway" - I'm not a huge reality TV person, but I do like these shows because they are different. My favorite celebrity on DWTS is Emmitt Smith - I loved him as a football player, and the man can really dance! I also enjoyed Jerry Springer - I thought his dancing was much more entertaining than his talk show! "Project Runway" is winding down, and one of the designers with a really good chance to win it all is Michael - not only are his designs terrific, but he is from Atlanta. What shows do you like? What shows do you love and never miss?
Have fun with the topics - be nice if someone's opinion differs from yours, and remember that this is still a school-related site!
Side note: Interesting article concerning online information and possible problems with getting hired. Young people who grow up very comfortable with technology sometimes forget that they leave "evidence" online. Some colleges are having to give seminars to kids about online safety and common sense. I know a lot of you have myspaces and xangas - just be careful, and watch how much info you put out there in cyberspace!
20 comments:
*slaps forehead* Not more Pandas...
Pandas Pandas Pandas, why so many Pandas!
*starts rambling randomly about Pandas.*
Oh yeah, and bye to everybody for Friday. My Grandma's Funeral Service is on Friday and Saturday, so I won't be here. Have fun with a day of quietness.
on the laptop thing...
i think we should have them, because it really is muuuuch simpler to carry that around then books. the bad thing is if we have computer problems, we cannot do homework and could get seriously behind. so i dont know, there are some good and some bad. also kids could play games on the computers without the teachers knowing...im really not sure. there could be alot of things to benifit from it but also many problems.
as for the apple vs pc thing, i say apple. just beacause everything apple has is pretty. haha
Gabriel - my thoughts are with you and your family - I'd say have a good time, but that seems inappropriate. I have had good times AFTER funerals though, when everyone tells funny or sweet stories about the person they lost. It makes everyone feel better.
The pandas were pretty cool tonight - Lun Lun put the baby down so she could eat, and the camera was focused right on the little one - it was great! If you missed it, they will probably make it a video soon.
Allison - I'm not an Apple computer fan (to used to PCs, I guess), but I admit they do make "pretty things" - someone in their design department does a really good job!
All your points were arguments both for and against when the program was first proposed. One thing I read at the time was that, in schools that did this, teachers had to redesign their classrooms, and put their desks in the back, to better monitor what the students were working on. It's hard, though - I walk around the room a lot, and I still miss stuff!
i want a labtop but they are all slow though =(..anyways...they found a planet that can float in water... aint that cool?
P.S if you report this as a topic id like a designation to the founder of this topic thank you all and good night!!!
HEHE i saw the dancing with stars that day. Jerry was really stiff.
Mario Lopez was my favorite dancer and actor on Saved by Deh Bell.
Laptop thing by me :D
¥Ü¥ <--- my sign
I LOVE that show project runway!!!!I have like some strange obession with it. I watch it like every nite. ha. I also have a really random thought too. I was playing soccer earlier and kicked the ball up in the air and looked up and the ball fell down and hit me in the face. owww!!!!!! my face hurts.
Laptops are a complex issue. On one hand, they would allow students to lighten their loads and carry less books (and use less paper), allow for an easier time for doing classwork and homework, and make school a lot more trendy. On the other hand, it allows a whole new level of Predetation by Sexual Wierdos (Little Becky is in her class when she gets an "assignment" from a "teacher" to come to this address. We never see Little Becky again), it would allow students to look at games (and possibly worse) in school without teachers knowing, and kids could gossip about each other so much more (Myspace comments would shoot straight up).
Frankly, I think the good outweighs the bad, but it is still a huge step.
BETHANY CROOKS
this is a comment on the grandma and mom in Fayette County..
I defiantly think they should get a fine for creating false papers on the child to go to a school in another system. I'm not sure if they should go to jail for 5 years though. To me that is a tad extreme. There could alternate duties they can serve, such as community service and etc. They just need to talk the situation out with officials first.
I think that laptops would be bad, because all of the negatives outweigh the positives. But, if we did have them, Apples would be better. PCs have too many problems, while Apples run efficiently and have no viruses or any of that junk.
Well, sending your kids to a different school could pose a problem if too many parents want their kinds at a certain school. Also, lying when signing documents should be fined heavily.
i think the people with the school issue should be fined, but not go to jail...i mean it could be a semi heavy fine bu i do think its a little extreme
Great comments everyone!
if everyone went to any school they wanted to go to then too many schools would be packed, while others would have very little.I think that the way that we are right now (set up into county schools depending on where we live)is a very good way of dividing all the kids. However I do think that the fine was a little extreme understanding the circumstances and all. They should of just talked to the school about it and asked if they had an opening for them, eventually they would have worked something out. They didnt have to make it as such of a big deal as it was.
^gaby sutton
oh i would LOVE labtops too guys, but think about it, if we cant even take care of our books, how are we suppost to take care of the laptops?I mean yah it would be pretty awesome but, lets think about this logically, we'll probabally play with the laptop more than we will work on it. I know we have a few bad kids at our school and if they were crazy they could sell the laptop for money. Also we would have lots of problems with the laptop, like glitches and other technical problems also, the laptops could get broken easlily without the proper care.
^gaby sutton
For the laptops, I think it is a great idea but I agree with Gabby that some people would play on the laptops most of the time. She is also right with saying that they could get glitches, meaning we wouldn't be able to follow with the others. If they can teach people to be responsible than yeah we should get the laptops.
Gaby - I think the reason that Fayette county arrested the woman was to send a message about lying to get into other schools. This wasn't a different school in the same district (like going to Dickerson when you are supposed to go ECMS), but a whole different district (Fayette instead of Clayton). People get upset because their tax dollars go to their county schools, and someone who lives in another county isn't paying there fair share to go there.
This is why aome people want vouchers - they want the money that the county would spend educating that child to follow that child - whether that child goes to another county or even a private school.
The bad part to that is that the school the child should go to no longer receives the funds - this could cause problems.
It's a tricky situation.
Gaby, Naomi, and Ji Han - I think laptops for the students would have games disabled, and a limited ability to download programs - I know that teacher laptops are like that - I can't load anything on them that isn't pre-spproved - I have to get a work order to load programs, and I can't go to a lot of websites.
yes, laptops would have too many problems. viruses, spyware, malware, trojan horses, spam, innapropriate web sites, games, off task students, etc.
The list goes on.
Nick, on the flip side, books could be loaded onto the laptop, and students would only have to carry the one thing.
We could go paperless, with assignments being turned in electronically (again, something that has become increasingly common in my college classes).
Discussion boards encourage participation by students who might be too shy to speak up in class.
Electronic monitoring (which already exists for some programs) could make sure that stuidnets stay on task (big brother!).
Ultimately, I see more benefits than downsides, however, I don't think the technology is reliable enough for the full scale implementation that Cobb County wanted to do.
I'm looking forward to the future, though...
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