Unplugged

1. New media legacy is the ability to comprehend, read, and respond in a short time.

2. I think it kind of isn't smart to teach new literature in school because that's giving the students another reason to stay hooked on electric devices during school. Outside of school is another thing!

3. If i was a teacher I think the best way to teach kids about media usage would be by showing/telling them to manage they're media hours during school because it can affect the outcome of your grades. The activities i would set up would be like having a non-electronic period where all your doing is school work for about 30 minutes without touching/glancing at a electronic.

4. I am distracted by my device(s) because I tend to get bored easily during class so I would feel the need of using my device during that class. It doesn't really impact on my learning because i can always put the device away anytime I'm about to do work or take notes.

5. My media life doesn't really affect my non-school activities because Im not in school and I can use my device(s) whenever I want to.

6. I won't really use some of the suggestions because at the end of the day, I'm going to use my device(s) no matter where I am!

Unplugged Questions

1. New Media Literacy is new technology used today, like cell phones, laptops, TVs, etc.

2. Yes because new media has become a big part of our culture today, and you need to know how to use these devices for jobs and everyday life.

3. I would teach kids how to use applications on the computer such as Microsoft Word, and other Microsoft Offices applications. I would teach them those because they can use that for school work and use it for future projects and work.

4. I don't really get distracted by devices during class, but if we are using a computer during class I might get a little side tracked. I do however get distracted by devices when I'm doing my homework, because I'm not in class.

5. It doesn't really affect my non-school activities because when I have something else to do, like practice or a game, I won't really use any devices besides my iPod.

6. I'll probably put away all devices and hang out with friends and family without using them.

Unplugged Response

A lot of brand new technology that is widely available and accessible. New media is being able to understand the media that is rapidly changing around us. Kids have to be pretty familiar with all the new media to do almost every job. I think that the media is important to learn and should be taught in schools. With that said I also think that we need to stick to the basics and teach classic school subjects. You need to learn how to read the classic books as much as you need to know the new media. If I were a teacher I would try to balance the new media and the traditional subjects. I would set up activities that incorporated both things, for example a blogging assignment about a book that you read. The balance of those things are a critical point to being a teacher.


I am not really distracted by devices at school. I usually leave my phone on my locker and that is all I bring. When I am doing my homework at home that is when I get really distracted. I will be trying to write a paper on the computer and have a face-book tab open and I will spend more time on Face-book then on my paper. I will be trying to decide wether to do my homework or watch t.v and will pick t.v. Then I wont start my homework till really late at night. It impacts my learning because I could get better grades if I spent more time on my homework. Media does not really affect my non-school activities because I choose to do those. I am more interested so I am not getting distracted because I have the choose if I want to do those things.


I will try to do some of the things suggested in the article. It is easier said then done. Everyday even if i don't need to, I go on face-book to check what's going on. If I don't for a day I feel like I am missing something. I do agree with these tips and I don't want to not be able to control my media use so I will try these tips.

CLICK FOR DEFINITION OF NEW MEDIA

Unplugged

New media literacy is education for 21st century. I think that it is important to teach new media literacy in schools but at the same time let the the kids explore for them selves. Also it's important because if schools don't teach and use media in school, students will find it "boring" and because of the media that is greatly increasing every day, it will be harder for kids to stay more on task in school and many more kids will drop out more than before.

If I was a teacher, I would think that it is important to teach kids about media use. Some activities would include typing games on the computer, letter and word games. But at the same time I wouldn't over do it with the technology and have the kids play some "off-of-media" time.

In class I found out that I was greatly distracted by my devices. Also I noticed that when ever there is a chance you have a feeling that you must check Facebook or your texts to see if something new came up. After I stopped for one day of media use I noticed that my homework seemed much, much less than all the other days when I have used a lot of media.

My media doesn't affect my non-school activities as much. During non-school activities I am usually not as bored and usually during sports I am not even thinking about my cell phone or Facebook wall.

I think I will use some of the suggestions that were said in the Unplug feature of the article because I am well aware that I need to have some "live-in-the-moment" time without any technology or media. Now I understand how important it is to let your brain rest and try to enjoy my time with out it.

What is media literacy? Find out here

Response to "Unplugged"

1) New media literacy is the ability to read, comprehend, and respond in a short amount of time.

2) I think it is important to teach new media in school because in the new world that they will have to live in, they will need to be capable of using these media sources.

3) I feel that teachers should teach young kids, how to use media effectively and efficiently. Also, to not be addicted to media.

4) I feel that if I'm in a class that is not interesting or we are not doing much then i may find myself texting or playing on my itouch. But, if there is something that I know is important then I am detached from my media, and focused on my work.

5) Media doesn't affect my non-school activities such as sports because you can't use it. But, I guess when I lift I listen to music and that helps.

6) I don't think that I will because I don't feel that I am really addicted to media but I use it to help me like communicating with people in a positive manner. Such as going on Xbox live and studying with friends, or texting someone to meet up to help each other with our school work.

Technology Time-Out

The new media literacy are more advanced cellphones that can almost do just about everything a computer can. Also there are popular websites that distract you from your everyday activities. I think it should be a good idea to teach new media in schools because it can benefit a better learning and better education in some ways. I also think its a good idea because new media will always be there all around us no matter what, so it would be a good thing to learn about it school also. I think if new media is taught in school is should be balanced, having regular classes and also having classes about learning about new media. If I were a teacher what I think would be important to teach kids about media use, is that not to exceed the limit of using it because media use can be addicting. I would also teach the dangers of it, for instance how to use the internet and avoid using the it for the wrong reasons. When I am in class I find that my devices are distracting. because I could be in the middle of doing work and then I end up getting like 5 text. It is very distracting because I end up getting an urge to text those people back and usually I don't finish my work by then. I often do poorly in class because I am distracted by my mobile device. My media use affects my non-school activities because whether or not I am in school I am still being distracted by my phone and I still have an urge to text people back. I don't think I will be able to use some of the suggestions used in the Unplug article simply because it does not work for me. I have to have my phone everywhere with me at all times possible.

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UNPLUGGED

After reading the article Unplugged: Technology Time-Out please respond to the following questions:
1) What is new media literacy?
2) Do you think it is important to teach new media in schools? Why or why not?
3) If you were a teacher, what do you think is important to teach kids about media use? What kind of activities would you set up?
4) In class do you find that you are distracted by your devices and how does that impact your learning?
5) How does your media use affect your non-school activities?
6) Do you think you'll use some of the suggestions to unplug featured in the article? Please explain.

Top Test Scores From Shanghai Stun Education

Based on the NY Times article "Top Test Scores From Shanghai Stun Education" what is your response? Please include references to the article.

Response to Maria Full of Grace

We watched the movie "Maria full of Grace". This is a movie about a young, pregnant, Colombian woman, who partakes in muling drugs to America. She must swallow 62 pellets of cocaine and take a plane to New York. There were some other girls doing the same thing with her.

I feel that it is very sad that people, especially women, in other countries could be in such a bad situation, so they would consider doing something illegal, such as muling, so they can actually make some money for their families. Because the jobs that they may have just don't pay enough for them to support themselves and their families.

The real problem isn't as much in the poor countries but rather in the richer countries such as America. It all comes down to supply and demand. In America people want drugs and are willing to pay a lot of money for them. And because Colombia, Mexico and other countries have the drugs and have people who need money. People are sort of force in this organized crime. Also, gang violence stems from drugs, whether it is over drug prices, two gangs being in the same territory or a countless number of other reasons.

In Mexico it is estimated that between 13.6 billion and 48.4 billion dollars are made in drug carteling every year. You can see why some people for bad situations would want to get in on this. Between December 2006 and December 2010 it is been estimated that 28,818 people have been killed due to cartel wars. Even though these numbers are probably much higher because as with any gang violence a lot goes unaccounted for.

Response to Mary Full Of Grace

That movie was very interesting in a "drug dealing" perspective because it shows you how you can hide drugs anywhere in you at any times. That movie demonstrates and symbolizes the women in other countries making a sacrifice to make money to survive.



I think honestly that if your in a situation like that and you NEED to make money for your family at all means you gotta do it. I'm not saying that Mary should be a mule for the rest of her life after the first time, but she should do was she has to do to take care of herself and her family. "Muling" I think is a bad way of making money for obvious reasons, and its one of the riskiest decisions you have to make for yourself, but like I said "money's-money" and no matter what the job is, sometimes desperate people need that money so they have to do the job.


What I can learn about in muling is that those women/men become very nervous the first time they do it so It's not hard to spot a quite foreigner on the airport and ask them a question leading to the assumption. Quite honestly I think in order to succeed in the behavior you have to act normal and not be nervous once you reach the destination because you can be spotted quick with such acts and that might lead to X-rays. Not to persuade anybody to doing it but the best way of accomplishing it is by acting normal and not being nervous and shaky.

Looking up drug trafficking was very easy because its happening a lot now; seeing as how Mexico is right under us and they're one of the leading countries in it, also Venezuela and Columbia are in that column. those countries are one of the poorest countries on earth and I can see why they have no hesitation in doing such a crime. I think if anything women take the biggest risks out of both genders because swallowing drugs while pregnant or on your period can lead up to some horrible health issues like losing your baby or maybe dying from it.

Response to "Maria Full of Grace"

I was very surprised after I watched the movie because I have never before heard of "mules" or anything like the idea of swallowing drugs to get them past the border. It was also kind of scary how these people, or in this movie, women, risk their lives, and put them into the hands of some drug dealers who don't want anything to do with them except the drugs in their stomach. Marisa, the main character in this movie, apparently did this for her family and for the money, but would it be as helpful when you think about all the risks she put her self in, and her family.

What you can learn about muling in a short time is that it could be any one in the plane, coming in from a foreign country, because you can't search their bags for those drugs and you can't see them because they are in peoples stomach. What you can do to spot a mule is if their clothes are different than the vast majority of the people. Another way that some mules are caught is by the amount of their luggage. For example, if someone is telling you they are going on vacation for a short time. How could that be true if all they have with them is a small bag with almost nothing inside? Another way that some mules stand out from other passengers is if they act nervous, shift eyed, or sweat profusely.

Most drug mules that come to America are from the southern border, which includes countries from Mexico to Argentina. But almost in any article that you read about drug mules, mentions Colombia. So I'm guessing that most mules coming into America are from Colombia.

When police arrest people who were caugh carrying drugs in their body, they should think about the families that probably don't know about this, and how much the carriers them selves are risking their lives for the money, and how the reason most do carry the drugs because of their poverty. There should be an organization of somesort to help the families back home in Colombia.

How To Spot a Mule Slide show - Click Here

Response To Maria Full Of Grace

I thought this movie really gave me an idea of what the life of a mule is and what they have to go through just to make some money for their families and themselves. It gave me the perspective of why anybody would want to go into an illegal business like drug trafficking. I learned from the movie that the women that go into this business risk their lives and their family's lives. If one pellet opens in your body, you will die, and if you mess up or lose one pellet, your family is at risk of getting killed.

Countries where a lot of muling takes place are many South American countires with many Central American Countries as well as the islands. Although I do not condone drug trafficking I think the drug trade gives women an oppurtunity to get a "quick buck". These women that do it show other women that it's alright for a drug lord to use your body to smuggle drugs into the U.S. when it's not. I think it's astonishing how many women are used as mules and it's terrible how they put themselves and their families at risk.

Maria Full of Grace Response

My reactions to this movie is that I think its a very powerful film that shows where and how muling takes place. It also shows how dangerous it can be when you get mixed up in drug violence. What I can learn about muling in a short period of time is that it can be deadly and fatal if things go wrong during the process. I also learned that its never a guarantee that you won't get caught or have one of the pellets erupt inside you. Muling is when organizers employ mules to reduce the risk of getting caught themselves, while often profiting the most. The mule typically gets paid an amount which is small compared to the profit, but large for somebody with little money, so that it seems for him or her an easy way to make money. Sometimes the goods are hidden in a bag or vehicle of an innocent person, who does not know about this, for the purpose of retreiving the goods elsewhere. Most of the time the goods are swallowed and the mule is used as a containor to carry them to a destination, usually a different country. I think muling takes place in probably a lot of countries, but the most known would be Cuba or Colombia and the United States. That would be because drugs are very common in those countries and are probably commonly used or sold, as a lot of other countries do. Muling is more common in women in most countries because it is a lot harder for them to find great jobs, as a result they end up trafficking drugs. In most third world countries some women are not able to find jobs and end up doing just about anything to support their families. Drug trafficking includes selling drugs and drug equipment. It is either a local exchange between a user and a dealer or a international operation. It is a problem that affects every nation in the world on many levels. From the film Maria Full of Grace the drugs that are being trafficked are a international operation which involves deporting it from one country to another.

Sites used: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5549701_drug-trafficking.html

My Reactions to "Maria Full of Grace" and Muling

I really enjoyed watching Maria Full of Grace during class. The movie seemed really accurate in the way that it described some of the struggles that people face in Columbia and the actions that they resort to in order to escape poverty. It became clear to me how dangerous muling is, yet how tempting the money can be when one is working a bad job and making barely enough to get by, as Maria was. After doing some browsing, I found out that like in Maria Full of Grace, many mules come out of Columbia, and other South American countries.

Recently, there has been controversy over the issue of adding X-rays to airport security in the US. While some people argue that it would invade privacy, it would serve as a way to find mules who swallow drugs in order transport them. Had there been X-rays in Maria Full of Grace, she would have been found out instantly, and her family probably would have been killed.

After looking up more information about muling and drug trafficking, I found that although mules make a decent amount of money, they get nowhere near a fair percentage of the profits that the drug lords obtain. Just as Maria barely got her money in the movie, few people actually get the cash that they deserve for such a difficult and dangerous job.

Maria Full of Grace

This was a very gripping and powerful movie. Throughout the whole movie you couldn't take your eyes off what was going on and were on the edge of your seat. It is a sad fact that people need money so badly there there is no place to turn and they choose to be mules. I got the sense that Maria didn't really believe this was a smart thing to do, but she had no other choices. Muling is a very dangerous and sometimes fatal job. I obviously do not think it is right in the slightest way but i do understand that Maria felt she had no other choice. The drug dealers that picked her and her friends were awful and they treated them terribly. When they figured out that one of the pellets had broken inside of Lucy they cut her open just to take out the pellets. Blanca and Maria sensed the danger and were able to escape in time and went to find Lucy's sister. She let them stay even though she seemed hesitant. You could sense that Maria was scared and regretted her decision throughout the movie.



I think that Maria made that wrong decision to become a mule. Especially for the fact that she was pregnant and that could be fatal for the baby. The thing that stood out for me was that the security at the airport caught one of the mules and Maria would have been caught if she wasn't pregnant. That is a strong indication that they are more aware of the mules and starting to really in-force the law and try to make sure that mules can't come in.


When I looked up drug trafficking the most results I saw were news stories. That is alarming because it shows that a lot of drug trafficking is happening and we are not keeping it under control. Drug trafficking happens the most in Mexico and Columbia. That might be because statistically those are the some of the poorest countries. I think that jobs are hard to find and if you have a job, the jobs have bad conditions and low wages. The way that drug trafficking works is that people come to different countries with drugs in their stomachs and deliver it to drug dealers. The drugs come in packs about the size of a large grape and the mules have to swallow them and then poop them out. The bigger you are the more pellets you will have to swallow. Sometimes men have to swallow up to 100! The efficiency of drug trafficking is pretty high because security can not tell you have drugs in your stomach without an x-ray.



It is scary to think that drugs are getting smuggled in and out of this country. It puts people at great risk and I think it is an issue that needs to be dealt with.

Maria Full of Grace

Please answer these questions in the blog for homework.
What are your reactions to the film Maria Full of Grace?
As investigative journalists start researching the bigger picture. What can you learn about "muling" in a short amount of time?
Where are the countries that muling takes place the most?
Discuss the larger picture of the drug trade, especially concerning women.

Digital Use

My reaction to the article was I think it applies to my life and media use completely. For instance i'm a heavy texter.. I send about 10,000 to 13,000 text a month. This often affects my ability to work in school because I do not do as well as I should because I am constantly being distracted by my phone or the internet, that sometimes I am not able to finish my homework. It's very hard for me to focus in school because I text at least like 5-15 people at a time. I often sometimes finish my homework at home.. I usually finish it in school because I am not able to focus at home. I multi task when doing my homework, for example I listen to music, text like 5 people, use the internet, watch T.V. and do my homework at the same time. I am always distracted with the media and a very bad procrastinator so I usually finish my homework around 4 a.m. or 2 a.m. and only get 2 hours of sleep each night. I think this article is completely accurate of how teens who are constantly distracted by the media do not always do well in school because they are unable to focus. While using media it is hard to stop and focus on doing work. I think that's why most teens that are heavy media users are unable to finish their homework ontime.

Click Here for the Story, Click Here for the Video.

"Wired For Distraction" Response

I thought the article and video from the New York Times was very accurate in the way teenagers use media and how it effects their grades. Some of the kids are using media to work on other things besides school work like editing videos like Vishal Singh. Some use media to play videogames and slack off, but they cannot help it as they are addicted to it, like some other people are to their phones. This video relates to my life because I can get distracted at times and not focus on school work when I have my iPod, Laptop, or phone next to me.

My media usage is basically my phone, laptop, and TV. I do not play as much videogames as I once did because I just lost interest in playing videogames, but I will play it from time to time. I don't text as much as other kids because I don't have unlimited texting but I still use my phone a decent amount of the time. When I'm at home just relaxing, I'll be on my couch watching TV and surfing the internet at the same time, so that takes up a lot of my media usage.

When I am doing homework, it is very hard for me to concentrate strictly on my homework because after using a lot of my time using media, it's hard to stop. Whether it's listening to music while doing homework or watching YouTube videos or even going on Facebook when I have an assignment, it's pretty hard for me to strictly concentrate on homework, although I am getting better at it. My life and I'm sure other people's lives are based on instant gratification and things like the internet, games, and music help us achieve it, and just doing homework is pretty boring. My homework habbits compare very much to Vishal Singh because instead of doing his work, he's on YouTube or making videos.

This article was very accurate and helps people understand what a teenager is thinking while doing homework or anything else that is non-media related. To read the article Click Here and for the video from the New York Times Click Here.

I thought the article was very true to how young people act today. If you walk down the hall you will see almost everyone texting and half carrying on a conversation. Kids these days get bored very easily and so they feel like if they do their homework and are on some sort of electronic it would be less boring. This isn't the best for the kids because they are getting less and less capable of doing one thing and have to be stimulated all the time.

This is true for me. While I am doing homework I am typically doing something else like Facebook or watching t.v. I don't really know why I do this. It is mainly because I feel like the work is so boring so i give myself little brakes and things like that. It would work out fine except for the fact that when i get on some sort of electronic the homework always comes second. I can not stay focused and tend to be less involved in the actual homework.

I have a pretty substantial amount of media use. I usually go one the computer and watch YouTube videos or go on Facebook. I like those things because they are more interesting than school work and they keep me interested. I thought the video was interesting because, even thought these things are going on around us we don't really think about them that much.


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"Wired For Distraction" Response

This article also applies to my life because everything I do at my house relates to media multi-tasking. I find it funny how grown ups now can be shocked and surprised on how kids in this generation can use so much media objects at once than before. But, I think the more they keep making better media software, the more us kids/teens get stuck to it.



Usually when I get home I immediately put on the T.V. and at the same time use my cell phone to text people or listen to my ipod. To be honest I can't remember the last time I've done my homework at home without any media in my face, but at the same time that would easily describe the reason why my grades look like they do now.
The days I can remember doing my homework at home with very little distractions was a better process for me school-wise. I think if I deduct my media usage during homework time, I would receive much better grades than I receive now but at the same time it would definitely be a hard thing to do in a teen's perspective. I would also go to sleep a little earlier than I normally do now without using the internet in between those hours at home.

Lastly, video games also play a huge role in my media time at home because I am a video game machine most times and I won't back down from playing them during a school night, yet once I finally shut off the system later in the night,  I am usually tired then so I take a shower and go to bed without even thinking about homework.

Compared to my media usage, my homework hours are VERY little to none at home and you can obviously blame the media for that, but I think EVERY kid/student should have a period at school to complete as much homework as they can so when they arrive home later they won't have to worry so much about how much homework they have to complete before the next day. The problem though is that not every kid has a period to do homework so it wouldn't be fare to those kids that don't have a free homework time because they have to complete more homework at home than the kids with those periods.


I found the article a bit interesting because it gave me a better sight on different people's views on media usage for teens now days, and a better understanding on how serious this topic is in the world currently. I wouldn't really say it fully convinced me of watching my media hours during school but it sure did give me an idea or a thought of how to handle those hours on a smarter level. To read the article click here, and to watch the video, click here

Teen Digital Exposure

I thought this article was very true regarding how teenagers interact with media and their relation to homework. I feel as if teens are addicted to their electronics. Even though in our high school electronics are banned, if you walked through to halls you would never know it. You see ipods, headphones, and cell phones all being used. So this article came to no real surprise to me.

I use a lot of media, especially while doing homework. I am actually listening to music from Youtube at the moment while doing this assignment. I do feel that media sometimes gets in the way of homework.

Overall, I watch TV, text, listen to my ipod, play on my itouch and play Xbox 360. Sometimes it will take me longer to finish my homework because I stop every few minutes to change a song.  Or I will rush through my work because one of my friends just texted me to play a video game with them via X Box 360. Or I will try to do my homework in the one minute intermissions between games.

I would say that I am exposed to a lot of media when I am home. This is because when I have school or sports, I can't use any electronics. But when I am at home,  I'm always either texting, listening to music, on the computer or watching TV. Many times I'm having multiple of these things going on at once. I would say that my habits parallel the ones described in the article.

Click here to read: Growing Up Online, Wired for Distraction

Response to "Wired for Distraction"

Almost everything that I saw in the movie Wired for Distraction applied to my life and the life of my high school classmates. It seems to me that every night I am up until 10:30 or 11:00 doing homework, and the main reason for that is probably Facebook and YouTube.

Tonight I tried to isolate myself as much as I could from media multitasking and procrastination and found that I finished my homework three hours earlier than I usually do.

Unlike some of the teens in the film we watched, I don't have an unlimited texting plan, which keeps me from being attached to my phone 24/7. But for those who can text whenever they want, I can only imagine how tempting it is to communicate with your friends rather than doing schoolwork. Video games, the other issue that was discussed doesn't apply to me as much because the only game system I have is an old PlayStation 2, which basically just collects dust.

The one thing I can tell you about for sure is that Facebook does distract people, and not only because it takes you away from your work initially. Once you start to think about what your friends are doing as you read miscellaneous posts, it becomes harder and harder to think about your work, because there are now other things on your mind, even if the web browser is closed.

I think the issues of Vishal Singh and other American teens are very important and need to be considered. Hopefully, teens can understand  that excessive media use is a problem, and can find a way to cut down without being told to do so by other people. The reason that I find it a big issue is because I honestly believe that it does make our brains less focused. The more and more kids find instant gratification, the less patient they will be when they have to search for answers that do not involve Google or Wikipedia. YouTube, especially, makes finding entertainment extremely easy, and with so many choices, you can get caught up and find yourself watching video after video after video.

It was really interesting to see some of the problems that I face shown in the film, and it convinced me, at least for the moment, to cut down on my media use, especially multitasking. To read the full article on the New York Time's website, click here. For the video, click here.

"Wired for Distraction"

What I read in the story applies to my life completely. It is actually pretty amazing to find out how most of what is written in the article, happens every day with me. Sometimes when I am doing homework and my computer is on, I usually catch myself going on Facebook and Youtube most of the time. I always think to my self that I will just go on for a second, to check my notifications, or look up one video, but its only after a couple of hours that I finally figure out how much time I had actually spent looking at the screen, hoping to go on for just "a second."

I've been hearing about this since elementary school, all those teachers and parents saying "Don't stay on the computer too much!" or "TV is bad for your eyes!" but I have never really understood that until now. During my earlier school days, almost like any 7 or 10 year old, you would usually see me either outside on the playground or reading some kid's book at home, but of course there were those one or two hours a day that you catch me watching TV or playing a game on the computer. And those comments by the grownups, seemed, nothing to do with me. And now, I find myself doing homework until 10 or 11pm and always blaming my teachers for giving me so much. When my parents ask me why am I up so late, I always answer the most obvious response "I'm doing homework." When I think back on those days, I feel like I've been working all day and wonder why do those evil teachers like to torture us so much? But after thinking in more detail about what I have done all day, it is noticeable how much, from all the time in the day, I have actually spent watching TV or sitting on the computer while "doing my homework" and realizing how much I stretched out one, out of many math problems, or one easy history question, to last me for about a whole hour.

My media usage is not as high, compared to some of my friends who can sit for hours and hours staring at the computer or TV screen, without noticing, and some who text non-stop, but I still somehow manage to not have enough time to finish my homework, at home, and always having to finish it quickly before school, at lunch, or during other classes. Personally I think that bringing more technology into classrooms will affect students greatly, and in a positive manner. I think that students would do better in school because they will be in a more exciting environment, and they will also be learning more about the technology that they keep so close to themselves, and how to use it to learn and not fall asleep from boredom at the same time.

Click here for the STORY Click here for the VIDEO

Turkey Day Mirror

After reading NY Time's Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction & Video you will create a blog post in reaction to this very important article about learning, media, and the teenage brain.
These blog post are due Monday, 29th and will be graded.

1- Include your reactions to the article
2- Talk about your own media use
3- Discuss your homework habits in relation to your media use. Do examples from the article parallel your own media use?

Please make sure to correct grammar and spelling as these will be graded. Please include a link to the article and pictures to enhance the blog.

Response to "Thug Life"

As we saw in the documentary "Thug Angel"about the life of Tupac Shakur, he dramatically changed from a wide-eyed, innocent and talented young man into an international superstar and "thug" rapper.
What do you make of this transition in personality? What do you think were the causes? How does this documentary make you feel about about such a controversial figure?

China Halts

I choose this video because it affects all the countries in the world who receive these things from China, including United States. Us, being the United States, import A LOT of manufactures from China and without that country we wouldn't have half the money we have today (in my opinion)

Click Here

Abortion affecting Politics

I choose the issue of abortion as my controversial topic. It has always been a touchy subject but now it has affected politics. It has divided democrats over the health care bill. Usually, members of the same political party, such as the democrats, will side with whatever their party stands for regardless of their opinion. But, some issues such as this one is what is called a "hot button issue". This is where politicians show their own feeling on controversial subject.These issues are very important in political elections because it shows how that individual actually feels, not how their party tells them to feel.

Watch this video this learn more.

Longer School Day?

I heard a story on the NY times website about the impact that schools have in children's obesity. There were two women talking about what we can do to help children turn the epidemic around. The argument they said was that the school day should be significantly longer so that children can eat all three of their meals at school. They thought that for poor families that were struggling with money it would be a good way for the kids to be able to eat healthier and the parents not have to worry about after school care. They think that the government needs to be more involved in the children's education and their health. They talked about how they think that the teachers union also needs to make a push for this because it could never happen with the strict rules that are in the contracts right now.
I am not really a fair person to give my opinion on this topic. Since I am in school right now I would definitely not want a longer day. However, I do think maybe in the long run it would help. Not with the health aspect but many other things. I can't say that I personally agree with the longer school day helping with obesity. I feel like even if the school controls the meals they can not control how much kids exercises or what they eat on the weekends. I also feel that kids will be angry that they have to have that significantly longer school day so they will be less willing to try ti let it help the problem.

HERE IS A LINK TO MY STORY

F.D.A. Unveils Proposed Graphic Warning Labels for Cigarette Packs

Federal drug regulators unveiled 36 warning labels for cigarrette packages. The labels are designed to cover half the surface area of a cigarrette package. The labels are intended to get the smokers attention and get them to quit smoking by providing graphic reminders of tobacco's dangers. These labels are now required under a law passed last year under the Food and Drug addministration the power to regulate but not ban tobacco or drug products. Public hope officials have high hopes that the new ciggarrette packages have an effect for addictive smokers, and have the power to get them to quit. From my point of view I think its a great idea to do because it gets the addictive smokers thinking everytime they buy pack of cigarrettes.

For More Information Click Here

Click Here for a video

No Diversity in Baseball?

In a recent New York Times video, Diversity in baseball was questioned. Now we aren't talking about players in Major League Baseball (MLB) because the players in this league come from all over the world making it one of the most diverse pro sports leagues. In this video they are talking about it's coaches. This reporter has said 66% of it's first base coaches are minorities and only 20% of it's third base coaches are minorities. This is a problem because 1/3 of the managers (Head Coach) in the MLB were third base coaches before they took that next step to become the head coach. Ten out of the thirty managers were third base coaches. Looking into this, it is a bit of an issue, but there are many managers in the MLB who come from different backgrounds. I would like to see more diversity in third base coaches because that is the "stepping stone" to become a manager in the MLB. For more information and the video Click Here

Are Steroids Causing Kidney Disease?

On the New York Times Video Blog, I found an interesting video about a weightlifter, Patrick Antonecchiam, who admitted to steroid use, and eventually found himself with a kidney disease. The disease led to the end of his weightlifting career. It is set up as an interview, with the story being told by Antonecchiam himself. Surprisingly enough, he said that he didn't regret his steroid use, as his lifestyle was focused on his desire to get stronger and the steroids helped him do that.

The reason that I chose this as a controversial topic is because steroid use among all athletes, not just bodybuilders and weightlifters, is a very important issue. The findings that steroid use can lead directly to kidney disease as it did in Antonecchiam's case is just one of the many arguments against steroid use, and may be used as a reason to increase drug testing among athletes.

To see the whole video on Patrick Antonecchiam, click here.

Problems on the Lake of Baikal

On the New York Times website, there was a video on the enviroment in Russia. It was called the "Trouble on Russia's Lake Baikal"

This video is about a factory that, to many enviromentalists, is poluting one of the natural wonders on Earth, Lake Baikal. Enviromentalists fight to have the factory closed to stop destroying the natural glory, but citizens who live there oppose that idea, for that factory is pretty much the ONLY job available for many miles.
This video is controversial because it shows the two sides of the problem, which is still going on today, and not many know what to do. For now the factory is again open, coming from the fact the it had been shut down for a while, but then again reopened by the Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin.
The reported presents this information by video taping, and talking about, both of the sides of the problem. He explains the reason for both parties, and let them explain them selves too. He also included the history of the factory and the town that proved how important the factoy is to the people, and the rest of their economy.


To see the Video on the NYTimes website CLICK HERE.

By Anna A.

Controversial Subject?

The semester closes on Friday so do this homework assignment and end on a positive note!
Your assignment will be to find a NYTIMES video that "covers" a controversial subject.
Make sure to:
Create a link to the video
Discuss why the video is controversial and how the reporter presents the information.
I look forward to seeing your blogs & videos!! We will watch them in class on Friday!!

On the Media Matters Conference, a while before we had to chose a couple of classes that we may like, and a few weeks after that we went to the conference its self. There were many different classes that we were put in, and each taught us about the topic in description, teaching about the right way to write, speak, ask questions, or even do a job. In each class there was a professor that taught in U Mass. Most classes were about 45 minutes long, but some were for for an hour and 30 minutes. Some conferences were for teachers, while some were for just students, but most were for all. I found the Media Matters Conference interesting, and hope that I can go back there next year to learn some more.

Media Matters Conference

On Thursday November 4, 2010 I attended the media matters conference. This conference was held at the UMass- Boston campus. This conference was aimed to help and teach high school students with many different areas in journalism and broadcasting. I attended a few workshops. One was called "Teaching Generation Text to Talk on TV". This was taught by Jimmy Myers, a former sportscaster from various networks. He know runs a company that helps kids get into the broadcasting business. Also, Bob Halloran was also there. He is the current sportscaster for channel 5 news. I got a chance to talk with Mr. Halloran about reporting sports and he gave me some very helpful insight.

I also took a workshop called "Preparing for a Job in Broadcast". Th=is was taught but current Fox news anchor Mark Ockerbloom. He told us his story of his journey though the world of broadcasting and how he ended up where he is today. He also showed us some clips of him broadcasting different styles of stories. Such as, field reporting, in studio reporting, hard news, soft news and debates.

Overall, I enjoyed my time there and it really helped me because I would like to pursuit a career in broadcasting. And for anyone else interested in broadcasting, I would suggest taking Ms. O'Grady's journalism class, Ms. Ventura's TV & News Production class, and going to this conference in upcoming years.

U Mass Writing Conference

Today I went to a writing conference at U Mass with some people from my t.v production class. It was very interesting and informative. The classes I got were one about responding to writing, one about conducting an interview and one about investigative journalism. The one about investigative journalism interested me the most because I want to be a journalist. The person who taught us was Sean Murphy who works at Suffolk. He is an investigative journalist who works for the Boston Globe and he explained to us that an investigative journalist has to investigate for some period of time and then write a story about it. It is usually about government officials.
My responding to writing one was very interesting as well and my presenter taught as all about good types of feedback to give to writers you may respond to in your class. He told us the most important part of responding is to give positive feedback and tell the writer about what they did right.
My other class was one about conducting interviews. It was really good and informative. The only problem was that the teacher was like 20 minutes late so I didnt get as much time in the class as I would have liked. She explained to us how the most important part of an interview is to be prepared and to make sure you understand what you are talking about
Overall I really enjoyed they day and learned a lot from it.
HERE IS A LINK TO THE WEB SITE

Inside the Teenage Brain

Based on the Frontline documentary "Inside the Teenage Brain," please create a response blog based on your thoughts and observations about the film. Make sure the include details from the film. 

Due Monday, Nov. 2

Television blackout feud

In New York City there is a dispute between the companies Cablevision and News Production. This feud is the about the fact that Cablevision needs to pay more to gain access to News Productions programs. News Productions feels they deserve more money. While Cablevision says that in order to give more money they would have to raise the customers cable bills. Also, Cablevision feel that right now companies shouldn't be taking more money from people that have so little in this depression.

A big problem with this feud is the network FOX has been in a blackout of programing, which can be very bad because the World Series is coming up this week and FOX network is covering it. Much of the New York area would not be able to see it if the dispute is not resolved before. This is hurting both companies, but this is not all bad for everyone, other cable companies such as Verizon and DirecTV are offering Cablevision customers special sign up offers to switch providers.

I personally agree with the side of Cablevision, in the fact that people don't have the money to spend and should have access to basic cable networks such as FOX.

To read the full story click here

Are NFL Rules and Fines Changing the Game?

Hard hits and violent tackles have always been a big part of football, but the NFL has recently become more cautious of head to head collisions and illegal tackles. Dunta Robinson and DeSean Jackson were both sent off the field at New Meadowlands Stadium last week with concussions after a jaw dropping tackle by Robinson, Atlanta Falcons corner back. Although it's no fun for injured athletes, these hard hits are what the fans come to see.

To see the play, click here.

The question now is, where should the line be drawn? In many situations it is hard to avoid these hard collisions, with 260 pound athletes running at each other at high speeds. Defensive players will argue that they can't play the way they want with restrictions on how to hit, while quarter backs and running backs will argue that they can't play with the fear of injury due to being hit illegally.

Brandon Meriweather of the New England Patriots was recently fined $50,000 dollars for a hit on Baltimore tight end Todd Heap, but as fines don't mean much to professional athletes making millions of dollars, the NFL is now thinking of imposing strict rules and possibly even suspension for such hits. Different players and coaches all have their own opinions, but it is likely that the NFL will create some rules and restrictions as an effort to minimize concussions and head injuries that affect athletes even after their careers are over.

For more on the article in the NY times, click here.

Microsoft Introduces Kinect!

Microsoft has built an add on to the Xbox 360 console called the Kinect. It will be in stores next month and will be sold separately from the Xbox 360 for a price of 150$. According to this article, Microsoft has "one-upped" it's competition which is Sony and Nintendo. It is considered to be better because instead of using a controler, the Kinect senses your body motions and is also voice activated. Microsoft hopes this will carry on beyond gamers and into family's homes for the entire family to play. The hopes for this voice recognition technology is to expand beyond the living room and extend to the whole house. For me I would love for this Kinect to be in my house and in every room. It would help make things easier and everything would be voice activated. As this is just the beginning of the Kinect, It will have it's kinks and critics have been all over that saying "Microsoft has had a nasty habit of gumming up its creative engines with bureaucracy." Nevertheless I would love to have the Kinect except for the fact that the Kinect games have been called simple and easy, I would love to give it a try! For the full article Click Here.

Thyriod Cancer Patients

After being given radioactive supplements cancer patients familys can be at risk for about a week, depending on the dose. Once the treatment is given, the patient is "contagious" and can spread dangerous radioactive diseases to everyone around them. So what's the problem? Can't the patients stay in the hospital for a few days until they are better and no one is at risk? No. They can't. In 1997, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission repealed the requirement that these patients had to be quarantined in a hospital. In fact, most hospitals don't even have the option to stay, seeing as they have no areas to have them stay.
The most at risk people are the pregnant women because it affects the fetus. Where should these people go? Well they could go to a hotel and put no one at risk right? Well maybe. What happens if the maid that comes to clean the room is pregnant? She and her baby could be at great risk.

I feel it is very important to have a place in the hospital available for these radioactive people to stay. They need a safe place to be and not in danger others. If we have evidence that it is dangerous for other people to be around, it seems obvious to me that they should, at the very least, have a place like that to stay. Maybe even be required to stay for a certain amount of time. Why should people be put in danger when it is so easily avoidable? That is a risk I don't think we should take.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE NY TIMES STORY

School Improvements in Watertown

Recently in Watertown, School Committee Chairman Anthony Paolillo gave a half hour presentation about what half a million dollars can do for schools. Improvements are bound to be made after a $525,000 loan was approved; and some changes have already been made at the Phillips School and at the High School. As a student at Watertown High, I myself could think of many things that I would like to be seen done with the loan. For example, nicer bathrooms, facilities and better food would be on the top of my priority list if I could decide what to do with the money. For now I'll just have to hope and wait to see what the School Committee decides.

For more information on the loan, click here.

Drug Dealer Caught

I was reading one of the news articles on the Watertown Newspaper website and it was about a man from Lowell lurking around Melendy Avenue where previously they're was reports about drug dealing in that area and he was selling the product to someone in a car. Watertown Police caught the man around 11.p.m. on October 20. He had about 67.5 grams in his bag he admitted to smoking marijuana before they approached him. The victim was charge with possession of a Class D with intent to distribute and drug violation near a school/park.

Carbon Monoxide

In the Watertown Tab there was a news story on carbon monoxide. A couple returned home to find the fire alarm going off and called the fire department. The firefighters were able to trace the alarm to the boilers in the basement. The carbon monoxide readings were high but the firefighters were able to stop the leak and get it back to normal. Soon after the incident the couple was informed that they could return to their home and the levels were back to normal. The owners of the buildings were called and informed but once the levels were back to normal it wasn't a big deal. I think it is a great thing that the firefighters could get there in time and have no problem fixing the leak. It is important to have stories like this so people can feel safe and trust that if an incident like this happens to them they can rely in the firefighters.


CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK TO THE STORY

Lowell man dealing weed in Watertown

I read a story in the "Watertown Tab", about a 23 year old man from Lowell named Antwann Andrews, who was arrested at 11:30 pm on Oct. 12. He admitted to the officer that he had been smoking marijuana and a search later found one bag on his person and 3 other bags in a baby wipes case in his car. The total amount of marijuana was 67.5 grams.

I feel that this is terrible because it is sad that a outside man is bringing illegal drugs to our quiet little town of Watertown. Especially because most likely the weed will end up in the hands of minors, especially in our high school. It is people like this who make it easily accessible for teenagers to obtain drugs. Without big drug dealers like his man the drug problem would go down substantially.

Click here for the official report

Ashtray Fire

On October 18, there had been a small fire near an office near Mt. Auburn Street. It was a improperly extinguished cigarette which is the reason firefighters had to come to find a receptacle smoking at about 1:45 pm, and took quick and proper action and extinguished it fairly quickly. The firefighters "watered down" the ashtray just in case, but otherwise there have been no other signs that the fire spread any farther. I think that people should watch what they are doing, because even that small cigarette could have caused big problems if no one had treated it properly.

For the link to the story from the Watertown Tab CLICK HERE.

Carbon Monoxide at Mt. Auburn St. Apartment

The Watertown Fire Department reported that there was a leaky boiler on Mt. Auburn st. which led to a high carbon monoxide reading. The people inside the apartment were already standing outside of the apartment when the fire fighters got there. The fire fighters turned off the boiler and everyone was safe. The residents are very lucky to have had an alarm for carbon monoxide and that everyone was safe. For the full story Click Here