Books are eternal

Was Ray Bradbury correctly predicting the future when he wrote Farenheit 451 fifty years ago? Are we living in a world where books are ostracized to small communities of people trying to salvage their wisdom, where most of America sits in front of their “moving mural” Television sets? Not quite, but we sure are close.

Internet and television has impaired us to think critically about some things, but not everything. It is not the greedy monster Bradbury makes it out to be, where it takes captive our thoughts with no room left for free thought and curiosity. Personally, the internet and television has exposed me to things of this world I could never have been a part of without its all encompassing influence. I am often on a desperate search for tidbits of news and world events when I open Google News each morning, curious to know what I missed while I slept. I know that I think more critically about my impact in this world, based on the people and situations I learn about on TV and through the internet. This article discusses the benefit of the internet on brain function: http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/10/14/internet-use-improves-brainpower

I doubt we are moving towards a society that will burn books. I see the trend that as technology becomes more invasive, people are holding on to the past more tightly. Not out of the fear of change, but just to be reminded of a simpler time. People are using books in conjuction with television and internet to enhance their experiences with media. Most things you see on television are based on books, so if there came a time where we got rid of all the books, television may not be so interesting. In this about.com article, http://kidstvmovies.about.com/od/healthytvhabits/a/tvgoodforkids.htm, the author makes the suggestion that children who watch TV can be motivated to read books, which in turn inspires critical thinking and discussion. The article gives suggestions like making comparisons between the book and the movie, noting differences and similarities.

I doubt society will ever allow for the intentional burning of books. People will always look to books to expand their imagination, and to take them to a place in their mind of their own creation, not the cookie cutter place that TV gives to them. I really like this description about the benefits of books : http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Benefit-of-Reading-Books&id=469269. Ray Bradbury may have been a bit cynical when he wrote Farenheit 451 so long ago, but I’m glad to say that I don't think he will end up being right.

Reasoning Skills are being taught WAAAAYYY before Primary School!!

In theory, I think reasoning skills SHOULD be taught in primary school, and believe they are being taught. Just the act of going to school involves reasoning skills. So as much as reasoning skills can be “taught”, the most important time for it to happen is in primary school. However, reasoning skills are best learned by example and actual experiences, and I know they are being provided in primary school. This is an example of some “reasoning skills” recommended for children age 6-10 by www.education.com

• Use concrete manipulatives and experiences to illustrate concepts and ideas.

• Supplement verbal explanations with concrete examples, pictures, and hands-on activities.

• Allow time for organized play activities.

• Introduce children to various adult professions, and provide opportunities to practice authentic adult tasks

My wife used to be a Kindergarten Teacher and when I asked her if these are some things that she taught in her classroom, she responded yes to all of them. Reasoning skills are an essential part of human growth, and they should be happening from birth, and should never stop. My two year old is learning reasoning skills every minute of every day, not necessarily because we are teaching him, but he is learning through experience and by the example that my wife and I set for him and the environment we create for him. I know that kids can learn inappropriate reasoning skills and those can be corrected, and should be corrected in primary school. I deal with people on a daily basis who don’t have very mature or developed reasoning skills, so it is definitely important to develop these skills in primary school.

My wife would often gripe about the kids not knowing how to solve conflicts or accomplish a difficult task as a group, and how she didn’t know how to teach them without actually doing it for them. She didn’t feel prepared to teach her students life skills and as a result she ended up dealing with these issues FOR her students, because there were so many other things to teach that there was really no time except to show by example. Reasoning, conflict resolution and problem solving skills need to be addressed more thoroughly in primary school, but even more importantly they need to be taught in the home environment.

However, the ability to develop reasoning skills is based on the person’s level of physical, social and emotional maturity. A standard for teaching reasoning skills cannot be developed in the same way that a standard for math, science or social studies can. Each person develops reasoning skills in their own time and in their own way, and the best teachers can do is provide rich experiences for the students to exercise these skills and for families to let the child appropriately be a part of their adult experiences.

June 28th Blog

Is Is it patriotic to shop? This question doesn’t have a straight yes or no answer. The U.S. economy relies on consumer spending, therefore it is relatively patriotic to shop. I say relatively because its not the simple free market like this country was built upon. America is in a great deal of debt to other countries, in part because of our governments poor budgeting and decision making. So to continue spending to keep the "American" economy afloat is somewhat in vein because so many American dollars are then flushed out to other countries, countries that don't always hold the same democratic ideals like America was founded on, like China for example.

Another reason it is not very patriotic is that the majority of the goods we purchase are not even made in America. When my money goes to companies that put foreigners to work, which then put that money into their countries economy, shopping doesn’t help out the American people or economy, and is the opposite of being patriotic. Outsourcing has put thousands of people of out of jobs, and although the company is able to market a product that cost less money, there won’t be as many Americans able to purchase their products because of their unemployment. Patriotic shopping can be accomplished with a little bit of awarness; this list was found at cnn.com and it shows a list of all the companies that send American jobs overseas, or employ cheap overseas labor instead of putting Americans to work.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/popups/exporting.america/content.html

On the flip side, shopping can be patriotic when you shop at places that are U.S. or locally owned, with local or USA made goods. It feels good to go to downtown Prescott and spend my money at the restaurants and stores that are run by Prescott residents. These businesses employ other residents, and those employees spend their money in Prescott, which ultimately helps the economy. There is also a local Farmers Market which encourages local residents to grow and raise their own food, and by being able to sell it at a farmers market, it helps people feel like they are contributing to their community. Instead of just buying tomatoes from some big box chain grocery story, people can know that their tomatoes grew in local soil, watered with local water, and cultivated by the very hands that may have kids at the same school as yours or attend the same church. Here is a link to the Prescott farmers market to learn more about the benefits. http://www.prescottfarmersmarket.org/

Before this blog, there were a lot of things that associated with the word “patriotic” and shopping was not one of them. After reflecting on shopping practices, I realized that I can be more patriotic based on the way and places I shop.

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Here is the 1st blog post!!!

Why did I take "Introduction to Popular culture?"
-The main reason that I am taking this class is because it is a prerequisite for my Industrial Plant Technician degree program. Also I am currently attending school on the GI Bill and this class was one of the few that was offered over the summer that the Government would fund. I didn't want to take an English class, and when i saw this on the course calender I thought this class would be interesting.

What do I expect from this class?
- Well I guess I can say that I expect to broaden my horizons about society.