Social Media: The future or an overused substitute to interaction?
Every day we are bombarded by everything from Tweets, to Facebook updates, Youtube comments and yes, blogs like I am writing now. Social media has become a force that has been used everywhere in the world and has made it easier to communicate and transmit information than ever before. Facebook and Twitter helped launch revolutions in the Middle East and ultimately was the choice for organizing protests. Here in the US they have been tools for change such as the Occupy movement as well as various hot topic issues plaguing the US. Now these are all great things that social media has done and shows the capability to truly utilize its potential.
However, there is a flip side to all of this. Recent studies by psychologist point out that this generation, the one raised on social media are already displaying much more narcissistic behavior then those before. Let us be honest with ourselves, how many of your friends on Facebook do you interact with regularly? Probably not as many that is on your friends list. This can cause some serious problems, particularly for young people. For the most part people have interacted with those they were close too and shared personal things with only those who they trusted. This is not the case though anymore, especially in the age of social media.
It is not uncommon to log on to your social media of choice and see personal information revealed by someone you probably have not interacted with face to face for the last year. The same goes for you, people feel like they need to reveal much more than ever before. Things that should be kept to themselves are now being shared to everyone with an internet connection. This may not seem like a big deal but the internet is becoming a place to share any thought and the difference between that and a diary is that the internet is permanent. Whatever you put in a tweet or on a wall post gets archived and now will forever be on the internet.
Finally social interaction has declined. People now associate mainly online, through Facebook or Twitter. What happened to actually calling someone to set up a friendly game of soccer? Now it is mass spam invites. The personal touch that is important in building lifelong friendships is being lost. People no longer see a need to make an effort for personal interaction because they have hundreds or thousands of “friends” or “followers.” A human interaction is one of the most important things that a person can have. Of course I am not saying we no longer interact, rather that social media has turned interactions into something else. Where the future of social media will take us, I am not sure, but it will be one interesting path along the way.
I invite you to comment and share your thoughts!
Thank you!
Students Worldwide
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Challenges Children Face
Hello everyone,
For those of you who have been following the news lately we have had some interesting stories in the last few days. Everything from the predication of the end of the world that never came, to the push for the creation of a Palestinian state to natural disasters particularly in the mid west.
On top of this children today are growing up in an increasingly distraught world and one that is harsh. The other day I received an email from someone I know in Uganda. The email was to let me know that one of the children whom I had taught had passed away at the age of 12. Why did she die? She died because her family could not raise the money needed for heart surgery. Why should a child die of something that we as a society can fix?
Why did I bring up this story because there are many children around the world who tonight will die because they do not have water or they do not have the medicine they need to survive. On top of this in some parts of the world children are used as soldiers wand forced to fight in a war they do not want nor do they understand. You may be asking yourself, it cant be that bad? Check out Invisible Children to see what is happening in Uganda and how you can help. Many of the local high schools also have a club for this organization and would appreciate your support.
Now you may say that is horrible but what about children here? Well there may not be child soldiers here in the US, but there still is hunger and poverty. The other day I watched a documentary called Homeless: Motel Kids of Orange County. The documentary followed children in one of the richest counties in the US. How is it that children in America face poverty and even worse are often deprived of the ability to get an education due to being homeless and constantly on the move. So I ask you again, what will the children of tomorrow be when they are being forced to grow up so fast?
I would love to hear your comments and what you think about this.
For those of you who have been following the news lately we have had some interesting stories in the last few days. Everything from the predication of the end of the world that never came, to the push for the creation of a Palestinian state to natural disasters particularly in the mid west.
On top of this children today are growing up in an increasingly distraught world and one that is harsh. The other day I received an email from someone I know in Uganda. The email was to let me know that one of the children whom I had taught had passed away at the age of 12. Why did she die? She died because her family could not raise the money needed for heart surgery. Why should a child die of something that we as a society can fix?
Why did I bring up this story because there are many children around the world who tonight will die because they do not have water or they do not have the medicine they need to survive. On top of this in some parts of the world children are used as soldiers wand forced to fight in a war they do not want nor do they understand. You may be asking yourself, it cant be that bad? Check out Invisible Children to see what is happening in Uganda and how you can help. Many of the local high schools also have a club for this organization and would appreciate your support.
Now you may say that is horrible but what about children here? Well there may not be child soldiers here in the US, but there still is hunger and poverty. The other day I watched a documentary called Homeless: Motel Kids of Orange County. The documentary followed children in one of the richest counties in the US. How is it that children in America face poverty and even worse are often deprived of the ability to get an education due to being homeless and constantly on the move. So I ask you again, what will the children of tomorrow be when they are being forced to grow up so fast?
I would love to hear your comments and what you think about this.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Think globally, act locally!
Hello everyone,
As some of you may or may not notice I have not posted for a while. I have been extremely busy and have not had a chance to post for the last few days. I would like to briefly talk about what your high school students can do this summer to keep them busy and also make a difference in the world.
The first opportunity I want to talk about is Kiva. Kiva.org is a website that gives micro-loans to people in need from all over the world. For those of you who are not familiar with micro loans the idea is simple and effective. First you loan a small amount typically $25 through the website. The money goes to the person you have chosen and there are typically multiple people funding one person. Over the course of the set time the person you loaned will pay you back in small increments. Now the great part about this is for as little as $25 you can make a difference in the world. Here is the best part when the money is paid back you can re-loan it or withdraw the money. For more information on Kiva check out www.kiva.org
The next opportunities I want to talk about are two different foundations both which serve a great purpose. The first is Soles for Souls, a non profit that collects old shoes and gives them to those less fortunate. Many people may not know this but in many parts of the world a pair of shoes is often considered a luxury. To help out with this group simply set up a shoe drive and Soles for Souls will do the rest! Last year when I was at DBHS we collected hundreds of pairs of shoes that I delivered to the drop off center! More information found here http://www.soles4souls.org/ Finally, Habitat for Humanity is a great charity for those who want their teenagers to get out there and use their hands. Habitat for Humanity is a non profit that focuses on building and restoring houses for those who can not afford to do so themselves. While I worked for Lowes I was able to participate in a building event and it was awesome. More information can be found at http://www.habitat.org/
I hope you enjoyed this and for more volunteer opportunities check out http://www.idealist.org/
Thank you,
Students Worldwide!
As some of you may or may not notice I have not posted for a while. I have been extremely busy and have not had a chance to post for the last few days. I would like to briefly talk about what your high school students can do this summer to keep them busy and also make a difference in the world.
The first opportunity I want to talk about is Kiva. Kiva.org is a website that gives micro-loans to people in need from all over the world. For those of you who are not familiar with micro loans the idea is simple and effective. First you loan a small amount typically $25 through the website. The money goes to the person you have chosen and there are typically multiple people funding one person. Over the course of the set time the person you loaned will pay you back in small increments. Now the great part about this is for as little as $25 you can make a difference in the world. Here is the best part when the money is paid back you can re-loan it or withdraw the money. For more information on Kiva check out www.kiva.org
The next opportunities I want to talk about are two different foundations both which serve a great purpose. The first is Soles for Souls, a non profit that collects old shoes and gives them to those less fortunate. Many people may not know this but in many parts of the world a pair of shoes is often considered a luxury. To help out with this group simply set up a shoe drive and Soles for Souls will do the rest! Last year when I was at DBHS we collected hundreds of pairs of shoes that I delivered to the drop off center! More information found here http://www.soles4souls.org/ Finally, Habitat for Humanity is a great charity for those who want their teenagers to get out there and use their hands. Habitat for Humanity is a non profit that focuses on building and restoring houses for those who can not afford to do so themselves. While I worked for Lowes I was able to participate in a building event and it was awesome. More information can be found at http://www.habitat.org/
I hope you enjoyed this and for more volunteer opportunities check out http://www.idealist.org/
Thank you,
Students Worldwide!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
State of Education!
Hello everyone,
Today I would like to talk about the current state of education within the United States and shortly I will be covering Walnut Valley Unified specifically. Everything I am going to say is based on my own research and opinion and is not intended to change the way you feel about education.
Ok so right off the bat as the US struggles to climb out of the recession many are wondering what will come of education. Everyday you hear stories of school districts laying off teachers and experts saying what is best to fix it. You will even see comparisons of the US education system versus those of other countries. Now this may seem overwhelming and there is no doubt that there needs to be some changes here in the United States, but what? Well here are some key topics that we need to look at: the way we teach our students today can not be the same way we taught them 20 or even 10 years ago, second we need to strive to make education much more interactive and global and finally the way in which schools are run from the highest to the lowest need to be rework in-order to truly be successful.
Lets first look at how we teach our students. Traditional teaching includes lecturing and test based assessment's, which is a whole problem in itself and a expensive one. Teaching today needs to be much more technology based and use kids strengths to get them to understand the material. One thing that I like to do that many teachers do is have students teach parts of lessons. Several reasons why this seems to work is they are responsible for learning material and presenting it to the class. This makes the students use critical thinking skills as well as traditional study skills to truly make it successful. I often have gotten positive feedback and students tend to learn material better. Think of this new way of teaching where everyone is teaching and the teacher is more of a moderator or there for clarification.
Second, we need to make classrooms more global and interactive. One way in which you can do this is by teaching to the may different learning styles. An example of this would be doing skits, picture walks where students observe pictures and make notes on it or even have students create their own wikipages on a certain subject. We need to be more global by including current events and impacts they have around the world at least 3 times a week! I like to talk to my students for the first 5 minutes about a major event in the world and why it impacts us. They really seem to enjoy it!
Finally, the education system as a whole in the way in which it is run needs a total revamp. Whether this means changing pay, benefit's, tenure or just the way schools operate, I do not know. This is where I am not sure on what needs to be done as I have little experience within this specific issue. Teachers and administrators do not always see eye to eye, but we should always remember that at the end of the day, the students are what is most important.
Interesting link on how to make learning more like a game, based on rewards and choices!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3167-Gamifying-Education
Today I would like to talk about the current state of education within the United States and shortly I will be covering Walnut Valley Unified specifically. Everything I am going to say is based on my own research and opinion and is not intended to change the way you feel about education.
Ok so right off the bat as the US struggles to climb out of the recession many are wondering what will come of education. Everyday you hear stories of school districts laying off teachers and experts saying what is best to fix it. You will even see comparisons of the US education system versus those of other countries. Now this may seem overwhelming and there is no doubt that there needs to be some changes here in the United States, but what? Well here are some key topics that we need to look at: the way we teach our students today can not be the same way we taught them 20 or even 10 years ago, second we need to strive to make education much more interactive and global and finally the way in which schools are run from the highest to the lowest need to be rework in-order to truly be successful.
Lets first look at how we teach our students. Traditional teaching includes lecturing and test based assessment's, which is a whole problem in itself and a expensive one. Teaching today needs to be much more technology based and use kids strengths to get them to understand the material. One thing that I like to do that many teachers do is have students teach parts of lessons. Several reasons why this seems to work is they are responsible for learning material and presenting it to the class. This makes the students use critical thinking skills as well as traditional study skills to truly make it successful. I often have gotten positive feedback and students tend to learn material better. Think of this new way of teaching where everyone is teaching and the teacher is more of a moderator or there for clarification.
Second, we need to make classrooms more global and interactive. One way in which you can do this is by teaching to the may different learning styles. An example of this would be doing skits, picture walks where students observe pictures and make notes on it or even have students create their own wikipages on a certain subject. We need to be more global by including current events and impacts they have around the world at least 3 times a week! I like to talk to my students for the first 5 minutes about a major event in the world and why it impacts us. They really seem to enjoy it!
Finally, the education system as a whole in the way in which it is run needs a total revamp. Whether this means changing pay, benefit's, tenure or just the way schools operate, I do not know. This is where I am not sure on what needs to be done as I have little experience within this specific issue. Teachers and administrators do not always see eye to eye, but we should always remember that at the end of the day, the students are what is most important.
Interesting link on how to make learning more like a game, based on rewards and choices!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3167-Gamifying-Education
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Travel and volunteer!
Hello everyone!
I would like to take a chance to talk to everyone about traveling abroad and impact it can make on yourself and in the country you are visiting. As for myself, I travel as often as I can. I personally have traveled all over Europe and have taught English in Uganda. Peru should be marked off the list this summer!
Now I know most people will say traveling is expensive, while this may be true there are several ways to lower the cost, while maximizing your experience abroad. I am a big supporter of volunteering or working in another country. First you are able to truly dig into the culture and get to understand life within the country you are visiting. Second you get to meet people and experience new things, which is what traveling is all about. Thirdly and most importantly you will be helping more then likely the country your visiting while growing yourself.
My time in Africa was spent teaching English in a rural village in Southern Uganda. By far this was the most amazing experience I have ever done! Let me say this now, Africa is not for the faint of heart. Where I was there was no Facebook, no television and no texting. But all of that did not matter, the people I met, the experiences I had, made every day in Uganda one of the best in my life. The stories I came back with, I share with my students, friends and anyone who will listen. I feel that opportunities such as these are once in a life time and should always be taken.
I would like to end this blog by saying that no matter the cost traveling abroad is the best decision one can make. I constantly encourage my students to travel abroad, it does not matter where you go or who you go with, just go. You will come back a better person and a better understanding of the world, so what are you waiting for? GO!
For those of you who are interested here are some links of sites that offer work or volunteer work abroad.
http://www.idealist.org/
http://www.i-to-i.com/
http://www.worldwidehelpers.org/
I would like to take a chance to talk to everyone about traveling abroad and impact it can make on yourself and in the country you are visiting. As for myself, I travel as often as I can. I personally have traveled all over Europe and have taught English in Uganda. Peru should be marked off the list this summer!
Now I know most people will say traveling is expensive, while this may be true there are several ways to lower the cost, while maximizing your experience abroad. I am a big supporter of volunteering or working in another country. First you are able to truly dig into the culture and get to understand life within the country you are visiting. Second you get to meet people and experience new things, which is what traveling is all about. Thirdly and most importantly you will be helping more then likely the country your visiting while growing yourself.
My time in Africa was spent teaching English in a rural village in Southern Uganda. By far this was the most amazing experience I have ever done! Let me say this now, Africa is not for the faint of heart. Where I was there was no Facebook, no television and no texting. But all of that did not matter, the people I met, the experiences I had, made every day in Uganda one of the best in my life. The stories I came back with, I share with my students, friends and anyone who will listen. I feel that opportunities such as these are once in a life time and should always be taken.
I would like to end this blog by saying that no matter the cost traveling abroad is the best decision one can make. I constantly encourage my students to travel abroad, it does not matter where you go or who you go with, just go. You will come back a better person and a better understanding of the world, so what are you waiting for? GO!
For those of you who are interested here are some links of sites that offer work or volunteer work abroad.
http://www.idealist.org/
http://www.i-to-i.com/
http://www.worldwidehelpers.org/
Monday, May 2, 2011
The May First Madness
Hello everyone,
As all of you know yesterday was Sunday, May 1rst. Yesterday marked several very important events, first and foremost the killing of Osama Bin Laden. For those of you who may be to young to remember Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks that struck the United States in 2001. While many people have different opinions on whether on not it will impact the world with him being gone. One thing is for sure, the world is without a man who killed more then just Americans. He claimed to represent Islam, yet he killed more Muslims through his terror tactics then those of all attacks he did on America. Yesterday also marked 66 years after Adolf Hitler was announced dead. The world seems to get a bit better on May 1rst.
Also yesterday marked a very important day in my own life! Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of my girlfriend and I. It was a great day that we spent at the Museum of Tolerance which truly is an amazing museum. For those of you who have not been I truly recommend it. One of the key things that stood out on this day was a presentation called "From Hate to Hope." What it involved was a former White Supremacist and a gay man who he had attacked long ago. The presentation was amazing and showed the power of redemption and the power of the human spirit. The even more amazing thing was that they said the do presentations at schools. This is huge, being a teacher myself and always looking for ways to get students to learn in new and exciting ways, this seems like a perfect opportunity. By having the presentation at a school you are showing students how it is never to late to change or better oneself, but also showing how certain choices can lead you to a life full of hate and anger. Ultimately experiences like this can do so much for our youth. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to share your life experiences and get others to share theirs.
Thank you,
Students Worldwide
As all of you know yesterday was Sunday, May 1rst. Yesterday marked several very important events, first and foremost the killing of Osama Bin Laden. For those of you who may be to young to remember Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks that struck the United States in 2001. While many people have different opinions on whether on not it will impact the world with him being gone. One thing is for sure, the world is without a man who killed more then just Americans. He claimed to represent Islam, yet he killed more Muslims through his terror tactics then those of all attacks he did on America. Yesterday also marked 66 years after Adolf Hitler was announced dead. The world seems to get a bit better on May 1rst.
Also yesterday marked a very important day in my own life! Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of my girlfriend and I. It was a great day that we spent at the Museum of Tolerance which truly is an amazing museum. For those of you who have not been I truly recommend it. One of the key things that stood out on this day was a presentation called "From Hate to Hope." What it involved was a former White Supremacist and a gay man who he had attacked long ago. The presentation was amazing and showed the power of redemption and the power of the human spirit. The even more amazing thing was that they said the do presentations at schools. This is huge, being a teacher myself and always looking for ways to get students to learn in new and exciting ways, this seems like a perfect opportunity. By having the presentation at a school you are showing students how it is never to late to change or better oneself, but also showing how certain choices can lead you to a life full of hate and anger. Ultimately experiences like this can do so much for our youth. I encourage everyone to take the opportunity to share your life experiences and get others to share theirs.
Thank you,
Students Worldwide
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The need for help at home and abroad! Plus more!
Hello everyone,
I know I have not posted the last few days, and I regret it as I have had a lot on my mind. First off I want to talk about the horrible tornadoes that are occurring right now in the Southern part of the United States. Over 250 people have been killed and it is likely the death toll will raise. As some of you may or may not know, depending on how much news you read, the US and world has been hit with large disasters lately. We are all citizens of the world and need to put forth effort to help one another. There are several ways to do this, whether through a local charity or the Red Cross. I encourage all of you to give what you can, be it time or money or something else that will benefit those in need. More info on the tornadoes can be found below.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/30/severe.weather/index.html?hpt=T2
Now, not only has the US been hit hard lately, but so has many parts of the world. There are so many things that are going on in this world that we can all make a small difference. About a month and a half ago I went to the LA Travel and Adventure show, and one of the exhibits there was all about helping Japan. Now, you did not have to give money, although I did end up giving some. Their idea was to have you write in Japanese, "we love you." Following that they would take a picture of you holding your sign and then it would be sent pack to Japan and printed in papers, put on TV or posted in public places. I thought this was such a cool idea and a way to help others in a way that money can not express. If you have cool ideas like this I would love to hear them.
Finally, I want to talk about how we can make a difference in out community, right here in our home! We need to be doing more for our youth, for our schools and most importantly for ourselves! So many people today are suffering from all forms of hardships including: low income, no education, no family, depression, sickness and abandonment. I truly believe that we need to start doing more in the community especially for our youth. While there are local sports and even some after school programs, I do not think they are going far enough to truly inspire our kids. I propose that we establish after school programs that will have locals come in and teach kids and also allow more sports and community service opportunities, geared towards high school students. Well that is all for today! Let me know what you think.
Thank you,
Students Worldwide
I know I have not posted the last few days, and I regret it as I have had a lot on my mind. First off I want to talk about the horrible tornadoes that are occurring right now in the Southern part of the United States. Over 250 people have been killed and it is likely the death toll will raise. As some of you may or may not know, depending on how much news you read, the US and world has been hit with large disasters lately. We are all citizens of the world and need to put forth effort to help one another. There are several ways to do this, whether through a local charity or the Red Cross. I encourage all of you to give what you can, be it time or money or something else that will benefit those in need. More info on the tornadoes can be found below.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/30/severe.weather/index.html?hpt=T2
Now, not only has the US been hit hard lately, but so has many parts of the world. There are so many things that are going on in this world that we can all make a small difference. About a month and a half ago I went to the LA Travel and Adventure show, and one of the exhibits there was all about helping Japan. Now, you did not have to give money, although I did end up giving some. Their idea was to have you write in Japanese, "we love you." Following that they would take a picture of you holding your sign and then it would be sent pack to Japan and printed in papers, put on TV or posted in public places. I thought this was such a cool idea and a way to help others in a way that money can not express. If you have cool ideas like this I would love to hear them.
Finally, I want to talk about how we can make a difference in out community, right here in our home! We need to be doing more for our youth, for our schools and most importantly for ourselves! So many people today are suffering from all forms of hardships including: low income, no education, no family, depression, sickness and abandonment. I truly believe that we need to start doing more in the community especially for our youth. While there are local sports and even some after school programs, I do not think they are going far enough to truly inspire our kids. I propose that we establish after school programs that will have locals come in and teach kids and also allow more sports and community service opportunities, geared towards high school students. Well that is all for today! Let me know what you think.
Thank you,
Students Worldwide
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