I agree with Egan in that there are many examples in my life that support Egan's viewpoint. Throughout high school, I learned to depend less on teacher's teaching me, instead I learned how to self study material covered in class because sometimes the material is not taught in a way easy for me to comprehend. In addition, I have also become more independent in that I know longer rely on my parents or anyone else to keep track of my schedule or tasks, both are handle by my self now.
Attending Sycamore also allowed me to develop a wider range of interests. I was able to take the courses I wanted as well as choose the difficulty. I was able to take different types of courses some of which were interesting such as computer science and physics, and I also discovered courses that I dislike such as Spanish and chemistry.
For my research project, I have barley started writing as I've been searching for more sources that oppose the viewpoint of smartphones being helpful in education. I feel that having a good balance of sources between the two viewpoints is essential if I want to draw valid conclusions. Over the break, I'll most likely finish writing section 4 and if I have time, It will include a bulk of my sources as well as statistics. After that, I might search for more sources because you can never have too many. But overall, I will probably compare sources that support and oppose smartphones in the classroom, and using those sources I will conclude whether or not they are beneficial.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Research Project Updates
This week I found sources that were against smartphone use in the classroom, as well as examples where the phone industry has sponsored the use of smartphones in the classroom. Both of these are conflicting opinions on whether smartphones would be beneficial to students.
The first source states the viewpoint of a professor at Bryant University, who believes that smartphones are a big distraction in the classroom and that they're too expensive to maintain. He believes that students spend too much time surfing the internet and texting in class instead of paying attention. One notable statistic from this article is that 66% of people between ages 18 and 24 answered that they fear losing or being without their phone meaning they are very attached to their phone and easily distracted by them. The smartphone ownership at Ball State has also increased from 27% to 69% in just three years.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/03/21/smartphone-use-among-college-students-concerns-some-professors
The second article describes how the phone industry is claiming that smartphones are making students smarter and that it can improve math skills. Digital Millenial Consulting funded school districts in Chicago, San Diego, and Florida with smartphones as a part of a study to research the effects of smartphones and how they affect student performance. Students were given high-end Windows phones which they used for social-networking, research, and other various software. These students' grades were then compared to students who were not given smartphones and the group with the smartphones scored 25% than the students who were not given smartphones. The cost for each to student to receive a smartphone was costly at one thousand dollars a year.
My research this week has been successful. I found studies that showed smartphones were beneficial in the form of statistic as well as opinions from college professors that are against the use of smartphones in the classroom. My goal for next week is to find more studies supporting or perhaps against the use of smartphones in the classroom as well as the best type of smartphone for students. Some other areas I need to research are ways to soften the heavy expense of funding smartphones for each student and any apps on the phones which are beneficial.
The image below shows distribution of smartphone vs non-smartphone ownership by grade level.
The first source states the viewpoint of a professor at Bryant University, who believes that smartphones are a big distraction in the classroom and that they're too expensive to maintain. He believes that students spend too much time surfing the internet and texting in class instead of paying attention. One notable statistic from this article is that 66% of people between ages 18 and 24 answered that they fear losing or being without their phone meaning they are very attached to their phone and easily distracted by them. The smartphone ownership at Ball State has also increased from 27% to 69% in just three years.
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/03/21/smartphone-use-among-college-students-concerns-some-professors
The second article describes how the phone industry is claiming that smartphones are making students smarter and that it can improve math skills. Digital Millenial Consulting funded school districts in Chicago, San Diego, and Florida with smartphones as a part of a study to research the effects of smartphones and how they affect student performance. Students were given high-end Windows phones which they used for social-networking, research, and other various software. These students' grades were then compared to students who were not given smartphones and the group with the smartphones scored 25% than the students who were not given smartphones. The cost for each to student to receive a smartphone was costly at one thousand dollars a year.
My research this week has been successful. I found studies that showed smartphones were beneficial in the form of statistic as well as opinions from college professors that are against the use of smartphones in the classroom. My goal for next week is to find more studies supporting or perhaps against the use of smartphones in the classroom as well as the best type of smartphone for students. Some other areas I need to research are ways to soften the heavy expense of funding smartphones for each student and any apps on the phones which are beneficial.
The image below shows distribution of smartphone vs non-smartphone ownership by grade level.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Capstone Project Progress
I've decided my topic will be on the effects of smartphones on students in the classroom and whether it would be a good idea for more schools to implement smartphones for each student. The major factors I'm researching are how do smartphones affect grades, time to do homework, and possible distractions caused by smartphones; depending on those factors, I can determine whether smartphones are actually beneficial in schools or whether they are just a distraction and shouldn't be implemented.
Some other factors to consider are the cost of smartphones, best brand of smartphones, preventing cheating through smartphones, what apps are useful, and the learning curve of using a smartphone. So far I've found data correlating smartphone ownership and house income.
http://www.statista.com/statistics/195006/percentage-of-us-smartphone-owners-by-household-income/
The graph supports my expectation that households with a higher income are more likely to own a smartphone, however it should be noted that in all the levels of income, the ownership of smartphones increased from 2011 to 2012.
The biggest challenge so far is finding big studies correlating smartphone usage and grades/test scores. Most studies only sample a class or they're just a testimonial from one student, but not a lot of studies sample a high school or a bigger population. I have found many sources that support the use of smartphones and very few that oppose it and I've kept track of them on Easybib. However, my other questions have been answered by most sources I've come across. The graph below from 2012 also shows that most smartphones users are skewed towards the younger generation.
Some other factors to consider are the cost of smartphones, best brand of smartphones, preventing cheating through smartphones, what apps are useful, and the learning curve of using a smartphone. So far I've found data correlating smartphone ownership and house income.
http://www.statista.com/statistics/195006/percentage-of-us-smartphone-owners-by-household-income/
The graph supports my expectation that households with a higher income are more likely to own a smartphone, however it should be noted that in all the levels of income, the ownership of smartphones increased from 2011 to 2012.
The biggest challenge so far is finding big studies correlating smartphone usage and grades/test scores. Most studies only sample a class or they're just a testimonial from one student, but not a lot of studies sample a high school or a bigger population. I have found many sources that support the use of smartphones and very few that oppose it and I've kept track of them on Easybib. However, my other questions have been answered by most sources I've come across. The graph below from 2012 also shows that most smartphones users are skewed towards the younger generation.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Why Parents Need to Let Their Children Fail
I completely agree with the author's opinion on parenting. I feel some parents are overprotective of their children, which can inhibit their ability to learn independently. I also think by "babysitting" their children defeats the purpose of school, to learn. The parents intention may be to improve their children's future success, but by doing work for them, or restricting their activities, they are just hurting their children's future. When their children go to college, the parents won't be able to help them with every step. What will the children do when they struggle?
Instead, parents should do as the author suggested and just let them fail. In order to learn how to be successful, they have to be able to fail and recover from it. If they're always successful because of their parents, what will they do when they fail and their parents aren't there? Parents should only help their children when they're failing and can't recover. However, if the children are doing fine, they should not intervene at all. Know when to help is key for parents and letting them fail earlier in life is better than letting them fail later in life as the consequences are lower when they are still children.
Instead, parents should do as the author suggested and just let them fail. In order to learn how to be successful, they have to be able to fail and recover from it. If they're always successful because of their parents, what will they do when they fail and their parents aren't there? Parents should only help their children when they're failing and can't recover. However, if the children are doing fine, they should not intervene at all. Know when to help is key for parents and letting them fail earlier in life is better than letting them fail later in life as the consequences are lower when they are still children.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
What I Hate About Technology
I love electronics and technology, but there are a few things I dislike about them. Technology always gets outdated and it almost always breaks. Both of these are unavoidable in most circumstances, which really annoys me because phones, laptops, and cars are expensive and not something I can just purchase freely without researching and putting thought into.
Technology gets outdated quickly which is good because it means technology itself is progressing, but it's still a nuisance having something like a slow computer or a phone without WiFi I might buy a phone one day and maybe a week later, newer phones are already being introduced. Being myself, I always want the newest, best piece of technology, so having obsolete technology is unsatisfying. However, the expensive price tags on any electronics make it nearly impossible to keep up with the newest models without a huge bank account.
Another aspect of technology that I dislike is it breaks easily and hard to repair. Nothing bothers me more than breaking something and having to take it to a shop for repair. What's even worse is when the repair bill costs close to the price of the product. I also can't repair electronics most of the time because it's so complicated making the repair shop the only route to take to get my electronics fixed. No matter how well I take care of my electronics, they will naturally degrade. A frequently used computer may break randomly any day even if it's taken care of, there's no way to prevent this other than not using it and even then it may break. Even though it's repairable, it's sometimes not worth it just because the computer is outdated and expensive. This creates a situation where technology is expensive to keep and maintain.
This article discusse the life span of smartphones and how often it takes a smartphone to become outdated.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29258026/ns/technology_and_science-digital_home/t/planned-obsolescence-cell-phone-models/#.URKc_KU0WSo
Technology gets outdated quickly which is good because it means technology itself is progressing, but it's still a nuisance having something like a slow computer or a phone without WiFi I might buy a phone one day and maybe a week later, newer phones are already being introduced. Being myself, I always want the newest, best piece of technology, so having obsolete technology is unsatisfying. However, the expensive price tags on any electronics make it nearly impossible to keep up with the newest models without a huge bank account.
Another aspect of technology that I dislike is it breaks easily and hard to repair. Nothing bothers me more than breaking something and having to take it to a shop for repair. What's even worse is when the repair bill costs close to the price of the product. I also can't repair electronics most of the time because it's so complicated making the repair shop the only route to take to get my electronics fixed. No matter how well I take care of my electronics, they will naturally degrade. A frequently used computer may break randomly any day even if it's taken care of, there's no way to prevent this other than not using it and even then it may break. Even though it's repairable, it's sometimes not worth it just because the computer is outdated and expensive. This creates a situation where technology is expensive to keep and maintain.
This article discusse the life span of smartphones and how often it takes a smartphone to become outdated.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29258026/ns/technology_and_science-digital_home/t/planned-obsolescence-cell-phone-models/#.URKc_KU0WSo
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Theater of Pain
http://www.esquire.com/features/nfl-injuries-0213
"And at the professional level, you better not say how you feel, or the next man will get your job."
This quote is significant because it shows the pressure felt by all players in the NFL and is one of a few causes of major injuries. Every player is pressured to act tough and play tough because there's always someone waiting to take their starting position or spot on the roster. This can cause players to always say they're healthy when they know they aren't or it can cause them to ignore all pain and stay in the game despite being hurt. When a injured player stays in the game, their injury obviously isn't going to heal, it'll only worsen until they are physically unable to move.
The quote also shows how competitive the game of football is, and that winning comes at a price of one's body. The coach will put in the best player who is able to play and if a player is hurt and can't play, he's essentially worthless to the coach in terms of winning the game. The pressure put on the players to play even when they're not healthy with the risk of being replaced causes many injures to further develop resulting in more and more injured NFL players.
"And at the professional level, you better not say how you feel, or the next man will get your job."
This quote is significant because it shows the pressure felt by all players in the NFL and is one of a few causes of major injuries. Every player is pressured to act tough and play tough because there's always someone waiting to take their starting position or spot on the roster. This can cause players to always say they're healthy when they know they aren't or it can cause them to ignore all pain and stay in the game despite being hurt. When a injured player stays in the game, their injury obviously isn't going to heal, it'll only worsen until they are physically unable to move.
The quote also shows how competitive the game of football is, and that winning comes at a price of one's body. The coach will put in the best player who is able to play and if a player is hurt and can't play, he's essentially worthless to the coach in terms of winning the game. The pressure put on the players to play even when they're not healthy with the risk of being replaced causes many injures to further develop resulting in more and more injured NFL players.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Brain Gain
The article discusses the use of neuroenhancing drugs in schools and the workplace. Some neuroenhancing drugs include adderall and provigil. The main controversies presented in the article is whether these neuroenhancing drugs should be allowed, are they considered cheating, and what are the side effect of taking these drugs.
These drugs are used to help one achieve their full potential and allows them to be more efficient when he/she is working, studying, or taking tests which creates an unfair advantage for the user. Contrary to belief, these drugs don't make one smarter, however they do allow one to work more efficiently. The motive to take this drug is a competitive society where everyone is trying to be the best, and as a result these drugs become more common in the workplace and college. The drug has some side effects, but none are major resulting in casual use of the drug.
The benefits of neuroenhancing drugs outweigh the cons which results in the increasing use of these drugs. Controlling the use of these drugs can be difficult because people with A.D.H.D use the same drugs and it's easily prescribed by a doctor. The fact that it's easy to access and the eagerness of students to function at higher levels, make these drugs a very attractive option.
The interesting thing I found about this article is how casual people take Adderall. All drugs have some sort of negative side effect to the body, so it's really surprising how people take Adderall like it's candy. Casually taking drugs that aren't essential for living sounds silly to me, but I guess it's easy to get hooked to any drug.
These drugs are used to help one achieve their full potential and allows them to be more efficient when he/she is working, studying, or taking tests which creates an unfair advantage for the user. Contrary to belief, these drugs don't make one smarter, however they do allow one to work more efficiently. The motive to take this drug is a competitive society where everyone is trying to be the best, and as a result these drugs become more common in the workplace and college. The drug has some side effects, but none are major resulting in casual use of the drug.
The benefits of neuroenhancing drugs outweigh the cons which results in the increasing use of these drugs. Controlling the use of these drugs can be difficult because people with A.D.H.D use the same drugs and it's easily prescribed by a doctor. The fact that it's easy to access and the eagerness of students to function at higher levels, make these drugs a very attractive option.
The interesting thing I found about this article is how casual people take Adderall. All drugs have some sort of negative side effect to the body, so it's really surprising how people take Adderall like it's candy. Casually taking drugs that aren't essential for living sounds silly to me, but I guess it's easy to get hooked to any drug.
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