Week 2: Getting back to the basics will solve our Sputnik!

In regards to the "politically charged" article reviewing the Sputnik challenge from 1957, we as a nation need something to cause our country to rise to the challenge of producing STEM literate students for the next generation.

I disagree and agree with Friedman's article all in the same breath. As a student who was intrinsically motivated and desired to know the "why" in things, it is hard for me to believe that not enough students in this day and age are. Why is this? I believe it comes on a couple of levels. I believe that the breakdown of the family unit has ultimately affected our ability as a nation to be committed to finishing. With the divorce rate increasing, the inability to commit as a husband, wife, and family unit with children, and everyone's busyness has truly affected our ability at the home level to mentor and teach true values to children. If the home does not echo and enforce what is going on at school, there is a disconnect and usually the easiest avenue will persist.

Friedman states "How do I improve myself?" when discussing how Taiwan has self produced a self sufficient nation (Friedman, 2010). While this has some truth in the statement and would probably help our nation, I also believe that this is an all about me approach.

I truly believe if we can get back to the basics on the family unit, we would ultimately produce students who possess a better self worth and moral character. With this we would have better learners and the ability to produce students to want to study these so to speak "hard disciplines".

Resources:
Friedman, T. L. (2010, January 17). What’s our Sputnik? [Op-Ed]. The New York Times [Late Edition (East Coast)], p. WK.8.

Week 1: Presentation Tools for Projects

Prezi

I have never used this presentation tool before. In watching the tutorial and playing around with some of the features it seems like a different option than what I am used to and or comfortable with. I think for the project we are completing in this class on an endangered species in our local area it would be a good option to use this presentation tool. It seems as though it is a more progressive tool than powerpoint and it seems convenient to use as you can store the file and share with anyone around the world. The fact that you can embed videos and pictures and not have to send it via a large file over the internet is a bonus feature.

It was helpful to watch the tutorial to learn how to easily resize, reposition, map the route of the presentation (because it is set up like a blank canvas before an artist starts painting), and easily add in new pieces of information to your presentation.

Tour 280 Slides

I have never used this presentation tool before either. Going through the tutorial and seeing the options you can include make this a suitable option as well for our class project. It seems very similar to power point and seems a little more formal and less progressive and or artsy if you will. I like the ease of sharing this file with others around the world.