Blog # 6 2011

A 3D future                                                                                

If I let run my imagination looking forward 30 years from now I can see that the lecture classes will be on line only and the ones with labs probably will be the only ones that require you to attend to the actual class room but with good chances that, you will be able to somehow control what happen in the lab from somewhere else also. The possibility to attend to institutions at anywhere in the world should be very easy because the on line option and if you don’t speak the language the computer will translate simultaneously inputs and outputs in class.

I believe that in that time the concept of a virtual class will chance a little because the face to face inter action will be more real, thanks to the evolution of the computers, you may be projecting yourself into a imaging of a class room and be able to inter act with movements in 3D that will give you the feeling to be there physically.

In the very limited, real campus experience you should be using some kind of alternative transportation, different than the regular cars with gas engine, but in that time, if still exist, the car should be doing like a 100 miles per gallon but the gas will be probably like 30 dollars a gallon.

For the future I just hope that we don’t lost the person to person inter action totally because I believe that is very important for the developing of the personality of the students, but for sure the future should facilitated the access to education to more people.

Blog # 5 2011

Technology can we handle it?

            Technology in computers or cell phones are together now and is just a tool to do things in an easier manner, however now looks like people have miscomprehend this theory. There is a wide misuse of this  technology all around us. Technology is not a bad thing; its purpose is to make daily tasks easy. What worries me is that people don’t know how to use it properly, or use it in its real purpose. A major issue is that people now use it in destructive manner; instead making things that would help society we use it as weapons for self destroying, or risk our own life by texting and driving that at this point is more dangerous than drink and drive and that isn’t the purpose of science.

But my main concern and what I hate about this computer/cell phone technology is that; I have two daughters and one son, and I am honestly scared of the influence of it on their lives. I’m afraid that there is too much technology exposed to them and that they do not know how to use it properly. There is no technology usage class for the phones in the school program and if parents don’t teach their children the right way to use it, then their kids are vulnerable to all types of misuse. In some ways the misuse of technology is ruining the lives of children; I hear the stories of desperate parents that have children that are addicted to videogames, texting, Facebook and more. Industries have taken advantage of this vulnerability and provided kids with all the wrong things. Now a day there is more money and effort put into making; video games, websites, social networks and more than health, education, and the stuff that Really matters. Kids don’t go outside anymore, they’re stuck inside either glued on to their computers or phones on Facebook or playing “Call of Duty” on their Xbox.

 Lately kids are being provided with cell phones and computers at age of as low as 7 years old! It’s intended for communication between parents and children and for research for school; however this is barely the case!  Not only do children want cell phones but they want the most modern! These cell phones have cameras and in many cases they are used for public humiliation of others and in worst cases “sexting” among teenagers. Also it is common that teenagers use cell phones during class to text, go on mobile Facebook and YouTube, and even access pornographic sites. Additionally, the internet is used just as badly. Kids go on social networks like Facebook and they can spend hours there making “online friends” who really aren’t real; same with online gaming and chat rooms. There are cases of harassment, and even cases of adults using these tools to get close to children and do horrible things to them. The thought of it is scary.

 Technology its self isn’t meant to be hazardous, it’s the abuse of it. Although technology is meant to make our lives easier, many times it makes it more difficult. it’s even harder for parents to help their own children use technology in the right way. The misuse of technology by the public is a growing concern in my life.

Blog # 4 2011

The international week.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend to two of  the events in the program on Tuesday and Thursday, on the first one I miss the capoeira dance from Brazil, but I was on time for the tambor, which  is a traditional class of music and dance from Venezuela my neighbor country since, I’m from Colombia both in the north side of south America and ones again I confirm that we share more than a border and history, because the music they were playing have a lot of the same beats of one of the typical rhythms in my country, no wonder when we don’t let the political emotions get involve we consider our self’s, brother nations.

The other event was the test of the world, this one in particular was delicious to attend, because I have the opportunity to try different cultures little bits of food, like the spring rolls from China, chicken with a special seasoning from Hungary, some kind of potato empanada that I can’t spell the name from Russia, yellow rice from Mexico, ayaquitas and guarapo from Venezuela , rice and beans from Cuba and few others that I don’t remember .

At the end my reflection was, ones again that one of the greatest benefit to live in this country is the opportunity that we as human beams have to share all the good things that our own cultures have to offer for the rest of the world, and when we can set a part all the political conflicts or restrictions we certainly enjoy the opportunity to live in this wonderful country , that is no perfect but it become the new home for many like me that find in here a very nice place to live.  

Blog 3 2011

SHATTERING STEREOTYPES ABOUT IMMIGRANT WORKERS

Perhaps one of the more common arguments against the illegal immigrants is the one that blame the illegal for taken the jobs that the Americans can do and promote the under pain, but as a Altman explain that is and argument that base in a stereotypes of the illegal immigrant profile, and is only a minority the ones that fit in that group.

His exploration in the topic, show that far from that stereotype, is the reality, he even state that the immigrant work force allow the American workers, to step ahead and get better jobs, due to the fact that they can support then and the undesirables jobs are also fill for this job black market.

He mention that the low wages are also a mitt because actually the immigrants are not working for less than 5 dollars and hr, in fact most of them make at least $8 or $9 an hr and is normal find wages between $10 and $20.(Altman.682-684)

In my personal view, I have a lot to say, due to the fact that I’m an immigrant, and in the ten years that I be living like that, I learn and discover from my own experience or the people around me, some of the faces of this subject, and the ones explain for Altman have a strong fundament.

About the stereotypes, is indubitable the misperception of the reality, to the point that as an immigrant you feel that the right that you have to be consider innocent until proven guilty, is apply back words, because you are guilty of be illegal until you prove you are not, is ironic this kind of contradiction in a country that is known as the major defender of the civil rights.

Touching the main argument about the mitt that the illegal’s take jobs from the Americans, I personally believe is just a joke, because is precisely the abundance of job opportunities that promote the immigration from other countries, and I can ensure that, because in all this years living in the US I always been with a job and no just one, it was one time where I have up to 4 jobs, all at the same time, and in when I wanted to switch jobs, I was able to do it without major problems, ok maybe in my case don’t count that much because most of the time I had legal papers to work but around me I meet a lot of people that didn’t have the papers and any way they find jobs, and a lot of times they don’t even speak basic English.

That is probably way I strongly believe that the immigrants are here not to take the job from the Americans, they are here to take the jobs that the Americans don’t want to do, and for the spirit of overcoming that a lot of the immigrants have they will be here to take the jobs that the Americans cannot do either.

   

Altman Daniel “SHATERING STEREOTYPES ABOUT IMMIGRANT WORKERS” PERSPECTIVES ON ARGUMENT. Prentice Hall. New Jersey: Pearson, 2009. 682-684. Print

Blog # 2 2011

Eliminate paper. Liberate you cool

The title of my blog is the same of the slogan of the ad at the pg 216 of our book, Advertising a brand of scanners, where they argue trough the picture, that the digital documents is a way to be a cool person. And  the book present this advertising as a visual argument, because is obvious that are more meanings in the message, and a implicit way to support it, then when you considered under the environmental view you find more ideas to argue about it.

Therefore under this view I find an interesting topic for my essay, The use of the technology, to replace the traditional way of presenting documents and avoid the waste of paper.

I say waste because for most of the print documents, is a way to be read from a digital resources like Computers, PDA’s ( Personal Digital Assistant) or smart Phones.

And if the paper is not use, saves money and time in many ways, also in the environmental side save trees, which they are the lungs of the earth, but seems to me, that sometimes we forget that.

Any way I’m hoping to be able to develop my essay around this topic due to fact that I’m a fanatic of the technology and I want to discover the other faces that this issue can have, and  find the reason why is taking that long the transition to this new tendency.

I remember when the photography was in film and many people thought that was inconvenient the evolution to the digital world. But today the use of the film barely survives and we enjoy the advantages of the digital formats. 

Blog #1 2011

The flavor of life.

The text show me a few definitions of what arguments minds where basically in my understanding is determine the points of view that certain statement can have, and the tools or resources I use to support it my position, and commonly is not a unique consensus in favor, against or in the middle, and also each position can have different arguments to validate the agreement or disagreement.

From my personal position as a husband, father of three kids or in my job the arguments happens all the time and not always your position is the one that prevails  over  the others, but most of the times I try to support very good my position based in my experience or   personal knowledge, because when I am able to support my arguments is easier to convince the other to follow you, in addition I’m very  likely to find set myself on the middle or common ground where I don’t have to be black or white, because I realize that  if I take the main arguments of each side a lot of times, I will be able to take the best of both words and mixed in a solution that may conform both sides of the debate.

Anyhow is clear for me, and I agree with the people that say that without augments the life will be really boring, or that the problems to solve, bring sense to our life’s.

I’m my home country we use the expression “la salsa de la vida” in reference to the idea above which translates from the Spanish as the flavor or juice of the life.