A Portal to Media Literacy

            The more I listen to Michael Welsh talk the more I buy into what he’s saying. He has broken down the education system and completely picked out every one of its flaws. The world has completely changed the way we get our information. Information is at a person’s finger tips at all times now with the mobile web. Why ever ask a short answer question when you could look it up in less than 30 seconds yourself.

            The institutions in which we learn are becoming outdated, according to Mr. Welsh’s surveys as seen in the video; over half of the people there don’t even want to be there. Students are forced to sit in rooms and have teachers talk at them.

            I love how he says that he actually gets most of his information through social networking. He explains how he stores his information completely differently than just documents. He rules out exams and says that to learn is to discuss, create, and share. The ultimate question is how do we create students who can create significance? People really do care about the information that is told from the people that they care about. He says that he has to find out how to unleash people’s brilliance but to do that people have to harness the power of the internet. Which is completely true seeing as that is the best way to get information; all students are useful at social networking but do not know how to use it to find information.

            His portal for social networking seems to be the future of technology. Everyone on the web who is interested in the social media world would buy into his type of learning. Seeing how everyone is on social media it could completely change the idea of learning and education. His ideal of creating wikis for students to put their own notes on to cause them to search for their own information and to share it with others is the future. More and more people are starting to do online school and classes. This is how they will begin to learn thus causing people at college to do the same. I never knew that YouTube was only started in 2005, it seems like it’s been around longer.

            Welsh’s idea of a network instead of a mass is genius. It nearly proves that people participating together and sharing their own information is better. His project with having his students creates their own world and history is excellent. I t caused everyone to engage with one another and bounce Ideas around. They even formed their own sort of hierarchy and economy. He shows how all people have to do is join together and make smart changes causing everyone to come together. He talks about how if 200 of his students are forced to make decisions like this that if one good idea comes out of it then it’s worth it. I do believe that this is the future of learning and that all trends point its way.

Some Place Like America

            The outlook on the rough times Americans have faced in the past decades is horrendous. It’s nearly impossible for me to try and think of what it would be like to go through life with a wife and family and not be able to support them. It must have been life changing to see all the beaten and broke down people, knowing what life has done to them. It goes to show that crooked politics and money hungry business men were basically the down fall of the American economy.

            To go all around the country like they did is a dream to anyone; but not in the sense of what they did. They showed how everyone is in hard times whether it is in the south, up north, or mid-west etc. it makes you as an American want to stand together and fight back; but what can you do? Officials may say that a “Great Depression” has been avoided but that still doesn’t mean the past recessions haven’t been agonizing to everyone. It seems that it will forever remain that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The big wigs only seem to look out for themselves and their just as rich friends as well.

            It’s ridiculous to say that Americans aren’t tough compared to the 1930’s generation. We have consistently been in wars for the past 30 years; most of the time fighting and sacrificing lives for the sake of oil. We have been at war over seas now for 10 years fighting the same battles with the same radical assholes that blow themselves for the sake of their beliefs. I have a couple friends who have been home and sent back a couple times after being told that would no longer need to go back.

            I do feel bad for the homeless as well, but at the same time it seems to me like it would be really hard to be homeless. There’s so many things that the government and charities will do for people like that. It seems to me that if you’re homeless you pretty much have to want to live like that. I’m not saying that speaks for all the homeless people but at least some of them. I would find it hard to not wear out every option to get a job or get help form someone; even if it is a minimum wage job at a fast food place.

            In all, I do understand that America is going through and has gone through extremely tough times, but it wouldn’t be America if we weren’t. We are all still tough it might just be in a different way than the generation of the 1930’s. Maybe it’s the political system or maybe it’s just the lack of jobs, but either way who’s to blame.  In the end we all know that we will continue to work hard and progress towards a better future for the generations of kids and adults to come.

           

Fakeness of Reality Shows

            It seems to be unanimous that the media is the most effective and influential tool in American culture. Television networks are practically brain washing people to get them to believe in and conform to these superficial ideas portrayed by the media. It’s difficult to listen to producers who genuinely feel like the way they depict people on television is natural. I’ll admit that I’m a huge fan of shows on mtv like Jersey Shore and The Challenge but that doesn’t mean that I think the shows are completely real and unscripted.

            Shows that edit people to look like these “monsters” that they really aren’t should be forced by law to have a disclaimer in the credits of the show. I would hope that most people agree with me when I say that it’s stupid to believe that the way reality shows depict those people are how they really act in the real world. I’ve seen countless numbers of shows where they get D-list celebrities to come on and bash on the silly antics of reality shows and show them for what they really are. In one instance when I was watching jersey shore they show a cast member wearing completely different clothes with in the same scene.

            It’s on the American public to know the difference between drama filled reality shows and the priorities of everyday life. It’s silly to me that some people out there actually take to heart the morals and priorities that reality shows want you to believe. Luckily most people hate reality shows and choose to boycott them.

            Women are the ones who are exploited the most on reality shows; it’s rare to see a “character” on these shows be unattractive. There is always the dumb girl, the bitch, and the alpha female of all of them, and yet they are all gorgeous no matter how bad their personalities are. Most of these women can be frustrating to watch because the way they act it, it just makes you want to scream at them for being such a bitch or so stupid; I guess that’s why television heads get paid the big bucks if they can draw everyone in even if it’s in a negative way.

            The same can be said for guys but with different stereo typical characters. There is always the jock, the alpha male, and the guy who doesn’t quite fit in and is the biggest threat (in most cases). For instance, if you’ve ever seen any reality show on mtv every person looks like a Greek god/goddess, the guys are ripped up and the girls walk around without a shred of body fat. People may not think it but shows like these are the reason why women think they must look a certain way or why a guy may feel inadequate if he isn’t a meet head jock. But I guess you can’t put the entire blame on a television show for making people think this way.

            People need to know that what they are watching is manufactured for the most part. Name brands are seen in every scene whether you think you saw it or not. I wouldn’t go so far to say that all the fights and drama are scripted but I’m sure their nudged in that direction.

            It seems like casting is done to see how many unstable people they can find to make a show around whether it be finding your spouse or just competing for a cash prize. It’s obvious when you can tell if a person would actually be normal in real life, unfortunately the way the shows are edited would make this person seem weak or an outcast compared to the other show members.

            In all its just plain dumb for people to take their morals and priorities from what fake people on television do. It’s up to people to know that these reality shows are for entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be taken to heart. Just because people look or act a certain way and are glorified for it whether it be in a positive or negative aspect doesn’t mean everyday people should try and strive to be like that. I’m not saying to boycott these shows all together, but to at least learn the differences between everyday life and just a marketing tool.

Political Compass Graph, where i stand

Where do I come from?
  Brandenburg KY, Meade County

My experiences with writing...
  Im not big on writing unless it is something that I am passionate about.

What defines me...
  Typical college kid, school first and everything else second.

Why am I in College?
  For a great life experience and to do something I love for a living.

What consumes me?
  Music and UK sports