Only two posts...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/editorial/digital-education/

This website is the homepage of a list of articles which are all to do with how primarily learning has changed as a consequence of the digital identity. Some articles explain how students are taking their lectures and learning outside the classroom, where another essay explains how students in the less poor countries are being given the opportunity to learn excelled degrees as a consequence of the ever growing speedy up to date broadband.

The article from this list of many which u am focusing on it to do with the ever growing, and possibly one if the top three most common daily sites used, being more well known as YouTube. Salmon Khan has created a repartition for himself on YouTube. He is now more commonly now as the YouTube teacher. This came about as he wanted to help his cousins completing their homework so decided to upload videos to YouTube in order to do this. After three years Khan ending quitting his job due to the amount of views he got and huge companies such as google and Bill Gates got involved with his project. Now you can see videos everywhere on YouTube with carried subjects to help students with their studies.

YouTube is a great phenomenon which is of a result if broad band and the World Wide Web. It is used as a way to make yourself noticeable, standing out from her crowd. The amazement which has been created over the past few decades is incredible. It has become an amazing achievement which only continues to expand. Helping more and more throughout their life.

Digital identity

            Digital identity has become increasingly prominent in defining Americans, particularly over the past few decades with the staggering improvements and modification of technology. The most recognizable worldwide digital companies have been the creation and development of American innovators, such as Youtube and Facebook. The article from CNN featuring this issue, raises concerns over the idea of digital immigrants being 'a relic of the past' and summarizes these two conflicting terms as the "generational switchover where people are defined by the technological culture which they're familiar with."

            Prensky, the producer of these terms and this argument between Native and Immigrant argues that any slowdown in the digital age is a "myth," as innovation will only press forward "faster... And faster and faster." This is evident over 10 years after Prensky introduced this issue as can be seen by any statistics on the subject. The Social Networking Fact Sheet by the Pew Internet Researchers reveals that as of September 2013, 73% of online adults use social networking sites. Facebook, as expected appears to come out at the top with 71% of online adults use this site. Most interestingly is the jump figures such as these have made in the past decade alone; between February 2005 and August 2006, the use of social networking sites among young adult internet users ages 18-29 jumped from 9% to 49%. Also, between the years 2005 and 2013, 90% of 18-29 years old internet users were using social networking in comparison to 46% 65+ year olds. This continues to reveal that this is something that has been embraced in particular by young people, hence the term used to describe them (digital native) and there is clearly a divide here between this group and the older generation (digital immigrants).

            However, there is a group of people outside America who have not joined the group, not just digital immigrants. That is those who are poverty stricken, as the CNN article states: "As technology filters into every corner of the globe and tech cities spring up in some unlikely places from Bangalore to Tel Aviv, a new gulf is emerging to separate the digitally savvy from the disconnected: Poverty. According to Shah, Prensky's views were formed from the "privileged" position of living in the U.S. Shah added: "[Prensky's] observations may describe a generation gap that the U.S. faced, but if you transplant the same definition to other parts of the world, natives are sometimes indistinguishable from immigrants."

            Another issue for this ever-growing digital world is that of digital identity, this is particularly due to it being mostly based on trust. Significantly, digital identity is something that can be changes at the click of a button, obviously extremely different from an individual's real-life identity.  Most recently, sites such as Youtube are attempting to encourage their users to use their real names in order to post a comment, there is still no way however to verify whether this is their true identity. Therefore, it is difficult to predict where digital identity will be in the future or indeed whether the gap between natives and immigrants will decrease; however as Prensky argued over a decade ago it seems clear that this is something that most definitely will not be slowing down any time soon.

           

Sources:

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/04/business/digital-native-prensky/index.html

http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/

Obamacare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FEUoNkF29o

This video is an ad created by Generation Opportunity that was made to encourage young people to vote against Obamacare. The ad features a young man going in for a check-up after signing up for Obamacare. When the Doctor is informed of the man’s insurance, he tells him to take his pants off and bend over. The words “don’t let government play doctor” then appear on the screen. The ad itself is very creepy and can be seen as disrespectful to the figure of Uncle Sam. There is a political phrase, “bend over,” that refers to the government taking control of people. Generation Opportunity attempted to give this phrase a literal meaning. The argument made is that the government is too involved in hospital visits. They feel that if you vote for Obamacare you will not receive quality care in hospitals. I am not greatly involved with politics, but I do not support this ad. I found the ad to be quite extreme and not very practical.

http://www.nrcc.org/2013/04/22/6-obamacare-frenemies-democrats-criticizing-obamas-healthcare-law/

This is a link from the NRCC website and this link is to a blog about Obamacare. They have used the word 'Frenemies' within their title for the piece. The title to the blog is one of the main things which drew me into wanting to read the article. It uses an urban slang word to duscuss politice. Freneminies is the concept of someone being your friend but at the same time working against you. Trying to get ahead competing with you. The concept of it you could compare to that of a spy, finding out all of the details of a plan, supporting it and then using this information which you have found out to your plan exposing all negative aspects of the other plan.

The blog is exposing 6 elements which are disagreeing with Obamacare. The main element being the price. Obamacare is all having a low costs. However the argument is suggesting that this wont be the case and in fact it will still cost money and the possibility of debt to go through with Obamacare. According to point number five insurance premiums have increased since being under the Obamacare. This is because of the insurance companies unsurity. Their unsurity has left them with the decision to increase costs due to the higher increase of sick people requiring insurance. People like Bruce Braley are stating that they dont agree with Obamacare as it is a huge risk which could ruin his campaign

Studying into the Health care within America as our topic for this week, it has made me view America in a different light. America is known as being a friendly polite nation. However when it comes to helath care America are very selfish and greedy nation. Obamacare has been thought through with the intention of having affordable health care. Obamacare has so many positive elements to it and i think that at the risk of there being the possiblility of higher taxes that the people whom are against it need to reconsider their views.

Obamacare

http://www.gop.com/news/research/the-case-against-obamacare/

This webpage from the website GOP.com reveals several different arguments against 'Obamacare' or ACA. GOP's (The 'Grand Old Party') more official title being the Republican Party makes it more inevitable that they will fight against this act their political rivals have passed.  From the five reasons given against Obamacare it is clear that despite its claims to improve health care across America, there will be huge costs for them to pay. In particular, the insurance they are expected to pay in order to reap the benefits of the supposedly better health care which this webpage focuses on in their second point.

The fourth point given by the Republican party is that it will produce a significant rise in taxes, something which Americans appear to be strongly opposed to. Many disagree with the idea that the money they put in will not only be used to look after yourself but also many others in the country, particularly as a considerable amount of Americans cannot afford this.

However, it seems the legitimacy of the claims made on this website can be questioned as the majority of sources and quotes used to put across their opinion come from newspapers and magazines rather than more official sources. The third point raised, that Obamacare will hurt the quality of health care, could also be questioned as much of it seems to be more guess work than actual data or statistics, particularly seen by the argument from the Associated Press that "ObamaCare May Increase Crowding At ERs".

Overall it is difficult to empathize with many of the issues raised by this webpage as it is posted by the Republican Party who would most likely oppose any act put forward from the Democratic Party. However, the last two points I believe would strike something in many Americans to feel negatively about Obamacare; many I'm sure would not agree that they potentially pay less for health care but more for their insurance and feel it unrealistic that Obamacare will lead to savings rather than further debt for America. 

Glass Castle Presentation

-Successful writer who overcame many obstacles

-Has a hidden identity "secret world"

-Embarrassed (like many others with the same past)

Challenges: 

-Moving homes often

               Not stable jobs

As long as her dad can keep a job

               “the skedaddle”

-Cannot manage money

               Her dad’s alcohol problem

               Her mom’s inheritance money

                              Art supplies

               No food

                              Children often hungry

-Sexual mistreatment

               (Also seen in “Push”)

               Jeannette and Billy/Uncle Stanley

               Dad and Green Lantern

               Grandma and Brian

-Sense of Hope

               “glass castle”

               Positive attitudes at difficult times

               Mom wanted to become artist

               Dad wanted to find gold

-Escapable

               Moved to NY

               Saw mom picking through garbage

Her “secret world”

               embarrassed

-Sometimes it’s a Choice

               Irresponsible decisions

               Desire to live that way