During President Obama's Address he stated many different issues and spoke to many different groups. In particular, I'd like to highlight his hopes and requests of high school students. These things are building blocks of your life after education.
He says "dropping out of high school is no longer an option, it's not just quitting on yourself, its quitting on your country, and this country needs and values the talents of every American". Now this I can only partially agree with. It seems like he's saying that anyone who drops out of high school has no motivation to work or progress. I had a friend who dropped out of high school so he could work more. He was content with the amount of pay he was getting so he decided to get a GED and be done with it. I think he should make an exception for the certain people that do work without a high school education. They take care of the simple jobs, or like my friend, do just fine without a full high school education.
Obama also promised that the youth of today would be able to pay for a higher education. This is very good news. Some people, no matter how smart they are, sometimes can't come up with money for college. Obama's plan that enables everyone to pay for college solves that. The President also asks us to attend at least 1 year of higher education. I'm not sure about his reasoning, but I would hate spending a year in college while the guys who started working before me will be making more. Maybe if he gave me a motive like you have an 100% chance to make more then someone who started working right out of high school. However without that guarantee, I can't promise him I will attend that 1 year of higher education.
The last thing he asks us is to prepare our children for education. He says we should start thinking now about how we are going to help our children of the future graduate from high school and go on to college. I believe that this is a reasonable request, as anyone would hope their child has the most secure and safe financial future after they leave home. On top of that, this will help bring down the 50% drop-out rate of kids attending college currently and be overall best for our country. However, one thing we have to consider is that maybe some of these kids that don't finish college and decide to go off and do something else realized that college just isn't for them. Maybe they found something they like doing and makes them enough money to feel good about their future.
All in all, I think the President's requests are all in good faith. They are just a little to general for my taste. Can only expect so much in-depth detail when he is giving such a broad speech.
20.2.09
Media Bias
From an example I was just given of how some of the media is liberal, how a democrat can get off easy while a republican is shunned for the same mistake and vice-versa, I would say there is an obvious bias towards one party. On top of the treatment differences, the amount of information, and the quality of that information can also be biased. It is very possible that instead of keeping things balanced, one news station will withhold information that actually tells the entire side of one story. Advertising is what pays to news companies salaries so there is no doubt that their beliefs will come across in the news reports.
The news seems to have become more of an opinion based summary rather than an actual report with all facts included, so the audience can decide for themselves. Emotion and feelings can also cause the news to be slanted. If a news broadcaster in Pakistan is talking about America, the entire article may be biased to make America out as the bad guy. They're just giving the people what the news broadcaster thinks the people want to know. Our news giants are becoming less and less credible by not keeping their news balanced, and instead, only reporting what they think people should know.
When an event has recently occurred, whether it be happy or tragic, the numbers coming out it the news report may very well be educated guesses. For example, depending on which way a certain media station is biased, the number of fatalities in the U.S. attempt to take out a dangerous man in Pakistan can go from 27 to 12. In reality, the people who own the news corporations are the ones who decide what to tell, and what to withhold. Today, anything you read can only be confirmed after you check it with a third or fourth source, making sure the first report you heard wasn't chopped up and misleading.
The news seems to have become more of an opinion based summary rather than an actual report with all facts included, so the audience can decide for themselves. Emotion and feelings can also cause the news to be slanted. If a news broadcaster in Pakistan is talking about America, the entire article may be biased to make America out as the bad guy. They're just giving the people what the news broadcaster thinks the people want to know. Our news giants are becoming less and less credible by not keeping their news balanced, and instead, only reporting what they think people should know.
When an event has recently occurred, whether it be happy or tragic, the numbers coming out it the news report may very well be educated guesses. For example, depending on which way a certain media station is biased, the number of fatalities in the U.S. attempt to take out a dangerous man in Pakistan can go from 27 to 12. In reality, the people who own the news corporations are the ones who decide what to tell, and what to withhold. Today, anything you read can only be confirmed after you check it with a third or fourth source, making sure the first report you heard wasn't chopped up and misleading.
6.2.09
Graduation Speech
Ever since I discovered JeffcoNet I was able to see the truth in this quote from Goethe "Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Who would have thought my dream of going to school one day a week would come true? Seriously though. After spending about 4 years here, I am convinced I have some of the best and most understanding teachers in the world. Even with all the times I had to miss school the ONE day a week I had it for tennis tournaments, matches, or whatever my teachers didn't give me grief a single time. All of us students really appreciate everything both the teachers and faculty do to make JeffcoNet a reality. It is a great program they have going on here and I can only imagine it will grow for years to come.
When I started here, I thought online school would be easier, and that's because when I first started here, the only words I was focused one were "GO TO SCHOOL ONE DAY A WEEK" and for me very first weeks during orientation my focus was spot on but then everything changed. A new word was brought to my attention at the end of these two weeks. Self Motivation. This word must be beaten into your skull if you are going to be successful at online learning and by the time you are ready to graduate, you will have grown to dread it much like myself. Don't get me wrong, it does get easier as you do it more but man, every time I go to school now I realize how much easier it is working there. The feeling you get when stuck in a classroom and the feeling you get stuck in a room with your choice of the bed or computer....let me tell you....they are two very different things.
Anyways....I have said all I have to say so may I leave you now by thanking you all for listening to me, ranting on and on about my high school experience and the program I am enrolled in. I wish you all the best.
When I started here, I thought online school would be easier, and that's because when I first started here, the only words I was focused one were "GO TO SCHOOL ONE DAY A WEEK" and for me very first weeks during orientation my focus was spot on but then everything changed. A new word was brought to my attention at the end of these two weeks. Self Motivation. This word must be beaten into your skull if you are going to be successful at online learning and by the time you are ready to graduate, you will have grown to dread it much like myself. Don't get me wrong, it does get easier as you do it more but man, every time I go to school now I realize how much easier it is working there. The feeling you get when stuck in a classroom and the feeling you get stuck in a room with your choice of the bed or computer....let me tell you....they are two very different things.
Anyways....I have said all I have to say so may I leave you now by thanking you all for listening to me, ranting on and on about my high school experience and the program I am enrolled in. I wish you all the best.
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