Rigor Redefined

Tony Wagner's "Rigor Redefined" talks about students learning 21st century facts to help them get a good job. Wagner talked to a man by the name of Clay Parker, he's the president of the Chemical Management Division of BOC Edwards. Wagner asked him what skills he looks for in young people when being hired. Parker likes someone "who asks good questions," and "engage in good disscussion."

Wagner wasn't sure that Parker was looking for the right things, but after talking to many compants including Apple and the U.S. Army, he realized that the work force has changed alot. He also talks about the seven skills students need to master in the world of work.

Honestly i think students are getting plenty of education they need. We have business classes that we can take, if your into that. At Arapahoe students have to take a business class their freshman year. I think thats good. Students should get an idea of how to save money and run a business.

Wagner talks about students becoming "productive citizens who contribute to solving some of the most pressing issues we face in the 21st century." That's true. Like pollution. We should take a bigger role in that. Alot of teens want to save the earth, they try to push their parents to buy CFL light bulbs, but then parents complain about money, and paying for gas. But whatever.

Wagner is partially right, we should do a little more to help students prepare to the tough working world ahead of us, but the schools are on the right track for now.

Is the new digital age messing with our brain?

For my PLN this week, i'm writing about an article i saw called "Do digital diaries mess up your brain?" It talked about a new invention called the SenseCam, that can automatically capture photos of everything you see and do all day. Now-a-days most people rely on their iPhone's, Blackberry's, PDA's, etc., to keep track of appointments, important dates and maybe even memories, like a digital diary.

Using computers to find facts about a certain topic for school isn't a bad thing, just as long as the brain is being stimulated in other ways. Using electronic devices, helps to clear the mind, so the mind can concentrate on other more importain things in life.

I can relate to this becuase i've written in diaries and i've even made an electronic one on my computer, and i always put important dates in my phone, becuase usualy i would forget all of that stuff, like a friends birthday. So i think its important to have a phone of some kind or at least a personal computer, so you can have an electronic diary. Now-a-days alot of people don't want to write, in the future i see people being very lazy' technology will be so advanced that people will be able to talk to their computers and have it write an essay for them. TVs will be remoteless and you could talk to them as well.

In my opinion, technology is good, but its a privilage, i don't think we should abuse it.