Journal # 4: American Dream Essay Ideas

2/26/13: Journal 4 due.  Topic: Share your thoughts on Mauricio Garcia's talk to help you narrow down your American Dream essay topic.  What are your thoughts on immigration, both legal and illegal?

 So many people in the United States of America came here as immigrants.  Illegal immigrants tend to come to our country looking for a better life for themselves and their families as do legal immigrants seeking citizenship.  From the beginning, when our country was founded it started immigration to the "New World."  Irish immigrants came to the United States and many worked as slaves or servants just to survive as did many others from various parts of the world.  Slavery wasn't reserved strictly to any particular race but anyone who needed work and a place to stay.

  Immigration was nothing new to America. Except for Native Americans, all United States citizens can claim some immigrant experience, whether during prosperity or despair, brought by force or by choice. However, immigration to the United States reached its peak from 1880-1920. The so-called "old immigration" brought thousands of Irish and German people to the New World.  (http://www.ushistory.org/us/38c.asp)
Not all Americans welcomed immigrants then nor do they now.  Immigrants of the early days were forced to work as slaves and many were bought and sold like property.  Immigrants served as cheap labor and their owners knew they would work hard to avoid punishment and be able to keep working and living with a roof over their heads.  Some were treated harshly for their misgivings and were whipped or had food withheld. 

In the case of Mauricio Garcia’s story, his family sent him, his brother and cousin to the United States to keep them alive.  It was mentioned that boys around age 16 to 17 did not live long in El Salvador, many were killed.  Mauricio and his family members struggled to survive when they arrived in Florida on their way to New Jersey.  Not knowing how to speak English was a huge challenge for all three boys especially Mauricio.  Mauricio stated, “Teachers who teach English are saints.”  He also said, “Learning another language messes with your confidence.”  The one phrase mentioned that stood out was, “Just because you are comfortable doesn’t mean you are happy.”  It made me laugh when Mauricio said, “The two best things about the United States are: Bacon and Milky Way.”  It spoke volumes when he talked about his first job and how happy he was to get a promotion to “shoveling crap.”  Most Americans would not be happy doing a job that requires them to shovel animal waste but he was.  So when you think your life is rough, think about those people who fought to get here to gain a better quality of life and weren’t lucky enough to be born here.

Digital Media: The Bright Side

Digital Media: The Bright Side

            I found that the documentary touched on many facets of the digital nation.  The fact that our young people spend fifty plus hours in front of some kind of digital media per week is mind-blowing.  The anticipation of our children always reaching for their phone or computer instead of going outside to do a physical activity was unheard of when I was younger.  Many of our youth and adults alike are, “Hooked on Tronics.” (Dr. Gary Small, UCLA)  I argue that digital media can be helpful in our school settings if proper etiquette is taught and utilized.  Many classrooms in Korea have started teaching their students in second grade the proper uses for internet in and out of school.  Major corporations have utilized digital media to aid them in every day operations.

            My step-daughter spends more time texting or chatting on Facebook than she does playing outside.  In my childhood, we had video games but we were made to go outside and play to run off nervous energy, as my mother put it.  Many children suffer from obesity because they sit playing video games and snacking instead of engaging in physical activities like organized sports or even just playing on the playground.  The only time my sister and I spent hours playing video games was when we were trying to beat a level or the whole game.  It gave us bonding time.  Most children lose that bonding time because they would rather do their own thing that involves their electronic devices.  When Dr. Gary Small of UCLA stated that we are “Hooked on Tronics,” it made me laugh because it is so true.  So many individuals, both children and adults, use digital media to keep in touch with distant relatives or friends.  Some would argue that the use of digital media such as texting allows children to be more direct when holding conversations without the fear of reaction from the other person engaged in the conversation.  Of course digital media has seemingly taken over our world, but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 

            In the event that children are properly taught how to use the internet, it can be a valuable learning tool.   In Korea, students are learning the proper use of internet around the same time they are taught to read.  Korean second graders are using computers to gain valuable knowledge by allowing them to learn proper etiquette online.  Many schools in the United States use computers in their schools because it allows them access to valuable research tools via the internet.  The usage of the internet and computers within schools has been said to keep the students engaged more than if they attended standard lecture style classes.  Children are encouraged in some cases to partake in webcasts with students from other countries as part of a cooperative learning activity.  If the internet was not available in our schools such activities would not be possible.  In the documentary it showed that some schools distribute a laptop to each student within the school to encourage keeping up with their homework resulting in better grades. 

            Despite most companies limiting the content of internet usage in the office, they use virtual reality to conduct meetings. In January 2010, IBM’s Global Innovation Outlook team utilized a role playing software called Second Life to conduct meetings between national and international locations.  They chose to use this program to cut costs by not having to fly to meetings.  Each person who is supposed to attend customizes an avatar and then joins in on the conference event within the world.  The website offers voice recognition so that members can communicate verbally within the meeting.  It is equally interesting for each member when they create their avatars to see where their mind is going when they choose their features.  Most of the people portrayed in the scene for IBM have never met in person and are in different countries.  I believe that this software and others of its nature are going to become more widely used as a means to save companies money. 

            Generally speaking digital media isn’t a bad as many make it out to be.  If we did not have access to the internet, we would not be able to access valuable research information.  Children having access to digital media can be significant because it can be used for learning new information.  If children are taught the proper etiquette and usage for the internet in and out of school then the likelihood of abuse online is lessened.  It is my opinion that schools using technology such as computers to help their students become more engaged in learning is very effective for their educational development.  Many corporations utilize digital media on a daily basis.  Corporations are more likely to hold virtual meetings than in person because it cuts travel costs significantly. 

WORKS CITED

IBM dives into Second Life

Meeting, collaborating, and brainstorming in a virtual world

Shruti Gandhi, Technology Innovation Manager, IBM

January 19, 2010

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/library/os-social-secondlife/index.html

Is Generation Y too Hooked on ‘Tronics?

By Daniel Sieburg, posted February 11, 2009 at 1:58pm

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501464_162-4626122.html

Journal # 3: Digital Nation

2/12/13: Journal 3 due.  Topic: Share your thoughts on the film Digital Nation to help you narrow down your essay topic.  Are you part of the digital nation?  If so, what has your experience been?  If not, why not?

I found the documentary to be one of truth.  I agree that our society and that of the world is heavily dependant on digital media.  I own a smart phone, as do many others, and it keeps me constantly connected to the internet.  I found it intriguing that Korea teaches the proper use of digital media to first graders.  Teaching the proper etiquette to students around the world would greatly benefit everyone that uses the internet.  So many people abuse the internet and many are malicious with their intent.  I always looking things up on Google, my husband would say, “I am a chronic Googler.”  My phone is always within reach if I am awake.  I can Facebook on the go as well as using other various applications.  The most helpful is my navigation application.  I have lived in Jacksonville almost my entire life and there are still places I am not 100% positive on getting to without directions.  I have heard that excessive cell phone use can cause cancer but are they really studies to support such allegations?  The digital age is one that many people partake in including children.  My step-daughter has a cell phone and an IPod Touch and she is usually texting or surfing the net more often than she would read a book unless it were for school.  If you don’t have a computer or smart phone nowadays you are considered behind the times.  I do believe that is it easy to become addicted to digital media especially video or computer games.  I was once addicted to playing The Sims and would spend hours on end playing with little to no interaction with other people.  I actually had to see a chiropractor for neck and should pain from spending too much time in front of my computer clicking the mouse hour after hour.  On the weekend I could spend all my awake time in front of the computer, even consuming meals while watching my Sims go through their daily lives.  Internet intake should be limited to where it does not interfere with regular daily actives or sleep.

Journal Entry # 2 Reality Television

2/5/13: Journal 2 due.  Topic: Reread the essays regarding reality television on pages 93-110 in your text.  Write a journal response on your opinion of reality television. 

I personally do not like to watch many of the reality television programs that seemingly keep increasing.  I can't sit and watch a program about the "Real Wives" of any city or deciding who you are going to marry by competing against 24-30 others all living in the same house.  Reality television is typically not about real life situations but yet so many are sucked into the shows week after week.  Many people watch so many different reality shows they have a hard time telling what is real and what is not real in the "real" world around them.  Bryant Paul said it best, "The novelty is wearing off."  Every time I turn on the television it seems like there is a new reality show available.  Today's society use reality television to escape their real lives.  We live in a world of voyeurs.  We will sit and watch others making a fool of themselves at the chance to win something or in hopes they might become famous.  The New Statesman blamed not only reality viewers but also participants for the culture of voyeurism. Nearly a year after that article, a Newsweek headline read: "Another reality show, another IQ point disappears."  Mindless television equals mindless people?  The basic needs of reality viewers proved that truth is sometimes scarier than fiction.  Some people like reality television because it makes them feel more important or superior to those they are watching.  Johnny Knoxville's series of shows and movies showcase that someone is willing to watch others purposely humiliate themselves and the empire of "Jackass" is still thriving.  I, like so many others, have sat and laughed at the antics of Johnny and Steve-O and the other cast members as they purposely injured themselves.  Waite and Booker would classify this as "humilitainment," which is the tendency for viewers to be attracted to spectacular mortification.  I don't think that all people watch reality television as a means of escape but as solely for non-judgmental entertainment. 

References and Notes:
Reiss, S., & Wiltz, J. (2004). Why people watch reality TV. Media Psychology, 6, 363-378

Annette T. Rottenburg & Donna Haisty Winchell (2012). Elements of Argument A Text and Reader, Tenth Edition, 3, 93-101.