Wikipedia Vs. Textbooks

Is Wikipedia just as reliable as a textbook? Could Wikipedia , at times, be more reliable than a textbook? In my opinion the answer is yes. When Googling a topic for research the first thing that appears is always Wikipedia. Wikipedia is know for being  unreliable because it's believed "anyone" can edit it and say what they want. However, that's not entirely true. 

Wikipedia, though it can be changed, is monitored by credible people who know about the subject. If someone adds a false statement ,though it will be there for a little while and maybe a few will see it, the monitors will change it. All information on Wikipedia has links to where it came from and isn't biased. If a statement is biased once again, the monitors will reword it. 

Typically, a textbook is a combination of other textbooks. Each "new" edition isn't really new at all. A textbook can tend to have basic coverage on certain subjects. The Wounded Knee Massacre ,in a typical textbook, states that someone fired a shot and then killing broke out. However, the Wikipedia article gives eyewitness accounts from both sides. 

I feel Wikipedia is a pretty reliable source to get a general idea on a subject. However since at times you may be looking at an article that was edited and hasn't been reviewed yet, it may be wise to use the links they provide as a more concrete source. 

Video Games and our Brain

I think video games have a positive effect on your brain when played in moderation, but probably not so much on your body. Research shows that playing action video games improves eye sight, and cognitive ability. Daphne Bavelier's  research shows people who play video games can track twice as many objects as the average person and eyesight improves by at least two lines on the eye chart. However, I can't see how sitting for long periods of time or the typical junk food snacks you eat while playing the games are positively effecting your body. It's widely known that junk food is bad for your health yet they are the snacks we tend to eat the most, especially while relaxing, watching a movie, or playing video games. Recently several studies have shown that sitting is very bad for your health as well. It raises your risk of diabetes,heart disease and some cancers. So, I believe video games are both beneficial and hurtful depending on the circumstances.

Your Brain on Video Games Talk with Daphne Bavelier

Our Brains on Video Games

I used to think that video gaming hurt your eyes and could turn you violent if you played violent shooting games but now I think that's not so true. Its highly unlikely that a person would turn viololent because of a game. I learnt gaming actually helps with hand eye coordination and cognitive skills as well as many other things.Three things I learned today are video games improve cognitive skills, they are wired to egnite pleasure in the brain, and they actually help the brain grow, but the most important thing I learned is video games aren't as bad as everyone wants you to believe.

How Games make Kids Smarter Talk with Gabe Zichermann

Texting...is it helping us?

I think texting is both helping and hurting people. I don't think texting helps with spelling because by abbreviating everything you forget or don't learn how to actually spell the word. Also it doesn't help with correct punctuation or complete sentences. However, it does help with creativity, phonology, and reading. It helps you to think creatively when you are coming up with words or creating figures from simple dashes and parenthesis as all as helps you with phonology because you have to process how a word is spelt and sounds and find an abbreviation that makes sense. As the article Can Texing Help with Spelling says "To abbreviate message as msg or tonight as 2nite, you have to understand how sounds and letters work, or how words are put together." It helps with reading as well for obvious reasons you have to read the texts.

Txtng is Killing Language. JK!! Talk with John Mcwhorter

Is texting making us bad writers?

The average American teen, you may not be shocked to discover, texts a lot: 3,339 messages per month, according to a recent Nielsen survey. 

Fact: Texting helps students read.

Fact: Texting boosts phonology.

Fact: Students know when not to text.

Fact: Texting is a fun way to play with words.

Fact: Inventing new textisms is creative.

Fact: Textisms have historical roots.

Fact: Texting does not distract students.

Texting in many ways help people to be more aware of spelling pronunciation and more. Many people view it as destroying the language and making children stupid. If you  research the subject though you'll find that its not hurting the language or children its helping it.

Education Needs a Digital-Age Upgrade-Virginia Heffernan

Education Needs a Digital Upgrade

Today most classrooms involve very little technology besides your occasional PowerPoint, projecting a laptop image, or computer class. Today technology is such a big part of everyday life and our education system should start using technology in a bigger way on a daily basis. The world is constantly changing and we need to keep up. Children today already grow up in their homes knowing how to use some form technology. So, why not continue that in the class room and teach them things they are going to need to know as they get older and technology continues to expand. I think people aren't incorporating technology into teaching for a few reasons... they are set in their ways and they are afraid it will ruin the children's minds. As Mrs. Davidson stated, "Pundits may be asking if the Internet is bad for our children’s mental development, but the better question is whether the form of learning and knowledge-making we are instilling in our children is useful to their future.”

In this video the children are using multiple different devices and programs to learn with technology. It shows me that these children have grown up with some form of technology and they learn how to use it easily. It also shows me that some schools are trying to incorporate technology on a bigger scale.

 

http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education

 

This article addresses the ever changing and growing technology in our world.It states the skills children need to learn today and how we can help them learn and grow with technology. As the writer states "We have no idea of what the world will look in five years, much less 60 years, yet we are charged with preparing our students for life in that world."