Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: commentary, economy, education, politics, polls, whataretheythinking
Rasmussen Reports (http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/just_53_say_capitalism_better_than_socialism) a new poll today that just 54% of Americans prefer Capitalism over Socialism. What has happened to the United States? Has out education system become so bankrupt that we don’t understand the fundamental differences, and what this country was founded on? The polling is closest with adults under 30, possibly indicating the our education system is failing to communicate fundamental American values.
In addition to a gap in beliefs based on age, there is also a partisan gap as well. Republicans overwhelmingly support Capitalism by an 11 – 1 margin. Just 39% of Democrats support Capitalism, and Socialism garners 30% support from the Dems.
The Detroit News reported earlier this week that a family moves out of Michigan every 12-minutes.
Even worse, those migrating into Michigan are… less affluent and less educated. Michigan is in a systemic downward spiral, and can it be stopped. Our Governor is focused on alternative energy, and not finding ways to make existing base industries relevant again.
This state is a train wreck. Now to go check Monster and see what is happening in Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, or any number of other states that are not laggards.
When promises such as these are being made:
Obama Says USA will rebuild and emerge stronger…
Obama vows to increase number of soldiers…
Obama vows to seek cure for cancer ‘in our time’…
Obama says bank bailout may cost more than expected…
Obama promises universal EDUCATION THROUGH COLLEGE…
Obama promises universal health care…
Lets revisit a time when government was considered part of the problem and not the solution:
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Cognitive Overload, commentary, genY, learning, research
An interesting article in the Monitor on Psychlogy authored by Rebecca Clay suggests that multi-tasking by youth creates an environment for superficial learning and developing friendships.
Advocates of Gen Y have often preached that youth are excellent multi-taskers who can do all types of activities at the same time, and they can juggle these things because they grew up with it.
This article suggests that learning is in fact potentially impaired or stunted by multi-tasking. Further, that the technologies used to develop wide social networks, actually creates a network of superficial relationships, rather than friendships.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: commentary, education, Fairness, Testing, TPI, Training
I haven’t posted in awhile, and hate my first post of the new year to be a rant, but i must.
Is it no wonder that students hate taking tests! I’m teaching my first community college courses this semester, as a lowly adjunct instructor. That essentially means I have no control over content or syllabus – well a little creativity, but not much.
Last night, in my Introduction to Computers course, I proctored a required course pre-test. One question specifically asks about networking, and presented two totally wrong answers, and two correct answers. When I asked the course designer about this, she said she wanted the “best answer.”
What what the heck is the “best answer?” Maybe the best answer, happens to be the answer that represents what the student needs to use at home?
Regardless of the fact that one option is indeed best, because of a number of technical reasons — it still stands that I HATE BEST ANSWER tests. Teachers do not exist to trick students. If this is what I have to look forward to, maybe this won’t be a good match.
BTW: The question basically asked, you use what type of cable to connect your computer to a cable modem or router? The two potentially correct answers provided, were a USB Cable, or Ethernet Cable. Obviously, the Ethernet provides best performance. Regardless, there are two correct answers.
No matter what you think of President Bush, it is instances such as this that demonstrate what character is. For a President and Vice-President that has been demonized, it is clear that they anguish over decisions that have been made. Our highly polarized society needs to change. Republicans need to not necessarily embrace Obama, but at least work with him. And Lib’s just need to get over it.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: commentary, culture, economics, freakonomics, news, stupidity
I guess I had missed the bit of pop-culture news, that a three year old kid had a hard time getting his birthday cake personalized. One may ask, “whats the problem?” We it appears, that his parents are uneducated pranksters and named the kid Adolf Hitler Campbell. It appears that the bakery staff at a ShopRite wanted to demonstrate the outrageousness of this naming to the parents by refusing to personalize a cake with Adolf Hitler on it. A Wal-Mart store was a little less picky, and agreed to customizing a cake with the name. As an aside, one article I looked at indicated that the parents were holocaust deniers, but I was unable to confirm that. If true, the story is even more weird – they deny the holocaust, but yet want to recognize the monster and architect of the atrocities he didn’t commit… according to the deniers.
Back on topic… when reading this story, I immediately thought about the book Freakonomics. Dubner and Levitt explore the often unique names given to children. Their research indicates that odd (or just plain wrongly spelled) names given to children; often by parents from minority races handicaps the child in the light of teachers and later in the workplace. An immediate bias against the person because of the spelling of their name is created.
I wonder what little Adolf has to look forward too? Hopefully a name change when he is emancipated at age 18.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: commentary, Internet, politics
According to an article in MacWorld (http://www.macworld.com/article/140109/2009/04/broadband_embarrassment.html?lsrc=rss_main) the United States has the 2nd most Internet subscribers. The U.S. at 79 million subscribers, is only second to China with 83 million.
However, in terms of percentage of population connected, the United States lags at 25% – this is 15th out of 30 developed countries, where this metric was available.
Further, the United States also lags in speed and cost competitiveness compared to other nations. Many of the examples of greater bandwidth at the same or lower prices, come from countries where the telecommunications industry is highly subsidized. Therefore, the question is — how can the United States through policy create a more competitive atmosphere, for market based expansion and price competition?