Online reading comprehension

"Small Differences Matter: The DNA of Online Reading Comprehension" By Greg McVerry relates and differentiates our genetic code to online reading and traditional reading.  

The differences seem to outweigh the comparisons but that seems to be because not all students have had the time to be able to learn how to work with the internet.  I can connect this part of the article to another article we had to read about how people who live in poorer areas, never get a chance to use computers.  Everything is online now and if you are unsure of the computer and how to use the internet, then you may be plagiarizing and using non credible sources.  

Although, children who do have a background of using the internet still outperform those children who do not have the background; but are they going about it the correct way?

I think students learn by doing and by trial and error & "skilled online readers “manipulate and

mold information to achieve a higher goal” (Kaku, 2014, chapter 7, 24:26)."

For our maker monday challenge, we discussed how we would teach children about how to synthesize, analyzes etc online.  Our group talked about synthesizing online information.  We talked about how we used to have to do papers on a person of our choice and our teacher would make us use at least three references and then we had to do that awful peer editing and make a bunch of rough drafts before we could hand in a final draft.  This exercise, our group agreed, was a great for learning how to synthesize online data even though we all hated it as kids.  The kids learn to take info from online and in books and other places and read them, put it into their own words, then make it into a paper. But only after a couple times did we really get how to take information from all different sites to  make one idea on paper.  The peer editing part touches on analyzing other people's information to see if it makes sense or if they're just copying other people's information and not making it their own.  The more navigational and comprehension strategies the students learn the better they will get.

https://medium.com/digital-teaching-and-learning/small-differences-matter-the-dna-of-online-reading-comprehension-707d880959ea#.6w7a3l55s

X-Ray Goggles on Robert Walkers Bio Page

While playing around with x-ray goggles on the internet... it really made me realize how easy it is to manipulate anything you see on the internet.  Last week I was able to tell everyone I won the lotto (even though I didn't) and people actually believed me! It really made me think twice about the articles I read online now. This week I changed a bio page of a scientist and made him extremely un credible. Check it out!

http://amandahasiotis.makes.org/goggles/amandahasiotiss-remix-of-robert-walkers-profile-science-20

Grades; the good and the bad.

Lately on facebook I've been seeing a lot of my friends, who are also in college, posting articles about grades. A few articles I've read because I have been feeling down in the dumps about the grades I've been getting. I study so hard all the time for all my tests or quizzes that I have. Sure just like every other student I may forget about something and therefore my study time isn't as great as it could have been but for the most part I study like crazy.  There no feeling quite like the one where you think you did awesome on a test or quiz and then seeing that you failed. It crushes you self esteem. The articles I have been reading basically are trying to help students understand that a couple bad grades are okay. Things happen. These bad grades don't define you. Although it would be wonderful to be a straight A student... it's not always possible.  Students today are stressed out beyond belief, we work we go to school and some take care of their families, some have kids, you never know what other people are going through. "In a report by Counseling and Psychological Services, 51 percent of clients report working, with six percent working more than 40 hours per week. A full-time student takes 12 credits and should set aside six to nine hours to study for each class. Therefore, a full-time student who works a part-time job should spend 48 hours studying, about 10 hours commuting, 35 hours working and a suggested 56 hours sleeping every week. That leaves only 19 hours out of the 168 hours a week to socialize, maintain a healthy lifestyle and attend to family obligations." (https://news.fiu.edu/2015/04/surveys-show-increase-in-stress-among-college-students/86911). How are we expected to pay our way through college while being a full time student and leaving time for us to study and sleep? You see right above here the hours needed. That literally leave no time to talk to friends or eat. Our money is going to school, rent, car, phone, and then they wonder why there is a freshman 15. How can we afford a 7$ salad when there is a 2$ burger and fries.  ( I could get into obesity here but I want to continue with stress.) I've read a lot about suicide in college students because of the stress they're under. "“According to the American College Health Association (ACHA) the suicide rate among young adults, ages 15-24, has tripled since the 1950s and suicide is currently the second most common cause of death among college students…" (http://www.resilientus.org/college-and-teen-suicide-statistics/). How many more students have to complain, speak out or attempt self harm for us to see that something isn't right? The pressure to be perfect isn't something we should be striving for.  I want to learn and experience new things while I'm in college. I want to make more friends and do fun things when I don't have to work. I don't believe I should be tied up in my house, staying up till 1 or 2 EVERY NIGHT trying to get my homework done and study. And if I am inside studying every night why am I not getting good grades? I've decided... bad grades will come and I cannot let it bring me down. I will keep trying my hardest and life will go on. To students everywhere... Life will go on. It will get better!

Nepal has a female president !

Have you heard?

I just did.

Nepal has a female president!

I hope you're excited.

I think this is a huge deal because of Nepal being such a male dominated area. 

I know its always a big deal when female politicians run for anything in the U.S. 
Her name is Bidhya Devi Bhandari, 54 years old, and was the deputy leader of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist and that she served as defense minister from 2009-2011.
I was reading up on her background and found out that  she is an advocate for woman's rights and passed a new constitution makes it mandatory that one-third of that nation's lawmakers be women. It also requires that women are part of all government committees. 
An Article says Nepal is a very male dominated place to be and woman are usually working in the homes or out on the farms. This is such a huge step not only for Nepal but for women everywhere. This could open doors for other places to finally take the leap for women to be in big positions in the law or even other jobs.  Bhandari won her election with votes of 327-214. Also, she is only the second person to hold this position since Nepal abolished its monarchy and became a republic in 2008.
Not only is she the first woman president for Nepal, but the first president since 2008!
I also read an interesting fact about her. It said that she was elected to parliament after her husband was killed in a "mysterious car crash". 
Odd...
Anyways, this gives me hope that the world is changing with the times and I hope its all going to continue to get better. 
Im all for change and equality so i'm excited!
woohoo!

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/10/29/452833992/nepal-makes-history-by-electing-its-first-female-president