There are many different types of ecosystems in the world, some of which are more diverse than others. Rainforests are extremely diverse ecosystems that are very important to the well-being of the earth. Unfortunately, because of humans, plant and animal species in rainforests have been dying off at a very fast rate. Humans need to take the steps necessary to protect rain forests from further destruction.
In total, tropical rainforests cover seven percent of the earth’s surface, yet they contain over 50% of the world’s plant and animal species. In any ecosystem, all native plant and animal species play an important role in ecological function. The Amazonian basin may be the most diverse ecosystem on earth. It’s diversity is due to the low latitudes near the equator which allows daylight to be constant year round with more variation in daylight the further from the equator. There are millions of species that live in the Amazonian rainforest, all of which are very important in helping create healthy species interactions. When any species becomes extinct, it has a negative affect many other species (Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1995).
There are many different layers of vegetation in the Amazonian rainforest, all of which are almost individual ecosystems. There is the forest floor, then a layer of smaller trees which make up the majority of the understory, and then the larger species of trees that extend up into the canopy and over-story. The larger tree species can grow to over 150 feet tall (Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1995). These are the trees that loggers have been cutting down for many years (Chew, 2001). Even though most of the Amazonian region receives at least 12 hours of light every day year round, not much light reaches the forest floor due to the layers of broad leafed trees (Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1995). The mass amount of vegetation in the rain forest creates a huge percentage of the worlds oxygen, which is one of the many reasons this rainforest is so important to us (Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1995; Zeng, 1995).
Some of the animals that inhabit this diverse ecosystem include jaguars, giant anteaters, the giant armadillo, howler monkeys, spider monkeys, sloths, and Tapirs. There are many species of beetles present in the Amazonian rainforest, which make up about 25% of the worlds described animal species. Ants make up approximately 30% of the animal biomass in the Amazon basin. One tree alone in Peru was noted for having over 43 different ant species living on it. In the Manu National Park in Peru there are 1300 species of butterflies present. Insects make up approximately 90% of the animal species in the Amazon rainforest (Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1995). It is hard to comprehend the magnitude in scale of such a diverse ecosystem; unfortunately, it is quickly going into a downward spiral.
The Amazonian rain forests have low nutrient availability, and when a disturbance takes place, if the small amount of nutrients available are destroyed or moved, then the speed of succession will greatly decrease until the nutrients become available again. The rainforests’ ecosystem is very vulnerable to disturbances, because secondary succession depends greatly on nutrient availability and seedling regeneration. Some of these disturbances are fires, flooding, land-use practices, and global warming. These disturbances are important determinants that directly influence the landscape in different ways. Some of them are good for the ecosystem, and some are not. Lately there has been much more negative disturbances than good ones. (Chew, 2001)
It is because of human intervention that the Amazonian rain forest is quickly becoming smaller and is loosing it’s biodiversity. In the last 40 years, close to 20% of the Amazonian forest has been cut down. Small-scale agricultural farmers, ranchers, and the global warming are the main destructive factors, but there are also many other causes of the deforestation of the Amazon (Chew, 2001). There are a large number of roads, some of which are legal but most are illegal, that go through the Amazon forest. These roads have been made primarily for logging and the transportation of soybeans and other produce. These roads give illegal loggers and settlers access to the inner forest, increasing the deforestation rate (Wallace, 2007). Brazil’s land ownership policies are a big cause of deforestation of the Amazon rain forest. The ownership polices encourage poor farmers to settle on unclaimed public land, because if they use the land for five years, they can the claim ownership (Wallace, 2007; Chew, 2001). Cattle farms are the largest cause of deforestation in the Amazon. Beef is raised and processed in the Amazon area, then is exported to all over the world. (Chew, 2001) The reasons for decreasing biodiversity in the Amazon rain forest are extensive, but could be put to an end.
The Amazon forest is a place that needs to be protected. There is a solution to the deforestation and diminishing of biodiversity problems. What the countries surrounding rainforest can do to help prevent deforestation is give harsher and better enforced punishment for illegal logging. Brazil should change its land ownership laws. South American countries should try to prevent more roads from being made that go through the forest. The biggest thing North Americans and Europeans can do to prevent deforestation is to buy locally grown/raised food. Cattle are strong animals, which can live almost anywhere that humans can. If everyone bought locally raised beef, it would not only substantially cut down on deforestation, and it would also cut down on the pollution caused by shipping the food. This process can also be applied to soybeans. The products that can’t be grown in one’s local environment, such as bananas and coffee, should be used in moderation. Buying foods grown locally is good for the environment and good for your body because they do not need to have preservatives. These are mostly simple, doable changes that can greatly help prevent further destruction of our earth.
The Amazon rainforest is an extremely diverse ecosystem that helps sustain the life of every creature on earth. Rainforests are important to humans because they absorb much of the excessive carbon dioxide emissions we put out, they are beautiful, and many other reasons (Vandermeer & Perfecto, 1995)! Unfortunately, we are failing at sustaining these precious ecosystems. If we don’t protect the rainforest from further destruction, we will be losing so much. Please help take care of our earth; we aren’t going to get another one! Bibliography
Vandermeer, J., & Perfecto I. (1995). Breakfast of Biodiversity: The Truth About Rain Forest Destruction. The Institute for Food and Development Policy.
Chew, S. World Ecological Degradation: Accumulation, Urbanization, and Deforestation 3000 BC - AD 2000. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC.
Zeng, N., Dickinson, R., Zeng, X. (1995) Climatic Impact of Amazon Deforestation- A Mechanistic Model Study. Tucson, AZ: Institute of Atomspheric Physics, University of Arizona.
Wallace, S. (2007). Last of the Amazon. National Geographic.
Showing posts with label USEM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USEM. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Group Essay: ADHD
It is becoming more common to see children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. These disorders have been used to explain why kids are increasingly hyperactive and inattentive. Children are then prescribed medication; the most common used medications are Ritalin and Adderall. But, because there is no actual test for ADD/ADHD, doctors are forced to guess based on an overall evaluation. With new medical advances and more and more medication to treat this “defect,” more children are being diagnosed and prescribed medication. Medication, though helpful, is not the only way a child can be treated for ADD/ADHD; therefore doctors should not just rely on medication to treat ADD/ADHD in children.
scientists started believing that ADD was largely genetic. ADD researchers assumed that our population was going through large scale genetic mutations. By 1990 experts on Attention Deficit Disorder began to see ADD not as a disorder, but as a natural condition. They believe that it left ADD people with disadvantages in certain modern settings, but advantages when it came to things like creativity. Today the diagnosis is so broad that millions of children are getting labeled as being ADD. (Gallagher, 1999) Now is that good or bad?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a common condition that is affecting close to 7 percent of children in grade school age. ADHD is more common for boys, but in girls it may be under diagnosed. There are three different types of ADHD disorders. The first is ADHD mainly inattentive, this is commonly known as ADD. The second is ADHD mainly hyperactive-impulsive. And the third is ADHD which is the first two combined, which is considered to be the worst state of ADHD to have. The basic definition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is an impairment of either activity or attention control or it could be both. There are many symptoms specialist use to diagnose ADHD, which include a child always on the go, does not settle to anything, has poor concentration, poor ability to organize activities, unable to engage in tedious activities or tasks requiring sustained mental effort, and a child who cannot stay still or wait for others. Both ADD and ADHD are very similar in certain ways such as children being unable to focus, sit for long periods of time, and have poor abilities when it comes to organization. But the difference is that ADHD is an advanced form of ADD (Gillberg, 2003).
The exact cause of ADD/ADHD has not been determined (Low, 2009). However, parents are thought to be potential predictors of ADHD in children since behaviors seem to run in families. Some of the symptoms can be linked to smoking, alcohol consumption and or the poor health of the mother during pregnancy plus poor infant health, and delayed motor and language development (Stein, 1999). In a study at McGill University, researchers separated newborn rats from their mothers for either 15 minutes or six hours a day. One of the researchers, biologist Michael Meaney, reported that he had found receptors for certain brain chemicals and the gene for the receptors are both altered as a result of stress of separation in the six-hour group (Begley, 1996). Therefore one could say that the stress of both mom and dad working produces ADHD like symptoms in children raised in a modern household so it does not necessarily have a genetic link at all.
When it comes to diagnosing these particular disorders it becomes very complicated. The reason it becomes difficult is because every doctor and specialist in the field of ADD/ADHD has different opinions and different ways of going about diagnosing their patients. Ideally a doctor when diagnosing a child would go through every aspect and angle possible before assuming that the child has ADD or ADHD, but that does not always happen. Some doctors recommend a large battery of test that often cause thousands of dollars worth of bills towards the family. While others are considered to be hurried physicians which only give a brief rating and then diagnose and prescribe treatments. And with these two extremes neither of these are for the best interests of the patients (BMJ, 2008 & Gallagher, 1999).
When children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, they are given a variety of pills in order to “help” them focus better. But do these drugs actually do what they are supposed to? Ritalin and Adderall are the most commonly used psycho-stimulants to treat ADD/ADHD, but Concerta, Metadate, Dexodrine, Dextrostrat, Desoxyn, Gradumet, and Cylert are also used. Ritalin contains a major “WARNING” section on the label. The first two warnings are of extreme importance and should be shown full attention by anyone who is possibly going to take this drug. The warnings are as followed:
• “Ritalin should not be used in children under six years of age, since safety and efficacy for this age group have not been established.” (even though there are many cases where children under this age are taking Ritalin because they have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD).
• “Sufficient data on safety and efficacy of long-term use of Ritalin in children are not yet available.” Considering what this drug can do to an adolescent brain and body within a reasonably short period of time, why would a parent have their child to be in a study using these kinds of stimulants? (Breggin)
The drugs doctors are prescribing to our kids are quite similar to the drugs we are trying to rid from our society, such as speed. These drugs are more readily given out to children because it is easier instead of trying to meet that child’s genuine needs. These drugs can cause addiction and dependency problems and a range of stimulant-abuse problems. For example, a child can become a lifelong dependent of drugs and tobacco if over-prescribed. When a habit develops early on, there is a greater tendency for it to become a lifelong pattern. Children who smoke tobacco or who are given stimulants, such as Ritalin, develop the habit of using these things as a crutch to deal with emotions or outrageous behavior. Nicotine and stimulants can change the child’s development of the brain, which can make it dependent on these substances. This can induce further use later on in life. (Breggin, 2001)
Younger children and adolescents taking these drugs can experience severe side effects. These medications can cause shrinking in the brain, decreased appetite which can lead to anorexia, and an increase in insomnia. These are just a select few of the more known side effects that can occur within 20 days of taking these drugs. The symptoms do not include what happens to the child in a long period of time because there is not enough research done in those areas for ADD/ADHD stimulants. Even more harmful side effects have been known to occur in the following stimulants; Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Concerta, and Metadate. The side effects can include depression, aggression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, convulsions, headaches, abnormal heart beats, cardiac arrest, and also heart disease (Breggin, 2001& US, 2002).
Since stimulants can be harmful to young children and young adults there are many alternatives that also help with the needs of a supposed ADD/ADHD child. Those alternatives include the most common ATTEND and Strattera. ATTEND is a natural based drug that is used to treat symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Even though it is made up of natural ingredients it still shows 70% improvement for a child in areas of focusing on certain tasks, self control, response time, and consistency. ATTEND is a good alternative because Ritalin and Adderall only show up to 10% more improvement over ATTEND in these areas. On the other hand Strattera only shows about 60% of improvement in these areas, but since it is not a stimulant it is still a better choice when comparing to actual stimulants used for ADD/ADHD. This is because Strattera does not cause as severe medical conditions as the stimulants do (Gillberg, 2003).
Educators do not consider Ritalin as the first treatment for children diagnosed with ADHD. Therefore, teachers in the classroom have gone to great strides to help these kids get through the day. These methods could be put in place of medication to help the child cope with ADHD and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. Teachers have found that by putting a sort of points system into the classroom, it can motivate these children to want to do things like homework and classroom chores, making it fun rather than time consuming. This type of “medication” is also known as Behavioral Therapy (Peter, 2001). Early elementary students have a much harder time concentrating, so aides or even the counselors may come into the classroom to sit with that child. Giving these kids as much one on one attention as possible helps them to better understand the lesson. (Everett, 1999)
Other methods include Psychotherapy, and Parent Skills Training. Psychotherapy consists of a series of visits to a trained counselor so the child may be able to talk out their issue and deal with them in a healthy manner. Parent Skills Training is where the parents go through workshops to learn how to deal with and help an ADHD child. These parents learn about how to make chores fun and how to use a point system in the house to give the child something to look forward to. This instills a sense of pride into a child who may not be feeling very proud of themselves.
The parent of an ADHD child will find it more effective to give clear instructions, rearrange work so it’s more interesting and motivating, redirect the child’s behavior toward future goals verses immediate gratification, and provide immediate awards for a completed task or adherence to rules (Barkely, 1995).
There are several general principles that might help a parent with an ADHD child. When children are finding their activity boring or unrewarding a parent can arrange for positive, frequent feedback and consequences to help keep them on task. Positive feedback can be putting what the child had done in a positive light. Using physical affection extra privileges or rewards. Consequences should encourage parents to use incentives before punishment when an ADHD child misbehaves. A simple rule is positives before negatives because ADHD children receive enough reprimands and everyone responds well to praise (Barkely, 1995).
Difficult-to-manage children may cause parents to become angered, embarrassed, or frustrated. Parents should always remember they are the adult, and should behave reasonably, fairly and rationally. Don’t let behavior problems become a contest, stay calm, and maintain a sense of humor. And know you’re not a bad parent when things don’t go exactly as you planned.
In summary, it has been concluded that in most cases children are being over diagnosed and medicated. We believe is that Physicians, Teachers, and Psychiatrists need to be more careful when dealing with these two disorders. They need to not assume that just because a child is showing certain behaviors or distinct differences that it should automatically be concluded as ADD/ADHD. They need to not make excuses for children that are simply just not interested in certain topics, they need to be 100% sure that a child has Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These disorders are serious conditions when accurately diagnosed to a child, so until there is an accurate test for ADD/ADHD then it should not be taken lightly.
scientists started believing that ADD was largely genetic. ADD researchers assumed that our population was going through large scale genetic mutations. By 1990 experts on Attention Deficit Disorder began to see ADD not as a disorder, but as a natural condition. They believe that it left ADD people with disadvantages in certain modern settings, but advantages when it came to things like creativity. Today the diagnosis is so broad that millions of children are getting labeled as being ADD. (Gallagher, 1999) Now is that good or bad?
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is a common condition that is affecting close to 7 percent of children in grade school age. ADHD is more common for boys, but in girls it may be under diagnosed. There are three different types of ADHD disorders. The first is ADHD mainly inattentive, this is commonly known as ADD. The second is ADHD mainly hyperactive-impulsive. And the third is ADHD which is the first two combined, which is considered to be the worst state of ADHD to have. The basic definition of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is an impairment of either activity or attention control or it could be both. There are many symptoms specialist use to diagnose ADHD, which include a child always on the go, does not settle to anything, has poor concentration, poor ability to organize activities, unable to engage in tedious activities or tasks requiring sustained mental effort, and a child who cannot stay still or wait for others. Both ADD and ADHD are very similar in certain ways such as children being unable to focus, sit for long periods of time, and have poor abilities when it comes to organization. But the difference is that ADHD is an advanced form of ADD (Gillberg, 2003).
The exact cause of ADD/ADHD has not been determined (Low, 2009). However, parents are thought to be potential predictors of ADHD in children since behaviors seem to run in families. Some of the symptoms can be linked to smoking, alcohol consumption and or the poor health of the mother during pregnancy plus poor infant health, and delayed motor and language development (Stein, 1999). In a study at McGill University, researchers separated newborn rats from their mothers for either 15 minutes or six hours a day. One of the researchers, biologist Michael Meaney, reported that he had found receptors for certain brain chemicals and the gene for the receptors are both altered as a result of stress of separation in the six-hour group (Begley, 1996). Therefore one could say that the stress of both mom and dad working produces ADHD like symptoms in children raised in a modern household so it does not necessarily have a genetic link at all.
When it comes to diagnosing these particular disorders it becomes very complicated. The reason it becomes difficult is because every doctor and specialist in the field of ADD/ADHD has different opinions and different ways of going about diagnosing their patients. Ideally a doctor when diagnosing a child would go through every aspect and angle possible before assuming that the child has ADD or ADHD, but that does not always happen. Some doctors recommend a large battery of test that often cause thousands of dollars worth of bills towards the family. While others are considered to be hurried physicians which only give a brief rating and then diagnose and prescribe treatments. And with these two extremes neither of these are for the best interests of the patients (BMJ, 2008 & Gallagher, 1999).
When children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, they are given a variety of pills in order to “help” them focus better. But do these drugs actually do what they are supposed to? Ritalin and Adderall are the most commonly used psycho-stimulants to treat ADD/ADHD, but Concerta, Metadate, Dexodrine, Dextrostrat, Desoxyn, Gradumet, and Cylert are also used. Ritalin contains a major “WARNING” section on the label. The first two warnings are of extreme importance and should be shown full attention by anyone who is possibly going to take this drug. The warnings are as followed:
• “Ritalin should not be used in children under six years of age, since safety and efficacy for this age group have not been established.” (even though there are many cases where children under this age are taking Ritalin because they have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD).
• “Sufficient data on safety and efficacy of long-term use of Ritalin in children are not yet available.” Considering what this drug can do to an adolescent brain and body within a reasonably short period of time, why would a parent have their child to be in a study using these kinds of stimulants? (Breggin)
The drugs doctors are prescribing to our kids are quite similar to the drugs we are trying to rid from our society, such as speed. These drugs are more readily given out to children because it is easier instead of trying to meet that child’s genuine needs. These drugs can cause addiction and dependency problems and a range of stimulant-abuse problems. For example, a child can become a lifelong dependent of drugs and tobacco if over-prescribed. When a habit develops early on, there is a greater tendency for it to become a lifelong pattern. Children who smoke tobacco or who are given stimulants, such as Ritalin, develop the habit of using these things as a crutch to deal with emotions or outrageous behavior. Nicotine and stimulants can change the child’s development of the brain, which can make it dependent on these substances. This can induce further use later on in life. (Breggin, 2001)
Younger children and adolescents taking these drugs can experience severe side effects. These medications can cause shrinking in the brain, decreased appetite which can lead to anorexia, and an increase in insomnia. These are just a select few of the more known side effects that can occur within 20 days of taking these drugs. The symptoms do not include what happens to the child in a long period of time because there is not enough research done in those areas for ADD/ADHD stimulants. Even more harmful side effects have been known to occur in the following stimulants; Ritalin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Concerta, and Metadate. The side effects can include depression, aggression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, convulsions, headaches, abnormal heart beats, cardiac arrest, and also heart disease (Breggin, 2001& US, 2002).
Since stimulants can be harmful to young children and young adults there are many alternatives that also help with the needs of a supposed ADD/ADHD child. Those alternatives include the most common ATTEND and Strattera. ATTEND is a natural based drug that is used to treat symptoms of ADD/ADHD. Even though it is made up of natural ingredients it still shows 70% improvement for a child in areas of focusing on certain tasks, self control, response time, and consistency. ATTEND is a good alternative because Ritalin and Adderall only show up to 10% more improvement over ATTEND in these areas. On the other hand Strattera only shows about 60% of improvement in these areas, but since it is not a stimulant it is still a better choice when comparing to actual stimulants used for ADD/ADHD. This is because Strattera does not cause as severe medical conditions as the stimulants do (Gillberg, 2003).
Educators do not consider Ritalin as the first treatment for children diagnosed with ADHD. Therefore, teachers in the classroom have gone to great strides to help these kids get through the day. These methods could be put in place of medication to help the child cope with ADHD and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. Teachers have found that by putting a sort of points system into the classroom, it can motivate these children to want to do things like homework and classroom chores, making it fun rather than time consuming. This type of “medication” is also known as Behavioral Therapy (Peter, 2001). Early elementary students have a much harder time concentrating, so aides or even the counselors may come into the classroom to sit with that child. Giving these kids as much one on one attention as possible helps them to better understand the lesson. (Everett, 1999)
Other methods include Psychotherapy, and Parent Skills Training. Psychotherapy consists of a series of visits to a trained counselor so the child may be able to talk out their issue and deal with them in a healthy manner. Parent Skills Training is where the parents go through workshops to learn how to deal with and help an ADHD child. These parents learn about how to make chores fun and how to use a point system in the house to give the child something to look forward to. This instills a sense of pride into a child who may not be feeling very proud of themselves.
The parent of an ADHD child will find it more effective to give clear instructions, rearrange work so it’s more interesting and motivating, redirect the child’s behavior toward future goals verses immediate gratification, and provide immediate awards for a completed task or adherence to rules (Barkely, 1995).
There are several general principles that might help a parent with an ADHD child. When children are finding their activity boring or unrewarding a parent can arrange for positive, frequent feedback and consequences to help keep them on task. Positive feedback can be putting what the child had done in a positive light. Using physical affection extra privileges or rewards. Consequences should encourage parents to use incentives before punishment when an ADHD child misbehaves. A simple rule is positives before negatives because ADHD children receive enough reprimands and everyone responds well to praise (Barkely, 1995).
Difficult-to-manage children may cause parents to become angered, embarrassed, or frustrated. Parents should always remember they are the adult, and should behave reasonably, fairly and rationally. Don’t let behavior problems become a contest, stay calm, and maintain a sense of humor. And know you’re not a bad parent when things don’t go exactly as you planned.
In summary, it has been concluded that in most cases children are being over diagnosed and medicated. We believe is that Physicians, Teachers, and Psychiatrists need to be more careful when dealing with these two disorders. They need to not assume that just because a child is showing certain behaviors or distinct differences that it should automatically be concluded as ADD/ADHD. They need to not make excuses for children that are simply just not interested in certain topics, they need to be 100% sure that a child has Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These disorders are serious conditions when accurately diagnosed to a child, so until there is an accurate test for ADD/ADHD then it should not be taken lightly.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Diagnostic Essay: Do we Need to get Serious about Exploring Biological Diversity?
The author of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation essay believes that we should learn about as many different species of animals as possible, because there is no way to protect them from extinction if we don’t know that they exist. I don’t know enough about this topic to decide weather or not it is necessary to learn about all the different species. What I do know is that species are becoming extinct at very quick rates, biodiversity is important, and that documentation and research of rare species would be a very costly and time consuming for many people. Ecosystems all around the world are loosing biodiversity at a very fast rate. It may be necessary to document the extinctions in order to inform people of what is happening so that they can attempt to change it. On the other hand, in some ecosystems there is so many different species that it would just be a expensive, never-ending process. It could be basically pointless because we would never be able to know about enough of them to come to conclusions of how to save them.
One of the authors main points was that we can not know how to prevent a species from going extinct when we do not even know that they exist. Some people believe that there is no reason to save the species from going extinct, because if they are dying off it must be because they are not able to survive in the current living conditions. Other species that are capable of evolving so that they can live in the current environmental conditions, are allowed to flourish when another species dies off. The earth is a constantly changing place, and all creature must adapt or die. We are not capable to fully understand most of the worlds ecosystems, and we never will despite how much research is put into learning about them.
One of the authors main points was that we can not know how to prevent a species from going extinct when we do not even know that they exist. Some people believe that there is no reason to save the species from going extinct, because if they are dying off it must be because they are not able to survive in the current living conditions. Other species that are capable of evolving so that they can live in the current environmental conditions, are allowed to flourish when another species dies off. The earth is a constantly changing place, and all creature must adapt or die. We are not capable to fully understand most of the worlds ecosystems, and we never will despite how much research is put into learning about them.
The DNA Dance, Meiosis Dance & Mitosis Dance!
The Southern Oregon Arts & Research (SOAR) project was an enjoyable, hands-on experience that embed important basic biology information. Thanks to our project, I will never forget how DNA replication, meiosis and mitosis work. I was very fortunate that I knew all this important information so well, because it was on my Anatomy and Physiology test. If it wasn’t for our Southern Oregon Arts & Research project, I would have missed many more questions on that test. Practicing the dances for Southern Oregon Arts & Research was very fun, and through it I learned some of the information that is taught in upper division biology classes. Because I do not plan on taking a general biology class, the information that I learned from the project is very valuable to me.
A great thing that about figuring out how we wanted to perform the DNA, Meiosis and Mitosis dances, is that it made us use creativity, which is something that needs to be used more often in our society. The most satisfying part of the experience is that we taught other students valuable information, in a fun and creative way. Teaching other the University Seminar students what we had spent three terms learning, was a great way to end the school year. I enjoyed the University Seminar series very much and spending so much time on the Southern Oregon Arts & Research project is a large part of why spring term was so enjoyable to me. You are an awesome professor and I look forward to taking Nursing Genetics with you next year! Have a great summer!
A great thing that about figuring out how we wanted to perform the DNA, Meiosis and Mitosis dances, is that it made us use creativity, which is something that needs to be used more often in our society. The most satisfying part of the experience is that we taught other students valuable information, in a fun and creative way. Teaching other the University Seminar students what we had spent three terms learning, was a great way to end the school year. I enjoyed the University Seminar series very much and spending so much time on the Southern Oregon Arts & Research project is a large part of why spring term was so enjoyable to me. You are an awesome professor and I look forward to taking Nursing Genetics with you next year! Have a great summer!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
The article Improving your Carbon Footprint by Andy Fusco & Passaic N.J, claims that the online carbon dioxide calculator is an important step in educating and raising awareness to the public about how big their carbon footprint is and what they can do to make it smaller. I disagree with this claim. Yes, it can help raise a little awareness about the issue, but there are much more powerful ways to do so.
Although some people might search the internet to figure out how big their carbon footprint is, not many take this route. Many of the people that do search the internet for a carbon footprint calculator end up using one of the many popular, inaccurate ones, and end up with a false sense of how big their carbon footprint is.
Anyone who goes to school, or watches TV, or listens to the radio, or reads the newspaper, or has conversations with someone that does, knows what is good and bad for the environment. The information is everywhere! People that drive big SUVs or trucks know that they are polluting the environment. Most people know that fluorescent light bulbs are better for the environment than regular ones. Most people know that plants are good for the environment. Just because they know what they are doing is bad, doesn’t mean that they are going to change their habits.
Of people that use an accurate CO2 footprint calculator, many may find the size of their carbon footprint to be enlightening, and it may change their lifestyle. Most people don’t take the time to find and use an accurate CO2 footprint calculator, because they already have some idea of how big their carbon footprint is or could care less about what the carbon footprint calculator says. In conclusion, the online carbon calculator can be an important step in educating and raising awareness for some people, but to most people it is not.
Although some people might search the internet to figure out how big their carbon footprint is, not many take this route. Many of the people that do search the internet for a carbon footprint calculator end up using one of the many popular, inaccurate ones, and end up with a false sense of how big their carbon footprint is.
Anyone who goes to school, or watches TV, or listens to the radio, or reads the newspaper, or has conversations with someone that does, knows what is good and bad for the environment. The information is everywhere! People that drive big SUVs or trucks know that they are polluting the environment. Most people know that fluorescent light bulbs are better for the environment than regular ones. Most people know that plants are good for the environment. Just because they know what they are doing is bad, doesn’t mean that they are going to change their habits.
Of people that use an accurate CO2 footprint calculator, many may find the size of their carbon footprint to be enlightening, and it may change their lifestyle. Most people don’t take the time to find and use an accurate CO2 footprint calculator, because they already have some idea of how big their carbon footprint is or could care less about what the carbon footprint calculator says. In conclusion, the online carbon calculator can be an important step in educating and raising awareness for some people, but to most people it is not.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Marine Migration
The peer-reviewed article The Coming Invasion, by Geerat J. VermIj and Peither D. Roopnarine, claims that as the climate becomes warmer due to global warming, mollusks and other marine species will migrate to the Atlantic Ocean through the Bering Strait. There are many mollusks that thrive in the Pacific Ocean. I am sure that if they did migrate to the Atlantic, it would have a very large effect on the ecosystem. Mollusks have potential to cause other species in the Atlantic to go extinct. Because all native species play important roles in specie interactions and well-being, this migration could potentially be devastating to the current ecosystem.
I do not know enough about ecosystems to predict exactly what would happen if these marine species did migrate, but I do know that they would cause a large amount of change in the Atlantic Ocean, and probably other ecosystems also. These changes are likely to be bad ones. The ocean covers most of the earth and affects everything. If there is a substantial change in a ocean, it could lead to devastating changes in ecosystems everywhere. Why take the risk? I think that the ocean is functioning quite nicely right now, and I don’t want it to change. Everyone needs to take the steps necessary to prevent further global warming.
I do not know enough about ecosystems to predict exactly what would happen if these marine species did migrate, but I do know that they would cause a large amount of change in the Atlantic Ocean, and probably other ecosystems also. These changes are likely to be bad ones. The ocean covers most of the earth and affects everything. If there is a substantial change in a ocean, it could lead to devastating changes in ecosystems everywhere. Why take the risk? I think that the ocean is functioning quite nicely right now, and I don’t want it to change. Everyone needs to take the steps necessary to prevent further global warming.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Verbal Skills
I am not a horrible speaker, but I am definitely not a great one either. I often get nervous when I have to stand up in front of a class to speak or give a presentation. I tend to not get as nervous when I am not the only person in front of the class, but I still get nervous. I have never had very good verbal skills, but have slightly them improved over the years.
Last term I was doing a demonstration for my T’ai Chi class. For some reason I was extremely nervous for this presentation. I got to choose to either face the class or face the front of the room, when giving my presentation. I choose to be brave and face the class. After a couple of moves, I stopped and said that I actually don’t want to face the class. After turning around, I went though the T’ai Chi steps. I did many of the moves that I knew well incorrectly, and I added an extra one. After I was done with my presentation, the class was to tell me what I did well and what I should improve on. The professor could tell how nervous I was and half was through the people telling me what I did well, and what I should work on, he told me that I could sit down. This is a good example of just how nervous I can get when standing in front of a group of people.
I have given many good speeches through out my school days, as well as a few number of speeches where I was so nervous that I did a very poor job, even on well-reversed presentations. I have no idea why I sometimes get extremely nervous, and sometimes I hardly get nervous at all. I often get nervous when talking to a cute guy or a person that I am trying to make a good impression on. I have never had very good verbal skills, but I think that I am improving every day. I think that if I give speeches more often, I will become more comfortable with them. I hope that USEM 103 will help me become more comfortable with standing in front of classes to give speeches and presentations.
Last term I was doing a demonstration for my T’ai Chi class. For some reason I was extremely nervous for this presentation. I got to choose to either face the class or face the front of the room, when giving my presentation. I choose to be brave and face the class. After a couple of moves, I stopped and said that I actually don’t want to face the class. After turning around, I went though the T’ai Chi steps. I did many of the moves that I knew well incorrectly, and I added an extra one. After I was done with my presentation, the class was to tell me what I did well and what I should improve on. The professor could tell how nervous I was and half was through the people telling me what I did well, and what I should work on, he told me that I could sit down. This is a good example of just how nervous I can get when standing in front of a group of people.
I have given many good speeches through out my school days, as well as a few number of speeches where I was so nervous that I did a very poor job, even on well-reversed presentations. I have no idea why I sometimes get extremely nervous, and sometimes I hardly get nervous at all. I often get nervous when talking to a cute guy or a person that I am trying to make a good impression on. I have never had very good verbal skills, but I think that I am improving every day. I think that if I give speeches more often, I will become more comfortable with them. I hope that USEM 103 will help me become more comfortable with standing in front of classes to give speeches and presentations.
Writing
I have always struggled with all of the language arts. When I was in fifth grade I was diagnosed with dyslexia, and I had to take my reading and writing classes with Special Ed. I was made fun of for going to Special Ed and it soon lowered my self-confidence. I wanted to prove to myself and my peers that I was just as good as them, so put allot of effort in improving in the language arts. Once I got into middle school I just had a study hall in Special Ed, but didn’t take any classes there. I tried so hard in my English class and eventually was doing well enough that I didn’t have to go to any special classes anymore. I have always had to try harder than other students to do well in the language arts, but I never stop trying.
I went into the ADD project thinking that it would be a lot of work, and I was right. I’ve never had to write an essay near the required length of the USEM research essay. The most difficult part of the writing process was finding creditable information to write about. I knew allot about ADD before researching because of my personal experiences, which made writing a little easier. After I was finished researching, I had to figure out how to word my findings and what order to put them in. Because writing has always been difficult for me, the writing process took me a long time. After I was done writing, I had much editing to do. I am still quite bad with spelling, but luckily my computer could help me with that! I read my essay several times to myself and had a couple friends help edit it for me. Although it was a difficult project, I found my topic to be very interesting and enjoyed learning more about it.
I am satisfied with how my essay turned out. I learned much information from the project and feel like my writing skills may have improved a little from it. I now can confidently and accurately explain most anything about ADD or the drugs used to treat it. I feel that I can help people that I know with this knowledge, so they won’t have to go through bad experiences similar to the ones I have had concerning my ADD.
I usually don’t enjoy writing, but I often fell accomplished after. I have found that once I get into my “writing mood” I can write quickly and well, but it often takes me a while to get there. I need to improve my writing in many aspects, especially spelling. I hope that USEM 103 will improve my writing skills.
I went into the ADD project thinking that it would be a lot of work, and I was right. I’ve never had to write an essay near the required length of the USEM research essay. The most difficult part of the writing process was finding creditable information to write about. I knew allot about ADD before researching because of my personal experiences, which made writing a little easier. After I was finished researching, I had to figure out how to word my findings and what order to put them in. Because writing has always been difficult for me, the writing process took me a long time. After I was done writing, I had much editing to do. I am still quite bad with spelling, but luckily my computer could help me with that! I read my essay several times to myself and had a couple friends help edit it for me. Although it was a difficult project, I found my topic to be very interesting and enjoyed learning more about it.
I am satisfied with how my essay turned out. I learned much information from the project and feel like my writing skills may have improved a little from it. I now can confidently and accurately explain most anything about ADD or the drugs used to treat it. I feel that I can help people that I know with this knowledge, so they won’t have to go through bad experiences similar to the ones I have had concerning my ADD.
I usually don’t enjoy writing, but I often fell accomplished after. I have found that once I get into my “writing mood” I can write quickly and well, but it often takes me a while to get there. I need to improve my writing in many aspects, especially spelling. I hope that USEM 103 will improve my writing skills.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Scientists have been studying genes for a long time. There have been many discoveries since they began studying them, and we now have a much better idea of their structure and functions. The article Scientists and Philosophers Find That ‘Gene’ Has a Multitude of Meanings, by Natalie Angier, illustrates that the word gene, and other genetic vocabulary, is often misleading. Angler makes some good points in this article, but her article is misleading, and I don’t know understand all of it because the writing was wordy and complicated.
As scientists have learned about genes and started looking into the details more, gene research has become more complicated. In Angler’s article it says that “genes” only account for a very small part of the human genome. That possibility befuddles me because I have always thought that the definition of genome is simply the entire set of the organism’s genes. I believe that what Angler wrote in her article is true because she is a well known educated science journalist, but I think that it could have been explained much better.
As scientists have learned about genes and started looking into the details more, gene research has become more complicated. In Angler’s article it says that “genes” only account for a very small part of the human genome. That possibility befuddles me because I have always thought that the definition of genome is simply the entire set of the organism’s genes. I believe that what Angler wrote in her article is true because she is a well known educated science journalist, but I think that it could have been explained much better.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Reflective Essay on Group Work
Being able to work well in groups is a very important skill to have that can be put to use often in everyday life. People work in groups, do chores and recreational activities in groups. Throughout this class we have had many group activities.
One of the group activities that particularly stands out in my memories is when we had the Lego activity. For the Lego activity, we split up into groups of six students. There was a structure made of Legos in the hallway. Our objective was to build an identical structure, but there was a strict set of rules that we had to follow. Only one team member could be in the hallway at a time, once we started building no one could go into the hallway, and there were several other rules. We decided what each team member was responsible for remembering and then took turns going into the hall. Once we all had our turns we started to put our structure together as we remembered it. This projected required much teamwork, it required us all to try our best and for us to trust each other.
I find group work to be fun and often prefer it to working alone. I would like to develop my group work skills more. I hope that we have more group projects in the future.
One of the group activities that particularly stands out in my memories is when we had the Lego activity. For the Lego activity, we split up into groups of six students. There was a structure made of Legos in the hallway. Our objective was to build an identical structure, but there was a strict set of rules that we had to follow. Only one team member could be in the hallway at a time, once we started building no one could go into the hallway, and there were several other rules. We decided what each team member was responsible for remembering and then took turns going into the hall. Once we all had our turns we started to put our structure together as we remembered it. This projected required much teamwork, it required us all to try our best and for us to trust each other.
I find group work to be fun and often prefer it to working alone. I would like to develop my group work skills more. I hope that we have more group projects in the future.
Reflective Essay on CBL Activities
During fall term of this class, we have occasionally engaged in some Community Based Learning activities outside the classroom. The first activity that my class took part in this year was the class trip to professor John Sollinger’s cabin. We have also gone to the greenhouse to work in it and we have held a plant sale. I have found these Community Based Learning activities to be fun, informative, and very engaging.
Going to professor Sollinger’s cabin has been my favorite Community Based Learning activity that I have taken part in this year. It was a fun way to learn, while bonding with classmates and make new friends. Our mission for this class trip was to collect plants, plant cuttings, and seeds that are native to the area. I was in the seed-collecting group. I learned allot about native plants doing this; I learned many plant names, what they look like and what their seeds look like. Some plant seeds were very easy to find, such as acorns, rose hips and snow berries. I found that the plant seeds that were the most valuable, were also the most difficult to find. My challenge was to find the hard-to-find seeds. I had some success when I found a couple of plants with seeds on them that I have never seen before. This class trip was a fun way to learn some information about plants.
The second Community Based Learning activity for this class was going to the greenhouse. Our objective of the trip was to take what we had previously collected at the cabin, and plant what was ready to be planted. We cut the plant cuttings smaller, took the leaves off (so that moisture wouldn’t escape from the cutting) and put them into soil in hopes that they would grow roots become their own plants. This trip taught me more about gardening and plants, which ties into the curriculum of our class.
The most reasent Community Based Learning activity that we had was the plant sale. The objective of the plant sale was to make money to fund a class trip that we will take latter in the year. We did not make much money from this plant sale but we learned what we can do to have more success for plant sales in the future.
I have found the Community Based Learning activities that we have had to be fun, engaging and very informative. I feel that I have benefited from them very much. I hope that we have many more in the future.
Going to professor Sollinger’s cabin has been my favorite Community Based Learning activity that I have taken part in this year. It was a fun way to learn, while bonding with classmates and make new friends. Our mission for this class trip was to collect plants, plant cuttings, and seeds that are native to the area. I was in the seed-collecting group. I learned allot about native plants doing this; I learned many plant names, what they look like and what their seeds look like. Some plant seeds were very easy to find, such as acorns, rose hips and snow berries. I found that the plant seeds that were the most valuable, were also the most difficult to find. My challenge was to find the hard-to-find seeds. I had some success when I found a couple of plants with seeds on them that I have never seen before. This class trip was a fun way to learn some information about plants.
The second Community Based Learning activity for this class was going to the greenhouse. Our objective of the trip was to take what we had previously collected at the cabin, and plant what was ready to be planted. We cut the plant cuttings smaller, took the leaves off (so that moisture wouldn’t escape from the cutting) and put them into soil in hopes that they would grow roots become their own plants. This trip taught me more about gardening and plants, which ties into the curriculum of our class.
The most reasent Community Based Learning activity that we had was the plant sale. The objective of the plant sale was to make money to fund a class trip that we will take latter in the year. We did not make much money from this plant sale but we learned what we can do to have more success for plant sales in the future.
I have found the Community Based Learning activities that we have had to be fun, engaging and very informative. I feel that I have benefited from them very much. I hope that we have many more in the future.
What Grade Do I Deserve?
Students in the class USEM 101 are graded on attendance, participation, and effort. I attended every class, participated often and put allot of effort into every assignment; which is why I believe that I deserve my grade for this class to be an A.
Although there were some days that I really didn’t want to go to class, I always did. I went to every class prepared, ready to work, and almost always ontime. My attendance record for this class is perfect.
I typically have a very shy personality, but during this class I made an effort to participate. I often spoke up during the group and class discussions. When were learning about slightly complicated ideas involving biology, I asked questions when I didn’t understand something.
Things such as writing and giving speeches do not come easily for me. I am sure that I spent twice the amount of time writing most of my essays for this class than many of my classmates did. I have tried very diligently to succeed in this class. I believe that I deserve an A.
Although there were some days that I really didn’t want to go to class, I always did. I went to every class prepared, ready to work, and almost always ontime. My attendance record for this class is perfect.
I typically have a very shy personality, but during this class I made an effort to participate. I often spoke up during the group and class discussions. When were learning about slightly complicated ideas involving biology, I asked questions when I didn’t understand something.
Things such as writing and giving speeches do not come easily for me. I am sure that I spent twice the amount of time writing most of my essays for this class than many of my classmates did. I have tried very diligently to succeed in this class. I believe that I deserve an A.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Antibiotics and Bacterial Evolution
After reading the article “Antibiotic Resistance of Bacteria: An Example of Evolution in Action?” By Dr. Georgia Purdom, I have a new view on bacterial mutations caused by to antibiotic medications. In her article, Dr. Purdom claims that bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, but that they aren’t evolving. Although I agree with most of what she illustrates, I am skeptical of her claim.
I learned many things about bacteria and antibiotics from Dr. Purdom’s article. One of the many things that I learned is that more than 70% of the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics used to treat them. Bacteria are constantly changing so that they can survive in their constantly changing environment. The most important thing this article taught me is that there is very much to be learned about bacteria.
Antibiotics are capable of changing the bacteria’s DNA, in a process that we call mutation, which is why some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Mutation and natural selection often result in bacteria with defective proteins that have lost their normal functions. Dr. Purdom claims that bacteria aren’t evolving, because resistance to antibiotics isn’t anything new and evolution requires a gain of functional systems. Although most mutations result in the bacteria losing functions, I believe that occasionally a mutation can occur that makes the bacteria stronger and better. I think that some strands of bacteria are currently evolving because of the mutations that antibiotics subjected them to.
There is not enough evidence to prove that bacteria are or are not evolving. Dr. Purdom has some good support in her article for her claim that bacteria aren’t evolving. She states “Bacteria that are resistant to modern antibiotics have even been found in the frozen bodies of people who died long before those antibiotics were discovered or synthesized”. This supports the idea that just because bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, doesn’t mean that the bacteria is gaining a new function and therefore evolving. This is good support, but it isn’t enough to prove that bacteria are not evolving.
After reading Dr. Purdom’s article, I am still too skeptical believe her claim that bacteria aren’t evolving. I believe that mutations of bacteria can give the bacteria functions, other than resistance to antibiotics, that we are not yet aware of yet.
I learned many things about bacteria and antibiotics from Dr. Purdom’s article. One of the many things that I learned is that more than 70% of the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are resistant to at least one of the antibiotics used to treat them. Bacteria are constantly changing so that they can survive in their constantly changing environment. The most important thing this article taught me is that there is very much to be learned about bacteria.
Antibiotics are capable of changing the bacteria’s DNA, in a process that we call mutation, which is why some bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Mutation and natural selection often result in bacteria with defective proteins that have lost their normal functions. Dr. Purdom claims that bacteria aren’t evolving, because resistance to antibiotics isn’t anything new and evolution requires a gain of functional systems. Although most mutations result in the bacteria losing functions, I believe that occasionally a mutation can occur that makes the bacteria stronger and better. I think that some strands of bacteria are currently evolving because of the mutations that antibiotics subjected them to.
There is not enough evidence to prove that bacteria are or are not evolving. Dr. Purdom has some good support in her article for her claim that bacteria aren’t evolving. She states “Bacteria that are resistant to modern antibiotics have even been found in the frozen bodies of people who died long before those antibiotics were discovered or synthesized”. This supports the idea that just because bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, doesn’t mean that the bacteria is gaining a new function and therefore evolving. This is good support, but it isn’t enough to prove that bacteria are not evolving.
After reading Dr. Purdom’s article, I am still too skeptical believe her claim that bacteria aren’t evolving. I believe that mutations of bacteria can give the bacteria functions, other than resistance to antibiotics, that we are not yet aware of yet.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Summary of Ghost in Your Genes
Genes are not the only things that are passed on from generation to generation.
Although genes take much time and several generations to change, the epigenome can change throughout a person’s life, and the changes can be passed on from generation to generation.
It’s proven that the grandchildren of men who experienced a famine during late childhood live longer.
Identical twins with the exactly same genes can be very different.
Genes can be turned on and off. Epigenetic changes are tiny chemical tags that accumulate over time and can turn genes on or off.
We have different kinds of cells because different genes are turned on to make them different.
Identical twins with the exactly same genes can be very different.
Cancer and some other diseases were thought to be caused by changes in the genome, but they can be caused by changes of the epigenome and/or changes of the genome.
Cancer tends to appear in people that smoke, that have certain environmental exposures or that are exposed to radiation. These things can damage your epigenome and your genome.
Cancer is more abundant with older age groups because epigenetic changes accumulate with age.
Although genes take much time and several generations to change, the epigenome can change throughout a person’s life, and the changes can be passed on from generation to generation.
It’s proven that the grandchildren of men who experienced a famine during late childhood live longer.
Identical twins with the exactly same genes can be very different.
Genes can be turned on and off. Epigenetic changes are tiny chemical tags that accumulate over time and can turn genes on or off.
We have different kinds of cells because different genes are turned on to make them different.
Identical twins with the exactly same genes can be very different.
Cancer and some other diseases were thought to be caused by changes in the genome, but they can be caused by changes of the epigenome and/or changes of the genome.
Cancer tends to appear in people that smoke, that have certain environmental exposures or that are exposed to radiation. These things can damage your epigenome and your genome.
Cancer is more abundant with older age groups because epigenetic changes accumulate with age.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A Surprisingly Good Time
I didn’t know what to expect the class trip to Professor Sollinger’s cabin to be like, except of what I was told about it. I was told that there would be good food, we would sleep on the floor, and we would collect seeds and plants from the woods. I didn’t know anyone in the class very well, and I was slightly scared that it wouldn’t be fun at all.
After my classes were over on Friday, I quickly went back to my dorm room to pack. Then I went to the parking lot where my class planned to depart. I expected to find many classmates there, but to my surprise there were only three (who weren’t the people in my prearranged carpooling group). I didn’t know where my carpooling group was at, so I decided to just go with the other group. We were waiting for the rest of the class to show up, but only three people showed during the 45 minuets that we were waiting. We looked up directions on the Internet, then we all jammed into a car and took off. My feeling that this class trip was a going to be a bad experience was deepened by the lack classmates and also because we got lost on our way there.
When we were trying to figure out where the cabin was, feeling completely lost, we discovered that the street numbers were getting closer to our destination! We eventually got to the cabin, and our pleasant surprise there was already a car full of people there. For a while we just played Frisbee and talked, getting to know each other better as more people arrived. I was already surprised by how much fun we were having. When it got dark outside we all went into the beautiful cabin and enjoyed good food and conversation.
That night we enjoyed sitting next to the campfire talking, which was very fun. We also played fun games such as cards and Apples to Apples. We never stopped eating throughout the night: we went from eating appetizers, to dinner, to chips and salsa, to cookies. After a long night of fun and games we decided to crash. I sleep downstairs with most of the girls; most of the boys sleep outside in the tent.
After a good night’s sleep I woke up to a wonderful breakfast already laid out on the counter. We had pancakes and made our own breakfast burritos. It was a feast. After the long wonderful breakfast, it was finally time to do what we originally thought that we were there to do: collect plants and seeds. We split up into groups. I was in the seed-collecting group. I wandered around the woods looking for any seeds that I could find. We only spent about thirty minuets in the seed and plant collecting groups. I enjoyed getting to walk around the woods and I think that I did well; I found some pretty unusual seeds.
After everyone was done doing his or her job, we went home. The drive home was much better than the ride there; we didn’t get lost and I enjoyed talking with my newfound friends. After we arrived at school, one of my new friends and I went to get Slurpees and we watched the homecoming football game together.
I am very glad that my skepticism about how this trip was going to turn out was not needed; it was a blast! During this trip I got to know many of my classmates better and I made several new friends. I learned from this trip that it’s okay for me to occasionally go out of my comfort zone. I hope that I have many more opportunities like this in the future!
After my classes were over on Friday, I quickly went back to my dorm room to pack. Then I went to the parking lot where my class planned to depart. I expected to find many classmates there, but to my surprise there were only three (who weren’t the people in my prearranged carpooling group). I didn’t know where my carpooling group was at, so I decided to just go with the other group. We were waiting for the rest of the class to show up, but only three people showed during the 45 minuets that we were waiting. We looked up directions on the Internet, then we all jammed into a car and took off. My feeling that this class trip was a going to be a bad experience was deepened by the lack classmates and also because we got lost on our way there.
When we were trying to figure out where the cabin was, feeling completely lost, we discovered that the street numbers were getting closer to our destination! We eventually got to the cabin, and our pleasant surprise there was already a car full of people there. For a while we just played Frisbee and talked, getting to know each other better as more people arrived. I was already surprised by how much fun we were having. When it got dark outside we all went into the beautiful cabin and enjoyed good food and conversation.
That night we enjoyed sitting next to the campfire talking, which was very fun. We also played fun games such as cards and Apples to Apples. We never stopped eating throughout the night: we went from eating appetizers, to dinner, to chips and salsa, to cookies. After a long night of fun and games we decided to crash. I sleep downstairs with most of the girls; most of the boys sleep outside in the tent.
After a good night’s sleep I woke up to a wonderful breakfast already laid out on the counter. We had pancakes and made our own breakfast burritos. It was a feast. After the long wonderful breakfast, it was finally time to do what we originally thought that we were there to do: collect plants and seeds. We split up into groups. I was in the seed-collecting group. I wandered around the woods looking for any seeds that I could find. We only spent about thirty minuets in the seed and plant collecting groups. I enjoyed getting to walk around the woods and I think that I did well; I found some pretty unusual seeds.
After everyone was done doing his or her job, we went home. The drive home was much better than the ride there; we didn’t get lost and I enjoyed talking with my newfound friends. After we arrived at school, one of my new friends and I went to get Slurpees and we watched the homecoming football game together.
I am very glad that my skepticism about how this trip was going to turn out was not needed; it was a blast! During this trip I got to know many of my classmates better and I made several new friends. I learned from this trip that it’s okay for me to occasionally go out of my comfort zone. I hope that I have many more opportunities like this in the future!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Global Warming
The United States has been using fossil fuels in large amounts ever since the industrial revolution. Now, not only are the factories pumping out carbon dioxide, the majority of U.S. citizens drive cars on a regular basis and many other countries have industrialized; the world population is pumping out more carbon dioxide than nature can handle. If world keeps putting out carbon dioxide like it has been, there will be devastating changes to our environment.
The carbon dioxide emissions were estimated to decrease in 2007, but the opposite happened; carbon dioxide emissions raised three present from 2006 to 2007. China produces many products that are require energy consuming machinery and shipped worldwide. Scientists said that China accounted for half of the worlds CO2 increase in 2007. The United States CO2 output had decreased in 2006 but increased two present 2007. Scientists said that the U.S. has the highest CO2 output per person. The large amount of CO2 the world has continued put out is quite frightening.
Although forests and oceans once sucked up enough of CO2 to prevent climate change, they can no longer keep up with humans CO2 output rates. The rate that forests and oceans suck up CO2 has decreased and the rate that humans produce CO2 has increased. If we continue to produce more CO2 than nature can deal with, there will be harsh temperature changes, which will cause the oceans to get warmer. There will be an increase in the number and in severity of storms. Glaciers will melt and oceans will rise. The amount of CO2 that humans have been putting out must be decreased in order to prevent these harmful events.
The carbon dioxide emissions were estimated to decrease in 2007, but the opposite happened; carbon dioxide emissions raised three present from 2006 to 2007. China produces many products that are require energy consuming machinery and shipped worldwide. Scientists said that China accounted for half of the worlds CO2 increase in 2007. The United States CO2 output had decreased in 2006 but increased two present 2007. Scientists said that the U.S. has the highest CO2 output per person. The large amount of CO2 the world has continued put out is quite frightening.
Although forests and oceans once sucked up enough of CO2 to prevent climate change, they can no longer keep up with humans CO2 output rates. The rate that forests and oceans suck up CO2 has decreased and the rate that humans produce CO2 has increased. If we continue to produce more CO2 than nature can deal with, there will be harsh temperature changes, which will cause the oceans to get warmer. There will be an increase in the number and in severity of storms. Glaciers will melt and oceans will rise. The amount of CO2 that humans have been putting out must be decreased in order to prevent these harmful events.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Pros & Cons of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”
Pros
-An Inconvenient Truth informs people about the importance of stopping global warming.
-There has been an increase in hybrid cars since this movie came out.
-More people have been buying eco-friendly products.
-There has been an increase in the usage of public transportation and bikes.
-There are very few theories against the Global Warming.
-“Gore does an excellent job of explaining the basic science behind climate change and the accelerated rise in temperatures since the 1970s.”
-The material could have been presented in a dry, boring way, but it made interesting by Gore's geniality and desire to share the information.
-This movie has informed a large number of people about global warming.
-Al Gore was already well known and trusted by most of the US, which helped the movie make an impact.
-Many businesses have become more eco-friendly.
-The movie’s goal, to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide, was meet.
-“Gore is excellent at drawing the American public's attention to issues that do matter.”
Cons
-Al Gore and his decades-long crusade to curb global warming is "alarmist."
-Almost everyone believes the Global Warming theory, when perhaps it should be questioned more.
-Many people didn’t watch the movie.
-Movies can easily dismissed as fiction.
-Many factory workers choose to ignore the facts presented in the video: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
-Gore “relies on controversial and alarmist claims” in the movie.
-It is difficult to tell if the move is what actually made people decide to live more eco-friendly or if was something else.
-Some people think, “What we need is an open, balanced debate, wherein the public and politicians actually start paying attention to what scientists do have to say, instead of basking in the rays of our all-too-American anti-intellectual blind ignorance.”
-Many people haven’t watched it because it is a documentary (which means that it may be boring).
Sources: http://www.fandango.com/aninconvenienttruth_95961/criticreviews, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/, http://www.amazon.com/review/RCAM4L3N8B2LV/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RCAM4L3N8B2LV
-An Inconvenient Truth informs people about the importance of stopping global warming.
-There has been an increase in hybrid cars since this movie came out.
-More people have been buying eco-friendly products.
-There has been an increase in the usage of public transportation and bikes.
-There are very few theories against the Global Warming.
-“Gore does an excellent job of explaining the basic science behind climate change and the accelerated rise in temperatures since the 1970s.”
-The material could have been presented in a dry, boring way, but it made interesting by Gore's geniality and desire to share the information.
-This movie has informed a large number of people about global warming.
-Al Gore was already well known and trusted by most of the US, which helped the movie make an impact.
-Many businesses have become more eco-friendly.
-The movie’s goal, to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide, was meet.
-“Gore is excellent at drawing the American public's attention to issues that do matter.”
Cons
-Al Gore and his decades-long crusade to curb global warming is "alarmist."
-Almost everyone believes the Global Warming theory, when perhaps it should be questioned more.
-Many people didn’t watch the movie.
-Movies can easily dismissed as fiction.
-Many factory workers choose to ignore the facts presented in the video: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it."
-Gore “relies on controversial and alarmist claims” in the movie.
-It is difficult to tell if the move is what actually made people decide to live more eco-friendly or if was something else.
-Some people think, “What we need is an open, balanced debate, wherein the public and politicians actually start paying attention to what scientists do have to say, instead of basking in the rays of our all-too-American anti-intellectual blind ignorance.”
-Many people haven’t watched it because it is a documentary (which means that it may be boring).
Sources: http://www.fandango.com/aninconvenienttruth_95961/criticreviews, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497116/, http://www.amazon.com/review/RCAM4L3N8B2LV/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RCAM4L3N8B2LV
Monday, October 6, 2008
Using External Assessment Tools to Evaluate Student Achievement and to Guide Curricular Improvement
There are many things that can only be taught by experiences. The most important things that we learn, we learn outside the classroom. Why don’t we take school outside the classroom then? Schools could easily teach and evaluate their students in external environments. If this was done, students would learn more valuable lessons and their school experience would be more enjoyable. Universities should use external assessment tools to evaluate student achievement and to guide curricular improvement.
A good example of how people learn important things in the external environment is figuring out which career to pursue. Nothing will help you figure out if you like a career more than experiencing it hands on, which is something you can’t do in the classroom (unless your pursuing a teaching career). During my senior year in high school, I had to do a Senior Project. For my Senior Project I got to choose a person of any career to job shadow for 25 hours. I choose to shadow Dave Mcallister, a Surgical Assistant RN at my local hospital. I have always had an interest in the medical field and thought that this would be a good choice for me. During this experience I fell in love with surgery and Dave’s job. After I was done shadowing Dave, I wrote an essay and preformed a presentation about my experience, on which I was accessed. I learned much more preparing for that assessment than I have ever learned preparing for a regular test. I found that project to be a life changing experience. Because of this project, I am now perusing a Nursing degree.
I believe that external testing shows more about what the student has learned than in-class testing does. Having students do a standardized test only shows how good a student is at cramming and standardized-test taking. When a student is assessed in a different way, such as in a real life situation or giving a presentation, they are forced to learn the material. Standardized testing is not something that people need to know after they graduate from school, so is there any reason that students should be forced to become good at it?
Assessment is a very important part of the school system. Because of assessment being so important, the best way should be used. Students don’t want to sit in a classroom all day taking standardized test that will make or break their grade. If universities decided to use external testing the students and professors would be happier and the students would feel like there were getting more out of their money. If universities want curricular improvement they should use external assessment tools to evaluate student achievement.
A good example of how people learn important things in the external environment is figuring out which career to pursue. Nothing will help you figure out if you like a career more than experiencing it hands on, which is something you can’t do in the classroom (unless your pursuing a teaching career). During my senior year in high school, I had to do a Senior Project. For my Senior Project I got to choose a person of any career to job shadow for 25 hours. I choose to shadow Dave Mcallister, a Surgical Assistant RN at my local hospital. I have always had an interest in the medical field and thought that this would be a good choice for me. During this experience I fell in love with surgery and Dave’s job. After I was done shadowing Dave, I wrote an essay and preformed a presentation about my experience, on which I was accessed. I learned much more preparing for that assessment than I have ever learned preparing for a regular test. I found that project to be a life changing experience. Because of this project, I am now perusing a Nursing degree.
I believe that external testing shows more about what the student has learned than in-class testing does. Having students do a standardized test only shows how good a student is at cramming and standardized-test taking. When a student is assessed in a different way, such as in a real life situation or giving a presentation, they are forced to learn the material. Standardized testing is not something that people need to know after they graduate from school, so is there any reason that students should be forced to become good at it?
Assessment is a very important part of the school system. Because of assessment being so important, the best way should be used. Students don’t want to sit in a classroom all day taking standardized test that will make or break their grade. If universities decided to use external testing the students and professors would be happier and the students would feel like there were getting more out of their money. If universities want curricular improvement they should use external assessment tools to evaluate student achievement.
Monday, January 7, 2008
The article The Makers Eye, by Donald M. Murray, has some informative writing advise in it, but I am skeptical of many of the claims that Murray makes. I feel that the article isn’t great writing, so why should I trust his advise on writing? Murray claims in his article that most good writers “usually feel that they don’t start the real writing until after the first draft is done.” I don’t think that his claim is true; I think that the first draft is the biggest milestone in writing. Of course editing is important, but the better the first draft is, the less time is needed to be spent editing. I will take some of Murray’s writing advice, but some of it I feel is rubbish.
Murray is very hypocritical throughout his article. His article says that when editing, one should be making sure that the writing is about the subject, not the writer, but then Murray talks about himself for many paragraphs. He also makes it seem that writers should spend more time editing than writing their first draft. Murray’s article isn’t any more interesting or in any way better than most articles written by amateurs, so obviously he doesn’t know how much time he needs to spend writing compared to editing. Murray needs improve his editing skills by just deleting the details that don’t matter. The Maker’s Eye is a boring and overly detailed article.
There is some very helpful editing advise in Murray’s article, but I feel that much of it will not work for me. Not all writers write the same; not all good writers spend more time editing that writing, or stay on subject. I usually spend more time writing my first draft than I do editing, and I will continue to do so despite Murray’s advise. Something that Murray needs to understand is that writing is more of an art than it is a science. Because writing is an art, some of Murray’s advice that doesn’t work for me, may work for someone else.
Murray is very hypocritical throughout his article. His article says that when editing, one should be making sure that the writing is about the subject, not the writer, but then Murray talks about himself for many paragraphs. He also makes it seem that writers should spend more time editing than writing their first draft. Murray’s article isn’t any more interesting or in any way better than most articles written by amateurs, so obviously he doesn’t know how much time he needs to spend writing compared to editing. Murray needs improve his editing skills by just deleting the details that don’t matter. The Maker’s Eye is a boring and overly detailed article.
There is some very helpful editing advise in Murray’s article, but I feel that much of it will not work for me. Not all writers write the same; not all good writers spend more time editing that writing, or stay on subject. I usually spend more time writing my first draft than I do editing, and I will continue to do so despite Murray’s advise. Something that Murray needs to understand is that writing is more of an art than it is a science. Because writing is an art, some of Murray’s advice that doesn’t work for me, may work for someone else.
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