When an environment refuses to adapt

In the past two years, I have heard one phrase over and aover again from my professors " These students are the worst yet. Even worse than last year's group." First, as one of those students (and one who thinks I do pretty darn well, thank you very much) I find offense in that. We try as hard as we can, and why judge the individual based on the whole? And what made those other groups so much better than us anyway?

It is my opinion that the changing social and work environments are not being transferred into the learning environment. Yes, we should be concerned with our schoolwork. Yes, it requires a large commitment outside of the classroom. But what about when that large commitment means days without sleep, always being at the library, and letting healthier persuits (painting, dancing, excercizing) fall by the wayside?

One thing I have noticed is that even if professors are aware of the fact that their students are taking a 'normal' courseload and working more than one job ( some up to 30 hours a week) they feel that the student is not managing time well, and it is their own fault. What many professors do not realize is that some students have to work that much to afford taking these classes and getting this degree. It is a catch-22. If you stop trying in classes, you will fail out. If you work less however, you can't pay to take the course.

It seems to me that the educational environment should be adapting to better facilitate these students. When universities were first formed, an individuals only job was to learn. That is what they came for, and that is what their focus was. They engaged in classes, and extracurriculars such as sports or theater, but each was always connected with the university. Students have many more commitments now. Academia is not the only focus of their lives. Shouldn't there be some adjustment to accomodate theses societal changes?

E-Stalking to a New Level

Facebook has recently allowed people to created applications to add to facebook, many of which are quite amusing. (I love my Christmas Tree application!). But how far is too far with these applications?

It is enough that facebook and other networking sites come under criticism for making it easier to follow a persons every actions, or for someone with less than honorable intentions to know where and when to find someone. However, recently a new application has been added to facebook where you can enter in your weekly schedule (classes, work, meetings, even religious services), enabling someone to know where you are at any time of any day of the week!

What amazes me more than the fact that this application has been created for it, is that I have seen many students using it. I am startled at how unaware students are of how much information they put on facebook. Under almost any profile, you can easily see a students birthday, local residence, phone number, clubs and organizations, email address, major, place of employment, etc. It was already extremely easy to find out all you needed to know about someone on there, but now you can have a definitive schedule of where to find them!

Does anyone else find this worrisome?

Slow to Embrace

I go to a Public University in the U.S. My school is ranked as one of the best public schools in the country, and yet I am constantly hearing about advances in teaching and technology and the fusion of the two, and very rarely hear talk of these methods being employed at my university.

For instance, in many larger universities, it has become commonplace for professors to create audio or video podcasts of their lectures for their students to access after the lecture session, through itunes or their own blackboard site. In my opinion (and it would seem, the opinion of many professors) This is a valuable teaching tool. Students only retain a portion of material covered in lecture, even if they take detailed notes. Wouldn't something like this be a great asset for students who want to go back over the lecture for something they may have missed, or not completely understood?

Yet not one professor here is using this technique. In fact, our school paper printed an article last year about how professors aren't sure that this technique would actually help, but was just giving students another way to skip class, and try and make up the material.

From what I have seen, even if you post your powerpoints, handouts, and a podcast of your lecture, only those students who want to learn will take the time to access them. Yes, the podcast may give students who skip class a chance to try and make up for it without putting in much effort, but nothing can replace hearing the material directly from the instructor and being able to ask questions in person.

As an instructor, wouldn't one want to make sure his students have every opportunity to learn what he is presenting?

Lord of the Flies 2K5?

Every class I walk into on my campus seems to be buzzing with students and professors discussing the effects of hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. Opinions differ on whether people were not intelligent for trying to get out of there sooner, if the government should have responded faster after the flooding, and even if the government should have somehow found a way to prevent so many homes destroyed and people displaced before the flooding occured.

One comment that really grabbed my attention though, was when a fellow classmate refered to the anarchy and violence in the dome as "a modern day Lord of the Flies." I am not entirely sure how accurate this statement is, but it led me to think about how human nature comes out in a situation like that. Although there are many differences, the similarities are frightening.

These people all headed towards the superdome as the safest area in the city, and also as the location where they would most likely be picked up by rescue operations. After people had been assembled there for a few days, there were soon news reports of shootings inside the dome, rape theft and murder and suicide inside, and even individuals shooting at helicopters and police officers who were trying to bring them the items they were begging for most: food and water.

In a situation like this one, society would like to believe that we have risen above these basic aggressive actions, that people would put aside their own needs to help each other while they were trapped in a bad situation. This quickly proved not to be the case. Instead of the able helping those who were less able, every one looked out for his own needs and best interests. Instead of pulling together as a society, they allowed themselves to be ripped apart.

How is this a reminder of Lord of the Flies? In the novel, a group of young boys are stranded on an island, left to fend for themselves until someone is able to rescue them. Things start out ok, but then there is dissention and division within the group, and these boys did not think to try and compromise, (and this is probably because it is harder for children to understand this concept,) but instead to become very violent, first showing savage personalities in trying to survive, but then towards the opposing group whenever there were disagreements. They forgot about the similiar circumstances that stranded them all there, and one group n particular set out to destroy the others, not because they were an imminent danger, but because they were alone without leadership, and lost all sense of respect for each other.

Has our society regressed so much that human beings would rather take advantage of each other before offering a helping hand? Or have we just never progressed beyond that in the first place? I think more frightening than the destruction of hurricane Katrina and her aftermath, is the cruel awakening at how highly human being actually regard each other.

Ann Coulter is joking? WHAT?!?!

So i am a student at a state university in America. Apparently that means I need to have a liberal view according to my dormmates. Ann Coulter was invited by the College Republicans to speak to us recently. The room was full of people, mostly conservatives, but there were clusters of liberals there, just waiting to be offended by her. Her writing is satirical, and she makes her living by upsetting the liberals, and giving the repulicans something to laugh at because she is so humorous in her publications. One of the guys in my building approached me today,asking how I could listen to a woman who states "the 19th amendment was a mistake,"and "racial profiling and discrimination is a good idea."

Hello! She makes her money, by upsetting the liberals! Conservatives go to listen to her so much and she is so publicized because the liberals get upset and throw a fit! Who would have ever thought that a satirical writer would be joking? got me! She makes good points in most of the things she says, but she also insults liberal views, while making her conservative point.

Because people knew I went to see her and agreed with many of her views and since I am one of three conservatives in my dorm building, I was rudely made the butt of conservative bashing at lunch, where five people from my dorm invited me to eat with them, to then criticize everything, without giving me a chance to retaliate. I thought they were supposed to be progressive and open and welcoming, so how come they don't respect my views or opinions, and don't let me explain myself? Doesn't seem very open to me. Im sorry the liberals can't take a joke, and im sorry they aren't as open as they say. Go liberals. Way to stick to your values.