PSA assignment

http://animoto.com/play/CwgDUT8ZbntpuM8liCOyEA

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hoping this works .

If I were given the responsibility and privilege to become a living book, the only existing record of a past document, I would choose to be Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. Although Walsch touches on most new age ideology, the most resounding message that he shares is the importance of valuing personal experiences over the opinions of others.

In a world in which all past knowledge is passed down from the recollection of others, it is common to take the words that we read as truth. We trust those that we hold in authority to be more knowledgeable than ourselves. In no other context do we do this as readily as in religious studies. In organized religion we are expected to unquestioningly embrace the presented value systems even when they don’t resonate with us. Critical thinking is not encouraged.

Conversations with God is presented as a dialogue between Walsch and God. Throughout this conversation Walsch is encouraged to ask questions of God. He is prompted not to follow the dogma that is generally held as truth by his religious teachers, but rather, let his experience dictate his beliefs.

If one’s experience and another’s interpretation of scripture causes internal conflict then it is the other’s interpretation which should be critically examined and questioned. Walsch’s God emphasizes the importance of critical thinking by stating, “In fact, you have placed so little value on experience that when what you experience of God differs from what you’ve heard of God, you automatically discard the experience and own the words, when it should be just the other way around.”

According to Walsch, religious teachings are inadequate in leading one to righteousness, for the mere fact that they are the interpretation of another. We would do better to place value on our own interpretations and embrace that which resonates as truth to us, individually. He believes that feelings are a much more reliable purveyor of truth, since words are actually only symbols to which we have assigned meanings. Words are not things; they are only representations of our thoughts or ideas of a thing.It would then follow that experience is the ultimate authority.

Conversations with God absolutely has its critics, those who would argue that there is but one interpretation of scripture. Theirs. As I see it, this is the exact argument that Walsch presents. There is but one interpretation-- yours. That which you hold as true

I believe that this is a crucial message to pass on throughout the ages, as a reminder that each person has the innate right to decide their own truth.

critical thinking to fight critical issues

I spend my days as an aide for children with behavioral issues in a small K-8 public school. Most of my time is spent assisting the children who are struggling with everyday social and academic pressures. Before working in the school, I worked with children in a residential setting who were diagnosed with social/emotional deficits. I remember thinking that when I started working with the “general population” that my job was going to become much less stressful, and easily managed. What I’ve learned is that kids are kids and even those who we deem “normal” are in dire need of support and guidance when dealing with the issues they are facing in today’s society.
Taking the time to think through their behaviors toward possible outcomes is a valuable tool used to teach the children responsibility. Although most people would agree that ideally parents would be the main influence, the reality is that there are some kids who are not receiving the guidance that they need. Reasoning skills should be taught in primary school not as a replacement to parental guidance, but rather as a supplement. American students spend an average of 180 days, or between 1080-1440 hours in the classroom each year. This is time that could be spent sharpening their reasoning skills, experientially during real-life situations. Our kids are exposed to new challenges, many which are more advanced and carry devastating consequences if mishandled. What better time is there than when they are interacting with their peers, to address the risks of and discuss the positive approaches to, such issues as bullying, drug use and internet predators?
Bullying has become a concern for most parents and educators due to recently publicized incidents. Many of these incidents have had tragic outcomes prompting organizations such as The Journal of American Medical Association to report on the seriousness of bullying. With the increase of technology usage amongst young people, a new form of bullying referred to as cyber-bullying has emerged. The attacks via social networks and cell phones are nearly impossible for children to ignore, and extremely difficult for parents and educators to detect. With the skills of critical thinking in place, children may be less likely to internalize the slander of bullies, and instead choose to make more rational decisions concerning how to address the situation. Being a good critical thinker helps them separate fact from opinion and may be the voice of reason that they need during times of high emotional stresses.
Peer pressure concerning drug usage is not a new challenge for our students, but recent studies show that we are not making the progress that would be expected when our schools have been saturated with anti-drug programs such as D.A.R.E and Red Ribbon Weeks. Actually, according to the National Academy of Sciences, the DARE program has been ineffective and shows no decrease between those students who participate in the program and those who don’t. So, we need to come up with a new game plan. Having the children participate in open discussions and come to conclusions based on the facts presented to them and personal experience, may have more of an impact than having them recite the rhetorical “Just say No”. Letting them discover, through discussion, the reasons for avoiding drugs would likely cause them to have more ownership over their decisions.
Internet predators have more access to our children as the reliance on computer based information increases. One in five children, ages 5-7, access the internet without parental supervision. And although there are blocks that may be put in place for some programs, the exposure to inappropriate content and interactions is still evident. Many of those blocks are easily bypassed by our tech-savvy children. One of the main reasons that children do not report sexual abuse is because they are afraid that no one will believe them. If skilled in reasoning, students would have exposure to the positive outcomes of rational, thoughtful conversation. This would cause them to realize that the adults in our schools are open to listening, unemotionally, to their ideas and concerns.

A common argument against teaching reasoning skills to children is that instead of the children having insightful discussions in which they are prompted to discover solutions for their problems, teachers would just have the kids sit and talk without any effectiveness or resolution. Proponents would argue that this the exact reason to invest in teacher development training. The most logical argument for teaching critical thinking to students of all ages is that critical thinking is not the same as intelligence and does not develop with maturity. Our kids are faced with ever-evolving issues; we must give them the tools to keep themselves safe while not under our care. Honing the skills necessary to making rational decisions is an important piece of this, and utilizing our school system is an effective way of presenting it.

For more surprising statistics of tech exposure by youngsters, see
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1218581/Children-young-using-internet-parental-supervision.html
DARE fact sheets can be found at:
http://www.drugpolicy.org/library/factsheets/dare/index.cfm

It's for you.

In 1992, I was working as the General Manager of a multi million dollar restaurant. To say that it was a stressful job would be a serious understatement.Normal work weeks would top 60+ hours and I had two children under the age of six. I had an average staff of approximately 30, who all needed guidance and attention.

One day, my supervisor showed up unannounced carrying a gift wrapped package. He was not one to ever step over the clearly marked line of professionalism, so I was a bit taken back when he asked me to come outside because he had something for me. His face was full of joyful anticipation as he urged me to "open it". As I opened the package, I wasn't sure how to respond. In the package was a pager, and he was exclaiming, "Now we can get a hold of you anytime"! The sincerity in his voice was the first clue that it was not a prank. The confusion on his face when he saw my response was the second clue. I don't remember exactly how the rest of our conversation proceeded. Looking back, it seems like I was in a haze. What I do remember, is telling him, "This is not a gift." And at some point, I turned in my two weeks notice. This was my first run in with invasive technology.

The cell phone has long since taken the place of the pager, and along with all of its advancements, it has become increasingly invasive.

Many people cite safety as the reason cell phones have become necessities. We are now able to stay in constant contact with our children. Car problems? No problem, we now have help right at our fingertips. But, at what price are we willing to give up our peace of mind?

Even if you personally choose not to have a cell phone, it is unlikely that your day will not be disrupted by someone else's. They often take away the attention of someone with whom you are conversing.

Want to try to hide away in a dark theater to escape the cell pone nuisance? Good luck! Although the social norm has veered away from actually talking on the phone during a film, its a common occurrence to have LED screens lit during movies, under the pretense that the people are being polite by texting instead of talking. It has become such a problem that Harkins Theatre recently began a public campaign NTDM (N0 Texting During Movie), in an attempt to curb the offenses.

You can't even get in your car and drive away from their presence. According to ArticleBase.com, 73% of all cell phone users talk while they are driving. This statistic means that at any given minute on United States' highways, 10% of all drivers are using these devices (Aug 2008). Due to recent research results proving that the distraction from cell phone use while driving (hand held or hands free) extends a driver's reaction as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent (University of Utah), multiple states are in the process of passing laws to restrict usage while driving.

Even while hiking high in the Appalachian Mountains it is impossible to escape their presence, the highest peaks along the horizon are dotted with cell towers. The number of towers in the US is expected to grow from 175,000 to 260,000 in 2010.

Try as you might, there is no avoiding the presence of the cell phone. This is not a gift.

Day One

Well, day one of Humanities class, and I've learned right off the bat that I am going to need to manage my time better. Communicating online takes alot more time than I had planned for. Hopefully as soon as I become familiar with the process it will become more efficient.