Mission Statement Essay

I believe that an educational experience at Mount Union will prepare students for “fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship.” One way is through the integrative core. By requiring us to take classes in Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences, we are gaining experience and knowledge that we otherwise would not expose ourselves to. Courses about different parts of American culture, Psychology, Communications, and Environmental sciences, are not courses that every student would take on their own. This curriculum helps us to become well rounded individuals and benefit our future. If we were to spend all of college focusing just on our declared major and minor, we would not have a ‘Plan B’ to fall back on if we could not obtain a career in the field of our major. By requiring us to take these different types of classes, we will pick the one that seems the most interesting to us, and possibly realize that we are very interested in the subject. This interest could cause us to pursue that field further, maybe earning a minor or even a major in it. This broader sense of knowledge could open our career opportunities by qualifying us for more than one specific meaningful career, leading to fulfilling lives-as Mount Union’s mission statement suggests. I also believe that Mount Union’s clubs and extra-curricular activities can help prompt fulfilling lives. There are a lot of different volunteer groups that you can find on campus. I feel that volunteer work can contribute to responsible citizenship which is another one of Mount Union’s goals. The close community feeling of this campus promotes a sense of friendship between everyone. Everyone always says hi to each other, smiling as they walk past complete strangers. This puts students in the habit of being pleasant and welcome as they see strangers, which contributes to an overall happiness.

An A.D.D. Epidemic

                           

                             "For some people, the very idea of reading a book has come
                                  to seem old fashioned, maybe even a little silly-- like
                                 sewing your own shirts or butchering your own meat."


I believe that this statement is incredibly accurate. Everyone believes that reading books is old fashioned. Even reading in general has started to seem like a tedious, unnecessary task. Most people frown upon people who sit reading books instead of socializing...yet somehow, reading them on a kindle or iPad makes reading more socially accepted. I think that most people just don't understand. They don't understand how someone can sit down and read books for hours when most people lose interest after several paragraphs. Our society seems to have been infected with an epidemic of A.D.D.

Use of Social Networking by Law Enforcement Personnel

On Friday I was sitting in Criminal Justice class, listening to my professor lecture, when I realized that part of what he was saying coincided with this class. Facebook and Twitter are now being used in the world of law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies have pages and accounts used for the public to submit crime tips. Police also are able to get a warrant to search social networking accounts of accused felons. Many departments search Facebook and Twitter during background checks and some departments REQUIRE THE PASSWORDS from their new recruits as a condition of employment. Some people are concerned about whether this is a violation of privacy, but it is hard to consider it a violation of privacy when you are willingly posting it on the world wide web. Once you tell others anything, it is no longer private... so when you submit posts and photos to the world, it is hard to justify looking at them as an invasion of privacy.

When I went home to visit, I saw this shirt that my dad recently got. It goes along with Turkle's "Alone Together". It uses a 'funny tshirt' to show the evolution of man into cyborg. It does seem like, at the rate technology is becoming more integrated into our lives, we will eventually completely be replaced by robots. Turkle writes about the companions that will not disapoint people- the robotic companions that give unconditional affection, catering to people's narcissism. We want relationships that will not fail, pets that will not make a mess, toys that can be reset if we mess up when we are teaching them.I personally would rather have a two sided relationship the 'old fashioned way'.

A Personal Awakening

This has more to do with 'The Dumbest Generation' then 'Alone Together'- just a thought that I had as I was attempting to do homework. I realized that I actually wanted to put off homework that required a computer and do my reading first because I know how easily distracted I am. I am constantly tempted to use social networking sites when I am on my computer. Its as if being online and seeing the screen REQUIRES me to have facebook, twitter, and skype open in seperate tabs-all while being unable to resist the urge of the buzzing sound my phone makes when I receive a new text.

WHY IS IT SO TEMPTING? I am curious to what all of your thoughts on this are. For the most part the online conversations I have are completely pointless. They are those conversations that two people have when they're bored---but I have things to do. Important things, Things that I am paying (a lot of money) to be assigned to do. Why is it that rather than just getting my work done and then relaxing and getting some extra sleep, I choose to scroll through tweets and creep on Facebook.

I know that I am capable of concentrating when reading a textbook, writing with a pen and paper, and studying for a test. However, when I try to log onto the computer to find sources, type a paper, or check angel, I simply cannot fight the temptation to plug into the online social world and read unimportant statuses and have unimportant conversations. Why is that so appealing? I just can't seem to understand what is so enticing about it all.

  "They may even be recalled as the generation who lost that great American heritage, forever."

I have now finished the book and reflecting over the entire thing, I have come to the following conclusion: Something seriously needs done about the way our generation looks at school and learning. Something needs to be done about educational standards and teaching curriculums. Someone needs to find a way, not neccessarily to take away technology from young children and teens, but to make teens WANT to learn. Its just a matter of finding this mysterious "someone" that will change the country.

Twixters

On page 170, Bauerlein writes about the choices that Twixters make- they pass through service jobs such as waiters, clerks, nannies, and assistants instead of pursuing long term carreer plans. He writes that they move back home with their parents or into a house or apartment with other Twixters and states that we do not form long term relationships leading to marriage. If this is the case, why does everyone (adults) say that you have to go to college and get a degree in order to obtain a job? I have been told how much competition there is in applying for a job. Why, if most Twixters settle for the string of temporary jobs like waitressing, is it so difficult to get a "real job" that will be a long term carreer? I just dont understand.

After reading through some of the posts by all of you in class, my mind kind of tangented off. I started to wonder if in the future, more people could work from home. With our ability to multitask online, a lot of jobs could be done on a home computer. Meetings could be scheduled in video chat. The pages for different companies would allow easy access to all of the company information, services and products for sale, and opening positions. Obviously some parts of the job would need done in person, but there is no reason why someone sitting at a desk in their office couldn't be mostly working from home. The time freed up by driving to work would be open for other more productive things, and it would save so much gas money.

This book is copywrite 2008. Since it has been written, the technological world has advanced so much that some of the information sounds strange to hear. MySpace was from middle school which seems like a different world. Texting is now unlimited...but this reminds me of when you only had a certain amount to use per month. When I got my first cell phone...one of those flip phones that don't even exist now... I had 200 texts a month. I use more that that in a day. Buying CDs seems ancient as well. We download all of our music online- I doubt if some teenagers know if they even sell CDs anymore.

* * * * * *

 I do believe that children can learn things from technology. Programs that teach children about diversity will benifit them in elementary school. Shows like Dora the Explorer teach kids Spanish. I remember Barney the Dinosaur taught me my ABCs in 3 or 4 different languages. There are benifits to technology, but it SHOULD NOT be used as a means of babysitting!!! Parents who sit there child in front of the tv or the computer while they cook dinner are using movies as an easy way of occupying their kids.

* * * * * *

People are abandoning paper books for the digital versions, but can you blame us? Carrying an iPad, kindle fire, or laptop is much easier and less cumbersome than a stack of books. I personally like the non digital versions of textbooks. For pleasure reading, the kindle is fantastic. its easy, portable, and  turns into an internet connection when I need it. However, I like being able to flip easily back and forth between pages or jump to a different chapter in my textbook. The digital versions make that more difficult.

People have stopped reading as much because there are many activities with immediate gratification. Books are slower paced than a movie, and lets just face it, we live in a fast paced world. As for reading "required" in highschool, kids simply do not do it because they know that they don't need to. Most teachers in an English class will go over the book the day after its read, and tell the students the important things to know on a test. I will even admit to it myself. I did not read past chapter 4 in the Scarlet Letter, yet I passed the exam over the entire book. Not only did i pass it, I passed it with a high A. Once students figure out this system, they realize that regardless of whether they take the time to read the book or not, they will recieve a high grade. Therefore, there are many more "worth-while" things that the student believes that they could be doing instead.

I will not even begin to deny the accusation that we have become incredibly narcissistic. It is so easy to become so. #TeamiPhone has allowed us to link an endless number of accounts together, sending us notifications the second someone posts something about us on one of the social networks. It gives someone a world that revolves around them, and fits in their pocket! To know that someone posted about them makes an individual feel important. Everyone likes to feel important, funny, pretty, hansom, or popular. Logging into Facebook and seeing the number of notifications and friends requests they have lets someone feel popular. With access to this social world, anytime and anyplace, it is inevitable that people will become narcissistic.

This book is making a strong point to prove that America’s high school and college students are becoming more and more stupid. It has page upon page of facts and statistics confirming that our test scores are lower than they were 20, 30, or 50 years ago. Numerous studies were conducted in history, civics, math, science, technology, and fine arts- all of which pointed out the decrease in students’ knowledge.  I personally would like to see what the results would be if the same tests were given to 30-40 year olds. I do not believe that the only ones becoming less knowledgeable are the 15-20 year olds. Americans in general do not focus on world events as much as they did 50 years ago, regardless of age group. I attribute that to the fact that people are so caught up with their own lives that they do not care if they know things that, in a scientific study, would make them appear more cultured. An optimist would say that people have become more focused on a specific area of study and have no need for something that they will not use in their everyday lives. There is also the pessimistic thought that people are just becoming lazy and self-involved. Regardless of why we are becoming dumber, I have a hard time believing that teenagers are the ONLY group with a decreasing level of knowledge.

'The Dumbest Generation'

Hi I'm Lauren. I am a college freshman at the University of Mount Union, and this blog is one of my projects. I am going to be reading Mark Bauerleins book, "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future", and then blogging online about it. Ironic, is it not?