To Whom It May Concern...

We have come to the end of the road for this course and this semester.  We have had some “ups” and we have had some “downs,” but we still made it through.  One final assignment that I would like to have you do is to write a letter to future students who will take this course with me.  Here are the things that you should do within this letter:

• Give a general introduction to the class (What is this course about?)
• Summarize the course material (What did we do?)
• Discuss study techniques and learning strategies (What helped you?)
• Explain problem areas you encountered with the material
• Describe some things that helped and allowed you to succeed
• Describe some things that were not helpful (if any)
• What might you do differently if you could start this course again?

 Be sure to address the seven (7) areas above.

 Things to remember:

• Please be grammatical in your sentence structure
• Spell check and proofread your letter
• The letter can be informal
• Be sure to include your name and date

Mr. C

This blog/letter is due on/before April 21 by 11:59 PM and should be at least 500 words.

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College or Grade 13...

I did this blog last semester and I have been wrestling with this question this semester when I look at some of my students' performance.  I figured I would get your opinion on it...

As we grow and mature, one of the major aspects of our lives becomes our education. We struggle and work hard to get through the five or six years of elementary school, the three or four years of middle school and the three or four years of high school. Once many of us walk across the stage to receive our diplomas, we feel a great sense of accomplishment and, to a degree, a sense of completion. Many of us were conditioned to believe that college was the next step or at least finding a good paying job. This wasn't negative conditioning, but sometimes WE are left out of the equation.

I was talking to some colleagues the other day and we were discussing how students now don't seem to have the same feelings about college and higher education that we had. College was looked at as something that was special. It was a place for the elite. It was a place where we could further the knowledge that we only scratched the surface of in primary and secondary school. It was a place where we could make lifelong friendships and have our views/beliefs challenged. Ultimately, it was a place where we found...exactly who we were.

Now, it seems that college is just like high school. It seems to be a place where students expect to be talked to like a psychiatrist would talk to their patients; where students want you to talk to their parents if they did not receive the grade they think they deserve; and where the instructors are to make allowances for every little thing that goes wrong in the students' lives.

What do you think about these thoughts? Honestly, why did you come to college? Did you feel pressured into coming? If you were pressured, what do you think you would have been doing had you not attended college? What are some of your personal definitions of college? Have your definitions changed upon coming to school?

Mr. C

Remember these posts are due by Friday April 14 by 11:59 PM. Responses should be at least 250 words.
**On another note, make sure you are commenting on THIS post and not creating your own. 

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Unnecessary Technologies...

It has been said that as soon as a consumer purchases a piece of technology, it becomes obsolete.  I have seen this happen with computers, televisions, and most of you know that as soon as a new cell phone hits the market, developers are working on another one.  In past blogs, we have discussed what pieces of technology we would like to see developed, what technologies that we would not want to see replace humans, and we have talked about some of the evils of technology in the forms of social media.  As technology progresses, there are new advances that surface daily/weekly/monthly.  But there are some advances that I think are completely unnecessary and solely function as a way for someone to put their name on “the next big thing.”

One of these unnecessary technologies is the smart watch.  I recently purchased one just to see what the “hype” is all about.  For those of you who do not know, smart watches were developed a few years ago and they serve the purpose to be more convenient for consumers.  Instead of having to pick up your phone when a call or a text comes through, you can answer the call or reply to the text through the watch.  You can also make calls through the watch.  I would like this technology except for one thing…you still have to have your phone with you or in close vicinity in order for the watch to work.  Why would I buy a watch that can do everything my phone does, but I still have to have my phone with me?  I think that is basically useless, but I may be converted once I receive it and begin to use it.

What technologies do you think are unnecessary?  The technologies you choose can be either hardware (something external) or software (something internal).  Why do you think these technologies are unnecessary?  Is there something else that exists that is better?  If the technology is unnecessary in its current state, how can it be improved?

Mr. C

These blogs are due on/before Friday April 7 by 11:59 PM.  This blog is to be 250 words.

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