So the following video is the first draft of my Mashup Video. It covers the topic of gay rights and marriage. It starts with an anti-gay sentiment in video clips and pictures and then presents the idea that not everyone thinks like this. I then transition to pro-gay rights/sentiment, and it explores the idea that people are becoming more and more accepting as the generations evolve and mature. The ending shows my position on the topic, in hopes of reaching the LGBT community and presenting them with the message that even thought I am not apart of the LGBT community, I still support the campaign for equality in marriage, and in life. 

For my video mash-up I decided to tackle the topic of LGBT rights or the lack thereof. This is a topic that is close to my heart as I have various family members who fall into the LGBT label. I have a strong opinion in the controversy surrounding LGBT rights, and this is my chance to vocalize my opinion. The ignorance of the population of the world that do not accept the LGBT community is absolutely atrocious, and while I am not expecting that my video will change the opinions of an entire population of people, I hope that my video will reach the LGBT community and to show that there are people in the world that accept them for who they are and are fighting for their rights as much as they are. This is such a historic topic because of the way that members of the LGBT community are treated in our country. Various states have taken it upon themsleves to pass laws stating that members of the LGBT community are permitted to be married, but all other rights are not rewarded to them. This is a change that I hope to see happen in my lifetime, and I believe that the more publicity the issue gets, the more likely it is to change.

This is a risky topic to cover because of the amount of controversy surrounding it. There are many opinionated people out there, and the topic is definitely one to stir up opinions. It is also risky because depending on the images, video clips, and music that I choose to use, it could potentially offend someone that considers themselves part of the LGBT community. 

For my video, I envision there to be images and video clips that represent both sides of the argument, with words that fully support my opinion. I think it is important for the video to include both sides because there needs to be more awareness of how poor individuals in the LGBT community are treated. I want to use pictures and video clips that connect to the viewers pathos in hope that they will continue watching, and even share it with friends, family, coworkers, or anyone and everyone that they can. 

I would also love to use the song, "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. The song covers the topic perfectly and it is one of the only songs that I have ever heard that has taken this topic and expressed positive opinions of it. There are a few more songs on this page that I would also like to include! 

Throughout my time here at Rowan, I have taken various education, writing, and technology classes. While all of these classes have taught me various things about my future careers, there is one thing that they seem to be lacking. This one thing is the necessity for differentiating instruction when it comes to learning styles.

This past week, Professor Kopp asked us to watch a few videos of various lectures from individuals like, Jason Silva and Clay Shirky. When looking at the length of the videos, I knew that I was going to need to stay focused, and possibly take notes while watching these videos. However, I did not expect to have to pause the videos every couple of seconds to take notes, and hope that I was understanding the information. It was not until I found the "closed captioning" button, located on the bottom of the videos, that I really started to understand the material being presented. This button provided me with visual translations of the words that the men were speaking.  You see, I am a very visual learner. By solely listening to the words these men were saying, the information was going in one ear, and out of the other. So the question that has been bugging me ever since is, "how do you incorporate technology in the classroom, while also keeping in mind that all of my students are going to have different learning styles?"

According to a study conducted by Vicky Rideout, teachers believe that the constant use of digital technology is affecting attention spans and the ability to succeed in challenging tasks. Rideout, in an unrelated study, already found that children and  teenagers, age 8 to 18, spend twice as much time with screens as they do in school. How am I supposed to compete with this? How am I supposed to take into consideration that every student learns differently, so when I do introduce technology, each student is successful with it? How am I supposed to retain my students attention when all they want to do is play with the iPads, or the SmartBoard? I need answers!

Now, I know, "Rome wasn't built in one day," and the answers to these questions are going to come when I have real life experience with my students and the use of technology, but these questions haunt my dreams. Especially after finding out that, "out of 685 teachers surveyed in the Common Sense Media, 71% believe that technology is hurting attention span "a lot," 60% said it hindered students' ability to write and communicate face to face, and 50% believe that technology hurts critical thinking and the ability to do homework with success. 

So, fellow teacher candidates, does anyone have any response to my questions. Or does anyone have any idea how to incorporate learning styles and technology into the classroom, simultaneously? I'll pay you in compliments and smiles. (:

Target is a shopaholic's best friend. They have everything you could possibly want from a store--food, accessories, cute clothes, and even cuter shoes. It is very rare that I make a trip to Target without leaving with things that I didn't even know I needed or wanted. Somehow, shopping at Target makes all of my unnecessary expenses okay, because somehow I rationalize my purchases. "Oh this shirt will look great with the pair of boots that you just bought," or "Mom won't be home for dinner, so buying this delicious looking frozen pizza is so worth the $10 and the thousand calories."
It was not until last year in my Introduction to Writing Arts course that I learned that Target knows more about me than I think they do. Professor Wolff required us to read Charles Duhigg's "How Companies Learn Your Secrets." Duhigg discusses the technology involved in the intersection of data and human behavior and how Target uses this data to figure out some pretty person information on its customers.

One case in particular involved a teenage girl whose father went to the local Target store to complain about the types of coupons that she was receiving in the mail. These coupons were for maternity clothes and supplies for a newborn baby, including diapers and wipes. The associate that dealt with the father called a few days later to apologize again for the coupons. However, instead of having to apologize to the father, the man was apologizing to the employee. Turns out, his daughter was pregnant. Oops.

What baffled me the most is that most companies with large revenue have a “predictive analytics department.” However, this idea would not even faze Jason Silva, who describes himself as a “filmmaker, a futurist, an epiphany addict.” Silva, in his “We Are the Gods Now” talk at the Sydney Opera House shares a quote by Kevin Kelly. Kelly explores the idea that the world would be impoverished if the technology of the oil painting had not led Vincent Van Gogh to the creation of his masterpieces. Silva shares this quote with the audience because he believes that these technologies are creating types of jobs that would not exist if it were not for the technologies that are used in the jobs. He would state that the technology to find out personal information about shoppers at specific stores have led to a completely new job market where scientists can come in and analyze this information. Jason Silva would like more of these technologies, in order to create new jobs.

All I am saying, though, is that if Target sends me anymore coupons in the mail, I am going to go broke.

Robots have never been a very welcomed idea in my mind. I have tossed around the idea that one day, teachers may be out of a job. In fact, everyone might be out of a job. But, who didn't have the childish dream of having a robot to do your homework or get you a snack when you asked for one. And what about that Disney Channel Original Movie, SmartHouse, where the house did everything for you, including clean up spills, wake you up with a video and music mash-up, and knew exactly what you wanted for a snack when you got back to school. But just like the disaster that this SmartHouse ended in, I feel as if the future, which may lie in the hands of robots, will lead to disaster as well.

Bill Joy, author of "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us," is not convinced that robots are a good idea, either. Bill Joy has spent the last 25 years working on computer networking. He states that this is a field where there is an opportunity for out-of-control replication. But he also states that this replication can do no further damage than taking down a network for a few hours, or disabling a specific machine. He worries that the opportunity for replication in newer technologies can lead to damage in the physical world.
Joy brings up the fact that while in the midst of change and discovery, it is hard to see the global impact that these changes are making. He says that this is a common flaw that scientists and technologists possess. With the way that the world is today, he is afraid of all the changes that are taking place every day. He knows that the global impact on the future is going to be extensive.

Bill Joy, at the age of 10, was certain that humans were going to have a future in space. He did not, however, imagine a world where robots would be ruling, and natural selection was no longer an issue. As for myself, at the age of 10, I couldn’t even grasp the concept of time and space and robots scared the living daylights out of me. But turns out, this may be my future.