My Research Topic

4a) Make a final decision about your logical argument research topic. What is it? Questions to ask yourself: Drunk Driving 

What have we been studying in class this year?
How to properly use the internet, how it works, the origin of the world wide web, ways to do research both online and in libraries.
Which subjects appeal to me?
Subjects that revolve around sympathetic situations that could be prevented. 
What are people writing about?
People are writing about headline issues that are present in the world. There are situations that have first line in terms of its need to be handles. 
What's most interesting to me?
Some ideas that are interesting to me are how drunk driving became prominent, statistics about the the number and types of accidents as well as group statistics based on age.
Can I find information about that?
I can definitely find information about that. Some things i can research are:
How many teens get into drunk driving accidents?
How many drunk driving related accidents happened in new york?
Which state or city has the highest rate of drunk driving related accidents?


4b) Why are you most interested in the topic of argument selected?
     Im interested in the topic of drunk driving because its one of the easier deaths to prevent, but its one of the top reasons people die in accidents. I think a lot of people know what to do, but do not apply their education when they need it. That is the part that interests me the most, students learning how to apply their knowledge of drunk driving. 

Critical Thinking Questions

sirs.com
login/my products
database features
leading issues
what i chose (read and answer questions)


1. Homework:

1. How much homework should students be assigned at the grade school level? Middle school level? High school level? Explain your answers. I think that the amount of homework assigned should be relatively similar no matter what the grade. Of course students might need more time for some things when your in High School because the work is significantly different compared to that of grade/middle school, but I don't high school work being more complicated merits giving hours of homework. There is too much expected of young kids and teens to be participating in, and spending a lot of time on homework doesn't allow kids to do what society expects them to. 
2. What kind of homework assignments, if any, do you think are most worthwhile? Explain. I think the homework assignments that are the most worthwhile are critical thinking homework. I think homework should be about reflecting on what happened in class so you can remember it, not redoing all the work to "memorize it". Right now homework is not serving the purpose its intended to, which basically makes its practice as a whole completely invalid. 
3. Should teachers consider other activities their students are involved in (sports, work, church) when assigning homework? Why or why not? It shouldn't even be a question whether teachers should consider this or not. I kind of talked about this in answer 1 where I said that society expects a lot from students. If we don't have the time to do all the activities we are expected to, how will we succeed by societal standards? Sports, work, and church are all things students shouldn't have to pass up for homework, doing all these activities contributes to success, stress relief, and mental/physical stability. 

2. Drunk Driving

1. Should states adopt stricter penalties for drivers who refuse to take a BAC test? Why or why not? They should, there is no reason drivers should be able to refuse the BAC test. Some people like to say that its their given right as a united states citizen to deny the test, but all they have to do is blow to see if they are under the legal drinking and driving limit. There are not giving anything up besides the chance that they wont hurt someone on the road. I think this is one of those things that citizens have to give up because under the law, you cant use your freedom to take freedom away from any other citizen.
2. Should laws be enacted that require ignition-interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers, including first-time offenders? Why or why not? I think this idea should be implemented until a more effective method is in place. In reality, a first time offender isnt strong enough of a word when it comes to drunk driving. You can be a first time offender for stealing for being a public nuisance, but when you are a first time offender for drunk driving you may have already killed someone. Ignition interlock devices are a good idea but it needs to be more effortless in the future. This is described more in the next question. 
3. Describe other measures you think could be implemented to reduce drunk driving. My idea is that maybe in the future if technology is advanced enough, your alcohol levels can be analyzed by putting your hands on the wheel, where the car can turn on but nobody drunk can drive as the wheel would lock itself. 

3. Human Trafficking

1. Should victims of human trafficking be deported? I think they should be deported back home. but not in the sense that this question describes it. Victims of human trafficking dont try to escape out of fear, so essentially they want to be deported back anyway. But more importantly, if found, they need to be taken into custody for their safety. Give the victims the option if they would like to stay or not, some victims may have already been taken for years and started new lives. 
2. Would legalizing prostitution increase or decrease human trafficking victims involved in commercial sex work? Legalizing prostitution would decrease human trafficking victims involved in commercial sex work because the need for trafficked victims comes from the illegality of the commercial sex. If prostitution were legal, there would be businesses that could openly hire, and it would eliminate the need to kidnap. 
3. What are the main factors that feed the human trafficking industry? The main factors that feed the trafficking industry are illegal services. Trafficked victims are used to smuggle drugs, prostitution, and aid in illegal transfers. 

4. Prescription Drug Abuse

1. Should doctors be penalized when their patients abuse prescription drugs? I think doctors should keep an eye on refillable prescriptions, and track how many refills are being used. Not always, but some times you can tell prescription drugs are being used for something other than for what prescribed solely on an unusual amount of refills. However, it is not to forget that the Doctor should not be blamed for a patients actions. They are not responsible if someone abuses their power. Its the same way the government isn't blamed for drunk driving just because they allow people to have cars. 
2. Should commonly abused prescription drugs be pulled off the market? Why or why not? I think they should only be pulled of the market if there is a substitute drug that could still be prescribed for the patients who actually need the drugs for medical reasons. Pulling a drug off the market when there is no effective substitute for behaving patients could be very detrimental. 
3. What pharmacy regulations should be implemented to prevent prescription drug abuse? I think i wrote about this pretty much already in the other questions, but ill restate it. I think doctors should keep an eye on refillable prescriptions, and track how many refills are being used. Drugs should only be pulled of the market if there is a substitute drug that could still be prescribed for the patients who actually need the drugs for medical reasons. I think we also need a policy where patience who are at risk of abusing drugs are only allowed to refill prescriptions at one chosen pharmacy. 

5. Distracted Driving

1. What distracted driving activities have you observed? What makes these activities dangerous? I have not seen drunk driving activities in the moment, but i have seen large crashes on Hylan Blvd that have resulted from drunk driving. Ive seen cars being destroyed from accidents and families mourning over lost loved ones. Its really an eye opener on how dengerous these activities can be because you only need to be distracted for a few seconds for something detrimental to occur. 
2. Should texting while driving be a primary offense with severe penalties? Why or why not? Many people would disagree with me but I disagree with this. I think people who text while driving are uneducated on the things that can happen, some times people need to feel pain to know how to avoid it. What I mean by this is, law punishment isnt really going to educate drivers to put down their phone. The approach needs to be more personal, something that can make people feel in their gut how horrible it would be to lose someone they love from such a silly action. 
3. Should cell phone use while driving be banned? Why or why not? I think cell phone use while driving should be banned unless you are using a hands free device. Most accidents occur when people are looking directly at their phones for a few moments. People should be allowed to make calls if they have a bluetooth ear device or a car system for making calls. I prefer the car systems because they only allow you to make calls when the car isnt moving. 

Potential Research Topics

1. Homework
2. Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
3. Human Trafficking
4. Prescription Drug Abuse
5. Distracted Driving

1. I think too much homework is given. If every class gives homework every night then school basically doesn't end and it doesn't leave time for all the other activities students are expected to carry out.
2. I find it horrifying how children cant even be safe in their own homes. This is an issue that should be properly addressed to ensure the kids of our future are safe. I think its a basic right that kids can be protected from the very people that bring them to life.
3. Human trafficking is a horrible activity that forces people, particularly women, to be forced from their lives to carry out illegal activities against their will. This could be very dangerous from many reasons ranging from physical harm to getting in trouble with the government if they get caught.
4. Prescription drug abuse brings up an interesting debate between if they shouldnt be allowed or if they should be regulated better. People could die if they abuse the drugs that are being given out legally. Sometimes the people who abuse the drugs are not the people the drugs are prescribed to. People sell the prescription drugs they receive to other people.
5. Distracted driving is horrible because it can not only kill the people who are driving distracted, but the people who get caught in the wrong place in the wrong time.


What cases can be made for or against x?

1. Homework
For: Helps the students review class lessons and helps improve cognitive memory of lessons.
Against: Takes too much time out of the day and is more stressful than it is helpful.
2. Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

For: Your teaching a lesson or "spanking" them.
Against: Is physically and mentally abusive to children and can cause them to be unsafe in their own homes.

3. Human Trafficking

For: Eases illegal business through transportation.
Against: Kidnaps people and removes them from their lives and forces them to do illegal activity to live.

4. Prescription Drug Abuse

For: "I need it" or "I can't function without it".
Against: Dangerous if abused by the prescribed for, even more dangerous if abused by the people the drug wasn't prescribed for.

5. Distracted driving

For: Its not that long to send a text message, i wont get into an accident.
Against: Highest form of death by car, and also kills people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What "Ticks Me Off"

What "ticks you off"?
Make a list of four or five things that "tick you off." Explain why. (Choose significant things that others might experience as well. For instance, your little brother might tick you off, but there is little chance that this annoyance will yield a possible paper topic). It is possible that one of these annoyances can be transformed into an interesting, engaging, and researchable project.

1. How Healthy food costs more than junk food, thus making a healthy living more expensive than an unhealthy living. 
2. When I don't have enough time to do all the things that are expected of me. Being a full time student + working part time + applying to college + community service + an internship + me-time + family time + a sport is not all possible at once but its expected of us. 
3. How expensive college is and how you have to pay off loans for most of your life. 
4.  Police Brutality

1. Although there is justification for why Healthy food is more expensive than junk food because junk food is cheaper to produce, a method should be found that makes healthy food easier to get. The government doesn't take obesity seriously enough and doesn't look at it as a drug. It just makes it harder for people to be healthier. 
2. I think teenagers are expected of too much. Its not really possible to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle and do all these activities. There will be parts of their lives that will suffer. 
3. College appears to be a really good way for institutions to make a lot of money. Many things being paid for are not as expensive as they are. 
4. Policeman are meant to enforce the law not abuse it. They act as if the law excludes them due to the position they hold. People are being hurt and killed for no reason, and i think the police have too much power and are no longer doing their job properly.

Homework WL 2

Part One:

1) If you believe that all students should be Web literate, what is the best strategy for your school to prepare you with this skill? Explain.

     The best strategy for my school to prepare its students with web literacy is to do what it is already doing and conduct a web literacy class. The class helps students formulate different ideas about the internet. We get to learn how the world wide web works and how. More so, we can translate what we learn into our college years. I also think they should incorporate web literacy into different classes, that way we can subconsciously learn it without even knowing. I think everyone should be web literate because in recent years, technology has grown tremendously and shows no signs of slowing down. Soon enough almost every aspect of our lives could potentially be run using technology, so not becoming web literate could one day mean not being able to live properly. 

2) What skills should all teachers have to be Web literate? Explain.

     Teachers should be able to easily navigate the web and use email. They should know how to conduct proper research and know where to look for certain topics. It should also be known where to direct students if they need help with class understanding in terms of research related to their class subject. I also think that teachers should know how to use the smart boards in their class rooms.

3) What role should school filtering play in your school district? Explain why schools should block or not block Web sites.

     Schools should block the websites that are a distraction for students during instruction. They can make sure students only access websites that are beneficial to their learning. Its imperative to have schools filter websites or else the schools are responsible for any of their inappropriate activity. Web Sites can be filtered so that the web has the flexibility to meet the needs of its user, even if that means preventing students from using certain sites.

4) Do you believe the Internet is as big a transformer of culture as the printing press? Explain.

     I actually think the Internet is a larger transformer of culture compared to the printing press. This is because it has the same affect but at a much faster and farther rate. People across the world can attain information from places thousands of miles away. This is not possible with the printing press, although the actual transfer of culture is similar to the printing press. Both share the similarity that they serve as information hubs for people all over the world, however with the Internet its not limited to the informations respective community. 

5) If yes, what parts of our culture do you believe will be most affected? Explain.

     I think many aspects of our culture will be affected like Education or Business. In education, theres more unique ways to teach and enhance understanding not only with student but also between students and teachers. If more people are web literate that means more people are qualified for positions in the business field that already has a high technological dependance. 

Wikipedia Story

1. The Mosaic browser did not give users the ability to edit the Web pages they were viewing. It turned Web surfers into passive consumers of published content. 

2. Blogs and wikis contain posts, sometimes similar to journal entries, from a person or a group. The posts are dated and listed in reverse chronological order. People can comment on posts as well as provide links to related sites, photos, and blogs.

3. No matter how much was in it, there were many more things that weren’t. And this became more so with time. After a few years, there were all sorts of topics—moon landings and rock festivals and protest marches, Kennedy's and kings—that were not included.

4. Wales next tried an idea that reflected his childhood love of the World Book: an online encyclopedia. He dubbed it Nupedia, and it had two attributes: it would be written by volunteers, and it would be free. 

5. They remind me that there is always more to learn. 

6. After a year, Nupedia had only about a dozen articles published, making it useless as an encyclopedia, and 150 that were still in draft stage, which indicated how unpleasant the process had become. It had been rigorously engineered not to scale.

8. Obtain (information or input into a particular task or project) by enlisting the services of a number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet.

9. I think its a valid argument. Some people will just go into forums and alter the text for comical purposes. It makes wikipedia less of a reliable resource for individuals who are actually searching for information. 

10. The article claims that idiots can post incorrect and biased information and other idiots can take that and make it better. I don't find it valid to any extent, its just not realistic.

11. It became to Web content what GNU/Linux was to software: a peer-to-peer commons collaboratively created and maintained by volunteers who worked for the civic satisfactions they found. It was a delightful, counterintuitive concept, perfectly suited to the philosophy, attitude, and technology of the Internet.

12. I think it was a bad thing because it just created conflict in the work space. They had increasingly clashed on fundamental issues, such as Sanger’s desire to give more deference to experts and scholars.

13. The anecdote kind of emphasizes the downsides of using Wikipedia. People can edit posts as much as they wanted and it created conflicts. 

14. The quote displays not only the team efforts behind wikipedia but the reason a website like wikipedia was created. It demonstrates the power or creating pieces that many minds get to put there two sense into. 

15. The website naturally grew on its own from not only mass but diversity in its usage. 

16. Not only is all that material in Wikipedia contributed for free, it is available to you free. It’s the website for collaboration that doesn’t have limits.

17. I don't agree only because people don't use it for what it really is. And its never been useful for me because schools discourage using it. 

18. It’s the rush of dopamine that seems to hit the brain’s pleasure center when you make a smart edit and it appears instantly in a Wikipedia article. Until recently, being published was a pleasure afforded only to a select few. 

19. Wikipedia is not a reliable source for information. I would only use it if it was reliable enough for schools to use.

20. Its totally possible for a 16 year old to write insightful articles. Really, it depends on the maturity of the person, not the age.

21. It depends, I would have to read the information first. After I read it, I could question its reliability. 

22.  I think Wales means that there is a level of untapped potential as a world. Who knows the advancements that could occur if everyone had the same opportunity to acquire knowledge. 

23. I agree because sometimes a different perspective is all you need. Its not always about the smartest people, and for all we know that person could be found in a under developed nation. 

24.   I definitely think that wikipedia succeeded in its mission. Wikipedia allows people not merely to access other people’s knowledge but to share their own.

25. I 100% agree with this. People can be intellectual on various different educational and artistic levels and it doesn't always require skilled training.
26. I would not use it for my academic research. The article sheds light on good aspects of wikipedia, but there are still more reliable sources that could be used on the internet. 

27.  I wouldn't like to write or edit articles for Wikipedia because its just not in my interests. Perhaps if i felt there was something to be shared that not many people have the opportunity to realize then maybe i would.

The subject I most enjoy reading about is Journalism, because i've taken the class for three years and i am the editor in chief. It comes pretty naturally by now, so I do not consider it a hassle to read about.

My favorite hobby or past time is Dance, because i've taken it for 5 years and now I am a dance teacher.

If i won the lottery, I would use the money to get a nice house and car, and use the rest to be a philanthropist.

The type of volunteer activity i prefer is working with people who have alzheimer's because my grandmother had it and it hits close to home.

My favorite school subject has always been English because i like the added sense of creativity.

If i ran the world, the first thing i would change would be the system we use to take care of the poor because it doesnt work.