Digital Story

http://www.wix.com/mmcnichola2/fys-2

What's in Your Computer

Brominated Flame Retardants

1. They are not mined; they are synthetically made.
2.Some countries regulate the production of it. (European Union in 2006)
3. Accumulates in fatty tissues and travels throughout the body. Affect the neurological and endocrine systems. Most harmful effects are on children and pregnant women.
4. Demanufacturing produces toxic chemicals such as hydrogen bromide. It is released into the atmosphere and is consumed by animals and humans. This causes neurological effects in humans, and some animals have died from it.

Ewaste: Letter to Congress

Thanks for sending your letter to Congress


Thanks for taking the time to send a letter to Congress on the e-waste export bill. They need to hear from their constituents on this issue. Passing this bill is the most important action Congress can take on the e-waste issue.

Can you tell your friends to do the same - to send a message to their Representative? It only takes a minute.

Use our tool below to let them know about this important bill, and ask them to send a message to Congress. You can either paste email addresses into our tool (towards the bottom of this page) or just click "send from your own address book" to open an email message with our suggested message. Feel free to edit the message or completely rewrite it.

Thanks for your help!

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition

A Comic Rendition: Comparative Revolutions and Social Media
Meagan McNicholas, Brianna Ruth, Alex Messina,and Hailey Meinen


Question 1: Why suddenly are we witnessing real social and political change in some Middle Eastern Countries and not in others?



Source: "Arab Spring." www.sourcewatch.org. N.p., 25 Oct 2011. Web. 14 Nov 2011.


Question 2:In this context, has the role of social media and/or the Internet been fairly represented by traditional news sources and/or politicians? Why? Why not?



Source:Hilleary, Cecily. "Can Social Media Bring Democracy to Middle East? | Middle East | English." News | English. Voice of America, 17 Aug. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Will-New-Media-Bring-Democracy-to-Middle-East-100898544.html.

Villarreal, Alex. "Social Media a Critical Tool for Middle East Protesters | Middle East | English." News | English. Voice of America, 1 Mar. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. .


Question 3: Is the social and political change in some Middle Eastern Countries due to social media such as Twitter and Facebook?



Source:Tsotisis, Alexia. "Twitter, Facebook and YouTube’s Role in Middle East Uprisings [UPDATED 4/25/11] | Social Capital Blog." Social Capital Blog | Wisdom on Social Capital, Human Interaction, Civic Engagement and Community through Research, News Stories and Life. AOL Inc, 11 Feb. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.

Question 4:Based on your research, what has been the role of social media in the popular uprisings described as the Arab Spring?




Source:Pontin, Jason. "What Actually Happened." Technology Review: The Authority on the Future of Technology. MIT, Sept.-Oct. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. ;.

Blog 11 Ants

My Twitter name is Meagan228
These are all my tweets about the class:


All the numbers are 1 except for the box above the M is 150. This is how it turns out after about 10 min #fysswarmhttp://pic.twitter.com/C3deleaU

Got 129 across, thanks to@BrandonCobbins your plan works really well. #FysswarmHere's how I used ithttp://pic.twitter.com/u4VWClnH

@CassStadnik That's what I'm trying to figure out too, I've been playing with the edge sensor but it doesn't seem to do anything #fysswarm

Here is the set up I used. It's pretty random, but it worked a little #fysswarmhttp://pic.twitter.com/sBmuVdRF

I can get them to start making bridges, but they are too spread out along the river. Any ideas? #fysswarmhttp://pic.twitter.com/KM0BJiew

Haven't made any good discoveries, but it does seem to be less confusing if you use less ants. #fysswarm


I was able to get 129 ants across

Annotated Bibliography

Warschauer, Mark. "Reconceptializing the Digital Divide." First Monday 7.7-1 (2002). First Monday. July 2002. Web. 29 Sept. 2011. <http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/967/888>.

This article describes two specific situations in which social justice projects were done in various cities. It proves my point that access to technology is not enough. In 1997, a contest was held in Ireland in which the winning cities received a great deal of money to use for technological advances. The town that was given the most money splurged on a lot of expensive equipment and spent very little on training for the people. They computerized many systems, but even through every person was given a computer they were not able to use them because they were not educated. Most of the programs fell through and the town had very little to show for their money. The other towns, that were given less money carefully spent it on training and sustaining the system rather than equipment. This program showed much greater success. This article also discuss a program in India were children were given access to a community set of computers, but not shown how to use them. It shows that the children could not use the computers the right way only used them to play games, not for school work. They were forced to learn to use them on their own and only made small discoveries.  

Jenkins, Henry, Ravi Purushotma, Katherine Clinton, Margaret Weigel, and Alice Robison. "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:Media Education for the 21st Century." New Media Literacies. MacAurthur Foundation. Web. 29 Sept. 2011. <http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/files/working/NMLWhitePaper.pdf>.

This article discusses digital literacy and education. It shows the need for new skills in technology and the use the of internet. The articles really shows the importance of a participatory culture and the benefits it can bring. If people do not have the skills to do get involved they will miss out of the chance to collaborate with many other people. Most of the people mentioned in this article have access to the technology necessary, but do not know how to use it. This demonstrates the importance of education so that people can use all the resources the internet offers. It also talks about the importance of the internet as a creative outlet for people to share ideas and projects they have developed. The internet is not just about learning and school work; it can provide many social and entertainment environments that provide fun while still developing  skills. Some examples are social media sites, art and video cites, and fan fiction and blog sites. These can improve communication, creativity, and literary skills. There is a large section about why computer skills should be taught in schools including preparation to live and work in a global community. There are many benefits to the use the technology and this presents reasons to teach young people.

Edutopia Staff. "Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many."Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 17 Mar. 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction>.

This article stresses the need to use technology in class rooms. Technology skills will help students thrive in the current society, college, and the job market. These skills do not have to be taught in just a certain class because there is a much bigger concept than just software and usage skills. Computers can be used to teach problem solving and enhance learning in all areas. Technology can provide opportunities that students would not have otherwise. Making lessons more interactive and exciting for students is a benefit computers can bring to classes in every subject. This demonstrates that a specific class in technology is not necessary to prepare students for their futures, and gives schools all the more reason to incorporate technology. At the same time, students are learning technological skills that will help them in college and life.

"Benefits." Senior Surf. Senior Surf - Computer Education for Lifelong Learners, 2004-2008. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. <http://www.senior-surf.org/benefits/index.php>.

This article describes the demand and benefits for elderly people to use computers. Senior citizens are the largest growing group of new internet users, but there is still a huge generational gap in usage. This articles shows the numerous benefits for the elderly on the computer such as healthcare, aid in loneliness, increased independence, improvement in cognitive ability, and even depression. However, they must have access and be properly educated to have these benefits.  It stresses the importance of education and I will tie in my knowledge of ways to make technology easier for senior citizens to use. I will relate this article to my grandmother's use of the internet and the new things she has been able to do since getting a computer. 

Swearingen, Joy. "Bridging the Rural Digital Divide; Library Gets Funding to Offer Classes, Buy More Equipment 26." Journal-Pilot Online. 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.journalpilot.com/articles/2011/10/26/news/news1.txt>.

This is a local newspaper from a rural county in Illinois. It shows that the digital divide is very much present in the United States. It will correspond with the other article about the digital divide in other countries. The Carthage public library received a grant to improve their technology. They plan to use it to buy new equipment but also stress the importance of education. They plan to offer many classes and training opportunities.  These include basic computer skills, information about resume making and government job posting sites, and educational sites. It will free, public access and education. This articles shows how current this problem is and that the issue hit close to home.

Weblog 10: Facebook as a Superorganism

A superorganism is not a single organism as the name may imply but it is really a group of many organisms working together. All of the organisms are intelligent and are capable of completing tasks. However, sometimes a task is too big or too challenging for the individual to complete on its own. The task can only be when a group comes together. Now the amazing thing is that each individual may not even realize what they are doing, and everyone does not need to be present to accomplish the goal. A superorganism does not have a leader or strong communication between the parties involved, but the task is still accomplished. Examples a superorganism or swarm  in nature are ants and bee hives, but people use this technique to. Many times this occurs without people even realizing it.

                Facebook is one of the most popular and well-known websites on the internet. People use it to share all kinds of information and to communicate. The users of Facebook are an example of a superorganism. There are two main reasons for this. The first is the use of Facebook is basically a fad; a few years ago no one even knew what it was. As it grew more popular, more and more people started using it. To an individual, Facebook does not seem as large as it truly is. They may only have a specific group of "friends" that they interact with but there are really thousands of similar networks of people. As more people joined, they brought along more friends and the amount of people grew. One person using Facebook for their personal use actually lead to more and more people joining. The second is the rapid spread of information. Each person may post something and then it spreads to many other. Soon more and more people are sending the messages. This huge flow of information is only possible with people all working together. However, if one person did not send something on it would not have an effect on the over message being distributed. 

Blog 9 Emergent Behavior

A strong an example of emergence I have participated in is the drills my high school marching performed during our shows. I was a member of the marching for 6 years. I played the bass drum so I only had the opportunity to move during the show one year. The drummers stood still in my band because it is very difficult to do drills with a bulky drum on your shoulders. We created a center piece for the show to be based around. The band preformed many drills over the years, but we could only truly see what they looked like on video tape. Everyone on the field was assigned fairly small movements on the field at different points in the music. To the individual participating it just looked like people randomly walking around, but to the people in the stands it formed shaped and pictures. On the field, there was no way to tell that a bigger action was happening because of everyone's movements. Our movements were precisely timed and measured. We knew exactly how many steps to take and where to stand. These little movements that everyone made it possible for the big picture to form.

            This is an example of emergence because the small actions of individuals lead to a much bigger action. Everyone only took a few steps or turned around but to someone in the audience it was a much bigger movement. Everyone contributed to the total picture. The individual actions made a much larger impact when joined together with everyone else's. This is how the drills were successful and put on a show for the audience. No one would want to see one person do something, the art is in  everyone working together. It is amazing what can happen when each person does such a little thing. This is what emergence behavior is, everyone does a small part that causes something very large and complex to arise.

Weblog 7-8 China Debate

                Many people in the United States do not realize the kind of freedoms that they enjoy compared to life in many other countries. In China, the citizens do not have nearly the quality of life that the people of the United States have. One big issue is freedom of information and ability to speak out about issues. There are very strict rules and censorship of the internet in China. "The Great Firewall" as it is known blocks many websites and information from people's access. Most sites about government information and many communication sites are unable to be accessed by Chinese people. This is a form of social injustice forced by the government. The people are working very hard to find a way around these barriers, but have not had much success.

            Many large, American companies such as Cisco, Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo have expanded to China. However, the government places restrictions on the use of the systems. In 2002, Cisco approved a sale of $100,000 worth of routers and internet equipment to the Chinese government. It was later released that this equipment was used to build the "The Golden Shield" by the Chinese government. This blocked millions of people's access to the internet. This is probably why Cisco tried to cover up it and only debated this sale internally with their officials. The other companies also have done business in China for similar purposes. Google and Yahoo allow the government to limit what websites and searches are allowed by their engines. Google, especially put up a huge fight to work with the government and help the people access information. However their efforts were not able to stop censorship.

            The United States government is not happy that their companies are contributing to social injustice in other countries. The government is not the only one, as  Arvind Ganesan, a director at the nonprofit Human Rights Watch said "If you know ahead of time that a sale could lead to human rights violations, and there’s no way of mitigating that, maybe you shouldn’t offer it to that entity,". The government realized this state of distress by it's members and the citizen's of the United States and called a conference to discuss the issue. The companies defended themselves. I believe that companies have every right to sell their products to people all over the world. Though I do not feel it is ethically right for them to sell them if they know the products will be used to limit human rights, I do not feel it is the government's place to tell them that they cannot. Companies such as Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Cisco are privately owned companies. They are not ran by or affiliated with the government in anyway. This should mean that they are free to operate their business with the out the government telling them what to do. The capability of a product to be used for censorship should not limit its ability to be sold.

            Many people do not feel this way and think that the United States has an obligation to protect people's rights all over the world. The United States could place restrictions to help the people of China by helping to block resources to the Chinese government. This can be viewed similarly to other plans the United States have used in the past to bring freedoms to people. As an American company, companies should be forced to follow the values of the country. They should be expected to be against social injustices and definitely not help the governments create it. Many people in China are fighting to find a way to have freedom on the internet, and the United States should not be making it harder for them.

            Chinese people have made many strides to help bypass the "Great Firewall" and gain freedoms on the internet. But are their efforts enough? The Chinese government is huge and very powerful. "The Great Firewall" is very detailed and complicated. Hacking it would be very difficult if not impossible. Even when people find ways around the restrictions the government finds a way to shut them down. "The idea is that coders elsewhere get to Twitter, and offer up feeds at their own URLs—which the government has to chase down one by one." says Jonathan Zittrain, co-director of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. People will never be completely successful because the government will always find them. The government is using many high-tech methods to block the micro blogs that people are using to try to access information. These include IP filtering, DNS blocking and redirecting, URL filtering, and packet filtering, and connect resetting. This is too much for people to bypass without something being done to limit the government's actions. Even though they have had some success with their blogs and some successful protests no real change has been made. The battle for protesters is so difficult because the government has truly stepped up the censorship. They are working to build a massive system with an comprehensive surveillance network. This would be equipped with the latest technology monitoring people in every way possible. How can a group of activists compete with that? As much as I would like to believe the people can win this fight it's just too big. Even a huge company like Google was not able to win the battle against censorship, The people will need a partner, probably another country, to come in and help them.

            People are finding some success such as the use of UltraSurf and other programs as different way to access the internet without censorship. They can also use the readily available proxies and virtual private networks. People have found success by posting their stories and grievances.  For example in 2003 when the story of Sun Zhigang's death was told online the uproar led to the law causing it to be overturned. The "underground" internet blogs are slowly becoming the most popular way for people to get true information about what is going on in their world. In these ways it is helping to increase the freedoms of the Chinese people, but the government is always looking and watching. Many websites are being shut down and blocked every day.

Sources

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/04/15/googles-ordeal-in-china/

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/05/leaked-cisco-do/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall_of_China#Protest_in_China

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/100852/The-Rising-Tide-of-Internet-Opinion-in-China.aspx

Digital Story Proposal

I am very good with computers and usually do not have problems getting things done. However many of my friends and classmates do not know a whole lot about technology and how to use it correctly. In this case, it is only is a small problem, but for many people the issue is huge. In my digital story, I plan to talk how many experiences helping people in and out of school with computers relates to the much larger problem of the digital divide. Many people have the misconception that the digital divide is only a problem about people having access to computers, but it much bigger than that. It is not enough to just given some one new technology, but you must also show them how to use it. I have seen firsthand how a computer is useless to someone who does not know how to use it.

            I think the digital divide should be expanded to include the concepts of education and digital literacy. Everyone deserves access to a computers and a high speed internet connection, but they also need the knowledge to use it. I will provide specific instants when just giving people access was not enough. It has been shown that people must be taught how to use technology for them to get all they can out of it. I believe for my main theme in my story I will discuss how many of my classmates got new laptops for college but do not have the knowledge to use them in all the ways they need. For example, most students in my chemistry lab class did not know how to use Excel well enough to do a project. I think high schools should offer more classes in computers and software. My high school only offered one, and it was not very detailed. Besides students the elderly also lack many skills in technology. My family recently got my grandmother a computer for Christmas, and I have been teaching her how to use it. There are no library or community center classes available to help her learn. I plan to relate my friend’s and family’s problems to those on a much bigger scale. The digital divide is a large problem in the United States and all over the world.

I have only experienced a very small side of this problem. I plan to explore and present how this issue is affecting the lives of so many people. I think this topic fits in with our class because there are minority groups that are mainly affected by this issue. The same groups such as blacks and Latinos are the most impacted. That is just in this country alone, and there are many other countries affected much worse. Computers and skills have the potential to help people greatly improve their lives. They can help provide an education, employment, and many other goods and services. I believe that this a social justice issue because it is a way that people of minority race and status, among other reasons, are missing out on everything today’s world has to offer.

I have not completely decided on the exact format and programs I would like to use to tell my digital story, but I believe I will be using Animoto, Atranormal, and Prezi. I found these programs on the Cogdogroo site. I plan to use Prezi as my main format and import in pictures and videos from the other two. I think Prezi looked like the best way to tie everything together and to provide the text. I like that you can make like a moving power point that keeps everything more exciting. I have never seen a program that allows you so much freedom in making a presentation.  I would like to make a short movie in Xtranormal. It allows you to make an animated movie. I would like to write a short script and create short films of the situations I will be discussing. This should keep the presentation entertaining and enforce the ideas. I really like the photo editing and affects in the Animoto program. You can make really cool slideshows and make dynamic displays.

            I have been playing with these three sites and learning how to use them. Presi has very helpful tutorial videos on their website. I have also been watching videos and projects that people have made to show me the different features I could use. I have worked with video making software before, but none of these programs. They do not seem too complicated and I have learned a lot from playing around with them. My only concern right now is that I have not tried to put videos from Animoto and Extranormal into Presi. I believe the file types will be supported and it should work. I would like to use the other two to add some extra to the project. I plan on trying to put together a short one just using files already on my computer to make sure it works before I begin my project. I plan on continuing to practice with the different programs so I can get used to them before I need to make my digital story.

Annotated Bibliography

Warschauer, Mark. "Reconceptializing the Digital Divide." First Monday 7.7-1 (2002). First Monday. July 2002. Web. 29 Sept. 2011. <http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/967/888>.

This article describes many specific situations in which social justice projects were done in various cities. It proves my point that access to technology is not enough.

Jenkins, Henry, Ravi Purushotma, Katherine Clinton, Margaret Weigel, and Alice Robison. "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture:Media Education for the 21st Century." New Media Literacies. MacAurthur Foundation. Web. 29 Sept. 2011. <http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/files/working/NMLWhitePaper.pdf>.

This article discusses digital literacy and education. It shows the need for new skills and ways to obtain them.

WebLog 6

I am a very big internet user. I use the internet for basically everything from homework to communication to entertainment. I am on my computer all the time, probably too much. I am mostly a consumer in my use of the internet, but I have posted some things. I would not consider myself a creator of internet content. I have a made a YouTube video, written some fan fiction, and various posts/comments but not a lot. My biggest internet content creation is probably the fan fiction I wrote over the summer. I was really surprised that people actually read it. This helped me to improve my productive skills of writing which tied in literary and ITC skills. The internet also helps to improve communication skills, because I use many social networking sites. My internet use also includes receptive skills because I read a lot to learn and do homework. The internet is the first place I turn to get help on homework . I use the internet a lot for information and entertainment. I watch a lot of videos and television on the computer. The internet allows me to have access things that I would not be able to any other way.
Literacy and ITC skills are linked to each other. Using the internet allows you to gain and improve literary skills. All of the skills that I mentioned above are also literacy skills as well their ITC components. Computers teach new ways to use skills outside of normal context. Literacy and ITC work together. They add to each other but without literacy abilities ITC could not be used properly. The internet can use many types of literacy and communication skills to get a message across. Because ITC helps people spread these messages in a social context it is very similar to literacy.

The website "Where Race Lives" ties many different events and theories in to the concept of social justice. It shows how much race really did and still does affect people's lives. Many people believe that the government has taken actions to help lower class people, but in reality the help never reached the people that truly needed it. When the government started social security and programs to help people on homes it excluded many lower class people. Non-whites were not eligible to benefit from many programs. These people are the ones that really needed it. So even though the government appeared to be adding social justice agendas, they really did not. It cannot be just if it excluded people due to race.
In the past people had very negative views towards non-whites. People even excluded them from work and housing when the law prohibited it. However, law enforcement agencies were often racist and did not stop them. It was very difficult for minority people to find a place to live and work. It has been found that neighborhoods can decline just because of people's deceptions of having African Americans and Latinos move in despite the fact they have not caused any trouble. People just had the mindset that these people were bad for the area. This idea is the exact opposite of social justice. These prejudices are completely unfair. Today many aspects of life has improved for non-whites, and they are included in the government's programs. However, people still experience racial acts, and the world still has a long way to go before it can be socially just.

Photo:Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice

Trial AudioPal

Weblog 3: Miller Analysis

            Social Justice has been debated for centuries by many different philosophers and scholars. This is because social justice is a hard concept to define. Many people have different ideas and moral beliefs. David Miller feels that social justice is about distribution in society. One of the main issues is how should the "goods" and "bads" be shared among the people in a group. Many ideas of social justice debate whether things should be done that benefit one person or society as a whole. In Miller's piece both ideas are explained in depth as well as other theories. These ideas are similar to the concepts in Le Guin's "The Ones that Walk Away from Omelas".

            Miller writes of social justice in the society as a whole. For example when people pay for social services that will benefit others. These people are providing opportunities to others that never would have them. They are giving up some individual freedom to increase the freedoms of the whole society. This was shown in "The Ones that Walk Away from Omelas", by the child being forced to suffer so that the other children could live happily. Unlike the life in Omelas, this theory of social justice states that everyone should give a little to help the community as a whole. This brings up the point of how to justly distribute goods and services. What should people give up, and how should people benefit? There are many issue on this topic because everyone has a different opinion of justice. Should skilled people be given better jobs and more income than unskilled people? Should men and women be given different benefits? These questions have to answered for the society to function in a fair way. Miller writes of many difficulties society must face to bring social justice to everyone.

            British social philosopher L. T. Hobhouse believed that every person is a vital member of society. A society cannot function properly or be truly happy with out every member. This theory applies to the theory that Le Guin implied in "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas". Hobhouse wrote that social justice depends on every individual being able to contribute equally to society. John Locke also felt that social justice is dependent on individual rights. He believed that everyone should have privileges. These concepts require an organized society in which a government can make decisions to enforce fairness and justice. The people that chose to leave Omelas did their part to help give the child freedom, but because everyone did not the child was not released. The policies of social justice will not be effective if there is not a force to carry them out. In Omelas, there was no government to enforce any reforms. However it is the citizens' responsibility to carry out the reforms. It takes an entire society to have social justice.

            There are many concepts of social justice in the world today. Miller's ideas focus on how benefits should be distributed in society. There is a balance that must be found to keep individuals happy while still helping the civilization as a whole. The concept of taking from individuals is present while at the same time the society must help persons in need. However, it is important to recognize that no matter what there is no way to guarantee people's happiness. The goal of social justice is to provide a fair life for everyone in society, but that may not be possible. There are too many issues and different opinions to consider.

Weblog 2:"The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"

There are many different ways that the people of the world look at social justice. Many people from all over the world have different ideas and theories of what is right and wrong. Everyone has their own morals, and it has caused the world to develop many diverse kinds of social justice. People do not always agree and in fact they can be completely opposite. In Le Guin's short story, "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas", two very different theories arise. Some people chose to take action to allow the city to remain in its blissful ways and others chose to leave the town because they do not believe in the form of social justice the city accepts.

                One approach at social justice is to do whatever possible to help the most people live a good life. This concept is that social justice is in a society  acting to provide happiness to the whole community in the best way possible. It does not consider the individual. This form of social justice does not benefit anyone different from  normal in society. It is there to provide for the greater good not the good of one person. Le Guin presents this concept very clearly. The people in Omelas feel compassion but not guilt for the one child that cannot live well. The lack of quilt in their lives is the only way they can remain eternally happy. They are sadden by the knowledge of the child but overcome the sorrow in time. The town's people feel that the child is too far gone, and they should just let him or her live the life that he or she knows.  Le Guin states that the teens overcome their feelings because, "They begin to realize that even if the child could be released, it would not get much good". In their minds there is no helping the child, and they should just be glad that the other children can live happily.

                Another theory of social justice is based on the individual person rather than the society as a whole.  The happiness of every single person is necessary for the community to be truly happy. These people rally together to bring someone up and are willing to sacrifice to help them. The people who choose to leave Omelas follow this idea. They cannot stand to see that poor child suffer. They give up their guaranteed happiness in hopes that others will too and the child will be free. This theory is only implied by Le Guin. They leave the town alone and head out to into the world. They go alone in their efforts to sympathize with the child. They want to feel better about the mountain of guilt inside of them. Even though these people do not help the child, they do something. If enough people made this decision, the town of Omelas would be forced to change. 

Weblog 1: Class Survey

Personal information

1. Name, hometown, primary email.

Margaret McNicholas

Girard,OH

M.McNicholas@aol.com 
2. What name do you prefer to be called, nick name, etc.?

Meagan

3. Please insert a picture of yourself in the profile of your new blog.

4. What are you into; what makes you special? Share a few “unique” aspects about yourself that would help our classroom community get to know you a bit.

I’m a molecular biology major and hope to go to med school to become a doctor. I want to work with kids. I played soccer and bowled in high school. I like volunteering and want to do service at JCU. I watch way too much tv. My favorite shows are Castle and Grey’s Anatomy. I worked as a secret shopper this summer with my mom. We went to a ton of stores, and they paid us to buy things and report on the employees.

Learning Style and more: 
5. Being as specific as you can, what must be in place for you to feel comfortable taking intellectual and creative risks in a classroom?

I am most comfortable voicing my opinions in class in a small setting. Our class isn’t very big, so that will help me. I am usually pretty good at speaking up in class. I will get more confident as the semester goes on, and I get to know everyone better.

Technology Section
6. What do you believe was the most important technological invention in history? Why? 

The internet, it revolutionized the way people talk to each other and find information. It is now possible for people to communicate with others from all over the world in a fast and inexpensive way.

7. Please list a the number of technologies you currently believe to be essential to your life.

Laptop/internet
iPhone
iPad
Tv

8. Briefly describe your experience working with 1. computers, 2. digital media, and 3. social media and then rate your technical proficiency on a scale of 10 (I invented Facebook) to 1 (what are you talking about). 

1. 8, I use computers a lot and would say I’m  good with them. 2. 7, I use a lot of different programs and devices. I’m pretty good at working with media files and I’ve made movies on the computer before. 3. 7, I use Facebook and twitter. I don’t go on Facebook too much anymore, but I’m still good with it. I use twitter a ton. I’m on YouTube all the time. I have never made a blog before.

About Dr. Shutkin: 
9. Write down two or three questions you would like to ask me about myself or the class.

What other classses do you teach?

Why did you want to teach this class?