Ethnographic Notes D – Changing Education Paradigms

Some changes that can be done to the educational systems to improve and better the goals and purposes set out by instructors and colleges nationwide. First of all, I believe that there needs to be strict guidelines on the forms of technologies used in the classroom setting. Even though teachers cant stop every student from carrying their cellphones into class, they can certaintly enforce punishments and regulations against the usage of such technologies. In addition, teachers should have students sign forms of documentation in order to agree on a strict punishments and guidlines to better the educational environment.

Ethnographic Notes C – Digital Nation or Kids Online

There have been numerous negative effects of digital technologies in formal education system. People in todays classroom seem to be more focused on their numerous forms of digitial technologies. From the cellphone to even the portable gaming device, people in todays classrooms are getting more distracted than ever. To argument this claim, students today say that their multi tasking skills have increased with the adaption of technology. They claim that they can be just as focused doing multiple things at once than they can doing just one thing in particular. However numerous studies being carried out by numerous colleges including MIT have proved that students aren't as good at retaining information while multi tasking as they think.

Ethnographic Notes B – Class room sessions as ritual-like events.

Discuss similarities and differences between a class session and a Sunday church event.

     There are multiple similarities when discussing class sessions and sunday church events. One similarity might be found in the scheduled, specified times in which people meet at either church or in the classroom. This organized form of meeting seems to be the norm for almost every event played out in society. There is also a similarity in a person of higher power that controls the pace and "enlightens" students or onlookers of the subject matter. When either the preist in church or the teacher in schools talk there is silence and respect.

     There are also differences when discussing class sessions and sunday church events. For example, the age variation found in a sunday church event is not the same with a classroom setting. People from little kids to the elder participate in the same curch services however in a classroom there is generally a narrowed age range.

Ethnographic Notes A – Higher Education and Society

Higher education in the U.S has helped to both better our society as well as prepare it for future innovations. The past learnings teach the next generation of learners in order to better their preparation for the future to come. This higher learning will compliment job growth as well as the overall intelligence of society.

Below is a stereotypical classroom setting where the next generation of citizens hope to better their education:

Below is a stereotypical picture the appearance of multiple corporate workers after completing their chosen form of higher education:

Critical Thinking and the Research Project

    

After thoroughly reading through the Information provided from "A Field Guide to Critical Thinking" I have retained a lot of useful information that will help with the research project. As I progressed the article, one point in particular stood out. The point of falsifiability or being able to conceive of evidence in order to prove your claims false. There is a fine line between claims that are meaningless and claims that are true. The true ones being able to provide counter evidence while the meaningless claims provide no evidence at all. I will have to be extremely careful in researching further in order to distinguish the meaningless claims from the true claims.

The point of logic in evidence was also very insightful. It states that a logical piece of evidence must be sound in order to support a claim. This idea of logic through evidence is distinguished by the basic way of philosophical thinking. This basic way of philosophical thinking states that a valid argument is where if the premises are true than the conclusion must be true. In looking for future information regarding my project, I will take this into account when looking at evidence. The conclusion must be supported by the back story. All in all, these points in particular well help in how I mentally process information throughout the completion of the research project. This article was very helpful in giving me many ways to focus my critical thinking skills.