TOW #20 - Hackschooling Makes Me happy by Logan LaPlante (Visual TED talk)

Reading Education by Emerson gave insight into school, its meaning, and how that meaning is distorted to the disadvantage of the student. However, Emerson was not the only wise mind to propose an ingenious schooling system; 13-year-old student, Logan LaPlante gave a TED talk in 2013 where he also presented similar ideas to Emerson. The lecture entitled Hackschooling Makes Me Happy, LaPlante addressed his connection to happiness, and how his unique “homeschooling” system has helped him to achieve that connection. His philosophy on schooling, I agree with due to his informal and personal tone; this connects him with the direct audience, and students across the country hoping for a different chance at education. An example of this philosophy is exposed when he says, "What if we based education on the study and practice of being happy and healthy?" (LaPlante). In reality, happiness is the key to life, so whatever in life makes one happy, has just reasons to be involved. Education is also a major part of life as schooling typically lasts from ages five to twenty-two, and lessons continue throughout the entire life. Therefore, if society spent those years on preaching the key to life, happiness may be more achievable overall. In addition, LaPlante continues the theme of happiness when he concludes, "If you ask me what do I want to be when I grow up, I'll always know that I want to be happy." (LaPlante). Upon hearing this in his lecture, I smiled. LaPlante, being only a young teenager, does not have much life experience, but certainly enough to realize how vital happiness is to a fulfilling life. When grown up, it does not matter what job one may have if he/she is not happy. Furthermore, his conclusion revolves around happiness rather than the schooling system because happiness comes first, which as LaPlante states, is why it should be a focus point in schooling. In other words, society can “hack” school, “hack” life, to achieve happiness.

Visual: https://outsidetheboxhomeschoolers.wordpress.com/2013/02/15/hackschooling-tedxuniversityofnevada-talk-by-a-13-year-old-logan-laplante/


Caption: "Hackschooling in a Nutshell"

TOW #19 - "How a Pro-Palestinian American Reporter Changed His Views On Israel And The Conflict" by Hunter Stuart

            The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is arguably like no other, a greater force than that over just land. Much of the time, a person’s opinion on the conflict stems from their religious and/or political views. Justly, an American journalist, Hunter Stuart published an article in earlier February describing his stay in Israel, and moreover, his developed view on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather than seeing the conflict in the eyes of most Americans, thousands of miles away, Stuart lived through it, marking him as a credible source. In addition, Stuart’s central claim, which is in support of Israel as well as keeping an open mind on the conflict, is in firm agreement with my beliefs. Prior to staying in Israel, Stuart, like many liberal Americans, viewed Palestinians as the “underdog” in the conflict, and therefore was in support of a two-state solution. However, the unfortunate fact, that Stuart remarks is that Israel is surrounded by people who believe Israelis have no place on this earth. He says “Personally, I’m no longer convinced it’s [two-state solution] such a good idea. If the Palestinians are given their own state in the West Bank, who’s to say they wouldn’t elect Hamas, an Islamist group committed to Israel’s destruction?” (Stuart). Stuart aims to highlight the fact that he has seen the behavior between Israelis and Palestinians, and peace is not near reach. It is not as simple as most Americans see it. If Israel loses the Gaza strip, loses Jerusalem, Israel is lost; it rightfully gained that land from the Palestinians, and desperately need it for protection. On the other hand, Stuart’s argument is not biased due to the fact that he explains the importance of keeping an open mind, and looking at both perspectives of the conflict. He remarks, "I guess, at least, I can say that, no matter how socially unacceptable it was, I was willing to change my mind. If only more people would do the same." (Stuart). Both sides, the Israelis and Palestinians, do have valid reasoning as to why certain land belongs to their side, which is why it is necessary to truly seek perspective from both sides. This way, each perspective can be analyzed, and viewpoints can change based on that. Stuart’s mind changed after staying in Israel, something that will stick with him in his travels, and life lessons.

Visual: http://www.jpost.com/Jerusalem-Report/A-view-from-the-frontlines-480829 

 

Caption: "Stuart in Israel"

TOW #18 - "Slime Wave" by Tom Avril (The Inquirer)

In the digital era that is today, it is a relief for parents to see their children playing with toys, and exploring creativity. The new phase of playing and crafting for kids all across the globe is slime, also known as ‘gluep’, originating in the 70s and 80s. However, rather than buying slime pre-made, kids are stocking up on glue, and borax, the two key ingredients in home-made slime. An article from “The Inquirer” entitled Slime Wave by staff writer, Tom Avril entails the recent uproar of slime, and argues that slime is more than just a ‘messy toy’ by employing deductive reasoning. First, the article introduces its claim being that slime has productive uses, and then goes on to list the multiple reasons to back the claim up; due to the fact that making slime is considered a craft, the process embraces creativity, and scientists have been teaching classes using slime as a model. A head-marketer at Newell Brands, an organization with relations to Elmer’s Glue factory, stated that he has “been impressed by the evidence of creativity on social media sites” (Avril). Kids invested in making slime are posting recipes online, and sharing their ideas with the web, using the internet for something positive along with using their hands for something crafty. Here, the author of the article backs up his claim with valid opinion from the head-marketer, making his argument even more believable to the audience. In addition, slime has also been used as a learning tool. For example, the article reads, “Under another name, the science museum also has used the substance [slime] for a lesson on the immune system” (Avril). The current slime phase is proving to be more than just a game; this claim is further backed up with information from scientist explaining that since the slime is so appealing to play with, it is making kids more interested in educational lessons when slime is used as a model. Therefore, the article succeeds to prove, through the use of deductive reasoning, that slime, if used properly, can actually be a tool for creativity and education.  

Visual: http://ourbestbites.com/2010/09/kids-in-the-kitchen-slime/ 

Caption: "Creative goop"

TOW #17 - The Onion's "Study Reveals Pittsburgh Unprepared for Full-Scale Zombie Attack"

The fear of a zombie apocalypse, while unrealistic, is still fairly relevant to a handful of Americans, entailing why a satirical newspaper, The Onion published an article entitled, “Study Reveals Pittsburgh Unprepared for Full-Scale Zombie Attack” in 2005. Despite the sarcastic tone of all articles from this news source, examples of “zombie organizations and administrators” along with a daunting metaphor do not fail to make the threat of apocalypse possible. These aspects are employed in order to prepare Pittsburgh for an attack from the undead. According to the Zombie Preparedness Institute (ZPI), a mock scientific organization mentioned in the article, “when it comes to defending ourselves against an army of reanimated human corpses, the officials in charge have fallen asleep at the wheel” (The Onion 2). The metaphor describes the government officials, typically thought to ‘keep the state safe’, as the opposite in this case; “falling asleep at the wheel” refers to the officials not paying attention and taking charge of the issue at hand, the threat of a zombie apocalypse. This daunting metaphor aids to warn the audience, citizens of Pittsburgh, that they must take charge to remain safe in times of chaos. In addition, the article uses the words of mock zombie expert, Dr. Milton Cornelius to further describe the state of disaster. Cornelius remarks, “Today’s zombies quickly learn to open doors, break windows, and stage ambushes” (The Onion 4). Cornelius’ description of the zombies’ attributes aids to inform the audience what they will be facing if they do come across one of the undead, so they can be prepared to fight for their lives. Also interesting is the fact that Cornelius states that the zombies are capable of learning, something usually not associated with walking human corpses. Thus, by employing a metaphor, and mock information from zombie experts and organizations, The Onion was able to help prepare the citizens of Pittsburgh for a fight with the undead.  

Visual: http://all-that-is-interesting.com/survive-zombie-apocalypse

Caption: "Best to be Prepared"