Shift to technology unit...
I. In last week's blog I said I would like to know what the result of the Tank Man incident was. We finished watching the video, and basically what happened is that the man was removed from the street by other pedestrians. He first stood in front of the tank and refused to move, and then he mounted the vehicle and proceeded to yell at the driver. Once he got off the tank, some other pedestrians grabbed him and walked him off the road. Nothing is sure about the status of the tank man at this point. He has become a figure that symbolizes heroism. However his information is yet uncovered by the media, or anyone else for that matter. Whether or not the Tank Man can be identified, he is still honored.
Golan, S. (n.d.). Marking the 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre | frgdr.com. frgdr.com. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://frgdr.com/blog/2009/05/21/marking-20th-anniversary-tiananmen-square-massacre/
II. This week in class we finished up the Tank Man video. We did a reflection on the issues in Tiananmen Square and the Chinese government. Then, we began the technology unit. We did a worksheet called "Technology and You" that helped us organize our personal thoughts on technology. We discussed which technologies we take for granted, which technologies we think will develop, which ones we could do without, which ones we use the most, which ones have the most potential, and which ones have the biggest risks. We also talked about how frightening some aspects of technology can be, like social networking and advertisements. Finally on Friday the freshmen joined us and we worked on our Heroic Imagination projects. We will now begin to create a network, market our project, and draft a grant proposal.
As for my opinion on the Tank Man incident, I think it's a really cool situation. The fact that the Tank Man is so incognito and unidentified makes his character all the more powerful. It proves that ordinary people can become heroes, and not even be around for recognition. Obviously that man had no desire for the publicity, he genuinely just wanted to stand up for his country. As for the technology unit, it's something that really interests me. Our generation is experiencing technology in an unimaginable way. We take it all for granted too, which is why I appreciate that we're digging into it in this class. I never stop to think how much my technology does for me. It entertains me, educates me, keeps me connected, enhances my basic needs and so much more. Finally, my thoughts on the Heroic Imagination project are shifting from excited to frightened, honestly. It's all very confusing and complex at this point and i'm worried about how my group will handle it.
We didn't take very much time going over the "Technology and You" worksheet in class, but it really sparked some thoughts for me so I want to touch on that a little more. I want to pay special attention to the top 10 technologies that I take most for granted. They are: radio, cars, cell phones, ipods, social networking, search engines, hair dryers/hair straighteners, On Demand television, laptop computers, and microwaves. Each of those things is something I use multiple times per day. How much time do I take to appreciate them? Not a single second. I can't even imagine these things not being around. I can remember my life before ipods and Facebook, but other than that those things have all been around since I was born. Many of them actually shape who I am, such as: the cell phone I talk on, the Facebook account that I present myself with, the hair straightener I create my everyday appearance with, the ipod I fill with my music, etc.
Facebook: a step closer to the end of anonymity on the Internet | Alpha Blog. (n.d.). Alpha Blog. Retrieved March 19, 2011, from http://www.alpha-aic.co.cc/facebook-a-step-closer-to-the-end-of-anonymity-on-the-internet
III. For next week's journal I want to research what the top 10 latest and greatest technological advancements are. I don't always keep up with the development of technology so I want to look into that.
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