The Chronicle of Higher Education Essay Example for Free

The Chronicle of Higher Education Essay As I stare at the computer I sometimes wonder whether it is staring back at me also. Every word that I type on the keyboard of my computer comes up letter by letter on the screen that I am staring at. Pictures come to life in front of me and they make me cry, laugh and hate. I wake up every morning and turn my computer on. Hours can pass by and I am totally unaware of it. Instead I am immersed into a world of dungeons and dragons, flying cars and spaceships. My computer makes me a God. I create cities and worlds on my computer. I can create a world where there is no pain and suffering, a Nirvana. My computer gives me my own private paradise where I can forget all about my earthly problems. My computer owns me. The technological advancements that come up every hour, every minute, and every second make me fear what new thing will come up next. What will my computer be able to do next? Will it stand up from the table where it rests and come to my bed to wake me up and ask me to play with it? Will the next generation computers be so fast that it will be humans that will require the next upgrade in order to catch up with them? Will I be forced to do my computers homework or do its research for it because it has become so much smarter than me, that I am useless without it? I am glad and grateful for the technological developments that we have right now, the computer especially. There are so many things that I would be unable to do without the aid of computers. I can no longer imagine doing any report or presentation without the help of my trusted computer. A simple paper like this, to be done by hand, would be unthinkable for me. My brain ceases to function once I turn my computer off. I feel that there is a wire somewhere that is connected to the computer and that all thought is derived from the computer. At this point technology becomes a scary concept. I fear that the whole world would come to a stop if the computers would fail for some reason because that is how dependent we have become on technology. The threat of the Millennium Bug sent Tremors into every household and business empire throughout the world. People took all of their money from their accounts and dug shelters in the ground stocked up wall to wall with the necessities to prepare for the Millennium Bug. Billions of dollars were spent to try and prevent computers all over the world from crashing. Governments spent countless hours creating back up plans if the Millennium Bug did indeed hit. The world held their breath on New Years Eve not because they were thrilled about the coming of the Millennium but because everyone was in anticipation to as to whether everything that we did prevented the coming of the Millennium Bug. WE prevented nothing. There was no Millennium Bug. It was a product of our schizophrenic imagination to create such a monster that would bring upon us the end of days; a product of our fears that we cannot live without technology. I am not an advocate of technology as my paper suggests. Instead I am throwing caution in the wind and am suggesting that we use technology with caution and prevent the creation of a society that is not dependent upon technology to live. To be able to live without worrying about technology failing you, to be able to create a report without worrying about what to do when your computers freezes or a blackout happens. References: Fretcher, H. G. (2000); Power up, Don’t Power Down: Barring students form cell phones, my space, and other communication technologies. Once they enter, the classroom is the wrong approach. A better move would be integrating. Those tools into instructions; The journal (Technological Horizons in Education), Vol. 33 Luke, A. D. (2005); Getting the big picture; community science. Methods that capture context; American journal of community psychology Vol. 35. Rees, William E. (1999). Life in the Lap of Luxury as Ecosystems Collapse. The Chronicle of Higher Education, XLV (47), B4–B5 Goldman, S. , Cole, K. Syer, C. (1999). The technology/content dilemma. Paper presented at The Secretary’s Conference on Educational Technology 1999. [on-line] Available: www. ed. gov/technolology/techConf/1999/whitepapers/paper4. html (retrieved March 14, 2008)

Perfect Storm Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger was an account of an immense storm and its destructive path through the North Atlantic. In late October of 1991, many a crew of several different fishing ships left their port for their final haul. Little did they know that they would soon cross paths with one of the greatest storms ever recorded. This particular storm would create huge swells, high winds, and hard rain. The system was said to be a â€Å"perfect storm† because all of the elements were just right to create the worst imaginable storm ever seen claimed some meteorologists. Such a storm left little room for rescue if one’s boat got into trouble. But there were those daring rescues from the Coast Guard during the storm that saved the lives of many and cost the life of one. These men risked their lives for the safety of others and have earned the title of â€Å"hero.† The Para rescue jumpers and pilots, our heroes in The Perfect Storm, had a re sponsibility to the well being of everyone at sea. When a distress call was made, it was their duty to answer it to the best of their ability. It seemed â€Å"to the best of their ability† meant do the job until they died trying. These men had undergone extensive training in their fields to prepare for such situations as the perfect storm presented them. The PJ’s had undergone a highly selective process that many Navy SEALS could not complete. And the pilots of the helicopters and jets showed tremendous skill as they navig...

Juvenile Justice reform Essay

I would like to make some recommendations on Juvenile Justice reform as young people are important part of our population. First of all I would like to comment on juvenile crime. Without any doubt,crime is one of the biggest problems society is facing today,and partly,the society is to blame for it. There should be some deterrents to make people fear the law. However,the prison is not always the best solution. Another way of punishing them is to get them to do some kind of community service. Nevertheless,if people are sent to prison they may be pushed towards a life of crime. Therefore,they may become even hardened criminals. On the other hand,community service may help integrate them into society. Another advantage of community service is that it is a cheaper alternative to prison as the offender continues to live at home. Besides,the offender is giving something back to the society instead taking from it. However,community service should,in my view,only be used as an alternative to prison when the crime comotted is minor,such a petty theft. Furthermore,I would suggest that young offenders should see the consequences of their actions and that they should be made to repay those they have robbed. I feel that it would be particularly beneficial for the victims of a crime. It seems that,while community service may work for some offenders,it fails for others. In my opinion it is better for offenders who have commited a minor crime,who are not dangerous for the society. Certainly,hardened criminals should be sent to prison. Protection of the public may be effective as long as the prisoner is inside. It may prove ineffective in the long run once the prisoner is realised,unless the rehabilitation has taken place(education and job training should be given in prison). As I mentioned above,the society is partly responsible for the youth criminal. Young offenders are not intrinsically bad,they are only reacting to the conditions in which they are finding themselves. The governement should improve the welfare of young people and give them the opportunity to contribute to society. If a young person thinks he is a failure,he may be prone to violence,vandalism and crime. They should be given funds for education so that even those from the most disabled families have the oppurtunity to succeed in their life. The government should also help the talented youngsters,artists,musicians and subsidise their work. Without the financial help,they would not succeed and it would be a great loss for the whole society. The society should look after abandoned children and provide them with reasonable accomodation. Young people are different from adults. Their conflict during adolescence is caused by the fact that biological development is faster than social development. They want to be independent,but they cannot manage their life on their own. They have to learn that life is a hard struggle which includes big challenges they have to deal with. In society,teenagers are pressured to mature more quickly and have to make decisions regarding their education. The pressure to pass exams,to find a job,to master technology has become even greater. It is more difficult to find your place in society. It becomes more difficult to find and cultivate your own values. The environment is not the only cause of bad behaviour. People say that there has been a breakdown in discipline in the home. Children can no longer rely on their parents to be there to talk over their problems with them. Today? s mothers and fathers are busy following their career path,and many no longer have the energy to spend quality time with their children. Many youngsters are spoiled by their parents who try to calm their bad conscience by giving them money,but money is not always a good way to solve problems. This may cause difficulties for youngsters and it may be possible that they will not be able to overcome challenges and problems which are common during their lifetime. Boredom may also be a cause of delinquency ,so it is extremely important to provide leisure facilities for young people,such as clubs and sports centres. In some communities there is very little to do in the evening ,and I propose that money should be set aside to provide it. This may involve some expenditure,but there should be a considerable reduction in crime. Furthermore,some television programmes and films contain bad language and violence and,in my opinion,there should be some censorship because some impressionable youngsters may copy it. As I mentioned above,the problem is greater when there is nothing to do,because a young person is more likely to spend the whole day staring at a screen which may be extremely harmful for their health. It affects the eyesight and may cause back and neck problems. It cannot be good for young people to risk their life in that way. They should be made fully aware of the health benefits of exercising and the dangers of obesity. Some exercise facilities should also be provided. I believe that my recommendations will be taken into consideration and that it will benefit the youngsters and help them grow into healthy and eminent citizens.

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 1671 Words

an act that is meant to ensure supply and possession of drugs is controlled the same way alcohol and cigarettes are in the world (Court, 1994). Increasing drug use and its effect have made drug law reform a major topic in international and domestic policy agendas (Wood, 2010). The use of drugs by young generation with its associated crimes has resulted to a debate that is beyond human comprehension. The international bodies associated with drug use and their prevention has allowed countries to impose only minor penalties to those found possessing the drugs (Court, 1994). This kind of flexibility has made some countries to relax in enforcing some drug related laws. Health consequences especially after quitting the use of drugs, individual†¦show more content†¦What are the pros and cons of drug legalization and prohibition? (Current, AuthorLastName 3 1991) First, before this is evaluated, a short history of drug use is necessary. Opium and cocaine examples of the drugs that are commonly abused nowadays were legally and readily available in the 19th century. Some of the remedies for most arrays of diseases were heroin and cocaine used as non-addictive painkillers. As the time moved, thousands of world population diverted to opiates and cocaine for the same purpose in early 20th century (Current, 1991). At the same time, the first legislations concerning these drugs appeared, prescriptions for the drugs were provided, but all this changed in 1950 when all these drugs became illegal. These drugs bring pleasure and to a large extent affect the mind functioning leading to change in moods and consciousness. Since their illegality, they have remained scarce as they are only sold in black markets. People have attributed the distribution, sale and consumption of these drugs with violence and drug addiction. Due to these adverse effects by these drugs many countries notably Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the United Kingdom have come up with a proposal of making these drugs legal (Coomber, 2013). They purport that by making them legal; healthier haven for the addict will be