Critical Reflection
Daybook Works
1/12/2017
Respond to letter from MLK: I found the passage in which he said “In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” to be one of his most powerful arguments and the one which I related to best. I feel that we often look at what someone could have done to avoid an incident but we are less likely to ask if it was ever their responsibility at all. MLK is demonstrating how his community is like a robbed man and society is accusing the black community of causing violence and disruption instead of looking to those who continue to mistreat them.
Respond to letter from MLK: I found the passage in which he said “In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?” to be one of his most powerful arguments and the one which I related to best. I feel that we often look at what someone could have done to avoid an incident but we are less likely to ask if it was ever their responsibility at all. MLK is demonstrating how his community is like a robbed man and society is accusing the black community of causing violence and disruption instead of looking to those who continue to mistreat them.
1/17/2017
Studio #1
After reading the articles I have a greater understanding of the difficulties of determining the validity of a source as well as how I can more vigilant in checking my sources for accuracy. In the future I will cross-reference the places I pull information from to ensure that the information I am taking in is valid. This will help me while doing my line of inquiry research to keep myself in check and make sure the sources that I pull from are credible. I found the articles to be written with a slight undertone of liberal ideology. The articles were mostly informative and speculative about how fake news may have affected elections and other political matters.
Fake news study: I didn’t find this study very surprising as to what it found. I think that a lot of people are lazy and it is much easier to take in what you are reading as the gospel truth instead of taking the time to look for errors in the study or fact checking each piece of data.
Fake news story: I think the tips given to check an article for its validity are solid and when a reader questions a story can be useful. I don’t think that I will be fact checking every news article I read simply because of the time it takes to do so. If I have my Alexa personal assistant give me the daily news from my trusted sources (NPR, BBC,CNN, The Washington Post, Discovery News,etc…) while I’m getting dressed in the morning, unless something sounds really far out of the norm I am not going to take the time to fact check. If I am reading the afternoon news on my laptop I stay away from the clickbait articles that I have found to be at least misleading if not entirely false and stay towards the major headlines. I will check sources and figures while taking information from these sources when I have the time.
Google searching: I for one do not believe google is out to make people hate jews or love Hitler. I think this is simply google providing the most searched terms and the results seem to answer the given question. If a question is phrased with a certain mindset (thinking jews are evil) and an article is written in the same mindset then google is doing a great job matching the searcher with what they are looking for. I personally do not allow google to provide me with search suggestions because I find them distracting. I always look for bias when an article attacks either side of our political spectrum. For instance Youtube’s algorithm, while not released, definitely seems to favor left wing political ideas in the trending section. Even when a video may only have a few thousand view by putting it the trending tab hundreds of thousands will watch it and in this way Youtube can spread its beliefs while never directly stating them. While I have not conducted a study on this I simply offer my personal observations and I am not alone in noting this matter. The article cites Youtube as one of the places that rightwing fake news is spread and I disagree with this because from my observations it seems quite the opposite.
Studio #1
After reading the articles I have a greater understanding of the difficulties of determining the validity of a source as well as how I can more vigilant in checking my sources for accuracy. In the future I will cross-reference the places I pull information from to ensure that the information I am taking in is valid. This will help me while doing my line of inquiry research to keep myself in check and make sure the sources that I pull from are credible. I found the articles to be written with a slight undertone of liberal ideology. The articles were mostly informative and speculative about how fake news may have affected elections and other political matters.
Fake news study: I didn’t find this study very surprising as to what it found. I think that a lot of people are lazy and it is much easier to take in what you are reading as the gospel truth instead of taking the time to look for errors in the study or fact checking each piece of data.
Fake news story: I think the tips given to check an article for its validity are solid and when a reader questions a story can be useful. I don’t think that I will be fact checking every news article I read simply because of the time it takes to do so. If I have my Alexa personal assistant give me the daily news from my trusted sources (NPR, BBC,CNN, The Washington Post, Discovery News,etc…) while I’m getting dressed in the morning, unless something sounds really far out of the norm I am not going to take the time to fact check. If I am reading the afternoon news on my laptop I stay away from the clickbait articles that I have found to be at least misleading if not entirely false and stay towards the major headlines. I will check sources and figures while taking information from these sources when I have the time.
Google searching: I for one do not believe google is out to make people hate jews or love Hitler. I think this is simply google providing the most searched terms and the results seem to answer the given question. If a question is phrased with a certain mindset (thinking jews are evil) and an article is written in the same mindset then google is doing a great job matching the searcher with what they are looking for. I personally do not allow google to provide me with search suggestions because I find them distracting. I always look for bias when an article attacks either side of our political spectrum. For instance Youtube’s algorithm, while not released, definitely seems to favor left wing political ideas in the trending section. Even when a video may only have a few thousand view by putting it the trending tab hundreds of thousands will watch it and in this way Youtube can spread its beliefs while never directly stating them. While I have not conducted a study on this I simply offer my personal observations and I am not alone in noting this matter. The article cites Youtube as one of the places that rightwing fake news is spread and I disagree with this because from my observations it seems quite the opposite.
2/2/2017
Studio #2
In the video Simon Sinek discussed why millennials are struggling in the workforce and what has caused the generation to struggle and what can be done fix the issues of a generation. I felt like some of his points were valid as they lined up with what others have said as well as what I think while his solution may be a little misguided. I think his solution is inadequate because it is not the duty of a company to teach its employees how to live their life, rather to pay them for doing their job and possibly continue their training in their field. A true solution to the woes of the millennials can’t be dependent on each corporation and business caring enough about its employees to teach them how to conform their idiosyncrasies and life habits into a more conformed and healthy way. He pointed out that the millennials are no different than any other generation and that they are simply the outcome of the environment they were raised in, one permeated with failed ways of parenting. He pointed to studies, some given on screen and others I would assume are referenced in his book, that point out particular things that parents have done that impacted their kids in a negative way. He said that one of the biggest struggles when it came to work for millennials was the drive to make an impact on the world. Simon believes that to many millennials see the goal of changing the world (the summit) but don’t recognize the journey to get there (the rest of the mountain). I think that this is a valid point because many millennials are impatient and what things to be accomplished much faster than the previous generation. Simon blamed technology for this fast pace goal expectation. He compared social media and text messaging to alcohol and cigarettes because they all release dopamine. He blamed the millennials addiction to their cell phones as a part of the problem with forming long lasting friendship and finding joy in life.
Studio #2
In the video Simon Sinek discussed why millennials are struggling in the workforce and what has caused the generation to struggle and what can be done fix the issues of a generation. I felt like some of his points were valid as they lined up with what others have said as well as what I think while his solution may be a little misguided. I think his solution is inadequate because it is not the duty of a company to teach its employees how to live their life, rather to pay them for doing their job and possibly continue their training in their field. A true solution to the woes of the millennials can’t be dependent on each corporation and business caring enough about its employees to teach them how to conform their idiosyncrasies and life habits into a more conformed and healthy way. He pointed out that the millennials are no different than any other generation and that they are simply the outcome of the environment they were raised in, one permeated with failed ways of parenting. He pointed to studies, some given on screen and others I would assume are referenced in his book, that point out particular things that parents have done that impacted their kids in a negative way. He said that one of the biggest struggles when it came to work for millennials was the drive to make an impact on the world. Simon believes that to many millennials see the goal of changing the world (the summit) but don’t recognize the journey to get there (the rest of the mountain). I think that this is a valid point because many millennials are impatient and what things to be accomplished much faster than the previous generation. Simon blamed technology for this fast pace goal expectation. He compared social media and text messaging to alcohol and cigarettes because they all release dopamine. He blamed the millennials addiction to their cell phones as a part of the problem with forming long lasting friendship and finding joy in life.
3/14/2017
Studio #4
Slam poem #1 Fat: The girl in this poem is reflecting on her life and how being fat has affected her. She expresses her transformation through her life,how she has changed from hating her body to accepting herself for who she is. She points at how others tried to make her feel bad. Lastly she reflects about the connotation of the word fat and how it shouldn’t be used to put someone down because it is simply a description and it is what's on the inside that should matter.
Slam poem #2 Hi, I’m a slut: She reflects on sexual stereotypes. “Isn’t a slut what you want?” She states in reference to men who want her to do the deeds she is doing and later shame her for doing them. Her point is that that she is more than just a sexual object to fit what “you” think she should be. She starts out by saying “Hi, I’m a slut” with a smile on her face. She references the stereotypes about sluts. How men can sleep around but a woman can’t. How women's orgasms are “optional” and women are not supposed to enjoy sex.
Slam poem #3 You broke me: The girl is venting about her lost boyfriend. She talks about the pain she feels everytime she sees him and how it seems that he is able to move on so easily while she is still longing for him. She is with a new guy but hasn’t moved on and every time she thinks about her ex their is a longing in her heart. Her point is she misses him and wants him back, but he has moved on and left her broken inside.
Studio #4
Slam poem #1 Fat: The girl in this poem is reflecting on her life and how being fat has affected her. She expresses her transformation through her life,how she has changed from hating her body to accepting herself for who she is. She points at how others tried to make her feel bad. Lastly she reflects about the connotation of the word fat and how it shouldn’t be used to put someone down because it is simply a description and it is what's on the inside that should matter.
Slam poem #2 Hi, I’m a slut: She reflects on sexual stereotypes. “Isn’t a slut what you want?” She states in reference to men who want her to do the deeds she is doing and later shame her for doing them. Her point is that that she is more than just a sexual object to fit what “you” think she should be. She starts out by saying “Hi, I’m a slut” with a smile on her face. She references the stereotypes about sluts. How men can sleep around but a woman can’t. How women's orgasms are “optional” and women are not supposed to enjoy sex.
Slam poem #3 You broke me: The girl is venting about her lost boyfriend. She talks about the pain she feels everytime she sees him and how it seems that he is able to move on so easily while she is still longing for him. She is with a new guy but hasn’t moved on and every time she thinks about her ex their is a longing in her heart. Her point is she misses him and wants him back, but he has moved on and left her broken inside.
3/20/2017
Studio #5
I boiled the voices down into three main groups that are expounded upon below. The groups are as follows: Healthcare Providers (the knowledge hub), Coverage Providers (the policy providers and the person who normally foots the majority of the bill), and The Patient and their family (The individual and their family that are receiving care and suffering from obesity and the related diseases)
Health care Providers
Group 1: Physicians and other members of the medical community. This group is responsible for delivering the best healthcare possible to all individuals. Having a better understanding of obesity is essential to this. To generalize this group says that America’s obesity problems come from lack of exercise, poor diet, poor sleep quality, and genetics that put some individuals at a predisposition to gaining weight. This group is divided on which of these factors is chief and if they are all even factors. They base their claims on research done by members of the medical community.
Coverage Providers
Group 2: The government. This group is responsible for subsidizing health care for those who cannot afford it. They also allocate funds to research and advance medical treatment. They need want to cheapen the cost of healthcare and may need to devote more funds to researching obesity. The government does not give a unified answer as to why American are obese, however under the Obama administration first lady Michelle Obama made it her job to try and stop obesity by encouraging Americans to eat better and exercise, even going as far as to change the food school lunch offered and what could be sold in school vending machines, with healthier options than what was previously available.
Group 3: Insurance companies. This group is responsible for paying for the treatment associated with the diseases caused by obesity. They also have to determine the rates individuals pay. The healthier society is the more money they make. This group leans on others for their understanding of obesity and does not seem to care why Americans are obese. They simply want to know what treatments work and which ones don’t (so they know what to pay for). If genetics play a role individuals who are more likely to become obese may pay higher rates than others.
Patients and families
Group 4: People who are obese. This group is the victim/cause of the issue. They are the individuals who are overweight or obese. Most do not want to be obese and want to be healthy. This group needs help and often treatment. This group often does not understand obesity and look to doctors to help them be healthy. They are taught that diet and exercise are key to maintaining a healthy weight but can become frustrated when they do not see results.
Group 5 (maybe): All other interested parties (researchers, other concerned individuals, general population) This group covers all other individuals such as the friends and family of people who are obese, researchers, and people trying to learn more about obesity. This also includes the rest of america as every taxpayer has a stake in the decisions made here.
After the research I have done I think that the medical community is just getting started when it comes to understanding obesity. They are the main authority on this topic and most of the evidence come from government funded research. Their budget is relatively small compared to others. I think that all the factors such as poor sleep, genetics, diet, and lack of exercise all play a role in an individual's chances at becoming obese. I am not sure which of these factors have made Americans so obese and I think studies that compare Americans to skinnier, healthier nations are necessary to make any solid conclusions.
Studio #5
I boiled the voices down into three main groups that are expounded upon below. The groups are as follows: Healthcare Providers (the knowledge hub), Coverage Providers (the policy providers and the person who normally foots the majority of the bill), and The Patient and their family (The individual and their family that are receiving care and suffering from obesity and the related diseases)
Health care Providers
Group 1: Physicians and other members of the medical community. This group is responsible for delivering the best healthcare possible to all individuals. Having a better understanding of obesity is essential to this. To generalize this group says that America’s obesity problems come from lack of exercise, poor diet, poor sleep quality, and genetics that put some individuals at a predisposition to gaining weight. This group is divided on which of these factors is chief and if they are all even factors. They base their claims on research done by members of the medical community.
Coverage Providers
Group 2: The government. This group is responsible for subsidizing health care for those who cannot afford it. They also allocate funds to research and advance medical treatment. They need want to cheapen the cost of healthcare and may need to devote more funds to researching obesity. The government does not give a unified answer as to why American are obese, however under the Obama administration first lady Michelle Obama made it her job to try and stop obesity by encouraging Americans to eat better and exercise, even going as far as to change the food school lunch offered and what could be sold in school vending machines, with healthier options than what was previously available.
Group 3: Insurance companies. This group is responsible for paying for the treatment associated with the diseases caused by obesity. They also have to determine the rates individuals pay. The healthier society is the more money they make. This group leans on others for their understanding of obesity and does not seem to care why Americans are obese. They simply want to know what treatments work and which ones don’t (so they know what to pay for). If genetics play a role individuals who are more likely to become obese may pay higher rates than others.
Patients and families
Group 4: People who are obese. This group is the victim/cause of the issue. They are the individuals who are overweight or obese. Most do not want to be obese and want to be healthy. This group needs help and often treatment. This group often does not understand obesity and look to doctors to help them be healthy. They are taught that diet and exercise are key to maintaining a healthy weight but can become frustrated when they do not see results.
Group 5 (maybe): All other interested parties (researchers, other concerned individuals, general population) This group covers all other individuals such as the friends and family of people who are obese, researchers, and people trying to learn more about obesity. This also includes the rest of america as every taxpayer has a stake in the decisions made here.
After the research I have done I think that the medical community is just getting started when it comes to understanding obesity. They are the main authority on this topic and most of the evidence come from government funded research. Their budget is relatively small compared to others. I think that all the factors such as poor sleep, genetics, diet, and lack of exercise all play a role in an individual's chances at becoming obese. I am not sure which of these factors have made Americans so obese and I think studies that compare Americans to skinnier, healthier nations are necessary to make any solid conclusions.