Which are you a Learner or a Student?

The article “ Are they Students or are they learners?” By David Warlick elaborates on the difference between a student and a learner. A few big problems we are having these days are kids are being lazy and becoming students instead of learners. A student is a child that only does their work because they are forced to by teachers or parents. A learner is a child that does their work well because they know it will help them later on in life. Also a learner learns for their own gain.  Today the amount of learners are decreasing at a sickening rate. This is due to the increases in distractions at home and in the classroom. Computers, cell phones, and other kids pose a huge distraction when it is time to do homework.  How can you expect kids to stay focused when there are so many other more interesting things to do? It’s like asking a kid not to play with a newly purchased toy. To create more learners we must create a distraction free environment where work can be done. A great example of this is in our library. In the library there is a section dedicated to quite work time. It shuts you away from all the noise and distractions.  To increase the productivity of students and make them learners we must create no distraction zones. If this is done we will learn better and become more efficient learners. 

To much Control?

                The New York Times article “In Sign of Discord, Iran Blocks Web Sites of Some Clerics” reveals the problem of no free speech in countries around the world. Two high school students had their websites banned by the government because they criticized the government. This frequently happens in countries all around the world. For example, China places internet blocks on all articles or media that criticize the government. This makes the people of those countries blind to what is happening around them. I don’t know what it would be like to live in a society where one bad word against your government could result in fines and prison time. I’m grateful that I live in a society that allows me to have an opinion and have a voice. In class we talk about questioning and its importance. In those countries you can’t question anything. You are told what to think, what to do and what to say. This is not a good way to live life because you can’t think for yourself. Your freedoms are totally destroyed and you become a slave to your government. People’s freedom of speech is a very important freedom. It is the first amendment in our constitution for a good reason. “Filtering their sites is precisely because of the public positions that they have taken,” said Muhammad Sahimi. How would you feel if you were a puppet controlled by your government? You wouldn’t be able to say or do anything that went against the beliefs of the government.