PLN 15

In the Denver Posts “Littleton Family Praises Hero Grandpa” by Tom McGee, what matters is putting others before yourself. While visiting his grandson and newborn 3-week old granddaughter Sara Miller, James Lewin was hit by a truck while saving his granddaughters life. James was pushing Sara’s stroller across a crosswalk when a truck came zooming down the rode right at the two. James pushed Sara’s stroller out of the way with all of his might. Sara was pushed out of the way just in time, but her grandfather James was struck by the truck and is now in intensive care. This story matters because it shows an amazing story of a person risking what they have to save another life. I can connect to this story because my motto in life is “I’m third”. This means that God is first, others are second, and I’m third. This is important because I feel that helping another person is the most important thing. Whether it’s giving up your seat at lunch to giving up your life for someone else, they both are great things. This matters to the world because more people are helping others. Our world is full of good people, and when they make these noble actions it encourages others to help others too. Overall what matters the most in the Denver Posts “Littleton Family Praises Hero Grandpa” by Tom McGee, is putting others before you.

PLN 14

In the Nata Village blog “Nata River” what matters the most are all the beneficial ways the Nata River is used. The Nata River is located in the village and has many great uses. The river is a great source of water for many wild animals. Also the river is used as pure entertainment for many children. They enjoy swimming and playing in the calm waters during the hot days in the summer. Also many flamingos migrate to the beautiful water and enjoy its salty water. The reason why this matters the most is because such a small thing can benefit people so much. I can connect to this because I think it is important to make the most out of everything. We should cherish everything that we have. This matters to the world because we waste so much. While us Americans are taking 10 min long showers, children in Africa are struggling to find clean water in order to survive. One day that water will run out and the world will regret those 10 min showers, millions of swimming pools, the sprinklers on all day to make our lawns the green when its raining outside, and all those glasses of water poured and just poured away at restaurants. If the world just used the simple resources then our water would not run out as quickly. Overall what matters the most in the Nata Village blog “Nata River” are all the beneficial ways the Nata River is used.

PLN 13

In the Nata village blog “School house Rock” what matters is there not high tech bell that wakes the village up in the morning. Every morning the school watchman rings the bell five times every morning at five o’clock. This ring wakes up the school staff. The bell is also a warning for the students that they have an hour and a half until school starts. I think that this is a very cool technique. It would be impossible to have my entire community wake up at the same time. What I also find interesting is that the Nata village uses an old school bell, but it will wake up the surrounding tenets within a 10 mile radius. If my community was to have an instrument to wake up everyone, we would have some high tech machine that makes a large beeping sound or some other annoying buzzing sound. After reading this article, I am now more aware of how much money my community wastes. A simple non expensive bell can do the exact same job as a machine that costs thousands of dollars. My community could save so much more money if we didn’t spend so much on high tech machines. I think it is so cool that the Nata village uses everything that they have to the fullest. If every community was like this little African village, then the world would be much better off. All in all what matters the most in this blog is the basic school bell that wakes up the community.

PLN 12

In the Nata village blog “Youth Empowerment Workshop” what matters is getting the youth in the community involved and aware of topics such as Business Awareness and Opportunities, Youth Grants, Why is HIV/AIDS Prevailing in Botswana, Love, Relationship, Dating, Marriage and Family, Youth and Politics, and Crime committed by young adults. “Our set time to change the world”. This was the theme for the two-day workshop in Natavillage. The youth expressed their thoughts towards many different topics and discussed what they can do to make a difference. I can definitely connect to this blog. A goal that my English class and I have is to change the world, just like these kids all the way on the other side of the world. It’s obvious that the youth is the only way to bring change to the world. Natavillage and maybe other communities across the globe are discussing issues that the youth can fix. Many organizations are listening to what the youth have to say about many problems and letting us kids help change the world. Changing the world seems like such an impossible task but its really not. One person cannot do it alone. All the young minds need to come together in order to change the world for the better. All in all what matters the most in the Nata village blog “Youth Empowerment Workshop” is getting the youth in the community to come together and discuss issues so that they can change the world.

PLN 11

In the Nata village blog “Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Health Talk” what matters is educating people on how to prevent fatal diseases. The PMTCT, a support group in Nata village, gives a health talk to all the patients visiting the clinic every month. Once a week they give a presentation about various health problems concerning the community. On October 17, 2008, several staff members educated patients on ways to prevent transmitting diseases. It is important to educate people on this topic so that they won’t spread diseases and the community will not become fully affected. I can connect to this topic because I think it is extremely important to be educated on how to prevent spreading or receiving fatal diseases. I know that I don’t want to be affected by diseases and I think it is great that people are taking the time to educate people on how to prevent them. This matters to the world because in order to cure and put a stop to fatal diseases, people need to know how they can prevent these viruses themselves. The solutions are so simple. People are just extremely lazy and ignore the solutions to prevent the diseases. This is why a huge amount of our population is affected. Nata village is helping their community be a stronger environment be educating people on how to stop these diseases. That is what matters the most in this blog.

PLN 10

In the Natavillage blog “Helping the less fortunate” what matters the most is helping the needy and orphans of Nata Village get their materials in order to have a successful semester in school. The Department of Social and Community Development along with the Nata Orphan Trust continue to help those in need every year and enjoy helping their community. Amazingly these humble organizations helped 60+ children retrieve their necessities and have a great time doing so. There morning started off with a fantastic breakfast provided by these organizations. Not only were these innocent souls treated with a fulfilling breakfast, but they were also supplied a delicious lunch. The children then entered a bigger city nearby full of shopping centers. The children then were granted the opportunity to pick 400 pula (the equivalent of 100 U.S dollars) worth of clothing for the new school semester. I can relate to this blog because I try to help the less fortunate everyday. I am proud of my accomplishments and I have strong feelings for distributing help and necessities to those in need. It is the most fulfilling feeling when you see someone wearing the jacket you gave them to keep warm in the frigid winter or seeing the giant smiles of children that you just gave a Christmas present to. The world is really attempting to help those who are less fortunate. The world can relate to this because there are so many large organization tackling overwhelming issues. So many service groups help big picture issues, but the small groups such as The Department of Social and Community Development and the Nata Orphan Trust are helping just as much. Little things and can go long ways. All in all what matters the most in this blog is helping the less fortunate receive there basic necessities to have a successful semester.

PLN 9

In the Natavillage blog “Senior Citizen Appreciation Day” what mattered the most is recognizing senior citizens because it is bringing all different people in the community together to celebrate. On November 7th 2008 the Natavillage had there first Senior Citizen appreciation day that will hopefully be the start to a new tradition. More then 60 courageous people of 65+ years of age attended a fun filled party with dancing and laughter. The post office staff was also kind enough to provide an amazing lunch. This event not only recognizes the amazing elderly people of the community, but it brings them together. When a community is more stable and together, more things can be accomplished. Days like Senior Citizen Appreciation Day are a small step of creating a healthy happy and stable environment. I can connect to this because when I celebrate days such as Mother’s Day, I am honoring my amazing mother and that experience brings us so much more together. I think that it is great that these senior citizens are being recognized for living through fatal conditions and it gives them a chance to communicate with one another and enjoy themselves. I love the fact that the world celebrates these days to honor people. Everyone communicates with another with more gratitude on special occasions and days of celebration. Not only is it fantastic that the small Natavillage is taking steps closer to becoming a great community, but so is the world by honoring all people. Overall what matters the most in this blog is bringing the community together one small step at a time.

PLN 8

In the Nata village blog “The weight Station” what matters is the health of every child in the village. Every month, children in the village must be taken to the clinic by their parents to be weighed. This indicates if the child is healthy and well fed. If the child is in good health, then they are given a food basket and baby formula by the government. This matters because it is saving children’s lives. Without these weighing stations, parents would not know if there young ones were in good health. This connects to me because I know how important it is for me to go to the clinic if I do not feel well. This situation affects me greatly because they are being weighed to determine if they are being fed. No child should ever be starved no matter what. This is an offal situation that needs to be fixed by the world instantly. The world needs to stop starvation and feed the hungry bellies of many. The world is capable of completing this task even though it is extremely difficult. Us Americans are disgusting. We over consume food. While children in Africa are being taken to the clinic to see if they weigh enough, us Americans are going to the doctor to see if we are overweight. We need to fix this problem immediately. Overall what matters the most in this blog is the health of every child in the Nata village.

PLN 7

In the Nata Villages blog “Oral Health Dentist at Work” what matters the most is providing dental health to those who cannot afford to pay for the services because it is helping many people with little money be in good health. Our teeth are very important to our health. It doesn’t matter if you are wealthy or in poverty, good health should be provided for everyone. Dental Therapist Chief Mr. Meshack Gulubane, Senior Dental Mr. Therapist Mmoloki Letebele and Dental Surgen Attendent Ms. Roda Alec all donated their time and money to help the innocent people in the Nata village and 23 other villages by spreading basic facts in how to care for your teeth and provided over 30 patients with cleanings, fillings, or extractions. I can connect to this article because I feel that it is extremely important to care for your teeth because they are so vital to your health. I think that it is a little silly that so many people are paying huge amounts of money to whiten or cap their teeth when people in Africa and other places cannot even afford a toothbrush. This matters to the world because it is saying a basic step that can help lead to a safer better healthier world. If all of us donated our time and money to those who are in need, then the world would be better. We can just donate a $1 toothbrush and help a person in a big way. Little actions can lead to great outcomes. Many of us take our teeth for granted and don’t give them the proper care they deserve. Instead we just waist our money on things used to fix problems we could have prevented. Overall what matters the most in the blog “Oral Health Dentist at Work” by the Nata Village blog is providing dental health to those who cannot afford to pay for the services.

PLN 6

In the Nata Villages blog "Community Educators" what matters the most is educating the community about HIV/AIDS because it helps people know if they have it and what to do if they carry the disease. HIV/AIDS is a critical disease that affects people especially in the Nata village. Majority of the people do not know what to do when they have the disease, but thanks to the Tebelopele people in the Nata village are educated about Basic facts on HIV/AIDS, Progression of HIV infections in the body, Opportunistic infections, Reducing stress, Adherence, and Nutrition. All of these things will help the people's health and their families deal with the terrible disease. I can connect to this blog because I have had people tell me about HIV/AIDS, but I have never been around someone who has the disease. I would like to help people become educated about HIV/AIDS and many other critical diseases or even natural causes. It is important for people to know about these diseases because that is the only way we can prevent them. This matters to the world because HIV/AIDS is affecting a huge amount of the population and we need to fix this in order to live in a better world. We need to educate people so that they know if they are affected by the disease and they won’t spread it to other people. Over all what matters the most in the Nata villages "Communities Educators" is educating the community about HIV/AIDS because it will help people know what to do if they are affected.

PLN 5

In Karl Fisch's short video "What If" what matters the most is limiting to basic materials for educational purposes. Over the past hundreds of year, the same pattern has been occurring. Whenever a better invention comes out, it is either bashed by the public or fully accepted by majority of the public. People keep using the argument "what about the old fashion way?" but will we come to a time when the old fashion way is using the internet or email? I can connect to this video because a lot of my teachers are against the internet or calculators. I honestly think that Email is a great thing. It helps save trees and time. I also can agree with banning the internet because people abuse it. But as humans, we are going to go with our natural instinct of using the easier way. Most people any day would choose the internet over the library. This matters to the world because it is saying that we could use simple materials to still receive a good education. We still can get by with basic materials. So much money is used on high tech calculators and fancy projectors that benefit us just as much as regular calculators and chalkboards. We Americans need the best and think that our education will progress so much more with high quality materials, but people who don’t have those nice materials are still learning just as much. Over all what matters the most in Karl Fisch's "What if" is limiting to basic materials for educational purposes.

PLN 4

In the short video Life= Risk, by Dale Basler, What matters the most is the benefits of failing because it teaches people that there is a positive side to failing. The short video talked about how failing only makes you stronger and builds you. This matters because people need to realize that when they fail, it isn’t a call telling you to quit, it’s a call telling you to try harder and reach that goal. It is a very motivating message that everyone could benefit from. This film matters to me because it shows me that I am not the only person in the world that has failed. There are many times that I have been cut from a team or not given a medal and my reaction to failure is quitting. I never actually quit, but I always feel like I should. This short video has now encouraged me to continue reaching my goals because everyone has failed. This matters to the world because it will help encourage people to keep trying when they have been knocked off their high horse. The world would be a more positive place because people wouldn’t have to feel sad and hurt when they have failed to reach their goals. Overall, what matters the most in the film Life=Risk by Dale Basler is never giving up.

PLN3

In the Nata village blog "No Child left Behind" by............ what matters the most is providing an education for every child because they want for the children to have good futures. The village is highly affected by aids and wants the young and innocent to have a fair chance to succeed in life. They provide education to all the children, even outside the class room because they wanted for every child to make a difference and have the knowledge to do so. I can connect to this because I think that education needs to be provided to everyone. Every child should be given an education no matter what. This matters to me because it makes me appreciate school more. Children in Africa and all over the world would do anything to go to a one room dirt floor school house to learn, and most children in America and other places despise school. This blog matters to the world because it is sending the message that if one small affected poor village can supply education for every child, then so can anyone else. The world is fully capable of granting education to everyone, and that is what needs to be done. The world needs to come together and supply these wonderful volunteers with proper materials to teach these young minds. Overall, what matters the most in the Nata Village Blog is providing an education to every child.

PLN 2 Did you know?

In Karl Fisch's Did You Know presentation, the facts about the skyrocketing amounts of people using technology matters the most. These facts matter the most because they are portraying the eye-opening message of how much time we devote to useless things. As mentioned in the video, today’s 21 year olds have watched 20,000 hours of TV, played over 10,000 hours of video games, talked 10,000 hours on the phone, and these statistics were taken in 2006! All of those numbers adds up to 4 and a half years! Looking back on your life, you might wish that you had those four years back again instead of watching repulsive reality TV shows or playing violent video games all day long and wasting the sunny days. We could experience so much more for ourselves if the amusing traps didn’t exist. If more of us dedicated that time to fight causes that are destroying people’s lives, then our knowledge and world peace would increase so much more. People would also be healthier. Instead of using the Internet and TV for entertainment, people would amuse themselves by exercising their bodies and minds. Another thing that matters so much in this presentation is the quote “ we are currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that don’t yet exist…in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet”. This quote is saying that the students today are being taught how to solve problems that are not problems yet. This matters because it is teaching people to prevent problems, but also wasting there time because we don’t know if they are even going to be those problems. We all just need to focus on the current problems by getting an exact view on the situation instead of watching it on the news are reading it on the internet. All in all what matters the most in the presentation Did You Know by Karl Fisch, are the facts about how much time we waist using technology.

Some of the ways that machines are using us is they are distracting us, they are absorbing our knowledge, and they are convincing us to believe and do certain things. Machines are distracting us because they are our main entertainment. They are distracting us from the natural world and all of its tasks. Instead of experiencing something for ourselves, we explore it on the web. Machines are becoming addictions to the majority of society. They suck us in to there aw factors and entertain us. They brainwash us to rely on them. Machines are using us by absorbing our knowledge. They are doing this by letting us blog, communicate, and research on the web. Machines are advertisers. They persuade us to buy things, do things, share things, see things, and much more. They are poisoning our minds with disturbing thoughts and eventually convince us to do things. For an example, T.V. shows convince viewers to participate in obnoxious behavior, buy unusual products, and do stupid things. But we made these powerful beasts. Something made by man is outsmarting man itself.

Machines are Using Us

Molly B.
"Machines are Using Us"

In the video “Machines are Using Us” by Michael Wesch, what matters the most is that we are the machines. This is an observation on life used in a metaphoric statement. The reason why the video is stating US as the machine is because the internet and other software has controlled us. Humans are supposed to control machines and command things, but this has reversed. Computers are controlling the way we think, write, communicate, and live. This matters because the machines are affecting our lives and brainwashing us. How will people be able to think or even survive? The machine eliminates our independent thinking and uses us to depend on them. This also matters because it will affect the way our world functions, in a negative way. The machines are using us. They encourage us to promote our thoughts and views on life on the internet, but in return the consequences are cruel behavior such as mocking and criticism.