Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Educational Focus
Welcome Audubon High School to the 21st century, the age of environmental disasters, international conflicts, and economic recessions. As I type, two major oil spills gush millions of barrels into American waters ravaging coastline, endangering wildlife, and destroying two major job industries, fishing and tourism. A heat wave descends on the North East, ushering in one of the hottest summers on record, while torrential rains flood Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many forgotten international feuds erupted again, revealing ancient, deep-seated hatreds. North Korea sank a South Korean ship, uncovering uneasy tensions in Asia. Israel attacked a peacekeeping flotilla filled with humanitarian aid headed toward Gaza Strip, highlighting the continual Israel/Palestinian conflict. Domestically, America faces a joblessness crisis that threatens to create a long period of low economic growth, creating a “lost” generation, a cohort of young graduates who cannot find jobs, do not qualify to buy homes, and consequently cannot start families. No wonder high school students are disillusioned. But, you are not powerless.
While many critical problems have arisen in this current century, there have also been many technological advances and cultural innovations. Today is the age of digital media and the information highway; a world where websites like Wiki encourage thousands of strangers to engage in the purposeful work of negotiating and creating truth; and a place where technology has transformed every professional field, from business to medicine, by focusing on shared knowledge and collaboration. Students everywhere can connect to the international community to access information and engage in critical discussions to solve global problems. Consequently, in this class students will learn how to synthesize vast amounts of information on a topic; analyze that information, uncover hidden biases, manipulated facts, logical leaps and fallacies; judge the validity of differing opinions; integrate relevant information to create informed viewpoints; so that students may enter and contribute to global discussions and international collaborations.
While many critical problems have arisen in this current century, there have also been many technological advances and cultural innovations. Today is the age of digital media and the information highway; a world where websites like Wiki encourage thousands of strangers to engage in the purposeful work of negotiating and creating truth; and a place where technology has transformed every professional field, from business to medicine, by focusing on shared knowledge and collaboration. Students everywhere can connect to the international community to access information and engage in critical discussions to solve global problems. Consequently, in this class students will learn how to synthesize vast amounts of information on a topic; analyze that information, uncover hidden biases, manipulated facts, logical leaps and fallacies; judge the validity of differing opinions; integrate relevant information to create informed viewpoints; so that students may enter and contribute to global discussions and international collaborations.
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