Thursday, March 12, 2009
Homework helpful or harmful?
Homework. The word is dreaded amongst the conversation of the average teenager. It is not only time consuming, but it is also said to be harmful to students.
Dr. Harris Cooper from Duke University has done extensive research on the subject of homework. He concluded that there is no benefit—except in reading and basic skills—in the countless hours of studying for those exams.
For us, as high school students, studying for more than two hours a day can actually be harmful, not helpful. Students who studied for more than 90 minutes a night actually scored lower on standardized tests than those who did less studying.
This may be due to lack of sleep, or motivation, or something else. Although, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, the average work load has increased 51%, United States students rank 25th place in math and 21st place in science on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Another interesting fact is that the teachers who pile on the homework every night score lower on standardized testing than those who are more lenient. This may be because they think that they can make their pupils more studious than they were if they keep their minds working all the time.
The argument for more homework claims that it “teaches discipline, time management, and other nonacademic life skills.” In response, students only take home the knowledge they learn that is interesting to them on a personal level, such as writing in journals, practicing music, or showing experiments to parents.
Although homework may be beneficial in some ways, how do we know if it is not? There are two questions students should ask themselves, they are as follows:
1) Does this assignment make me more excited about the topic and learning in general?
2) Does this assignment help me to think more deeply about questions that matter?
As a student, you should ask yourself these questions, but still maintain an open mind to the experience of learning. You can inquire about your school’s homework policy in the handbook. If the load seems too heavy or nothing peeks your interest, you should talk to your parents, who can contact the school’s administration.
Dr. Harris Cooper from Duke University has done extensive research on the subject of homework. He concluded that there is no benefit—except in reading and basic skills—in the countless hours of studying for those exams.
For us, as high school students, studying for more than two hours a day can actually be harmful, not helpful. Students who studied for more than 90 minutes a night actually scored lower on standardized tests than those who did less studying.
This may be due to lack of sleep, or motivation, or something else. Although, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, the average work load has increased 51%, United States students rank 25th place in math and 21st place in science on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Another interesting fact is that the teachers who pile on the homework every night score lower on standardized testing than those who are more lenient. This may be because they think that they can make their pupils more studious than they were if they keep their minds working all the time.
The argument for more homework claims that it “teaches discipline, time management, and other nonacademic life skills.” In response, students only take home the knowledge they learn that is interesting to them on a personal level, such as writing in journals, practicing music, or showing experiments to parents.
Although homework may be beneficial in some ways, how do we know if it is not? There are two questions students should ask themselves, they are as follows:
1) Does this assignment make me more excited about the topic and learning in general?
2) Does this assignment help me to think more deeply about questions that matter?
As a student, you should ask yourself these questions, but still maintain an open mind to the experience of learning. You can inquire about your school’s homework policy in the handbook. If the load seems too heavy or nothing peeks your interest, you should talk to your parents, who can contact the school’s administration.
Street racing
Legality is not an issue in the 21st century. Street racing is a sport that has become a life style in today’s culture. It is not only an illegal activity, but it is a dangerous way to get an instantaneous adrenaline rush. It has evolved from the prohibition era into the type of racing you see in movies. Street racing is a custom in popular culture not only in the United States, but around the world.
In order to understand the culture, a comprehension of the derivation must be attained. The origin of street racing emerged when prohibition first transpired. The banning of liquor made people more willing to disregard the law and take greater risks. In their rebelliousness, they needed more esteemed vehicles to harbor their activities. The most common activity that would take place was a person with Canadian liquor would race across the United States border and a chase with law enforcement agents would commence. Thus, tuning of cars became extremely popular. Tuning is the modification of cars to make them go faster. This involves anything from changing the fuel and oxygen mix, exhaust rerouting, adding spoilers, and even adding nitrous oxide for an extra boost. The need for fast cars diminished when the nineteenth amendment was repealed, but the desire for the adrenaline rush remained, therefore keeping street racing alive within the hearts of the culture.
The custom of street racing became a way of life. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, car manufacturers such as Ford and Chevrolet were prominently used. The 1950’s was the big bang of street racing. In the 1960’s, Oldsmobile and Buick became more popular. During this time period, communities actually formed themselves around the races being conducted. The popularity of racing was transmitted through the use of C.B. radio. Technological advances also allowed the vehicles to be outfitted that allowed the vehicle to be tuned via computer. This concept was created in Japan, where the roads are narrow and curvilinear; therefore vehicles were designed to maneuver these streets. With the compact, sleek design of Japanese cars, they became the popular. They were featured in many movies, such as Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and a new type of racing was formed. Through technology and intellect, street racing became a popular custom.
In order to understand the culture, a comprehension of the derivation must be attained. The origin of street racing emerged when prohibition first transpired. The banning of liquor made people more willing to disregard the law and take greater risks. In their rebelliousness, they needed more esteemed vehicles to harbor their activities. The most common activity that would take place was a person with Canadian liquor would race across the United States border and a chase with law enforcement agents would commence. Thus, tuning of cars became extremely popular. Tuning is the modification of cars to make them go faster. This involves anything from changing the fuel and oxygen mix, exhaust rerouting, adding spoilers, and even adding nitrous oxide for an extra boost. The need for fast cars diminished when the nineteenth amendment was repealed, but the desire for the adrenaline rush remained, therefore keeping street racing alive within the hearts of the culture.
The custom of street racing became a way of life. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, car manufacturers such as Ford and Chevrolet were prominently used. The 1950’s was the big bang of street racing. In the 1960’s, Oldsmobile and Buick became more popular. During this time period, communities actually formed themselves around the races being conducted. The popularity of racing was transmitted through the use of C.B. radio. Technological advances also allowed the vehicles to be outfitted that allowed the vehicle to be tuned via computer. This concept was created in Japan, where the roads are narrow and curvilinear; therefore vehicles were designed to maneuver these streets. With the compact, sleek design of Japanese cars, they became the popular. They were featured in many movies, such as Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and a new type of racing was formed. Through technology and intellect, street racing became a popular custom.
The people of this culture collaboratively work together for a common goal. This comes from the ability to work in a group on a car so that they can be the fastest. They all have a passion for attaining the goal they set out to conquer. There are both young and old street racers. The older ones come from the prohibition era, some in their 50-70’s. Others are attracted by the media and popularity of the custom. The younger attendees are usually looking for a place where they can escape the hassles of home life. With trying to find a release, they are drawn to the idea of going at working for an objective that can cause you to reach incredible speeds and feel as if you are no longer suppressed by time. Law breaking is also a very popular activity amongst the lives of today’s youth, and instead of getting drunk or participating in drug activities, they attend a racing meet and see people their age with the same problems they have. It is an easier way to cope with the stress of life than smoking or drinking. Racing is also a way to move up in society as a way of proving one’s own worth. If a person can make their car the fastest and have the most agility, they can show that they are valuable enough to compete. With this macho persona they feel that they can accomplish anything and therefore build up their self esteem.
Despite the wide popularity of street racing, there are serious effects on the environment that most people are unaware of. Some of which consist of road kill, road aversion, isolation of certain species, impacts on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and pollution. There are roughly one million road kill accidents a day, this makes causes damage to not only vehicles, but roads and have an impact on the life cycle. Thus, the animals have avoided these roads, causing them to move locations, such as go into people’s yards. Then there becomes the problem of isolated and displaced animals that try to get away from the vehicles and put people at home at risk, as well as the natural environment that has sustain the same species for thousands of years. The terrestrial ecosystems are affected by the pollutants and cause invasion of weeds, pests, and pathogens. The hydrology of watersheds is changed through roads, which affect the stream channel morphology, and ground water levels. Not only through vehicles themselves, but also road construction, pollution becomes a major problem. The road work causes noise and thus scares away more of the animals. Cars emit a plethora of pollutants, such as heavy metals, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Street racing encourages the construction of roads and therefore directly impact the environment.
Even though street racing is a life threatening activity it is still a custom in today’s popular culture. The custom of street racing is inevitably a dangerous activity that not only put the person behind the wheel at risk, but also the spectators and the environment. This sport is not something that should be taken lightly. For every thousand participants there are ten deaths. It is a hazardous, illegal occurrence that should be taken to the drag strip and not the side streets. Drag racing is the safest alternative that allows an adrenaline rush, while also maintaining legality.
Kali practitioner turns his back on violence
After being shot, stabbed, robbed, and hit twice by two different cars, Larry Ricardo Sanchez continues to maintain his optimistic demeanor. Larry has made his way through the many gauntlets life creates and will continue to be an astounding individual. He can not only excel at everything he tries to achieve, he has eluded death itself.
Larry Sanchez is a person of many talents that not only include soccer, skateboarding, cooking, roller skating, martial arts, writing poetry, rapping, playing the snare drum, and mastering video games, but he also allows himself to be enveloped in other people’s lives. He encourages them when they are in their darkest hour, even if he is in his as well.
While others recall their childhood as warm and fluffy, Larry recalls it a little differently. He describes his childhood as being engulfed with “heartbreak, being homeless, losing loved ones, [and] not having a family to love.”
Larry’s father, Larris Sanchez, died in a tragic accident when Larry was only three years old. Being in his young age, Larry is unable to recall any memory he has of his father.
The normal aspects of life that the average teenager has to endure are what clothes they are going to wear, what movie they want to go to, which shoes are cuter, or which restaurant they want to attend. Larry had to worry about how he was going to eat, have clothes, and where he would lay he head at night.
Moving was a weekly activity in the life of Larry Sanchez. He and his family would movie around the country in search of finding a place where they belong, and a place where he wouldn’t get himself into any trouble.
Larry Sanchez is a person of many talents that not only include soccer, skateboarding, cooking, roller skating, martial arts, writing poetry, rapping, playing the snare drum, and mastering video games, but he also allows himself to be enveloped in other people’s lives. He encourages them when they are in their darkest hour, even if he is in his as well.
While others recall their childhood as warm and fluffy, Larry recalls it a little differently. He describes his childhood as being engulfed with “heartbreak, being homeless, losing loved ones, [and] not having a family to love.”
Larry’s father, Larris Sanchez, died in a tragic accident when Larry was only three years old. Being in his young age, Larry is unable to recall any memory he has of his father.
The normal aspects of life that the average teenager has to endure are what clothes they are going to wear, what movie they want to go to, which shoes are cuter, or which restaurant they want to attend. Larry had to worry about how he was going to eat, have clothes, and where he would lay he head at night.
Moving was a weekly activity in the life of Larry Sanchez. He and his family would movie around the country in search of finding a place where they belong, and a place where he wouldn’t get himself into any trouble.
Being only seventeen, Larry has been through some of the roughest times. Even though he has been suppressed by turmoil and effluence, he was still willing to help those who most needed him.
Jacob, one of Larry’s closest friends, says that Larry always helped him to see the brighter side of every situation. He says that Larry would “start acting like a clown” in order to make him feel better through hardships.
While Jacob was going through some family trouble, Larry would take him out of the house and they would just “chill” with each other and “chop it up” about girls, parties, music, and anything else that would take their minds off of the current situation.
While living in Florida, he did not fear standing up for the people he cared about by whatever means necessary, no matter the consequences.
When he was a boy, his mother, Charlene Walls, describes him as a very caring individual. He would help out where ever he could and would always be there for his mother.
But, when disrespect flew out of the mouths of his adversaries, he would retaliate with not-so-subtle back lashing.
“He was very protective of me,” Charlene recalls.
Larry describes his extracurricular activities as “being in a fight every week.” He would never back down.
His sister, Jessica Hernandez, describes his childhood personality as hyper and put an exaggeration on the fact that “he could not sit still”.
She recalls how Larry would always be dirty from playing outside and would never want to come in. Jessica and her family had to “force him to take a shower.” They literally had to throw him into the shower in order for him to be clean, and being the person that Larry is, it was not an easy task.
Larry moved from Florida to Cleveland so that he could get away from all of the drama. He has since tried to change his aggressive behavior through other means, such as sports, kick boxing, or a certain type of martial arts called Kali.
Through channeling techniques, he managed his hostility and became the person he is today.
“He’s always helping people out,” Jessica explains.
She says he never lets anyone stop and be without someone to talk to or who just needed a hand. He always helps little old ladies with groceries or hold doors open when they go out to eat.
“We have to leave an extra 10 minutes early,” she chuckles.
Larry always seemed to be goal oriented, even through his troubled years. With his mother Charlene, he was motivated by his love and care for her. With Jessica, she said that he was motivated by childhood aspirations, such as toys. But, he always had a reason for doing something. Everything was done with precision and deliberateness.
The future looks very bright compared to the past. Larry’s mother sees him as being “happy, with someone he loves, and be successful.”
His sister has a similar view of his life and sees him with “someone he really loves and cares about, with a few kids, a really good job, getting things done, and focused.”
Larry is definitely a person with unique talents and capabilities. Even though he has made mistakes in his past, he has made up for them with his caring and love for others.
When asked what would be the last thing that Jacob would say to Larry, he responded, “I love your dumbass.”
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