Thesis Statements

1) Technology effects students' performance in many aspects of their lives. Whether it be through social media, classroom technology, or video games technology has both positive and negative effects on today's students.

2) Students today are effected both positively and negatively by technology through various mediums such as social media, video games, and even in the classroom.

TED Talk and Summary

IG    In this TED talk Sherry Turkle discusses technology and our use of it and how this has changed over time. In the beginning of the talk Turkle explains how digital technology and has rapidly grown from almost nothing to the giant it is today in a few short years. In the beginning technology was viewed as helpful to everyone, people could connect with each other in ways that were previously unavailable and tasks could be accomplished quicker and easier than ever before. Today these things may be true but technology also can have negative influences on the user. People today are disconnecting from the real world and are retreating into the realm of technology where everything displayed can be as you want it. Over time we become reliant on the control and freedom that this digital world grants us and can remove ourselves from or harm our lives in the "real world".

TED. "Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?" Online video clip. YouTube. TED, 3 April 2012. Web. 1 November 2014.

Sources

Source One: This article discusses various aspects of technology and their effects on children as they age.

Bavelier, Daphne, C. S. Green, and Matthew W. G. Dye. "Children, Wired: For Better and for Worse." Neuron 67.5 (2010): 692-701. ProQuest. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.


Source Two: This article looks at the use of technology in the classroom as a method of teaching and its effects on student performance.

Eyyam, Ramadan, and Hü Yaratan. "IMPACT OF USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MATHEMATICS LESSONS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDES." Social Behavior and Personality 42 (2014): 31-42. ProQuest. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.



Source Three: The article explores the relationship between social media and students' college experience by evaluating relationships with their peers and professors.

Kord, JoLanna, and Lisa Wolf-Wendel. "The Relationship between Online Social Networking and Academic and Social Integration." College Student Affairs Journal 28.1 (2009): 103-23. ProQuest. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

Research Topic Idea

The idea that technology affects us in some way is almost universally accepted. Since we are in a time of great growth in technology right now, I want to learn more about how our outlook and knowledge has changed from the past to present, as well as compared to people today who are exposed to less technology.

- Are we more aware of what's going on in the world today?

- Do we score better on tests now, or in the past?

- Do people who are exposed to more technology score better on tests?

- Do people today have a more positive outlook on life and the world today?

- Do people in less developed countries have a more or less positive outlook?

- Were people generally happier in the past or present?

- Do people today have a broader knowledge than people in the past?

- Are people with computers happier than those without them?

- Does the average person go outdoors more now than the average person did 10 years ago?

- How much time does the average person spend online per day around the world?

- Are students performing better now than they did 20 years ago?

- Why have social networks grown so rapidly?

The Summoned Self

Each individual is different. This is readily apparent in our approaches to life. Some set long term goals and devote themselves to reaching them. Once a goal is set many smaller ones are created, all to push the person in the direction they wish to go. In this approach, life becomes a plan with an end product and steps to follow. When a step is completed, the person feels a sense of accomplishment that pushes them further towards the ultimate goal that has been set. This is referred to as the "Well-Planned Life". Another approach named the "Summoned Life" takes a different view. Life is a mysterious ever-changing land, that looking forward, cannot be accurately conceived. A person's path is dictated by what is around them and their decisions should be made according to this. This makes individual experience vital to the "Summoned Life". An individual does not understand a concept fully unless they are immersed in it themselves. This understanding can change a person's path because of their newly gained experience. Someone who follows the "Well-Planned Life" makes their decisions based on themselves and their own personal goals, while someone who follows the "Summoned Life" makes decisions based on what the environment wants them to do. The "Well-Planned Life" is defined by planning, while the "Summoned Life" focuses more on "awareness" and "observation".

Challenges

I am a perfectionist. Although this may not be apparent, and may seem counterintuitive, perfectionism can be a hinderance in high school and college. I am often assigned homework where the instructions are not clear or overly complex. I find it very difficult to do these assignments because I do not have a straightforward method or plan of what to do. Instead of doing the assignments quickly while trying to interpret what is needed, I often become stressed and struggle to find motivation to complete them because I do not have a "checklist" to follow. I can spend hours on what is a simple assignment for others, often being overly thorough. Perfectionism can be a good thing in moderation, but I need to reign it in for me to achieve all that I can going forward.

Why Bother Leaving the House?

In this video a British explorer details his journeys in the north and south poles and provides insight into why explorers and adventurers do what they do. I found this to be thought-provoking and interesting to look into the motives of these people we often read about. The comparisons Ben Saunders makes in this video to explain what drives him were very curious to me. Watch below and see what you take away from it.