Classmates

Classmates

 

            While listening to the introductions of the papers that have been written for the final, I found myself wanting to read several of them. Numerous students choose rather interesting topics and I honestly wanted to read their final paper, although I am rather overwhelmed with finals. I have to say, the cupcakes with the strawberry on top were amazing! I think I ate more that I was supposed to but they were addicting!

                                                                                               

                                                                                    Jacob Rammage       

Presentations

Presentations

 

The presentations went over surprisingly well today. I was a little concerned considering the limited number of people that have shown p to class for the past few weeks. I thought that a considerable amount of people would completely forget about the project. Overall most of the presentations were well done. The food was awesome!

I am also very pleases with how our personal presentation went as well.

                                                                                                Jacob Rammage

Attempting to focus

Attempting to focus

 

            As the weather gradually becomes warmer and warmer I am finding it more and more difficult to focus. The funny thing is, now is the time that you need to focus the most, exams are three weeks away. The way I look at it is in order to achieve the goals you want in the future sometimes you have to sacrifice now. No amounts of sunny days, clear skies or annoying friends are going to keep me from those goals. Sometimes people forget that all diamonds start off in the rough.   

                                                                                                Jacob Rammage

Khan Project

Khan Project

 

            I have to admit the khan deadline has come much faster than I anticipated. I was primarily focusing on completing my paper and completely forgot about the khan project. Although this project is rather simple in comparison to the formal paper considering there is no paper. In my opinion I would much rather give a formal presentation than write a paper. I find is much easier and much faster as well. Over all I am actually excited about this project and giving a presentation in the library.  

                                                                                                Jacob Rammage

Presentation Reflection(Given: 3/31/08)

Presentation Reflection

(Given: 3/31/08)

 

            The presentation had some very interesting information. Although I was rather disappointed with the number of technical difficulties encountered. It seems as if the presentation would have not only been more entertaining but more informational as well if the pictures would have worked in the PowerPoint.

I am impressed though with the presenter’s ability to portray the information amusingly without the use of pictures. He seemed to be incredibly disappointed that his artwork did not appear.

On a side note I was rather frustrated with the number of people that got up a left in the middle of the presentation. That is incredibly disrespectful and distracting.                                      

                                                                        Jacob Rammage   

Shut Your Pie Hole

Shut Your Pie Hole 

            I find myself becoming more and more frustrated with several of the students in class. Nearly every time a project is assigned or a dead line set it seems as if someone has something to say about it. I am getting tired of my class mates complaining about the amount of work that has been assigned. Your in college, so called “large amounts of work” in several classes is to be expected.

            In my opinion I find the education system to be more of a filtration method than anything else. I like to think of high school as the first filter with a very large gauge. Some of the students or as I like to call them “unwanted contaminates” are to large to fit through the holes and are subsequently left behind ending their education. The associate’s degree is the second filter with slightly smaller holes. Again, some of the unwanted contaminants are too large to fit through the holes and left behind. This process continues, and the filters become finer and finer as you “fall” through the “filtration system”, until you reach your intended goal (degree) or you become too large to fit through the holes. This process ensures that there are no students in any specific field that don’t deserve to be there.

                                                                            Jacob Rammage             

The creation of the Couch Potato

The creation of the Couch Potato 

In the beginning there was nothing but a television set with 999 channels, a giant couch and a young man named Jacob. Every Saturday morning Jacob would awaken from his slumber and exit his chamber.  He would continue going about his morning routine of brushing his teeth and turning the heat lamp on for his pet python named Rex. After the simple yet incredibly labor intensive morning routine, Jacob would become exceedingly tired, hungry and thirsty. Jacobs’s stomach would rumble and growl enough to make a pack of hungry wolves jealous. His throat would be so parched as to make a desert look like a tropical paradise. He needed food and something to drink fast.

Jacob decided to take the parlous journey to the refrigerator.  He descended down the exceptionally long set of stairs and continued his journey across the seemingly endless hardwood floors of his living room. Finally, Jacob had reached the refrigerator. As the refrigerator door opened Jacob was blinded by an extraordinary bright light. His eyes adjusted and feasted upon the endless selection of thirst quenching beverages. The decision of what beverage to select seemed impossible to make. After what seemed to be an eternity the decision of what to drink was made and the door to the refrigerator closed. 

Although Jacobs thirst had subsided his hunger had not.

Jacob looked upon the journey in front of him with astonishment. What seemed like hundreds upon hundreds of inches had to be navigated in order to reach the pantry. He had his doubts but in the end he knew what had to be done. The perilous voyage to the pantry began. Jacob traversed the endless hardwood floors yet again but, this time he held what was left of his beverage in his hand. Finally, after several excruciating seconds Jacob had reached his final stop before he could rest upon the soft, warm, inviting couch across the room. The cupboard held a colossal amount of luscious food to choose from. Jacob knew precisely what he wanted. Cheddar cheese and sour cream, artificially flavored, naturally baked potato crisps was the perfect selection. With beverage and potato chips in hand Jacobs’s final expedition was before him.

The final walk to the couch was by far the most challenging for Jacob. Not, physically challenging but mentally challenging. In order to reach the couch Jacob had to back track, covering hardwood floors that he already had crossed before. This always seemed like a wasted effort to Jacob. The mental preparation was intense, involving sitting down on the bench next to him, closing his eyes, and carefully calculating each step in order to insure the shortest distance and least effort. With his mental preparation completed Jacob began his walk. Each step was precise, calculated, and with much effort. He seemed to glide across the hardwood floors, like a dark lord in Stars Wars; the force was strong with Jacob.

At last, after so much mental preparation, physical fatigue, and hundreds of seconds, Jacob had reached his final destination, the couch. He sat down setting his beverage and Cheddar cheese and sour cream, artificially flavored, naturally baked potato crisps on the end table next to him. He placed a saucer under his beverage to insure the safety of no ring. This simple act was sure to please his mother. Then he picked up the remote and turned the television on. The couch was everything Jacob expected, warm, soft, comforting, and so relaxing. The couch seemed to form a glove around Jacobs’s body holding him closely as if never to let go.

 Jacob sat and sat and sat not caring what orb he was in. Jacob’s eyes were transfixed on the endless programs he flipped between. His body sank deeper and deeper into the crevices of the couch. The folds held a reservoir of past nourishment. Jacob sank into a transcendental vegetative state. The only sign of life were the continuous averting eyes. The remote became an extension of Jacob’s appendage. Nothing could move the mound which formed as one with the couch. This classic Saturday poise became ever known as the couch potato.

 

                                                            Jacob Rammage

I get to use my imagination!?

I get to use my imagination!?

(Creating your own creation story)  

 

            I am rather excited that I actually get to use my imagination in class. So many classes are based on lecture and “linear” teaching. In my opinion some of the best ways to teach is to let the student use their imaginations and allowing them to think in abstract ways. This not only allows students to solve problems in nonfigurative ways but, to understand them in theoretical aspects as well (in some cases).

            The creation story is a perfect example. By first having the class research an actual creation story is a great way of getting the students into the correct “mindset”. This essentially is placing the students in the “shoes” of people of the ancient world. Then, allowing the student create their own is a classic way of presenting realization. Showing the students precisely what it felt like to live in the ancient world, in other words living in a world of ignorance.

 

                                                                                    Jacob Rammage

China

China

(A reflection on the presentation of Wednesday, 20)

 

I have always known that China was an upcoming economic power. I did not expect it to be so “far” along as it is now. The presentation really opened my eyes to just how modernized china has become. I have always envisioned it to be small huts lined up in a row with hundreds of children making Nike tennis shoes.

I also thought that no matter where you went it would be crowded, like New York, except of course if you went out in to the middle of no where. One of the most interesting facts that was brought up, was concerning the number of major cities that have been established in China, also that there are major businesses such as McDonalds and GM over in China. The presentation was incredibly insightful and interesting.

The only complaint I have is that it was not very well organized; they also had continuous problems with the software they were using. As if they did not know how to work it. When you are making a formal presentation you better rehearse the information until the point you memorize it and you better know how to use the software you are presenting it with. The information in the presentation was interesting but the presentation itself was rather poor almost elementary.

                                                                                    Jacob Rammage  

Underestimated

Underestimated

 

I underestimated the amount of time it requires to find six reputable sources. I figured it would simply take s few minuets to find them all. I really misjudged the amount it would take to find reputable internet sources. I had an idea that they would take the longest bun not nearly as long as they did.

Professor Berg made a very good point about the “magic word”. My partner and I were attempting to find sources on “the closed door policy” in Japan. We continuously typed in “the closed door policy of Japan” and we were not getting any results. So, we used wikipedia.com to get some ideas of what other “key words” to use. We found isolationism and seclusion. Once these “magic” words were used in our search we found several great sources. I guess I underestimated the “power” of the “magic” word as well.

 

                                                                                    Jacob Rammage