Blog Assignment #10

     When I went to the blog post written by Mr. Spencer concerning the cartoon above I was hoping to find a more in depth meaning of the cartoon. Although I had no luck finding a better worded reasoning, I did however come up with an idea of what it's about. I think it's comparing the old teaching methods with the new upgraded, technology enhanced methods.


      I read the blog post Remember Pencil Quests? by Mr. Spencer for my choice of readings from his site. He talks about an experience he had when he was a sophomore when his teacher took his class on a pencil quest. I don't know exactly what a pencil quest entails but he compares it to a scavenger hunt like game with a map. Mr. Spencer adds the enthusiasm that his teacher had for this fun filled day in class, which ultimately transferred to the students.


      The point to Mr. Spencer's post isn't just to share about a fun memory from his school days. It's to share a thought he had concerning the students he has now, has had, and will have in the future. He states at the end of his post that he wonders what those students will think when they look back at the good ole days. Instead of pencil and paper scavenger hunts, they'll remember internet searches and iPad games.


      I read the blog post Don't teach your kids this stuff, please? and was taken back by Dr. McLeod's forwardness. But then I thought about it a little more and realized that to be heard you have to be creative and  be able to grab people's attention. You must put yourself out there if you want to make an impact, and that is exactly what he did. He writes a poem-like post about how kids shouldn't be free to roam the internet. Stating all the dangers, cons, and mischief that kids can get into McLeod does make a valid point.


      However, I think the statement he is really trying to make is that it's not the internet itself that is "evil", but the people and sites that abuse it are the actual issue. Kids should use the internet and become familiar with how it works because eventually it will be the number one source for everything and everyone (if it isn't already that is). What does need to be done is guidance from parents and teachers. It is our responsibility to keep children and students safe in the virtual world. That responsibility mainly consists of guidance and protection, without them then the bad realms of the deep dark internet will get them.