Information On Bullying

Surprising facts or statistics

• School homicides and suicides are very high. 
• Bullying has been around since the first classroom.
• Many people thought it was a rite of passage for people to endure.
• Cyber bullying started in 2000.
• 1998 survey found that nearly one of every three U.S. children in sixth through 10th grades is affected by bullying.
• In June 2002, a report told doctors to be more alert of the signs and symptoms of bullying.
• Majority of the state in the US have cyber bullying laws.
• Only a few states have laws that are updated for cyber bullying.
• Some states have no laws for cyber bullying.
• Shooting in high school and college campus are very high.
• Any kind of sexual harassment happens to mainly girls.
  
  
  

The extent of the problem

• Harassment and being belittled about race/religion/looks/speech 
• Cyber bullying
• Bullying in school

Important people or institutions involved

• Government
• School
• Parents
• YouTubers 
• Authors
• Activists 
• Doctors
• Schools

Key schools of thought

• Does not allow or support bullying.
• Safety
• Anti bullying
• Worry about violence
• Prevent bullying and suicidal thoughts
• Concerned about bullying.
• Teachers and staffs have to watch over students and look for signs.

Common misconceptions

• All bullies are loners and have no friends
• Bullies struggle with self esteem
• All victims are weak and vulnerable 
• Victims of bullying always report about bullying
• Bullies are easy to spot
• Bullying happens at school

Observations you've made

• Cyber bullying is very high
• Depression
• Mostly female targets
• More than 16% of 6 through 10th graders are being bullied.
• Called offensive names are very high in online harassment.
• Being bullied indirectly
• A lot of kids skip school or class because of being bullied.
• Violence is very high.

Important trends

• Bullying mainly happen from middle school to high school and this cause students to skip school or become depress.
• Cyber harassment is also very popular and it's mainly offensive names being called.
• Violence and harassment are very high.

Major controversies

• Whether if anti bullying strategies used by schools is successful or not. 

 

Bullying

What have we been studying in class this year?

• We have been studying different topics that we picked and researched.

Which subjects appeal to me?

• Bullying, body image, child labor, technology and privacy and racial discrimination.

What are people writing about?

•  People are writing about their views and their ideas about certain topics that they feel strongly about.
  

What's most interesting to me?

•  Bullying is most interesting to me.
  

Can I find information about that?

•  Yes, you can find information about that on the internet because a lot of people feel strongly about these topics.
 

Why are you most interested in the topic of argument selected?

• I am most interested in bullying because I feel strongly about this topic and I can relate to it.

Critical and Analysis/ Essential Questions

Racial Discrimination:

Why is racism so rife in the world?

•  Racism is so rife in the world because people can't accept others for who they are and they do not like changes. I think that if they feel that if they are different from them they should not be viewed at the same level as them. 
  

How should racial discrimination be addressed?

• Racial Discrimination should be enforced. People who discriminates others should get a taste of their own medicine. If they know how it feels if the roles were reversed then they wouldn't be so rude and discriminate others for being different from them.

Has the United States done enough to address the historical injustices to African Americans, Native Americans and other groups? If not, what needs to be done?

• No, because people are still being discriminated today for being a certain race. They should stop discrimination in general. They need to know and understand how it feels to be discriminated.

Technology and Privacy:

How does the Internet threaten privacy?

•  The Internet threatens privacy because it gives us a false sense of security. People can get access to Internet very easily so the Internet does not give you any sense of safety.
  

In light of technological advances in monitoring and surveillance, should the government enact new laws to strengthen privacy? Why or why not?

• Yes, because people value their privacy, they would not like it if people snoop into their stuff and it would probably make them feel safer.

What are ways in which technology can be used to assure privacy?

•  Internet users may protect their privacy through controlled disclosure of personal information. Government organizations should protect individuals privacy and anonymity on the Internet.
  

How does technology affect your right to privacy?

• Technology allows people to access my privacy and there is no privacy if someone knows what are you doing on the Internet. It's like reading someone's mail.

How much privacy should we expect to have in the digital age?

• We probably shouldn't expect much privacy because the digital age isn't giving us much privacy. 

 

Child Labor:

Should there be international child labor laws that can be enforced in all countries?

• Yes, because children should not be used for child labor. They should not be working in harsh conditions and low wages.

Is child labor justifiable when the income gained is used to sustain the family?

• I personally don't think it is justifiable but you have to do what you can to feed yourself and your family. Even though it's not justifiable but they have no choice.

Are current U.S. labor laws too strict in regards to child labor?

•  No, I don't think it's too strict. It's fine the way it is as long as they continue to enforce it.

Why is child labor regarded as a social evil?

• Child labor is regarded as a social evil because many people believe that children underage should not work in hard conditions and it is not right. 

 

Body Image:

Does competing in beauty pageants adversely affect a child’s development?

• Yes, because adults are children's role model. Also if they grew up in that environment then it will affect them.

Does cosmetic surgery have mental health benefits?

•  Yes and no, because it can give them a boost of self esteem but at the same time the satisfaction will not last long.

Should a federal ban against the use of tanning salons by minors be enacted?

• Yes and no, because it will give them a less risk of skin cancer and it will be violating their personal freedom so it makes them want it even more.

Should teenagers use cosmetic surgery to enhance their body image? 

• No, because they are beautiful the way they are and they should learn to accept it. It will not make you perfect because no one is perfect.

Bullying:

Do you think schools are doing enough to stop bullying? Explain your answer.

•  Yes, because they talk about bullying and by not allowing bullying is helping them.

How should bullies be punished?

•  They should know the consequences of bullying. If that isn't enough for them then it is up to the victim or victim's family to pick the punishment.

What should schools do to help students who are the victims of bullies?

•  They should offer therapy or just someone they trust to talk to.

What are the reasons that students bully other students? How can this behavior be changed?

•  There are many reasons why students bully others. Students bully others because they like to feel the power while other is their prey, or because of something happening at home. This behavior can be changed by allowing students to talk to someone about how they feel, make them feel trusted rather then scared.

What cases can be made for or against X?

Racial Discrimination:

Racism has been around throughout history. African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans were all once and probably still is a victim of racism. People have tried to solve discrimination. For example Brown vs. Board Of Education outlawed the segregations in public schools. The Civil Rights Act in 1964 prohibited segregation in public places. There has always been racial discrimination especially after 9/11 the Muslims were targeted. There's always a target and it's still a problem today in 2014.

Technology and Privacy:

Technology privacy does not exist because there are people looking through or listening to your conversations. Technology gives people the power to snoop into other peoples stuff and it is wrong. Technology can both help and harm people. Technology can help people by having access to information but at the same time it can harm people because it gives people false sense of security.  There is no privacy in public places and technologies can invade personal privacy.

Child Labor:

Many children under 18 is being used for child labor. Child labor is wrong because it can be harmful to the children's health and they are not allowing them to have the education that they need. Some children are forced to work without any choice because of the necessity and provide their family with much needed income. Child labor is the violation of their humans rights and I believe that the child labor law should be enforced. They should be given a choice.

Body Image:

Society has a big impact on body image. Society puts into peoples mind on how they should look or act. Some people feel positive about their body image while others feel negative about it. People who feel negative about their body images tries so hard to become what they have in mind. Negative body image can lead to self depression, low self esteem, anxiety and  eating disorder. Society and media causes women and girls to have unrealistic expectations about their bodies. Reality shows are also being criticized for fostering an unhealthy body image because of the plastic surgery and makeovers they features.

Bullying:

 People are hurt both mentally and physically everyday because of the hurtful words they hear. Many teens have committed suicide or harm themselves to escape the bullying. Without any actions, it will only get worse. Although there are many states that have anti bullying laws for school to prevent bullying but people still believes that more should be done. While others believe that the law is not enough, teachers and staff should be trained to recognize the signs of bullying and also make bullying laws more strict. 

Potential Research Topic

Racial Discrimination: Just because they are different race or have different color skins doesn't mean you should treat them differently.

Technology Privacy: what anybody do is not anybody's business therefore we should value people's privacy.

Child Labor: people should not use kids for labor. Especially if they are forced or not being paid. It's just wrong to do that.

Body Image: in today's society we care about our looks more then anything because society give us a specific image they want us to be.

Bullying: people hurt people because they are different or they dislike each other. Bullying is wrong it's wrong to abuse people's feelings and you shouldn't hurt people physically either. Not everyone is perfect and everyone has flaws we should respect them not pick them out and use it to hurt people.

What "ticks you off"?

1. When someone say "never mind" because I want to know what they were going to say.
2. When people are being sexist because I believe both men and women are equal
3. When people are being rude because I think I should be treated nicely.
4. When someone ignores you for no reason because I think it's rude to ignore someone when they want to talk to you.
5. When someone blames other people for their problem because it's very annoying.
6. When someone says 'You know What I Mean...' because no I don't know what you mean that's why I asked.
7. People makes that annoying sound when there is no more drink at the end because the sound is very annoying.
8. People who can't mind their own business because I value my privacy.
9. When someone is being so picky about something because I want them to pick something already!
10. People who are indecisive because I want them to make up their mind.
11. When someone send one word response because I am trying to have a conversation and it makes it awkward.
12. People that chew with their mouth open because it's disgusting.
13. People who chews and smacks their gum loudly because it's rude and annoying.
14. When you ask someone a simple question and they go on and on about everything except giving me an answer because I asked a simple question and I expect a simple answer.
15. People who sing or whistle to themselves while you are trying to concentrate on something because I'm trying to concentrate and their distracting me.
16. When people say 'figure it out' because I don't know the answer that's why I asked, so I expect answer.
17. When people ask me for advice and does the opposite of my advice because why ask me for my advice when you're not going to listen to it?
18. People who won't calm their kid(s) down when they are crying and screaming in public.
19. People who ignore you when they talk to you because it's rude.
20. People who don't look at you in the eye when they are talking to you because I don't know if they are listening to me or not.

Wikipedia Story

What did wiki software allow Web users to do that the Mosaic browser did not?

Mosaic browser did not give users the ability to edit the Web pages they were viewing

What do blogs and wikis have in common?

They both encouraged user-generated content and is made available for everyone.

What problem did a young Jimmy Wales find with the World Book Encyclopedia?

No matter how much was in it, there were many more things that weren’t. And this became more so with time. 

How was Jimmy Wales inspired by the World Book Encyclopedia to create Wikipedia?

World Book sent out stickers for owners to paste on the pages in order to update the encyclopedia, and Wales was fastidious about doing so. 

How have encyclopedias inspired you in your own life?

It inspired me to learn and understand things more.

Why did Nupedia fail?

After a year, Nupedia had only about a dozen articles published, making it useless as an encyclopedia, and 150 that were still in draft stage, which indicated how unpleasant the process had become. It had been rigorously engineered not to scale.

How did wiki software change the ideas behind Nupedia?

People wrote things that were untrue and were not correct. People were collaborating to write an article.

What is “crowdsourcing?”

.A group of people working together using their resources to put something together

What do you think about the concept of “any fool in the world” being able to write articles for Wikipedia?

I think that people might be able to put ideas in the article to make it better,whether they are a fool or not does not matter.

Do agree with the idea that “total idiots” could edit Wikipedia and of that being a good thing? Explain.

I agree because they might not be "total idiots" and even "idiots" have ideas and views that are different, so it can be a good thing. 

Why do you think Wikipedia grew so fast and became so popular in such a short amount of time?

I  think it's because people are able to write and edit information. Also at the same time they can gain new insights on certain topics.

Do you believe Sanger’s elitist attitude was a good thing or a bad thing for Wikipedia?

It was a good thing for Wikipedia because people continued going on Wikipedia.

What did you learn from the anecdote about the Wikipedia article on Einstein going to Albania for a passport in 1935?

at he had traveled to Albania in 1935 so that King Zog could help him escape the Nazis by getting him a visa to the United States. This was completely untrue, even though the passage included citations to obscure Albanian websites where this was proudly proclaimed, usually based on some third-hand series of recollections about what someone’s uncle once said a friend had told him.

Explain this quote from the article: “I can’t imagine who could have written such detailed guidelines other than a bunch of people working together...It’s common in Wikipedia that we’ll come to a solution that’s really well thought out because so many minds have had a crack at improving it.”
I think this quote means that there are so many people editing the article someone has to be right.

The author of the article states that Wikipedia “grew organically.” What does he mean by that?
The author means that it grew on it's own by pieces of information gave by different people.

How has Wikipedia “been the greatest collaborative knowledge project in history?”
Wikipedia has been the greatest collaborative knowledge project in history because The material is free and so are the contributions.

Based on your own opinion and experience with Wikipedia, do you agree with the above statement or disagree with it? Explain.

I agree because even though it might not be accurate the contribution and the knowledge is free
What does the author mean by “wiki-crack?”
It’s the rush of dopamine that seems to hit the brain’s pleasure center when you make a smart edit and it appears instantly in a Wikipedia article. 
Based on the article, do you believe Wikipedia is a reliable source of information?
No, I don't believe Wikipedia is a reliable source of information.
Do you believe its possible for a 16-year-old from New Jersey to write “insightful” Wikipedia 
articles?
Yes I do believe it is possible for a 16-year-old from New Jersey to write insightful Wikipedia articles.
How do you feel about basing your own research on something a 16-year-old wrote on Wikipedia?
I would feel weird, I would double check the resources.
What does Jimmy Wales mean by this mission statement: “Imagine a world in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge?”
I think he means that people have easy access to knowledge and it is very valuable.Do you agree or disagree with this mission statement?
Yes I agree with this mission statement.Do you think Wikipedia has succeeded in its mission?

Yes I think Wikipedia has succeeded in its mission.
Do you agree or disagree that ordinary people, people without degrees, can “be part of the process of creating and distributing knowledge?” 

Yes I do agree.
Based on your reading of the article, would you yourself use Wikipedia for your academic research?

No I wouldn't use Wikipedia for my academic research because their sources are no reliable and may not be accurate.
Would you yourself like to write and/or edit Wikipedia articles in order to be “a part of the process of creating and distributing knowledge?” Why or why not?

Yes because I think it might be interesting and you might gain some new insights.

Homework 1

1) If you believe that all students should be Web literate, what is the best strategy for your school to prepare you with this skill? Explain.

- The best strategy is to have computer class/ college research because then students may understand and learn different skills from the class. 


2) What skills should all teachers have to be Web literate? Explain.

-  Teachers need to have computer skills because these skills are all part of web literate and can teach students better if they have those skills.


3) What role should school filtering play in your school district? Explain why schools should block or not block Web sites.

- Schools should block certain websites because it can affect student's studies. The students might also do inappropriate things if websites weren't blocked. Students might be distracted with their work. 

4) Do you believe the Internet is as big a transformer of culture as the printing press? Explain.

-  Yes because we rely on the Internet so much now. Most of the things we use and technology we have is all based on the Internet. The whole world is using the Internet and relying on it too much.

5) If yes, what parts of our culture do you believe will be most affected? Explain.

- I think it affects the people because the people rely on it so much that they don't know what it is like without technology. Everyone has some type of technology in their hand everywhere they go. Even our education involves technology and Internet.

Questions

 The Subject I most enjoy reading about it ... because ...

    The subject I most enjoy reading is romance and mystery. I like to read romance because I like romantic and cliche things. I like to read about happy endings even though not every book I read has a happy ending but I just like to read about cheesy and cliche romances. I like to read about mysteries because I am very intrigued by the mystery. I think mysteries are interesting, I like how they solve crimes and mysteries because at the end of the book I will know what will happen.

 My favorite hobby or past time is ... because ...

    My favorite hobby or past time is reading and watching Asian dramas. I like to read because I get lost in reading and I am always eager to find out what happens next in the story. I like to watch Asian dramas because to me it's like reading a book except I am watching instead of reading. Also because I am very intrigued to see what happens next.

If  I won the lottery, I would use the money to ... because ...

   If I won the lottery, I would use the money to pay for my college because I know my parents works very hard to gain money to pay for my college. But if I win a lottery I could use it to pay for my college and my parents can save up the money that they already have to pay for my sisters college in the future. 

The type of volunteer activity I prefer is ... because ... 

    The type of volunteer activity I prefer is helping someone with the best I can because I like to helpful and something I can do. Also I like to feel useful and helping people can benefit the other person and me because I get the work done then the other person won't have to do it.

My favorite school subject has always been ... because ...

     My favorite subject has always been English because I like reading and writing.  I like reading books and writing stories. 

If I ran the world, the first thing I would change would be ... because ...

   I would change the school system to focus more on the arts and allow students to participate in clubs or internships after school because I think it would benefit students allow them to be more creative and have more experience. 

What I consider interesting

I consider books, school and people interesting. I consider books interesting because I think you can learn a lot from books. You can find a lot of interesting things in books. School is interesting because you and learn a lot from your peers and your teachers. They can teach you things you've never knew before or things you've never understood. I find people interesting because other people thinks differently from you. Also people have different views on things and they interact with other people differently.