The Many Ways that Wayin Works

After a brief intro informing readers that he may expand on articles throughout the week, Baig jumps into examining Wayin, a site that asks and instantly gives results to poll questions with an accompanying picture. One major point that Baig makes is that Wayin is one place where all poll questions over all categories: sports, politics, and celebrities, making it appealing for all people. Wayin also has its own elements, since it posts polls with right and wrong answers, leading to leaderboards for right answers and right answer percentage. However, the most revolutionary aspect of Wayin that appeals to Baig is how it has changed the political landscape, with Newt Gingrich being a partner, increasing his web presence and possible helping his quest for the Presidency.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/story/2011-12-13/wayin-asus-eeepad-transformer-prime/51879642/1

Please see the comments for the sources to the previous two posts.

The Return of the Tablet Issue (Week 3)

Baig returns to the topic of tablets as he examins the Transformer Prime in comparison the iPad. The first point that Baig hits is that Asus provides a keyboard, with a key problem he saw in the iPad being the difficulty of typing. Another huge facet of the Transformer Prime that the iPad lacks is the beautiful hardware combined with the even more beautiful micro HDMI port and micro SD port along with a USB 2.0 port that comes with the keyboard extension. What apparently draws Baig to the new tablet is the versatility it offers, given its amazing graphics and support for not only Android apps, but Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii video games that can be played in stunning HD. While Asus itself has done well in the eyes of Baig, it's now the turn of Android to support the tablet.

Technology that Helps you Exercise?

As technology has taken off over the past decade, exercise has taken a downturn. Baig points out how the new Jawbone Up, a rubber bracelet that tracks your exercise levels over the day, is designed to "get you off the sofa" without diminishing your attachment to your Apple Device, since it works with an iOS app. Another point that Baig notes is the comfort that comes with the Jawbone Up, since it essentially feels like a comfortable watch, eliminating a common flaw in wristband technologies of the past. The third point that Baig makes, essentially his thesis, is that Jawbone Up and other products will always have its foibles in the eyes of customers, in this case the absence of a sleep detector, leading to the conclusion that people, generally the tech savvy, will never be completely content with a device. This is supported by Baig's phrase "pooped out" to create a less serious tone, indicating his underlying criticism of complainers. Another phrase that reveals his true purpose is "nits", which generally refers to minor details that the more fortunate tend to obsess over. Like this, Baig cleverly makes a statement about human tendencies all the while reviewing an exercise device.

Tablets versus E-Readers (Week 1)

My columnist is Edward Baig, a tech columnist at USA Today. The first point that Baig explores is how the iPad has completely taken over the technological industry, easily being the best tablet on the market. Furthermore, the iPad can do everything an Amazon Kindle can do, and more, pointing to the tablets's versatility. However, for hardcore readers, the Kindle is less of a strain and less of a pain, and as Baig emphasizes, is much more natural to read, contrasting with eye-hurting iPads. While that might seem a minor flaw for a more modern customer, the killer for the iPad is the cost, with the cost of the iPad almost (or in some cases, actually) quadrupling that of the Kindle ($100 vs $400). Since Baig, a rather older figure, emphasizes naturality, but more evidently, criticizes the iPad, being unable to run 4g, and with a subtitle "Coming at the iPad", Baig alludes to his preference towards other tablets.
From these points and techniques, Baig not only favors a "friendlier" e-reader, but is critical of the iPad.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/story/2011-11-29/which-tablet-is-best-for-the-holidays/51474252/1

My View on Standardized Testing

Yes, standardized tests definitely have their flaws through lack of content-based understanding and lack of creative expression. However, the main goal of education is to be able to synthesize the information learned into a way that is useful for later in life. These core skills, such as writing proficiency, reading skills, and math reasoning, cannot be omitted from an educational experience. Since these skills are often not the main focus of a course, it is good to have them stressed and tested in a standardized exam. Furthermore, the inclusion of content based standardized exams is a very interesting and effective way of testing a student on his or her total recollection of the material from class. These tests include the AP exams and the subject SATs. For example, the AP exam for a history course not only tests the students on important concepts from the course in the multiple choice, but assesses the student's ability to read and write historically through the inclusion of a DBQ prompt and  2 FRQ prompts. Modifications upon a standard view of standardized testing like this can definitely make the use of standardized tests much more useful and can refute some of the hits against the practice.

Standardized Testing's Effects on Homeschoolers

In this source, Sandra Foyt looks into a more uncommon alternative to education and how it is affected by standardized testing. That alternative, of course, is homeschooling. A big point that Foyt makes in this analysis is for a homeschooled child, there are no teachers to judge a student by speaking and writing skills, the two skills that these tests seem to avoid. Since no one is testing a homeschooled student on creativity, a standardized test serves as an accurate assessment of the student's ability to synthesize and process information. The third point that Foyt makes is that private test takers get results much faster and thus can measure their progress more accurately. Schools take longer to receive test results, so most particular students must have developed substantially by the time the score is revealed. By these reasons, standardized tests serve as an accurate benchmark for homeschooled students, and can be reassuring services to the homeschoolers.

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&disableHighlighting=true&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010697221&mode=view

How Should Schools be Judged?

http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/437/560

Another distinct opinion surrounding aptitude exams sees how these tests have an impact on the supposed quality of a certain school. The main claim this source makes is that aptitude tests are more reflective of a student's mastery instead of an institution's success. It addresses how detractors of the achievement tests being an indicator of school quality point to how the school's job is to help the student achieve mastery in a specific area, while these tests test the ability of the student to synthesize this information. Therefore, aptitude tests are an indicator of student prowess, but not student quality. Another idea it points to is how aptitude tests are especially bad indicators of math prowess, since the specific math reasoning skills are not tested enough on. Finally, the article points to how English and history writing and analysis skills are highly underestimated by these tests. For example, schools that focus more on analyzing purposes of authors versus grammar and mechanics might struggle, creating many problems for certain schools.

The Myths Behind Testing's Flaws

http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/accountability/ayp/testingforresults.html

Previously, I explored the fallacies of high-stakes testing. However, this source argues otherwise, keying into the strengths of tests tapping into students' potentials.One point the author brings up is that testing does not limit the curriculum, but rather serves as a measure for where a student really is and is an assessment of how the student is able to synthesize the information. Another facet of testing the author looks into is how testing is the best way for parents to monitor their children's progress. Since they are not present or aware as much of classwork, parents can use testing to gauge student needs and school effectiveness. Finally, a third key point stressed by the author concerns how testing can harm those who have trouble in a certain format of test. However, the author claims that testing reveals how different students can work in different manners in order to accomplish the same goal.

Do Standardized Tests Improve Educational Achievement?

http://www.fairtest.org/k12/naeprep.htm

In this source, the author claims that major tests with significant implication are not cooperative with student educational experience. It has been shown that performing well on a high school graduation test has had no positive effect on a state's NAEP rating, or National Assessment of Educational Progress. Furthermore, these reports show that the new tests that test reformers have attempted to institute are actually almost identical to the high school graduation exams of the past, with higher passing scores, which only further diminish the "effectiveness" of these exams. Detractors of standardized tests also point to the limited capacity of multiple choice aptitude tests, since problem solving and real world application are the tools that have proven to make a difference in today's community.

Photography of the Lockout

This photograph is of Derek Fisher, the president of the NBA Player's union and 15 year NBA veteran. One feature is the puzzled expression in Fisher's eyes, which are almost cross-eyed, reflecting the confusion and ultimate uncertainty behind the NBA Lockout. Another aspect of this picture is the visible wrinkle on Fisher's forehead. Despite only being 37, Fisher reveals a wrinkle, revealing the stress and tension that the players undergo on a daily basis. Finally, there is the contrast between the light in the right and the darkness in the left. The light represents the hope of the season and the fans being restored, and the darkness shows that the future still looks grim.

http://www1.realclearsports.com/2011/07/14/lockout_option_for_nba039s_working_class_91475.html

The NBA Lockout "Locks Out" More Than Just the Players

With the economy suffering as it is, a new wave of jobs will be lost if the NBA lockout does not end soon. These jobs include ushers, ticket-vendors, and concessionaires that work in the arenas that once hosted sold out games with the ever-rising popularity. The lockout will hit harder than ever because the NBA has never been so popular, and with more seats originally being sold, more work opportunities for the desperate, and consequently, more people devastated by the lockout. However, the strongest effect of the lockout will be felt in the smaller markets, where fans will be completely weary from no NBA. Such cities as Oklahoma City, Memphis, and San Antonio will suffer immensely, and since those cities only house one Big Four sports franchise, fans will be even more dejected. The ultimate realization is that these players and owners are having a petty squabble, one that does nothing to them in a grand scale. Both owners and players are more than well off, so they should try to fix this as fast as possible for those who can't wait for a "fair" solution. The owners and players certainly have time to fix this issue, but the fans definitely don't.

Craven, Tracy. "HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Tracy Graven » Can Small-market Teams Survive a      Lockout?" HoopsHype - The NBA Basketball Web Site. Hoopshype, 4 July 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/graven/2011/07/04/can-small-market-teams-survive-a-lockout/>.

Tensions Rising in the NBA Lockout

Currently in its seventy-third day, the NBA Lockout is seeming permanent with every passing moment. Most talks between the two sides have been kept private, and it is unclear as to the specific details behind each meeting. Considering this, it is clear that it will take more active discussion and compromise for the lockout to accelerate its resolution. Having met in smaller groups, the players' union and the owners will all meet in a bigger group in the next four days. The two sides are attempting to temporarily set aside the disagreements and find easy concepts that will unanimously be included in the eventual labor deal. However, the apparent realization reached by both sides and encouraged by NBA commissioner  David Stern involves restarting the negotiating process and forgetting the intense disagreements and conflicts they have been having for the past 73 days. Although they have resolved petty issues, the major problems of salary and the NBA budget are not even close to a state of compromise or resolution, and time is running out for any deal to be reached.

Source:
Deveney, Sean. "Next Few Days Crucial for NBA's Immediate Future - NBA - Sporting News." Sporting News - Real Insight. Real Fans. Real Conversations. Sporting News, 11 Sept. 2011. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/feed/2010-10/nba-labor/story/next-few-days-crucial-for-nbas-immediate-future>.