The reason that this article appealed to me is for the sheer interest I’ve had on the one laptop per child project since first hearing about it in class. I think the whole concept behind the idea/project is really neat. I giving children the opportunity to have access to technological gadgets that would otherwise never have the chance is really amazing. I try to imagine the sheer joy a child in Africa, or any other developing country would get from being given one of these laptops. The cost of obtaining a laptop is pretty hard for a lot of people within North America due to the rise of prices for one of these gadgets. I remember my own struggle the first two years at Ryerson when I could not afford to by a laptop. Today I stroll into my class with no worries of papers and heavy binders or book, but just my laptop read to take all the information given to me. Thanks to my laptop my life in regards to school has been simplified.

Today when I look around in my class it’s hard to see students using traditional method of using a paper and pen to take down class notes. Everyone around me seems to be plugged in, engaging in a million different activities ranging from taking notes, to chatting on msn, face booking, or a million other sites available with the click of a few buttons. So as you can see there is both advantages and disadvantage to these types of technologies that are so readily available and to everyone today. I still however believe that giving these children the opportunity to expose them to technology will have profound impact on their little lives. The article mainly addressed how exposing these children to standard teachings with technology is a ‘learning miracle” within itself, which I have to agree with. Sometimes when I hear of how third world children have no access to education and fight for the little that they receive, I feel extremely guilty for taking my free education for granted. Especially knowing my country of origin, Somali is one of the poorest under developed country, which is still torn apart by civil war. I try to imagine how my life would have been like if my parents could not afford the means to move my family to Canada. I would be one of those lost children, dying for food, shelter, and the very little education they may have access to.

Words 416

Vota, W (2007 March 22). One laptop per thai child testing begins. Retrieved April 2, 2008, Web site: http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/thailand/

While searching for articles a friend recommended me to an article that she found that I may fin helpful with this week’s reading. The article I used this week was called “Translating Children’s Music.” The reason that I found this article fascinating to begin with has a lot to do with my last placement experience. One of the teachers I worked with in at Rose Avenue Family Literacy Center was very particular about the type of songs that she exposed the children to in that center. She screened songs that she believed had negative message within the original/traditional context of the song. There was a list of songs banned from being song at the center which included ‘Ba Ba Black Sheep’, Ring a Round the Rosey.’ Of course I was curious upon seeing this list and inquired why these particular nursery rhymes were banned from the center. The teacher explained that within the context of ba ba black sheep there was a racial underlying. This is in regards to the part of that song that states “one for my master, on for my dame”, as well as the references to a black sheep as appose to a white one.

Another message illustrated by the nursery song ring around the rosey was in reference to a particular disease that was going along time ago. This disease would make little dots around which ever part of the skin that was affected and leave these red marks that would form into a circle, hence the name ring around the rosey. Also the know cure at the time was called posey, but many people died from this disease and were burned so the infections did not continue to spread. This is illustrated in the part of the song that says “ashes, ashes and we all fall down.” Meaning of course well all die. After hearing this message that I was never aware of a was curious if this was a well known fact, and if it was why such songs, will negative messages are still promoted to so many young children. So I am left to wonder if it’s ok to deprive children of innocent songs that bring them much childhood joy by explaining the negative connotations that adults put on these songs. Or should we let children be children and let them continue to sing these songs. I for one recall how much fun I use to have with my friend and siblings dancing and singing to ‘ring around the rosey,’ and I am glad nothing spoiled my childhood fun in enjoying these silly nursery rhymes, as well as games.

Word Count 439

Straeten, K. V. (May 5, 2006). Suite101.com: Popular Kids’ Songs in Translation: Cultural transformations of nursery rhymes and familiar tunes. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from http://customsholidays.suite101.com/article.cfm/nurseryrhymes1

My early experiences with computers are mainly using them in my elementary classes, mainly for the purpose of using them for educational games and during library hours. I was not to keen on working with computers back than, but I did so anyway because everyone else around me seem to be doing so.

As I got a little older, about 11 years old or so, I started using the family computer to do my homework from school, especially my writing assignments. Around this age I also got into writing stories, and would often spend an hour or two writing fictional stories on the computer. As I entered high school and the internet become available, I became fascinated with computers and the access to the World Wide Web. When ever I was allowed to go on the computer, I would chat away for hours with friends online, and surf the internet to find cool things, such as movies, music and online magazines. Also I got my first digital camera in grade 10 and became obsessed with editing, cropping and rearranging my pictures in online sites. I would spend endless hours working on these photo creating and editing software’s.

I also created an online journal and started to write journal entries, poetries, and other short stories online. Which surprisingly I still use until today. Also in high school I started to take introductory computer class, which helped me to learn HTML, and basic web designing. I found this course to be useful because I later created my own web page. I convinced my parents to buy me a laptop in grade 11 and started using a lot of different programs to write, draw and document photo’s stories and journals. I also purchases several cameras, two of them digital, and use the computer to play with my new toys.

Today however I use to the computer mainly for school purposes, writing endless papers. I however, always try to find time to keep up with my online journals and edit and store my picture in online albums and so forth. I of course devote a lot of my time to endless, time consuming sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Hotmail/MSN.

Although I think technology has come along way, and that it’s been very useful in many aspects of our daily lives. I also thing technology has contributed a lot to making people lazy. I think today we rely too much on technology and gadgets to do everything for us. Just like everything else in life, there are the good and the bad that come along with our technological advancements. I however have always been trilled by technology and can not wait to see what new fun toys and software that will be created to keep me and everyone else entertained.