Hanging out with the right circle of friends in school, having a cool brand on your jeans, doing well in dance-classes AND figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life. These are all problems kids could be dealing with around the age of puberty nowadays. Do we really need to add more pressure on kids today? I say – do not change our grading system, since it will only cause youngsters to be even more stressed out and depressed than what they already are today.
Why is it even so important for us with grades? Do they really tell us that much about a person? Swedish schools are today using a system with parents and teachers meeting a couple of times a year to discuss the development of their children in school. This allows parents to be involved in what their kids are doing without adding unnecessary pressure on the kids. It creates a more open atmosphere and lessens tendencies of putting kids into different categories based on their grades. I would say that that would appear to be a much better way of learning about a person than looking at different figures on a piece of paper. Instead of us taking after other countries’ systems with grades at very young ages, I think people should be looking at Sweden’s system and try to follow our lead, where kids are allowed to be kids for longer.
Problems with depression among children and teenagers are increasing. One part of the problem is the stress put on kids in school. Not only the pressure to perform well in class, but also the pressure of fitting in amogst other children. Starting to grade children at an early age will only worsen this problem. The difference between doing well and excellent will be made clearer and kids will feel expectations of doing “more than okay” from parents. Furthermore, other children can also pose judgment on grades, and perhaps have other standards for what is good and not good. Good grades are not always looked at as a positive thing among the “cool kids” in school. But not being able to pass classes could also be a reason for a child to be alienated in a school class. We cannot know what will happen in specific groups of children, but grading at younger ages could definitely cause social problems for school kids as well as stress.
But would it not be good though, if children became motivated to be “more than okay?” Well, perhaps it could boost some academic results, but at what cost? Grading children when they are really young shows them that results are what matters in this world, but would we not rather teach them valuable lessons about trying your best, accepting people the way they are and that there are more skills in life than what we learn in school. Encouraging kids to constantly compete and be the best at something I think is feeding values that they will be exposed to more than enough anyways, later in life.
Our adult lives are filled with “musts” and “must nots”. Exposing kids to this is to make them grow up faster than necessary. I think we should let children be children for as long as possible and teach them more about other values than academic ones. Competing with your peers for results can wait until kids are older – there are plenty of worries in school as it is
söndag 28 mars 2010
måndag 22 mars 2010
The donkey gift card deserves to be Christmas Gift of the Year 2010!
Have you not always wondered what it would be like to give someone a donkey for Christmas? Well, now you can! With new ways of giving to charities it is now possible to buy vouchers for different things that people in underdeveloped countries are in desperate need of. If you do not know what to give someone for Christmas who has it all: why not give something to someone who lacks most things instead?
Nowadays, many people feel that Christmas has become quite materialistic. The pressure is on a couple of weeks before Christmas, to out-buy each other with expensive and exclusive gifts that we do not really need. This can feel like a long way from old Christmas traditions with Christian values as the core of celebrations. For example, does it really matter to us how many fancy salad bowls we have in our cupboards? I suggest that we should all leave some of this hysteria revolving Christmas gifts behind us 2010. Instead we should spend our money on things that really matter, e.g. a donkey for an African family or giving 50 children a tetanus vaccination. These are two examples of things you can buy vouchers for these days.
To show your kids that there are other people in the world who are in greater need than you is a good way of avoiding spoiling them too much. To explain to them that instead of spending money on a new toy car for them, you have actually paid for other children halfway around the world to have a better quality of life could really teach them an important lesson for the future.
One could argue that it would be mean or inconsiderate to choose to cut down on your Christmas gifts to those around you. I understand this argument when it comes to young children who might be very upset if you choose to replace all gifts with gift cards for donkeys and such. However, when it comes to adults I am certain that your near and dear will share your contentment of doing something important and generous when they realize where their Christmas money has gone to.
To take Christmas gifts back to basics and in 2010 actually give them where they are needed, would be a good way of reassessing the value of material things. It sometimes feels like we are more about getting as much stuff as possible, not about appreciating each other as human beings. To take a step back from this would be a great way of reconnecting with true Christmas spirit.
Merry Christmas and Happy Easter ;)
Jenny
Nowadays, many people feel that Christmas has become quite materialistic. The pressure is on a couple of weeks before Christmas, to out-buy each other with expensive and exclusive gifts that we do not really need. This can feel like a long way from old Christmas traditions with Christian values as the core of celebrations. For example, does it really matter to us how many fancy salad bowls we have in our cupboards? I suggest that we should all leave some of this hysteria revolving Christmas gifts behind us 2010. Instead we should spend our money on things that really matter, e.g. a donkey for an African family or giving 50 children a tetanus vaccination. These are two examples of things you can buy vouchers for these days.
To show your kids that there are other people in the world who are in greater need than you is a good way of avoiding spoiling them too much. To explain to them that instead of spending money on a new toy car for them, you have actually paid for other children halfway around the world to have a better quality of life could really teach them an important lesson for the future.
One could argue that it would be mean or inconsiderate to choose to cut down on your Christmas gifts to those around you. I understand this argument when it comes to young children who might be very upset if you choose to replace all gifts with gift cards for donkeys and such. However, when it comes to adults I am certain that your near and dear will share your contentment of doing something important and generous when they realize where their Christmas money has gone to.
To take Christmas gifts back to basics and in 2010 actually give them where they are needed, would be a good way of reassessing the value of material things. It sometimes feels like we are more about getting as much stuff as possible, not about appreciating each other as human beings. To take a step back from this would be a great way of reconnecting with true Christmas spirit.
Merry Christmas and Happy Easter ;)
Jenny
söndag 14 mars 2010
Junk-Food Taxes Should Be Raised
When we consider the scientifically proven and substantial impact that so-called junk-food has on our bodies, higher taxes on these kinds of foods must appear to be legitimate. Many studies have shown that a diet high in junk-food staples like saturated fat, sugar, and salt clearly increases the risk of obtaining health problems such as obesity, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. To enable governments to fight battles like these; against global, multi-billion food corporations, tax regulations would be a useful and important tool.
That food items such as hamburgers, French fries and pizzas, prepared in the usual way of fast-food joints, are bad for us is a generally accepted truth—hence the term “junk-food”. However, this massive industry’s vast financial assets and extensive output of commercials, advertisements and political lobbying makes it increasingly difficult for consumers to make independent choices for themselves regarding consumption of junk-food. To have taxes raised on these types of food, where a certain criteria of nutrition are not met, would function as a counterweight to the great financial resources possessed by the giants in the fast-food industry. To increase nutritional values would become economically beneficial to food providers, unlike today, when the margin of profit is a lot higher with cheap, low-quality food. The money raised due to the higher taxes could, for example, be used by governments in different efforts of creating awareness of health dangers with junk-food consumption.
We already accept high taxes on other health degenerating substances, e.g. tobacco and alcohol, so why should not junk-food also become subject of this? The negative effects of exaggerated use are comparable to those of alcohol in terms of heart problems, deterioration of inner organs and, as many scientists claim, even addiction. It is also possible that a large intake of junk-food could greatly up the chances of contracting cancer. With health issues as serious as these; it is vital to impose proper regulations and taxes onto these products. To pack a food item full of sugar to make it taste good and be addictive, then fill it with dangerous saturated fats to make it last longer and have a certain consistency, should not be an acceptable. It is important for governments to take a stand on this issue and show that effects of junk-food are real and should be taken seriously.
One could argue that junk-food fills a function in modern society due to its short preparation time and low price. However, the consequences of frequent intake of junk-food are in the long run far too serious to justify letting the fast-food chains run without any control or regulations. Junk-food is by definition poor in both nutrition and quality and is therefore possible to produce and sell at very cheap rates. A lack of money is often stated as the biggest reason to why people choose to buy junk-food instead of investing in good, wholesome foods. This is an important reason to why raised taxes on junk food would be an effective way of decreasing people’s consumption of it. For example, raising prices in supermarkets on items such as microwave pizzas, while lowering them on healthy items such fresh fruits and vegetables, could really impact people’s decision-making when going grocery shopping.
To try to make it less profitable for large corporations to mass-produce food that causes people to have health problems should be a given for political leaders. The general public does not gain from the junk-food industry; instead we are hooked in self-destructive habits of consuming food which does not provide us with sufficient nutrients and harms us if we over use it. Since the forces at work in promoting junk-food are so strong, governments need to step in and impose actions where they will have the biggest impact—in this case by making it less convenient for companies to continue on with producing low-quality, low-priced food and sell it to people who does not truly understand the negative effects of it. Higher taxes on junk-food would be a step in the right direction when it comes to trying to convince people of going for better, healthier food options.
//Jenny
That food items such as hamburgers, French fries and pizzas, prepared in the usual way of fast-food joints, are bad for us is a generally accepted truth—hence the term “junk-food”. However, this massive industry’s vast financial assets and extensive output of commercials, advertisements and political lobbying makes it increasingly difficult for consumers to make independent choices for themselves regarding consumption of junk-food. To have taxes raised on these types of food, where a certain criteria of nutrition are not met, would function as a counterweight to the great financial resources possessed by the giants in the fast-food industry. To increase nutritional values would become economically beneficial to food providers, unlike today, when the margin of profit is a lot higher with cheap, low-quality food. The money raised due to the higher taxes could, for example, be used by governments in different efforts of creating awareness of health dangers with junk-food consumption.
We already accept high taxes on other health degenerating substances, e.g. tobacco and alcohol, so why should not junk-food also become subject of this? The negative effects of exaggerated use are comparable to those of alcohol in terms of heart problems, deterioration of inner organs and, as many scientists claim, even addiction. It is also possible that a large intake of junk-food could greatly up the chances of contracting cancer. With health issues as serious as these; it is vital to impose proper regulations and taxes onto these products. To pack a food item full of sugar to make it taste good and be addictive, then fill it with dangerous saturated fats to make it last longer and have a certain consistency, should not be an acceptable. It is important for governments to take a stand on this issue and show that effects of junk-food are real and should be taken seriously.
One could argue that junk-food fills a function in modern society due to its short preparation time and low price. However, the consequences of frequent intake of junk-food are in the long run far too serious to justify letting the fast-food chains run without any control or regulations. Junk-food is by definition poor in both nutrition and quality and is therefore possible to produce and sell at very cheap rates. A lack of money is often stated as the biggest reason to why people choose to buy junk-food instead of investing in good, wholesome foods. This is an important reason to why raised taxes on junk food would be an effective way of decreasing people’s consumption of it. For example, raising prices in supermarkets on items such as microwave pizzas, while lowering them on healthy items such fresh fruits and vegetables, could really impact people’s decision-making when going grocery shopping.
To try to make it less profitable for large corporations to mass-produce food that causes people to have health problems should be a given for political leaders. The general public does not gain from the junk-food industry; instead we are hooked in self-destructive habits of consuming food which does not provide us with sufficient nutrients and harms us if we over use it. Since the forces at work in promoting junk-food are so strong, governments need to step in and impose actions where they will have the biggest impact—in this case by making it less convenient for companies to continue on with producing low-quality, low-priced food and sell it to people who does not truly understand the negative effects of it. Higher taxes on junk-food would be a step in the right direction when it comes to trying to convince people of going for better, healthier food options.
//Jenny
torsdag 4 mars 2010
Academic Style
When writing for academic purposes, it is important to know what is appropriate. Instead of being personal and witty, like for example in a blog, or fast-paced and to-the-point, like in a news article, you should strive to comply with these guidelines:
• Choose your words carefully. Try to be as precise as possible and preferably use nominalization rather than lengthy verb constructions, e.g. "Comprehension is aided by repetition” is more formal than "You can understand something better if it is repeated.” Also avoid using slang and abbreviations. Illustrate points you make with specific examples, rather than just writing generally about them.
• Be tentative. Do not hold things that you are not entirely sure of as facts. Instead use hedges like: this suggests, one could assume, it is probable etc. This shows an understanding for other alternative views on things, and gives you more credibility in those claims that you do state to be true.
• Do not make it too personal. Academic texts are usually very impersonal in terms of language and the writer’s usage of pronouns like, for example, “I” and “we” should be kept to a minimum. It goes without saying that claims and cases you make are made by you, unless of course; you are quoting somebody, or copying someone else’s ideas, in which case you should acknowledge this appropriately.
These following examples of formal and informal writing are from the same webpage (twitter.com) and effectively show differences in styles of writing.
“Full investment in this ecosystem of innovation, means all our partners should have access to the same volume of data, regardless of company size. More than fifty thousand interesting applications are currently using our freely available, rate-limited platform offerings. With access to the full Firehose of data, it is possible to move far beyond the Twitter experiences we know today. In fact, we’re pretty sure that some amazing innovation is possible.”
This is clearly quite a formal text with, for example, the nominalization “rate-limited platform offerings” which is rather complicated. However, we in this text spot pronouns, abbreviations, as well as the vague expression “we’re pretty sure”, for some reason. This is an example of how this works well in this particular context. Companies often have this personal approach in, for example, presentations or in job advertisements. Being posted on Twitter.com, we can assume that the audience reading this text will be comparably young, and particularly used to reading lots of abbreviated words. Perhaps it would have seemed out of place to be much more formal than this here.
“Met one of my Twitter rockstars @shahkamesh while at shoot.. He says hi!!! Huge shoutout!!”
Here we have a post of someone using Twitter as her tool to communicate and express her feelings in a fast and effective way. She has left out words that are not really necessary for us in order to understand her message, e.g. “(I today) Met one of my Twitter rockstars”. Furthermore, she has made words like “rock star” and “shout out” into compounds and also uses incorrect punctuation. Even so, this post will be understood perfectly by her Twitter followers because this is a type of language which they are almost certainly very used to.
The day is now drawing to an end and it would seem appropriate to retire for the night at this suitable hour. This is will likely be the case for yours truly, after these ending notes have come to a conclusion. Tomorrow is aptly a Friday, so insufficient hours of sleep will very unlikely cause any troublesome inconveniencies. Perhaps, a tedious day of scrutinizing school books will even resolve into a quite pleasurable evening. One could assume that the later part of a Friday will entail a joyous activity of some sort.
It’s getting kinda late and I should really drag my ass to bed soon!! I just have to finish these sentences first.. THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY tomorrow!! That means no school, so it doesn’t really matter if ill be tired or not! And hey! Theres always coffee right?! I’ll probably just spend the whole day tomorrow studying but you never know! Maybe it wont be half bad and something fun will happen later on….
Goodnight and ta-ta my little English toffees!
//Jenny
• Choose your words carefully. Try to be as precise as possible and preferably use nominalization rather than lengthy verb constructions, e.g. "Comprehension is aided by repetition” is more formal than "You can understand something better if it is repeated.” Also avoid using slang and abbreviations. Illustrate points you make with specific examples, rather than just writing generally about them.
• Be tentative. Do not hold things that you are not entirely sure of as facts. Instead use hedges like: this suggests, one could assume, it is probable etc. This shows an understanding for other alternative views on things, and gives you more credibility in those claims that you do state to be true.
• Do not make it too personal. Academic texts are usually very impersonal in terms of language and the writer’s usage of pronouns like, for example, “I” and “we” should be kept to a minimum. It goes without saying that claims and cases you make are made by you, unless of course; you are quoting somebody, or copying someone else’s ideas, in which case you should acknowledge this appropriately.
These following examples of formal and informal writing are from the same webpage (twitter.com) and effectively show differences in styles of writing.
“Full investment in this ecosystem of innovation, means all our partners should have access to the same volume of data, regardless of company size. More than fifty thousand interesting applications are currently using our freely available, rate-limited platform offerings. With access to the full Firehose of data, it is possible to move far beyond the Twitter experiences we know today. In fact, we’re pretty sure that some amazing innovation is possible.”
This is clearly quite a formal text with, for example, the nominalization “rate-limited platform offerings” which is rather complicated. However, we in this text spot pronouns, abbreviations, as well as the vague expression “we’re pretty sure”, for some reason. This is an example of how this works well in this particular context. Companies often have this personal approach in, for example, presentations or in job advertisements. Being posted on Twitter.com, we can assume that the audience reading this text will be comparably young, and particularly used to reading lots of abbreviated words. Perhaps it would have seemed out of place to be much more formal than this here.
“Met one of my Twitter rockstars @shahkamesh while at shoot.. He says hi!!! Huge shoutout!!”
Here we have a post of someone using Twitter as her tool to communicate and express her feelings in a fast and effective way. She has left out words that are not really necessary for us in order to understand her message, e.g. “(I today) Met one of my Twitter rockstars”. Furthermore, she has made words like “rock star” and “shout out” into compounds and also uses incorrect punctuation. Even so, this post will be understood perfectly by her Twitter followers because this is a type of language which they are almost certainly very used to.
The day is now drawing to an end and it would seem appropriate to retire for the night at this suitable hour. This is will likely be the case for yours truly, after these ending notes have come to a conclusion. Tomorrow is aptly a Friday, so insufficient hours of sleep will very unlikely cause any troublesome inconveniencies. Perhaps, a tedious day of scrutinizing school books will even resolve into a quite pleasurable evening. One could assume that the later part of a Friday will entail a joyous activity of some sort.
It’s getting kinda late and I should really drag my ass to bed soon!! I just have to finish these sentences first.. THANK GOD IT’S FRIDAY tomorrow!! That means no school, so it doesn’t really matter if ill be tired or not! And hey! Theres always coffee right?! I’ll probably just spend the whole day tomorrow studying but you never know! Maybe it wont be half bad and something fun will happen later on….
Goodnight and ta-ta my little English toffees!
//Jenny
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