Blogging as an Effective Learning Tool

I am currently a senior at Ohio University, so I have taken my fair share of college courses. It is surprising that in this day and age that more are not technology focused. The traditional classroom is filled with readings, homework assignments from a textbook, quizzes, and tests. At the end of the semester, it is hard to judge how much information I truly retained. Sometimes I find myself studying the night before the exam or doing a homework assignment the same morning that it is due. When I was presented with the opportunity to learn and apply myself through blog writing, I was excited for the challenge.

Personally, I consider myself a poor test taker. There is a lot of pressure that comes with exams, and it gets the best of my mind and alters my focus. Having the ability to take my time, do my own research, and no pressure to write about a topic that I learned about is a nice change.

Other than my own personal preference, there is some logic behind a blog-based class. Writing a blog and posting it online makes it accessible to the public. This puts a little more pressure on the quality of work that is submitted. Not only is the professor reading it, but also fellow students and others who happen to stumble upon the blog.

Blogging also requires the students to complete the readings for the assignments. Assigned reading that is followed by class discussion does not ensure that each student completes the reading. It’s easy to sit in class, and not participate. However with blogging, completing the required reading for the blog is necessary. As well as doing further research.

I think if commenting on other student’s posts were required, it would be highly beneficial as well. It is important to apply critical thinking skills, and voicing your opinion on someone else’s work would encourage healthy discussion that could potentially further the understanding of a topic.

Every student will be looking for employment post graduation, and technologic skills are very marketable and attractive to companies. Having the ability to navigate through different programs and devices could give you a leg up on the competition during the interview process.

I look forward to working on my blog posts for this class, and I know that I will gain valuable information from completing these assignments.

Blogging as a tool for learning 

The Benefits of Blogging

Fukushima Power Plant Meltdown

Michio Kaku is a scientist featured on an episode of the show “Democracy Now!” He talks about the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant meltdown that occurred on March 11, 2011, and what the effects the radiation will have on the environment and the people. It is believed that the amount of radiation this area of Japan is facing is greatly underestimated by Tokyo Electric.  This meltdown has released 50,000 trillion becquerels of radiation, which would classify it as a level 7 nuclear accident. The plant is also leaking tons of contaminated water into the ocean. The problem that still occurs to this day is that the plant appears to have stabilized, but in reality that is far from the truth. If it continues, it could lead to a bigger problem than anyone could have imagined.

Kaku uses the great analogy of describing the nuclear power plant meltdown like a car that is broken down. It is a chain of events that keep piling up, and the attempts to repair the meltdown are failing. The Japanese tried many different tactics to stabilize the power plant, but as time goes by, the power plant may start to meltdown again. However, this possibility of the power plant disaster repeating is something that is kept from the public and the media.

Adrian Brown covers the aftermath of Fukushima in a “Dateline” episode. Brown and his team use devices called Geiger calculators that detect levels of radiation in the air. Some of the radiation levels in the air read as high as 3.34. He asks some citizens if they are concerned about radiation levels, and they replied no. He then asks a group if they believe the government when they say that the radiation levels are safe, and they replied, “High or low, the government is not telling the truth”. The government may report numbers and units of radiation, but they are not conveying to the public how serious of an issue the Fukushima meltdown has become.

They travel to a farm about 14 km outside of Fukushima, and speak with a farmer who is still raising cattle in the area. The media and the government told him that nuclear power plants are safe, and they have protective measures in the event of a meltdown. The meltdown proves that these reports were false. His cattle are suffering from different diseases that affect their hair, skin, and produce sores on their bodies. However, the farmer says he has had many body scans done, and he does not have any symptoms from the radiation that he has been around.

Other animals have suffered thousands of miles away, on the Pacific coast of America. Starfish have been dying at an alarming rate, and have been showing signs of disease like lesions on their bodies and the loss of their limbs. However, the cause of the disease is not known, it could be said that perhaps the radiation levels in the water are rising, and harming the marine life.

The effects of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Meltdown are not fully understood at this time. It was take many years and research to truly recognize how the radiation will harm people, animals, and the environment. It is important that the government and media start exposing more of the truth about this event, and other events around the world similar to it. This is the information age, and we, as citizens of this Earth, should be informed about what is happening on our planet.

What's eating the starfish? 

Water 6,700 times more radioactive than legal limit spills from Fukushima