A student’s parents should tell those students what not to say. Unless those students are saying something that is oppressive or harmful to others let them talk. Don’t squash their academic freedom unless they’re being a bigot – bigotry is not a freedom, it’s a character defect.

I totally agree with you. I would find guns on campus a distraction and it would definitely lower my ability to learn and retain material. Students would feel on edge constantly, it wouldn’t make anyone feel safe. that’s not the way you want a classroom environment to feel. Professors would also be on edge – there would be a lot of negative repercussions to having guns on campus.

You’re absolutely correct – It depends. Everything involving humans is a series of contextual dependencies. Love or hate technology it’s here to stay so it’s important to understand where the boundaries need to be placed and how to navigate through the bombardment of distractions effectively. You need to know when to walk away from the technology as well. Setting boundaries – the mute feature on Facebook Messenger is probably one of my favorites (next to the Gamer Cat stickers).
When used in appropriate contexts I think technology is wonderful. Unfortunately I also have to tell my finance to put her phone down regularly while we’re driving through particularly beautiful regions of the state so that she can appreciate the scenery. I think the level of connectivity we have creates and added pressure to get things done but honestly, I’d rather have my email in my pocket than be tied to my desk waiting. I can go out and live my life, check my email, respond, then go about my day.

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Nice post – love the comics. Internet addiction is a real thing. It’s crazy to see how hooked some people can get to it. I think people can also get addicted to their work. There have been times where I didn’t get up from my desk for about 10 hours because I was so focused, cognitively that was a bad move. I think that its important for us to give our brains a break now and again. I like to try and schedule reminders to take a break, sometimes they crop up at bad times, but hey its just a reminder that your brain needs to chillax just like your muscles do when you’re running or something.

Hey Ross, excellent post. I totally feel where you’re coming from. I like to think of Google and technology (in certain contexts) like a think of chocolate, fine in moderation but too much will make you sick. New technology in vehicles and stuff gets me super pumped (as you know) but that’s why we do extensive testing prior to deployment, to make sure people don’t become careless and complacent (or stupid) and cause more harm in the long term.

Very nicely written, Krystalyn. I think that our differences give us a unique perspective on situations that shouldn’t be discounted, but used to allow for a more inclusive and empathetic conversation about possible solutions. I find the prevalence of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression troubling in our society, but I think we will be able to remove them from our institutionalized environments once we all work together to reach those goals.

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Very nicely written, Krystalyn. I think that our differences give us a unique perspective on situations that shouldn’t be discounted, but used to allow for a more inclusive and empathetic conversation about possible solutions. I find the prevalence of racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression troubling in our society, but I think we will be able to remove them from our institutionalized environments once we all work together to reach those goals.

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I think you may have missed the point of my post - grades (unlike chocolate) suck.
The end. :)

I can empathize with you feelings regarding test taking. In searching for an alternative to traditional examinations I have considered take home exams, group projects, and even one on one meetings to discuss the material. Exams are easy for professors (in my opinion) because they are objective. You get this question wrong, worth this many points, so on and so on..
I don’t think the process of learning is quite as objective – it’s more of an abstract process. I don’t really know why the process of measuring it is so objective.

"I argue that grades do not necessarily say much about students’ learning and their ability to apply learning to real life problems."
I would argue that grades are the outcome of your assessment of a student's ability to apply what they have learned to a real life problem. Grades are fine in moderation, just like chocolate. However, we have become OBSESSED with grades, I'm talking diabetic levels of obsession. We need to dial it back and redefine what it means to be a "good student" because a good student does not imply good grades. It does not mean you get perfect marks on every exam. Furthermore, those who get perfect marks on every exam are often the ones who have the most difficulty applying any concepts outside the classroom.
In some cases, grades are a necessary evil and we simply cannot get away from them, however the method by which we measure one's understanding of the subject matter is totally a flexible thing and should not follow a rigid guideline.