Unit 4: Service Week 3

1.) From this new unit-of-study I have learned about how new media is affecting international countries and bringing people together for a common cause; such as what happened in the Tunisian Revolution. The social media had prevented chaos by connecting the citizens together. I have also learned and thought about empowerment more deeply and that the internet supplies empowerment to an extent. Social media can allow the Tunisian’s to grow and develop as a country which is empowering for the citizens. Also, the internet gives society many opportunities to learn and gain knowledge which is also empowering the way people take advantage of it. In addition, I have learned about the Arab uprisings and how the citizens expressed themselves and communicated through graffiti. In Egypt the internet and mobile connections were shut off so the confrontation of rage exploded through graffiti. Through the Islamic graffiti, it transformed and unified cities and also empowered citizens through their artistic self-expression.

2.) Basic academic learning centered on real world problems is a very practical idea, especially for college and higher education such as college and professional degrees. This concept would not work very well for elementary school learning, but high school students may benefit from an introduction.

‘Experience is a great teacher’ is an old cliché that applies well to this concept. I would imagine that many students have known someone who was “book smart” but could not apply their intelligence to real-world situations. Those students who were trained with practical skills have a fund of knowledge that can be applied to everyday tasks. I believe it is good to learn theory and some history by reading from books, however business, arts, health care and many other disciplines learn best by facing real world problems.