Computer Kids

I agree with Neil Postman’s essay Virtual Students, Digital Classroom. In his essay Postman explains what the importance of schools is and how schools rely so much on technology in today’s society.

First of all I think schools are important because they are a means of learning. Schools are also a way of meeting new people and making friends. These are people that will always be there for you. On the other hand technology has also become an essential part of every person’s life. I agree with Postman when he states that today’s society worships technology as a god. I think that his statement is very true. I have heard many of my friends say they would not be able to go through an entire day without their cell phone or laptop. Today our country depends so much on technology that it would be practically impossible to take it all away and expect everything to go normal as always.

Technology has become very important to schools as well. In his essay Postman states, “ School for children of the Information Age will be vastly different than it was for Mom and Dad”. (pr.6) I agree with this statement because it is the truth. Today there are computer classes, teachers ask for essays to be typed, many ask for all of written work to be typed. Math classes use high tech calculators that will do all of the work for you. Kids are learning how to do everything with technology and it sometimes makes it difficult for parents to help if they are not familiar with technology. I know from experience. My parents are not very familiar with computers, in their time there weren’t any computers. Today everything is done on the computer even research.
I think that today everyone relies too much on technology for everything and it shouldn’t be like that.

Am I White or Chinese?

In the essay “Notes of a Native Speaker” , written by Eric Liu, Liu brags on and on that he is white even though he is not. I think that this essay makes Liu sound like he is maybe embarrassed that he is Chinese and is trying to be another person. I definitely disagree with the stereotypical analysis he makes of white people when at the beginning of the essay he lists some ways that someone could tell he was white. For example wearing khaki Dockers and marrying a white woman.

There are many colored people that wear khaki Dockers. Today there are so many interracial couples that live very happy together with no racial problem. I think that in Liu’s essay he explains how he grew up having white friends and he learned so many things when he went to visit his white friends. Things that he did not learn at home, like saying thank you and you’re welcome.

I think that Liu is convinced that he is a white person because he has grown up mainly thinking that he is. I don’t think that should be the case because he should be able to admit that he is Chinese and that he is not embarrassed to say it or to demonstrate it.