Google Day 2

Goals for the Day:

1. Keep Practicing how to use http://www.befunky.com/
I took a new picture, of a landscape, and put it on this program. I started editing and  I discovered that there are lots of themes to alter color and background. The picture, before and after are in my Google Project: Altering Background Color on Pictures Blog.

2. Look for other videos on how to change colors
http://www.instructables.com/id/Changing-Colors-In-A-Picture-Using-Paint.net/
on this link I found a way to use Photo Shop to alter the colors, though I have to download it on my computer. Im not sure if this is to hard for me at this point; they teach me the steps on how to use the program, and I think it is really professional. For now, I think I might want to keep on using  http://www.befunky.com/

3. Create my blog and do my first blog post

http://photoalteringblog.blogspot.com/
In my blog, I posted the two pictures I have altered until now. This is what I will be doing for the rest of my classes. (I will post my improvements and progress throughout the project)

Should Universities be Colored Blind?

Link to Opinion Article

Response: 

I read this op-ed with great interest because it addresses a very important issue concerning equality in America, mainly: whether universities should accept candidates taking into account their ethnicity, or if race should not be a criteria since only academic performance should determine their admission to the university. The deans of two of the most important law schools of the United States share the same position: ethnicity should not be excluded as a factor for the admission of the applicants to higher education. 

Ethnicity will promote diversity in the class of students, and the role of a dean is "to assemble the best possible class"(Paragraph 3). For them, "the character of our students is relevant to the quality of our leaders. Character is most often revealed in the life circumstances of our applicants."(Paragraph 4). They add, “not infrequently, these qualities have a racial dimension", (Paragraph 5). This argument is more sophisticated than the usual one based on diversity as a value in itself. Commonly these arguments highlight diversity, because it would lead to a reflection of a pluralist society. The two deans argue instead, that diversity is useful for a better education, since a diverse class of students, will help each member of this class to achieve a better understanding and develop useful skills for their future role as leaders of society. 

The deans also put foreword an argument based on dignity. For them: "While we agree that it is inconsistent with the dignity of persons to consider only race, we firmly believe that it is equally inconsistent with their dignity to refuse to hear what applicants have to tell us about the role that race has played in their lives.”(Paragraph 5).

Thirdly, they advance a practical argument based on freedom of speech, since students essays and letters of recommendation are taking into account in the admission process, it would be impossible to avoid considering race as a factor, but also contrary to the freedom of students and their recommenders to prohibit them to mention race in their writings. The deans ask: “ Would those advocating race-blind admissions have us censor the statements of applicants and their recommenders? How could we carry out such a task, even if we were inclined to do so?”(Paragraph 6).

In my view, these three arguments are good ones in the United States context, since race has become a sensible issue. The deans do not defend affirmative action as such that is, they do not argue in favor of specific policies to benefit exclusively Afro, Americans or Latinos. Instead, they put arguments based on good education, dignity, and freedom of expression. These rights are less divisive, and both liberal and conservative Justices of the Supreme Court may find “common ground,”  the need to protect this right.

Nevertheless, these kind of arguments leave out two fundamental questions. First, will this approach limit unjustly the possibilities of admission of excellent students that cannot “invoke” race as a critical factor in the formation of their character? In my view, it would be unjust to prefer a student exclusively based on his or her race since race depends on chance. Individuals have a race not because they want it, but simply because they were born with the race inherited from their parents. For example, it would be unjust to diminish the possibilities of admission of a woman that did have to face challenges associated with her gender, but not with her race.

Second, isn’t this vision of diversity forgetting differences in income? I believe that poverty leads people to face challenges that form character, and that education is critical to have access to a higher income. The two deans do not include arguments that give enough importance to character formed in this situation, in the United States, as well as all over the world.

Although the two deans rightly support a holistic approach to the evaluation of student applications, they should underline that gender and poverty are also critical factors to promote diversity, to value dignity and to understand the importance of freedom of speech.

DIGITAL NATION

1. DISAGREE: I disagree that using the internet dummies the human, since most of the time we connect to a digital world, we learn something new.
2. AGREE: I agree that interaction between humans is being modified since we use technology to communicate in many ways, tough i ALSO think that this should not be the only connection we have with each other. 
3. AGREE: Technology helps to be in contact with other people fast and this is good for the navy, etc since you can know what the other people are doing instantly. 
4. I agree that teachers use technology, and it is not a threat necessarily. I think that using technology stimulates the teachers to look beyond their understanding in physical books etc, and go into the world of technology. This will help them see the improvements on whatever they are teaching and expand their knowledge. 
5. I agree that teachers have to accept that their students use of technology, because technology is part of the modern world and no one can really do anything about it. Students think that without technology thy are not able to live. 
6. I disagree that people cant multicast, though people should be allowed to try. We are changing constantly  and we could become more capable of doing this. 
7. I agree that multitasking are bad at doing so because it is impossible to concentrate in two things fully concentrated, tough ypur thoughts are expanding.
8. Technology is distraction, i agree, but in a way i don't since you have to use this in a way that forms you as a person
9. I agree that internet in the same as cigarette  though you cant judge that to that example, since this affects you as a self, physically, not morally.
10. I agree that technlology is addictive, since it is affecting everyone in extreme cases over the world.
11. I agree that this might be taking life quality out of peoples life, since people are focusing in the screen instead of what is around them
12. I agree that this is a desease, but not a bad one: if it is not extreme
13. I agree that internet rescue camps exists wfor extreme cases I agree that most people are overwlemed by technology
14. I disagree tat kids are tought to read and to use internt as the same time
15. I agree that thjis ids are trying to teach tem I disagree that technology is oxygen, electronics is not that big
16. I agree that the world is gling fast and that education is not
17. I think that technology needs to be used lke in the bronx school, but not in the university 
18. I agree that reading and writing are decreacing, because you dont really need to wirte something long or detailed in technology necesarrely
19. I agree that we are loosing skills using technology, like we did when we started writing, though I think that that is the price of progress. I think that if we use technology as a way to imporove our sences, we cluld be very smart. 
20. I agre that we must adapt to technology, but I think that technology should complement our developing system
21. I think that we sould depend in a way to technology, but I think that we sould not think that internet is our life, we are our own self because of what is arould us
22. I agree that having a virtual world, like a game, is good for some people, though I think that we have to idstinguih between the creen and reall life.