Online learning

I do not think online classes will totally replace traditional classroom learning. There are some things you have to learn hands on in a classroom. Online classes are definitely more convenient especially for nontraditional students who work and have families. I think most online classes require more work than a traditional class. You have to do a lot more required discussions online and in a traditional classroom you might not be called on to discuss subjects every class meeting.

I do not think all students should be required to participate in online learning. It is not for everybody. You have to be very disciplined to keep with your work and due dates. I think a lot of colleges and universities will be offering more and more online classes. A lot of the general requirement courses are easily done online but a lot of upper level major classes would be better offered in a classroom setting.

Government Regulations on Fast Food

I do not think the government should pass laws regulating the types of food served at fast food restaurants. Most fast food restaurants offer healthier choices now. Also, it is the individual person's responsibility to make the right choices and utilize moderation when eating fast food. Restaurants like Wendy's offer choices like baked potatoes, salad, or chili with their combo meals instead of fries at no additional charge. The kids meals at Wendy's also come with the option of mandarin oranges instead of fries and low fat milk instead of soda. I also like that on Wendy's website you can build your meal and see the nutrition content of that meal. Healthy eating is all about planning ahead! Most fast food restaurants offer healthier options for kids meals. Burger King offers apple fries with a low-fat caramel dipping sauce instead of french fries. They also offer kids meal options like macaroni and cheese. People today need to take more responsibility for themselves instead of leaving it up to the government to regulate everything we do.

Thanksgiving

My family and I always celebrate Thanksgiving. My husband, son, and I go to visit my family for lunch. My family always cooks turkey, dressing, dumplings, and all the fixings! We then go to my husband's aunt's house for dinner that night and eat again! There are always lots of good desserts at her house. We see a lot of his cousins and second cousins at her house that we only see on Thanksgiving each year. Then we go home and my husband goes to work. He works third shift and only gets Wednesday night before Thanksgiving off. It's probably rough on him but he does it every year and I'm sure it is worth it to him to spend time with his family on Thanksgiving.

Families in 2109

The family unit in 2109 will hopefully be even stronger than in 2009. I hope that people continue to realize that they need to make time for family as a lot of people are today. With all of the awareness and education today about topics such as teen sex, obesity, etc, etc, hopefully families in 2109 will be healthier and well educated on such issues and be able to discuss issues with their family members. There might even be advances in technology that make household chores like cooking and cleaning easier so families have more time together.

Community

To me the word community means a group of people that live together, work together, go to church together, etc, etc. Neighbors know each other and check on each other. There are small communities like the one I live in which is in an rural farm area. Some communities are subdivisions or apartment complexes in the city. I think no matter where you live knowing and caring for your neighbors is what community really means.

Honor Codes

I think honor codes on campuses sound like a great idea. Having students sign pledges to complete their work honestly and publicizing them by ceremonies or hanging them up around campus, would help to remind students of their pledge and guilt the conscience of those considering cheating. Of course, there will probably still be some students who cheat and do not care but I think the majority of people want to do the right thing. Also, having a judicial process where students serve on committees to review cases of those students who have broken the code would be effective in keeping students in check. Instead of just being confronted by a teacher or just failing a class, being confronted by your peers would be much more embarrassing but it would also be a more fair way to bring them to "justice", by a group of their own peers.

Reality t.v.

Reality shows have definitely grown in popularity in the last few years. There are so many different kinds of reality shows. Some are just shows that follow the real lives of celebrities or certain people, like 18 Kids and Counting. I watch this show and I enjoy it. I think they probably act somewhat differently when the cameras are not on but it pretty much shows what it is like to live in a family of 20 & shows how their faith and beliefs guide them. Some reality shows are of a contest nature, like America’s Next Top Model or Top Chef. The Biggest Loser would have to be my absolute favorite reality show. It is very inspiring to watch people totally change their lives & overcome obstacles in their lives. Reality television has changed the way people think about television. It has given a lot of “regular people” the chance to be on television. My husband likes to watch reality shows like Ice Road Truckers and Extreme Loggers which are very interesting because you get to see how these people make their living and how things like logging are done. They can be very educational.