Final Decision for Argument Topic Questions/Most Interested Topic (Blog Writing 4a and 4b

4a) Make a final decision about your logical argument research topic. What is it? Questions to ask yourself:

What have we been studying in class this year?

In the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, we have been studying the layers of computers and technology, and how it affects society in many ways. We have been learning about computers in terms of history, the internet, blogs, and the advancements in computer technology in the late 20th century, and how it greatly changed the way we live. The development of the Internet and the invention of the World Wide Web allowed instant communication and access to information from around the world.

 

 Which subjects appeal to me? 

The subjects that appeal to me the most is mathematics/algebra/calculus and science. They influenced my interests in technology, and how the world works. It inspired me to go into a field/branch of math or science. The subjects about technology that appeal to be to argue against are that the effect social networks have on the youth today, how technology has evolved and whether it takes over human properties, and about a topic concerning internet safety and management.

What are people writing about? 

What others are writing about in terms of technology are that should the government enact and enforce laws to protect children from explicit Internet content? Should schools and lawmakers do more to protect kids from cyberbullies?

Should companies that store personal digital data be subject to federal regulation? Do the positive aspects of social networking sites outweigh the negatives? Do we need an international cyberwar treaty? Should filtering software be used? Does the spread of pop culture harm society?

What's most interesting to me?

The most interesting part for me in terms of technology is computer science and internet research through the scientific inquiry.

Can I find information about that?

I can definitely find information about my argument over the previously mentioned topics on technology through internet research, argumentative articles, and source of statistics and anecdotal evidence.

4b) Why are you most interested in the topic of argument selected?

 I am most interest in the topic of technology for whether the government should enforce laws and regulations to protect users of the internet from certain content because as use of the Internet grew in the 1990s, people began to express concern about the type of content children were able to access. Although law is challenged by the American Library Association on the grounds of internet research that it required libraries to unconstitutionally block access to constitutionally protected information on the Internet, it was upheld by the Supreme Court as constitutional. People who are opposed to laws that require schools and libraries to block or filter access to Internet content say that such laws are a restriction on free speech.

5 Research Topics Essential Questions (5): Space Missions

V: Space Missions

Pro/Con and Essential Questions

Should the United States government continue to fund manned space flight missions?

It is significant for the survival of humanity for human spaceflight to continue. Human spaceflight involves sending a spacecraft into outer space with a human crew and passengers. Humans explore because that's in humans' nature. They always want to know what's across the next mountain or what's around the corner. But financially; you explore because it requires the development of new capabilities that you didn't have before, and historically, every single time we develop new capabilities, most of them become applicable in the common everyday marketplace, and humanity benefits from them, and businesses grow, whether it's a heart monitor, or you know, a laptop computer or any of the other things that have been developed over the course of the space program's history; from Mercury, Gemini and Apollo right on up until now pharmaceutical research on the International Space Station, developing drugs for things like salmonella. We look at the effects of microgravity on astronauts. It causes bone-mass loss and muscle-mass loss. It gives doctors down here on Earth a better opportunity to understand the process of osteoporosis, which generally strikes women, but not just women. We see bone-mass deterioration over the course of days (in microgravity). In the area of aeronautics where, because of the research and development that NASA has done in aeronautics; the one positive balance of trade item for America is airplanes is aircraft. Looking at most modern-day airplanes, you would venture to say there is probably some development, some invention, something on that airplane that makes it great, that came out of NASA aeronautics research and development. Overall, space exploration and missions are essential in that they expand newer human knowledge and allow for the discovery and invention of new ideas and capabilities.

5 Research Topics Essential Questions (4): Labor Unions

IV: Labor Unions

Pro/Con and Essential Questions

Are labor unions necessary?

Labor unions are an anticompetitive force in the markets. unions have not adapted to the modern workplace. Collective bargaining means one contract covers everyone. Such contracts do not reflect individual contributions. Instead unionized companies typically base promotions and raises on seniority, not merit. Unions designed this system for the industrial economy of the 1930s. Present day knowledge economy looks different. Machines and computers automated many of the rote tasks of the industrial age. Most employers today value employees for their skills and abilities; "human resources" instead of seeing them as interchangeable cogs on the assembly line. Employees also expect to be rewarded for what they bring to the table. Collective contracts make that challenging, especially when unions fight against individual recognition. In 2011 Giant Eagle grocery stores gave several employees in Edinboro, Pa., raises. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 promptly sued, arguing their contract prevented the company from awarding individual pay increases. The courts agreed and ordered Giant Eagle to rescind the raises. Local 23 wanted everyone to make the same amount, no matter how good they were at their job. Many unions share this attitude. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced legislation to allow unionized employers to give performance-based raises. These pay increases would come on top of union wages. Unions nonetheless denounced the proposal. SEIU President Mary Kay Henry objected that the bill would allow "arbitrary" wage increases. The Teamsters derided it as a "bosses' pet" bill. This attitude alienates many potential union members. Overall, businesses can negotiate with workers without the aid of labor union organizations in terms of wages, safety, healthcare, benefits, and more.

5 Research Topics Essential Questions (2): Climate Change

II. Climate Change

Pro/Con and Essential Questions




1. Is ethanol the best way to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil?

Expanding the use of ethanol--an environmentally clean fuel--will reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The United States relies on imported oil to meet its energy needs. The majority of its imports come from Canada, the Middle East and Venezuela. Many hope that by reducing its dependence on foreign oil, the U.S. can prevent major supply disruptions like the 1973 oil crisis. They also believe that energy independence will reduce prices in the United States, because prices will no longer be affected by political unrest in oil-producing nations. Options to reduce U.S. dependency on foreign oil include expanding the use of alternative energy sources such as ethanol and drilling for oil in Alaska or the Gulf of Mexico. Because ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 34% to 59%. Because ethanol costs less than gasoline, it saves motorists more than $1,200 per year. When Congress crafted the RFS, it built in a great deal of administrative and market flexibility, allowing refiners and gasoline marketers to adjust to changing market dynamics that reduce the supply of biofuels. Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) demonstrated the RFS' flexibility once again by reducing the requirement for cellulosic (non-grain) ethanol.


2. Are human activities causing global warming?

Human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions, are causing global warming. Many believe greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide released by the burning of fossil fuels, contribute to global warming, while others believe global warming is the result of a cyclical change in weather patterns and is not cause for alarm. Factories burn fossil fuel which emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide which cause a rise in global temperatures which is the main cause of Global Warming. The rate of rise  of sea level was almost twice as fast over the past 20 years than earlier in the 20th century.Warming is continuing, despite the fact that in the last decade there were two cooling La Ninas in the Pacific Ocean and a prolonged solar minimum. These and other indicators of change all signal that human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases, are changing our climate — a conclusion that 97 percent of climate scientists agree with in a recent peer-reviewed study.




3. Is global warming causing more natural disasters?


There is a link between global warming and natural disasters.Human influences are having an impact on some extreme weather and climate events, according to the report “Explaining Extreme Events of 2012 from a Climate Perspective” released today by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. Overall, 18 different research teams from around the world contributed to the peer-reviewed report that examined the causes of 12 extreme events that occurred on five continents and in the Arctic during 2012. Scientists from NOAA served as three of the four lead editors on the report. The report shows that the effects of natural weather and climate fluctuations played a key role in the intensity and evolution of the 2012 extreme events. However, in some events, the analyses revealed compelling evidence that human-caused climate change, through the emission of heat-trapping gases, also contributed to the extreme event. In addition to investigating the causes of these extreme events, the multiple analyses of four of the events — the warm temperatures in the United States, the record-low levels of Arctic sea ice, and the heavy rain in both northern Europe and eastern Australia — allowed the scientists to compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of their various methods of analysis. Despite their different strategies, there was considerable agreement between the assessments of the same events.


4. Is there a link between ozone layer depletion and climate change?


Ozone layer depletion contributes to climate change. The global treaty that headed off destruction of earth's protective ozone layer has also prevented major disruption of global rainfall patterns, according to a new study in the Journal of Climate. The 1987 Montreal Protocol phased out the use of chloroflourocarbons, or CFCs, a class of chemicals that destroy ozone in the stratosphere, allowing more ultraviolet radiation to reach earth's surface. Though the treaty aimed to reverse ozone losses, the new research shows that it also protected the hydroclimate. The study says the treaty prevented ozone loss from disrupting atmospheric circulation, and kept CFCs, which are greenhouse gases, from warming the atmosphere and also disrupting atmospheric circulation. Had these effects taken hold, they would have combined to shift rainfall patterns in ways beyond those that may already be happening due to rising carbon dioxide in the air.
Today, rising carbon dioxide levels are already disturbing earth's hydrological cycle, making dry areas drier and wet areas wetter. But in computer models simulating a world of continued CFC use, the researchers found that the hydrological changes in the decade ahead, 2020-2029, would have been twice as severe as they are now expected to be. The ozone layer protects life on earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation. As the layer thins, the upper atmosphere grows colder, causing winds in the stratosphere and in the troposphere below to shift, displacing jet streams and storm tracks. The researchers' model shows that if ozone destruction had continued unabated, and increasing CFCs further heated the planet, the jet stream in the mid-latitudes would have shifted toward the poles, expanding the subtropical dry zones and shifting the mid-latitude rain belts pole-ward. The warming due to added CFCs in the air would have also intensified cycles of evaporation and precipitation, causing the wet climates of the deep tropics and mid to high latitudes to get wetter, and the subtropical dry climates to get drier.

5 Research Topics Essential Questions (3): Journalism and School Censorship

III: Journalism and School Censorship

Pro/Con and Essential Questions

Should student newspapers enjoy the same freedom of the press as professional publications?

Student journalists serve equal purpose in a democracy as professional journalists. All schools should encourage students to probe difficult subjects, to ask their own questions and learn how to discern the difference between truth and spin. Student newspapers must broadly comply with school regulations. In most cases, that's the job of the paper's faculty adviser. No matter if it's controversial or criticizes the school, students must be free to report and editorialize about what they wish. A student newspaper by definition is the voice of the students. The ability of individuals to speak anonymously to the press has been a staple of journalism for years. Such sources, of course, must not be used recklessly. If necessary, let the writer disclose the identity of the source to the faculty adviser. If the adviser is satisfied, so be it.

5 Research Topics Essential Questions (1): Technology

I. Technology

Pro/Con and Essential Questions

1. Children’s Online Protection Laws

Should the government enact and enforce laws to protect children from explicit Internet content?

Children should be protected from exposure to inappropriate content and experiences.The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), signed into law in 2000, mandates that schools and libraries that receive federal funding for Internet access certify that they have protective measures that block or filter access to pictures that are obscene or child pornography. 

2. Cyberbullying

Should schools and lawmakers do more to protect kids from cyberbullies?

An increase in rules and laws would do little to lessen cyberbullies. Teenagers are particularly susceptible to cyberbullying because of their increasing reliance on cell phones and computers for social networking. The psychological damage inflicted by cyberbullying can be just as severe, and have more long-lasting consequences than physical aggression. Some people think that bullying is part of childhood and that not much can be done to deter it, especially if it is done online. Others say that educators have overreacted to cases of cyberbullying and instituted rules that limit the free speech rights of students. However, in light of some recent cases where students have committed suicide after being cyberbullied, lawmakers in many states have initiated legislation that would require school districts to establish policies to protect against cyberbullying and to punish the bullies.

3. Cybercrime

Should companies that store personal digital data be subject to federal regulation?

Companies that store personal digital data should be responsible for protecting it. Identity theft  is one of the fastest growing computer crimes in the U.S. Identity theft is the criminal act of acquiring or exploiting personal information that is legally assigned to another individual. This can include, but is not limited to, a person's name, address, Social Security number, driver's license number, bank account numbers, credit or work history. The prevalence of this crime is a result of many factors, including the abundance of personal information available to sophisticated criminals via the Internet. Fraudulent use of stolen personal information allows criminals to assume the identity of the victim for their own financial gain. It can take years to repair the damage done to one's credit and return to good financial standing. The U.S. government has recognized a responsibility to protect citizens from identity theft and has recruited the postal service, FBI, Secret Service, and Federal Trade Commission to join in the effort to detect and prevent the crime. In addition, many companies are taking it upon themselves to implement improved security measures that will protect against unlawful access to their databases. Companies would be more effective than one big branch protecting data.

4. Cybersocializing/Online Social Networks
Do the positive aspects of social networking sites outweigh the negatives?

Regardless due to negative criticism, online social networks provide new opportunities for developing and maintaining social and work relationships. Revealing private information on social networking sites is foolish and can be dangerous, especially for young people. However, kids are not addicted to the Internet, as their parents fear, they're addicted to each other, as they always have been getting together with their peers is an absolute necessity for young people learning how to live in the wider world. However, young people are often naïve to the fact that information and photos they post on these sites can come back to haunt them when they apply for college or jobs.


5. Cyberwarfare
Do we need an international cyberwar treaty?










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An international cyberwar treaty would be impossible to enforce and would not stop terrorist groups from launching cyberattacks. But to make that process productive, the US itself-while resisting the temptation to do to others what America condemns others for doing-must make certain that its vulnerabilities are not easily exploited by adversaries that are difficult to identify.

6. Distracted Driving
Are tougher laws needed to combat distracted driving?

All states need to enact laws prohibiting activities such as texting and cell phone use while driving. However, the emphasis should be on educating people about the dangers of distracted driving. Distracting activities include using a cell phone (talking or texting), eating, drinking, talking to passengers, applying makeup and other grooming activities, reading, using a navigation system, watching a video, and changing music selections on the radio, CD, or MP3 player. The most dangerous of these activities is texting, which involves all three types of distraction. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers is the under-20 age group. Many states have enacted laws banning certain types of driving distractions and there are many restrictions on cell phone use while driving. 

7. Filtering Software
Should filtering software be used?

Filtering software prevents access to sites that may be inappropriate. The Federal Government will introduce compulsory internet filtering to block overseas sites which contain criminal content, including child sex abuse and sexual violence. It saves children's innocence with explicit and risque content. However, over-filtering in schools can harm education because schools and libraries nationwide are routinely filtering internet content far more than what the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires. Blocking all froms of sexual content can prevent children from searching sexual health advice.

8. Popular Culture
Does the spread of pop culture harm society?




      


Pop Culture has the ability to broaden learning methods. I think it's based on the type of popular culture Video games are fascinating because the player is forced to respond as quickly as possible to be effective, and that obliterates the kind of critical thinking that makes you consider the consequences of your actions. So it's different from film, which is a more removed experience where you aren't forced to react. Film is more complex, and there are lots of theories and studies about the effects of violence in movies on society. Whether the effects are equal for everyone who watches a film is unknown, for one thing. But also in film, there are uses of violence that force us to question violence in society, and some filmmakers use violence to make us think about violence and its effects so not all violence in film has a negative effect. However, it can be unoriginal, vulgar and even threatening to society if it promotes a negative message. However, films can be entertaining, and fun for many different groups of people.

9. Virtual Currencies
Will virtual currencies become as common as conventional currencies?


Virtual currencies can be used to make global online transactions quickly, anonymously and cheaply. Some digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, are cryptocurrencies, as they use cryptography for security and anti-counterfeiting measures over an open networked environment, such as the Internet. As with traditional money, virtual currencies may be used to buy goods and services in the real world, but can also be used in certain virtual communities and online games or social networks to purchase virtual goods and services. Advocates of virtual currencies cherish their anonymity, low transfer fees and quick transaction speed. Opponents of such currencies contend that they are unstable, lack government backing and lend themselves to illegal purposes.

10. Web 2.0
Has Web 2.0 technology made this generation of students smarter than past generations?

The new technology is changing the way students learn. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and social networking technologies have changed the way we learn, communicate, and exchange ideas. These changing technologies have also presented challenges to our schools, many of which have not kept pace with the new practices. Some educators complain that this generation of students, which has been exposed to technology since elementary school, is less intelligent than previous generations. They claim that because students are communicating by text messages and on social networking sites they don't develop the writing and language skills they need for higher education and the workplace. Other educators are more eager to incorporate Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom and help students develop the skills they will need in the 21st century. While society evolves, so does technology which improves the learning curriculum.

(3) Potential Research Topics and (4) Their Cases Supporting and Opposing it.

http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-issues-display?id=S74-104862-0-8240


3. Choose five topics that you think are potential research topics for your paper and briefly (in 2 to 5 sentences) explain why these topics are of interest to you.

3. The five research topics that interest me include:
1. Technology because I'm interested in science and computers, and would prefer to explore the technology in computers and software. Technology is something major in my life I can't live without, so it is a relevant topic. I want to explore its impact and history on specific inventions.
2. Climate change because I want to explore ways to improve the effects Global Warming has on the environment. It has caught my interest since Living Environment, and I want to learn more on the factors that have a positive or negative effect on weather patterns.
3. Journalism and School Censorship because I know what it's like to be a writer for the newspaper, so this topic can be a potential strength of mine to explore. I also am opposed to school censorship, and would want to explore why it's wrong, and describe the importance of school newspapers.
4. Labor Unions because I am opposed to union organizations and believe negotiations can be made by businesses and workers alone. Since I'm in Economics, it gives me an advantage with the things I'm learning about stocks and businesses.
5. Space Missions because I'm fascinated by astronomy and space exploration because of Science textbooks, Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. I would describe whether it's crucial for NASA to continue space exploration.


4. What cases can be made for or against X?


4. 1- A case that would support technology is it has benefited the learning process for students; how has it helped them to apply to colleges. A case that would oppose it is that how has technology override people's live outside.  
2- A case that would support climate change is that human activities, such as greenhouse gas emissions, are causing global warming. A case that would oppose it is that Global warming is the result of a cyclical change in the weather.
3- A case that would support Journalism and School Censorship is that student journalists serve equal purpose in a democracy as professional journalists. A case that would oppose it is that student journalists must still abide by the rules of their institutions.
4- A case that would support Labor Unions is that labor unions are needed to protect worker rights. A case that would oppose it is that labor unions are an anticompetitive force in the markets.
5- A case that would support Space Missions is that it is crucial for the survival of humanity for human spaceflight to continue. A case that would oppose it is that it is a waste of taxpayer money to continue to send man into outer space.