Divergent

9-8-2014

DIVERGENT

By Sarah Vazzoler

In this blog I am going to talk about Divergent.

Divergent is a book of 487 pages written by Veronica Roth.

I give this book a fully ten out of ten because is that it is totally awesome and it is definitely one of my favorite books if not even the best. I started to read one week ago and I could not stop, it was a kind of addicting for me so I read it in four hours, then I reread it other three days in the next two or three days and after that I also watched the movie.

Divergent is a book for teenager, ether male and female since is an action story, there are some deadly, bloody and fight parts but nothing to strong, in it there is also some romance and it is also a science fiction.

What I liked most about the book is that it gives you that feeling like if you are in the story and so when you reading you are so focus that you can almost feel the guns and the shoots and the scream of the people all around you but I also like this book because is completely unique. The modern books are mostly a copying from each other and a modifying the old stories, but this book is the only book with this plot and the only one, the author, didn't copy or even get any inspiration from other stories.

The story is set in a city based on Chicago witch is delimited by a gigantic wall made hundred years before, after the war. However, most of the story is narrated in the dauntless headquarter, which is the faction that Beatrice Prior/Trice the main character of the story choose to stay with.

"The Fun They Had" 

By: Katarina Markovic 

1. What are some of the positive aspects of school in 2157? Some positive aspects of school in 2157 is that there was only one teacher focusing on one student. Even though the teacher was mechanical it adjusted to only one student, and it teaches the student in a pace which is best for them. They can also learn things when they choose too, and by that i just mean the time during the day. Since some people prefer to learn later during the day, and it is better and easier for them that is a very good aspect.

2. What do you think would be some of the drawbacks or downsides to school in 2157? There are many things which make the schools which we have today much better than in 2157. Firstly we are taught by humans, and since we are surrounded by people we socialize and we fulfill each other. We are also able to actually make a connection. Since a mechanical teacher is the same as a screen, many beautiful and enjoyable things such as reading books would be forgotten. As well as that children wouldn't communicate as much as we do now. Although even now most of the times we are on our phones or laptops instead of talking to each other face to face.

3. Which version of school do you think would be better? The version you have now, or the version Margie and Tommy have in 2157? I think that the way that our schools work now is much better since we can actually communicate and attach to people. We are also surrounded by many people and we all are taught and used to help each other and communicate. If we were to be just taught by robots/mechanical teacher we would forget the things which are beautiful in life such as drawing, painting, reading a book.

The Fun They Had by Isaac Asimov

Title: The Fun They Had
Author: Isaac Asimov

What are some of the positive aspects of school in 2157?
Some positive aspects include that learning is personalized and each student gets to study exactly how they learn best, at their own pace, in an ideal environment, and using personalized methods. There are three general categories of learners: visual (seeing), auditorial (hearing), and kinetic (physical). For example, I'm an auditorial learner so colourful images and making models doesn't help me much. This could also help guide you to your ideal career path.

What do you think would be some of the drawbacks or downsides to school in 2157?
The downsides include lack of socialization and too much freedom. School is the main place where children make friends and if we eliminate school we'd also be eliminating an opportunity to forge friendships. They would also lack the different perspectives of other students. As for too much freedom, the world isn't going to bend to suit you. You're going to have to do things that you don't like to please people that do you don't like for reasons that you don't understand. That's reality and this type of learning is a bit too lenient.

Which version of school do you think would be better? The version you have now, or the version Margie and Tommy have in 2157?
I think that the best option would be somewhere in between, a school where students can socialize and share opinions but forge their own curriculum meeting certain requirements. But if I had to choose one it would be the current version of school.

Extra Credit

The Fun They Had

By: Isaac Asimov

Question:

1. What are some of the positive aspects of school in 2157?

Some of the positive aspects I find in the school in 2157 are that the children have mechanical teachers that adjust to fit the mind of every student since each student has different ways of learning. I find this a positive aspect because then every student has work to do on their very own level of intelligence. Also this way the mechanical teacher has all the time needed and provided to make sure that the student knows and understands what he/she are doing. Another positive aspect is that the "school" is actually in their home, meaning that the students have special rooms in which they have their classes in. This way, there is no way a student would be late for class and feels much more comfortable in the whole environment. The last good aspect is that lots of trees are saved because no longer anything is done on paper. Everything is done through technology and the tree and the nature is saved. Thanks to no more use of trees in such big amounts, there are more trees on Earth as more oxygen.

  2. What do you think would be some of the drawbacks or downsides to school in 2157?

There are definitely lots of drawbacks. Firstly, the kids in those generations have no idea of how school looked like before, and what a book is. Books are rare to find and they are very interesting for the people that find them. Secondly, I find it very stupid to underestimate teachers and human people by comparing them to robots which is actually technology. The weirdest thing is that it seems like all those people living in the future believe that robots are smarter than people. Thirdly, I really think that people should socialize between each other and not online and on internet. Before, there where schools in which all of the students would go spend good and bad moments together, have fun and learn at the same time. Everyone would talk and socialize. Now, they all go home alone and learn from robots which aren't even human.

3. Which version of school do you think would be better? The version you have now, or the version Margie and Tommy have in 2157?

I definitely think that this version we have now is much better. Yes, we are using paper which comes from trees, but other than that all is fine. We socialize, talk, have fun and all learn together. Sometimes we don't feel like going to school, or are late because of traffic but I would rather be late than always on time being thought by a teacher who isn't even human. I strongly believe that humans are smarter than robots, because we are the ones creating them. I think it is totally different when you have a book in front of your eyes, and your reading it, looking at it, touching it. There is so many cool ways to learn without using technology. With technology you just stare at a monitor all day long, probably even get glasses from all the fake light. There is a big difference in virtual and reality life. I think it would be very hard to combine both worlds into one, by staring and learning everything from a virtual (internet) and then when finishing classes, step out on the sun or contribute to a discussion with someone that is really standing in front of us. I strongly support and think that our school would be better than Margie and Tommy's school in the year of 2157.

The Fun They Had (Extra Credit)

1)What are some of the positive aspects of school in 2157?

• The student marks were calculated very quickly
• The "teacher" lived in the student's house, so they did not have to go to an actual building 
• Each "teacher" is adjusted and teaches a specific boy or girl in a specific way to have the best result out of the individual

2) What do you think would be some of the drawbacks or downsides to school in 2157?

• You are incapable of not handing in papers or tests
• You have to learn a "punch code"
• Your "teacher" can become blank, like Tommie's history teacher did
• They have school on Saturday and Sunday

3) Which version of school do you think would be better? The version you have now, or the version Margie and Tommy have in 2157?

I would prefer to go to school in 2157 because of a few reasons. I like working individually, and studying independently is mandatory in the future school. Also, the teacher is always primarily focused on you, it adapts to the way you learn and makes education easier for you. And finally, you are able to do school on the weekends, which I view as a great improvement, since we can spend more time on learning than wasting our time on nothing during weekends.

The Fun They Had (Extra Credit) - Jihyun Park

The Fun They Had

Isaac Asimov

May 25th, 2014

Extra Credit

Jihyun Park

The Fun They Had is a short story by Isaac Asimov. It is about Margie in 2157. She goes to school but alone. She is taught by a mechanical teacher and reads from telebooks. One day, Tommy finds a book on paper and he tells Margie that in the past, school used to be a place children gathers to learn together from a human teacher. Margie thinks of the fun children in the past had and wishes to go to their school.

1. What are some of the positive aspects of school in 2157?

Some positive aspects of school in 2157 is that each subject is programmed to be most suitable for that particular student. Also, learning system is very organized since the teacher is mechanical, what it means by it is organized is that there are no confuses with assignments and facts, everything is straight forwards and strict. Another positive aspect is that it is almost like home school because you learn at home but you are taught by the mechanical teacher not your parents and not yourself, and also because you don't have to spend time going to school every morning, walking to school or riding a school bus or a car or a bike.

2. What do you think would be some of the drawbacks or downsides to school in 2157?

Some negative aspects of school in 2157 is that you learn alone. Great reason children go to school is their friends. The school can be a very fun place to learn when you are with your friends but without your friends the concept of learning for children is very boring and negative. Also, school is like the place where children learn how to interact with the others and be social. School in 2157 would result children to grow with flimsy social skills and would struggle in the society.

3. Which version of school do you think would be better? The version you have now, or the version Margie and Tommy have in 2157?

I think school today is better than the school in 2157. The reason is because of my friends. Going to school with friends makes it more fun and when you learn with friends, you can help each other. If I go to school in 2157, then I wouldn't be able to meet good friends and make good memories and I would hate learning because it is no fun.

Extra Credit for Kresten Due "The Fun They Had" by Isaac Asimov

"The Fun They Had" by Isaac Asimov is a short story about Margie and Tommy who have found a book. While this appears to not be much of a ground breaking discovery, it is. That is because it is in fact the year 2157 where there are no more books in production. Books are all e-books on TVs. This book however is written about school which turns out to be very different from now. In their day and age school is a robot which is private for everyone and marks homework in an instant. The two then discuss school and in the end Margie concludes that we had a lot of fun going to school. I for one would agree, however some others may not.

Questions w/ Answers:

1. What are some of the positive aspects of school in 2157?
   
   Answer: The most prominent positive aspect of school is that the robots are specifically tuned to a specific person meaning someone more prominent in mathematics would learn higher level maths than someone who is more prominent in humanities. Another positive aspect is that kids won't have to travel long distances to get to school. An example of long distance travelling is a girl known as Anya Metahrao from my former school (UNIS) who had a two hour commute to school.
   
2. What do you think would be some of the drawbacks or downsides to school in 2157?
   
   Answer: I think a large drawback is the lack of social interaction. This means that people wont meet others when learning which may be bad for social health and would restrict social interactions. Another issue is that the robots need to know every topic and as shown in the short story sometimes the specific sections blank out. This means the robots need to go for maintenance and might infringe learning. The final drawback is that specific or complicated questions with odd wording can't be asked. If I ask Mr. Daws what would happen if... he would be able to answer with knowledge. However, the robot would need that question and answer to be programmed into it. For this drawback to be revoked every hypothetical question would have to be encoded and have a set answer.
   
3. Which version of school do you think would be better? The version you have now, or the version Margie and Tommy have in 2157?
   
   Answer: I personally would prefer our current version of school. This is because we have many teachers and exercise social skills. We also wouldn't give presentations and similar things in 2157. This would prevent a career with usage of rhetoric. Another problem which I mentioned is that robots can't answer specific questions while teachers can. Another nice thing is that we make many friends at school and we couldn't have PE classes with robots. My final reason is that our current day schools also create openings for employment which is never bad.