2014년 12월 7일 일요일
2014년 11월 16일 일요일
2014년 10월 26일 일요일
First Draft Conclusion
Instructions:
My Conclusion 1
- Read the conclusion instructions here.
- Write your conclusion and all the drafts like this example.
- Don’t delete the old conclusions! Keep a record of them so I and your peers can see your progress.
My Conclusion 1
It is not hard to find sources that will warn you of the coming robot apocalypse or singularity that will render humans obsolete, either in entertainment (The Matrix) or legitimate science (Ron Kurzweil). I will be the first to admit that in so many ways these fears are justified. Computers and technology are capable of terrifying acts of destruction and cold inhumanity. What is important to remember, though, is that none of these acts are possible without human provocation, and the sometimes-scary lifelessness of computers is, when put in perspective, as scary as the lifelessness of a vacuum cleaner or screw driver. In short, they’re tools. Incredibly powerful, important and relied-upon tools. If we ever limit the expansion of technology, or anything, really, based on an unfounded fear though, we are costing ourselves so much. We will cost ourselves advances in medicine, food, water and air purification, clean energy developments and crisis management solutions. Dramatic as it may sound, it is not an exaggeration to say that technological advances save lives when used responsibly. Instead of looking at the onward march of technology as a criminal or culprit in the various woes of humanity we need to consider it from the more realistic and opportunistic perspective of, “How can we use this technology? How can we develop it to better serve our needs?” Like Prometheus surely scared his friends by wielding fire, we will no doubt earn criticism and condemnation for allowing and encouraging the pursuit of new technologies, but like Prometheus, it will be easy to ignore those criticisms with a full belly.
My Conclusion 2
It is not hard to find sources that will warn you of the coming robot apocalypse or singularity that will render humans obsolete, either in entertainment - the Matrix or Terminator series - or legitimate science - Ron Kurzweil and the whole school of futuroligists. In part, I agree; computers and technology are capable of terrifying acts of destruction and cold inhumanity. What is important to remember, though, is that none of these acts are possible without human provocation, and the sometimes-scary lifelessness of computers is really only as scary as the lifelessness of a vacuum cleaner or screw driver. In short, they’re tools: Incredibly powerful, important and relied-upon tools, but still just tools. If we ever limit the expansion of technology, we will cost ourselves advances in medicine, food, water and air purification, clean energy developments and crisis management solutions. It is not an exaggeration to say that technological advances save lives when used responsibly. Instead of looking at technology suspiciously, we need to consider it from the perspective of, “How can we use this technology? How can we develop it to better serve our needs?” Like Prometheus surely scared his friends by wielding fire, we will no doubt earn criticism and condemnation for allowing and encouraging the pursuit of new technologies. But, like Prometheus, it will be easy to ignore those criticisms with a full belly - or a robot hygienist meticulously disinfecting our whole house, as the case may be.
First Draft Refutation and Concession
Instructions:
1. Answer the following questions.
2. Write your own refutation and concession.
1. What is my thesis?
Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
2. What is the opposite position?
Eventually, computers will equal or surpass human brains.
3. What arguments can I anticipate?
a) Moore's Law (Computer processors double in power every year). b) Kurzweil, Google's futurologist and singularity poster boy. c) Advances in robot technology mirroring human behavior.
4. How will I counter those arguments?
My Refutation and Concession
1. Answer the following questions.
2. Write your own refutation and concession.
1. What is my thesis?
Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
2. What is the opposite position?
Eventually, computers will equal or surpass human brains.
3. What arguments can I anticipate?
a) Moore's Law (Computer processors double in power every year). b) Kurzweil, Google's futurologist and singularity poster boy. c) Advances in robot technology mirroring human behavior.
4. How will I counter those arguments?
a) Not an actual law, just an observation and prediction that has so far been true. b) Kurzweil is a publicity figure and promotes the idea of a singularity as a tool of self promotion. c) Robotics and CPU power are not parallel.
My Refutation and Concession
Obviously my opinion is not the popular one, despite being the correct one. There are plenty of people who will dispute my position with examples from Ron Kurzweil, or Moore's law, or various recent advances in robotic technology that mimics human behavior. Of course, these arguments are all shortsighted and simply incorrect. First of all, Moore's Law - the prediction that computer power will double every year created by Intel cofounder Gorden E. Moore in 1965 - is really not a law. While it has proven roughly accurate so far, there is no reason to expect that this trend will continue. It's like saying that because the wind has been blowing South for the past hour, it will continue to do the same for eternity. In fact a more recent head of Intel, Bob Colwell, predicted the end of Moore's law to come in the year 2020 due to practical limitations of the physical world. Computers will continue to get more powerful, but they will never reach the computing power necessary to compete with a human brain because of the fact that a transistor can never be created at a size smaller than 5 nanometers. Perhaps my most likely detractor would be Ron Kurzweil, the singularity fanboy that no doubt most other detractors would quickly cite if asked to defend their position. The problem is Kurzweil is little more than a science fiction author with a reputable employer (Google). The truth is that Kurzweil's articulate predictions for the expansion of technology are mere conjecture with no solutions to the barriers people like Bob Colwell anticipate. Perhaps the most obvious reason that he would never concede to the improbability of his hypothesis is that his entire professional career and reputation are staked on the hope that one day the singularity - the moment computers reach consciousness and network together then begin multiplying in numbers and power exponentially - will become a reality. Lastly, and frankly the most laughable counterargument to my position would come from the belief that the modern trend in robotics to humanize their subjects will logically extend to cpus. If we make robots that look like humans, doesn't it make sense that our computers will act like humans, too? No, it doesn't make sense. In fact, we've been copying human movement in primitive toys since 2000 BC in Egypt and self propelled windup robots since the 15th century. The pursuit to artificial intelligence is a unique field that has been a subject of sci fi until only very recently. Humans like making things that look like humans and we always will, but we will never make a computer as smart as a human.
First Draft Confirmation
Instructions:
1. Answer the following questions.
2. Write your confirmation.
3. Start linking to your sources.
1. What is my thesis?
Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
2. What types of source am I using to defend my thesis?
I am using expert opinions, a famous and relevant philosophical example and a fun article.
3. Are my arguments mostly based on evidence, logic or emotion?
My arguments have no hard evidence. In fact, I think that is one of the biggest problems with my confirmation. I have good quotes from famous people, and a good example with the Chinese Room, but no statistics or studies to support my thesis. There are no emotional appeals either, but I don't think those would be useful.
My Confirmation
Perhaps one of the challenges to adequately discussing this topic is the difficulty of defining the human brain in a way that can be compared to a computer so as to compare the power of the two. Let's first look at the human brain through a terrible lens, and one that sci fi concepts seem to constantly attribute to computers: the power to destroy. Perhaps the unique human ability to war and fight at a level unique to our species (Dolphins, as predatory and scary as they may be, will never launch a mortar barrage against an enemy pod or engage in genocide.) so will robots ever reach this uniquely human metric? Computer science professor at the University of Sheffield, England Noel Sharkey says no. "They are just computer systems... the only way they can become dangerous is when used in military applications." To Sharkey, robots and artificial intelligence have the greatest growth potential in toy markets, a strong indication of the potential for nefariousness he sees in future computing technology. He goes on to point out that the largest developments in robotics come not from software, but from their hardware. Robots that can walk or navigate difficult terrain seem to be the new trend for robots mimicking human behavior.
An article from Vox.com makes an interesting case about why computers will never be able to match human intelligence:
Actually, this supposition stems from a famous scenario from philosopher John Searle in the 1980s. He proposed that an Englishman with no knowledge of Chinese, if locked in a room with an instruction manual for reading and writing Chinese characters, could successfully interpret and respond to messages passed under the door to him from a native Chinese speaker on the outside of the room. Theoretically, given enough time, the Englishman could respond so accurately that the native Chinese speaker would be sure that she was in fact corresponding with another native Chinese speaker. Essentially, the Englishman would have passed himself off as a Chinese person with no contextual understanding of what it means to be Chinese. The extension of the argument into artificial intelligence is that even if we create a computer that can mimic and interact with humans so convincingly that we believe we are conversing with a real human, that machine will not be human because it lacks the contextual understandings of humanity.
Whether we define the brain by what it produces (In this paper I discussed the example of war, but many other examples would suffice, art or romance, for example), or in terms of raw computational power or how the experiences that mold each molecularly similar brain into such unique masterpieces the conclusion remains the same: Any computer, no matter how powerful or well conceived, can approach a human level of thought or existence.
1. Answer the following questions.
2. Write your confirmation.
3. Start linking to your sources.
1. What is my thesis?
Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
2. What types of source am I using to defend my thesis?
I am using expert opinions, a famous and relevant philosophical example and a fun article.
3. Are my arguments mostly based on evidence, logic or emotion?
My arguments have no hard evidence. In fact, I think that is one of the biggest problems with my confirmation. I have good quotes from famous people, and a good example with the Chinese Room, but no statistics or studies to support my thesis. There are no emotional appeals either, but I don't think those would be useful.
My Confirmation
Perhaps one of the challenges to adequately discussing this topic is the difficulty of defining the human brain in a way that can be compared to a computer so as to compare the power of the two. Let's first look at the human brain through a terrible lens, and one that sci fi concepts seem to constantly attribute to computers: the power to destroy. Perhaps the unique human ability to war and fight at a level unique to our species (Dolphins, as predatory and scary as they may be, will never launch a mortar barrage against an enemy pod or engage in genocide.) so will robots ever reach this uniquely human metric? Computer science professor at the University of Sheffield, England Noel Sharkey says no. "They are just computer systems... the only way they can become dangerous is when used in military applications." To Sharkey, robots and artificial intelligence have the greatest growth potential in toy markets, a strong indication of the potential for nefariousness he sees in future computing technology. He goes on to point out that the largest developments in robotics come not from software, but from their hardware. Robots that can walk or navigate difficult terrain seem to be the new trend for robots mimicking human behavior.
An article from Vox.com makes an interesting case about why computers will never be able to match human intelligence:
A computer program has never grown up in a human family, fallen in love, been cold, hungry or tired, and so forth. In short, they lack a huge amount of the context that allows human beings to relate naturally to one another.Basically, the argument is that even if a computer can match our brain's computational power (A very far off and unlikely possibility), it will never be able to pass as a human because it lacks the experiences that really create our humanity. Or, in other words, humans are so much more than our brain power - we are the products of our upbringings. Our tenacity, will, passions and dreams all come from the sum of our experiences, not how fast we think. Because of that, computers will not be able to function at a human level of creativity or character.
Actually, this supposition stems from a famous scenario from philosopher John Searle in the 1980s. He proposed that an Englishman with no knowledge of Chinese, if locked in a room with an instruction manual for reading and writing Chinese characters, could successfully interpret and respond to messages passed under the door to him from a native Chinese speaker on the outside of the room. Theoretically, given enough time, the Englishman could respond so accurately that the native Chinese speaker would be sure that she was in fact corresponding with another native Chinese speaker. Essentially, the Englishman would have passed himself off as a Chinese person with no contextual understanding of what it means to be Chinese. The extension of the argument into artificial intelligence is that even if we create a computer that can mimic and interact with humans so convincingly that we believe we are conversing with a real human, that machine will not be human because it lacks the contextual understandings of humanity.
Whether we define the brain by what it produces (In this paper I discussed the example of war, but many other examples would suffice, art or romance, for example), or in terms of raw computational power or how the experiences that mold each molecularly similar brain into such unique masterpieces the conclusion remains the same: Any computer, no matter how powerful or well conceived, can approach a human level of thought or existence.
Fifth Researching
Source: The Main Disadvantages of Internet Learning
http://www.bgiedu.net/the-main-disadvantages-of-internet-learning.php
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find the most fatal influences when students learn through internet routinely.
Notes:
1.One of the biggest disadvantages is that the one-on-one interaction that students get in traditional classrooms cannot be found in online classrooms. Though the person can take the opportunity to communicate with their peers and teacher through email and so forth, they still miss the actually talking.
2.since the online class is more flexible as to when the person can do the homework and assignments, they may find that they develop a sense of procrastination that they did not help before.
3.Online classes can also be much harder for those that are used to traditional classrooms.
4.Many of those that attend online classes may find that they feel isolated. They may feel as if they are the only ones having problems with learning the material since there is no other students that they can talk to about the problem that they are having, like after class at many traditional classrooms.
5.There is tons of freedom for those students that take online classes, however, this freedom can be a dangerous thing if the person cannot handle it.
6.The professor will also not force the material onto the student, so it is up to the student to learn the material on their own without being pushed by the instructor. This is a huge problem for many students who are just not ready for such freedom.
Final Thoughts:
I found different kinds of informations that I couldn't think of. I think next time I need to find disadvantages for not just students but also teachers.
http://www.bgiedu.net/the-main-disadvantages-of-internet-learning.php
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find the most fatal influences when students learn through internet routinely.
Notes:
1.One of the biggest disadvantages is that the one-on-one interaction that students get in traditional classrooms cannot be found in online classrooms. Though the person can take the opportunity to communicate with their peers and teacher through email and so forth, they still miss the actually talking.
2.since the online class is more flexible as to when the person can do the homework and assignments, they may find that they develop a sense of procrastination that they did not help before.
3.Online classes can also be much harder for those that are used to traditional classrooms.
4.Many of those that attend online classes may find that they feel isolated. They may feel as if they are the only ones having problems with learning the material since there is no other students that they can talk to about the problem that they are having, like after class at many traditional classrooms.
5.There is tons of freedom for those students that take online classes, however, this freedom can be a dangerous thing if the person cannot handle it.
6.The professor will also not force the material onto the student, so it is up to the student to learn the material on their own without being pushed by the instructor. This is a huge problem for many students who are just not ready for such freedom.
Final Thoughts:
I found different kinds of informations that I couldn't think of. I think next time I need to find disadvantages for not just students but also teachers.
Fourth Researching
Source: The Main Disadvantages of Internet Learning
http://www.bgiedu.net/the-main-disadvantages-of-internet-learning.php
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find the most fatal influences when students learn through internet routinely.
Notes:
1.One of the biggest disadvantages is that the one-on-one interaction that students get in traditional classrooms cannot be found in online classrooms. Though the person can take the opportunity to communicate with their peers and teacher through email and so forth, they still miss the actually talking.
2.since the online class is more flexible as to when the person can do the homework and assignments, they may find that they develop a sense of procrastination that they did not help before.
3.Online classes can also be much harder for those that are used to traditional classrooms.
4.Many of those that attend online classes may find that they feel isolated. They may feel as if they are the only ones having problems with learning the material since there is no other students that they can talk to about the problem that they are having, like after class at many traditional classrooms.
5.There is tons of freedom for those students that take online classes, however, this freedom can be a dangerous thing if the person cannot handle it.
6.The professor will also not force the material onto the student, so it is up to the student to learn the material on their own without being pushed by the instructor. This is a huge problem for many students who are just not ready for such freedom.
Final Thoughts:
I found different kinds of informations that I couldn't think of. I think next time I need to find disadvantages for not just students but also teachers.
http://www.bgiedu.net/the-main-disadvantages-of-internet-learning.php
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find the most fatal influences when students learn through internet routinely.
Notes:
1.One of the biggest disadvantages is that the one-on-one interaction that students get in traditional classrooms cannot be found in online classrooms. Though the person can take the opportunity to communicate with their peers and teacher through email and so forth, they still miss the actually talking.
2.since the online class is more flexible as to when the person can do the homework and assignments, they may find that they develop a sense of procrastination that they did not help before.
3.Online classes can also be much harder for those that are used to traditional classrooms.
4.Many of those that attend online classes may find that they feel isolated. They may feel as if they are the only ones having problems with learning the material since there is no other students that they can talk to about the problem that they are having, like after class at many traditional classrooms.
5.There is tons of freedom for those students that take online classes, however, this freedom can be a dangerous thing if the person cannot handle it.
6.The professor will also not force the material onto the student, so it is up to the student to learn the material on their own without being pushed by the instructor. This is a huge problem for many students who are just not ready for such freedom.
Final Thoughts:
I found different kinds of informations that I couldn't think of. I think next time I need to find disadvantages for not just students but also teachers.
Third Researching
Source:The challenges of teaching online
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/teachers/articles/teaching_online.htm
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find difficulties when teaching online.
Notes:
1. Much of online teaching takes place without seeing the students so the teacher is not able to gauge students reaction easily.This does not help teacher to pace the lesson effectively.
2. Technical competence and confidence is required when teaching online. Teachers should have ability to master a new set of communication tools like email or chat.
3. Teachers need to be aware that the content has to be prepared thoroughly in advance.
4. Teachers should establish rules about standards of netiquette.
5. Teachers have to make sure that they know who can help them when technical support is needed. ( in case of complicated technical problems)
Final Thoughts:
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/teachers/articles/teaching_online.htm
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find difficulties when teaching online.
Notes:
1. Much of online teaching takes place without seeing the students so the teacher is not able to gauge students reaction easily.This does not help teacher to pace the lesson effectively.
2. Technical competence and confidence is required when teaching online. Teachers should have ability to master a new set of communication tools like email or chat.
3. Teachers need to be aware that the content has to be prepared thoroughly in advance.
4. Teachers should establish rules about standards of netiquette.
5. Teachers have to make sure that they know who can help them when technical support is needed. ( in case of complicated technical problems)
Final Thoughts:
I knew that online teaching requires much of effort and preparation than classical teaching.
First Draft Narration
Instructions:
1. Write your thesis.
2. Answer questions 1, 2 and 3.
3. Write your Narration.
My persuasive argument thesis is: Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
Everyone knows that computers are extremely powerful. Everyone knows they are vital to modern life. We have computers in our phones, watches, air-con and some of us have them in our bodies. People are exposed to sci-fi movies and books where computers take over the world and enslave people, so some people have an irrational fear about the future of computers. Also, even though we use computers so frequently, it should be noted that many people have no idea how computers really work.
1. Write your thesis.
2. Answer questions 1, 2 and 3.
3. Write your Narration.
My persuasive argument thesis is: Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
1. What do people already know about my topic?
2. What research has already been done about my topic?
Humans will remain at the top of the food chain. Computers will be incapable of autonomy. Technology will evolve, humans will need to adapt, but we will never be outsmarted by machines. If people ignore me, they will waste a lot of time, energy and stress worrying about an unrealistic future. They will ignore more realistic threats like global warming or political
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/dnnvision-071414.aspx - Good example of computers learning, especially the speed of growth of computer ability and knowledge. Still limited to very niche application, though.
https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/faq/computing - Interesting new effort at recreating the human brain, and also a nice list of its limitations and challenges to create it.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/22/computers-cleverer-than-humans-15-years - prominent specialist's opinion that disagrees with my own. I can mention that his career and reputation benefit from such predictions.
https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/faq/computing - Interesting new effort at recreating the human brain, and also a nice list of its limitations and challenges to create it.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/22/computers-cleverer-than-humans-15-years - prominent specialist's opinion that disagrees with my own. I can mention that his career and reputation benefit from such predictions.
3. What are the implications of my argument (What if I'm right? What if I'm right and people ignore me?)
Humans will remain at the top of the food chain. Computers will be incapable of autonomy. Technology will evolve, humans will need to adapt, but we will never be outsmarted by machines. If people ignore me, they will waste a lot of time, energy and stress worrying about an unrealistic future. They will ignore more realistic threats like global warming or political
My Narration
Since Samuel Butler first expressed his fears of the rapid development of machinery, humans have fixated on this imagined future where we are enslaved or worse by our own creations. Considering he said, "There is no security against the ultimate development of mechanical consciousness," in the 19th century, before computers, his words proved surprisingly salient. Despite the fact that computers are indisputably growing in terms of computational power at an incredible rate, there is no reason to realistically fear a computer that can work autonomously in any meaningful way, let alone outsmart a human. Consider Microsoft's Project Adam. The software can sort and organize millions of photos quickly and accurately by analyzing the images. It can distinguish between extremely similar looking breeds of dogs in a photo, for example. Practically this means you might one day be able to do an image search for a sweater you want, oh, say, "a mauve cashmere sweater with 3/4 lengths sleeves," and without any cumbersome text based tagging or sorting the search engine will analyze every single image on the internet and parse out all the cashmere sweaters that aren't mauve or have full sleeves. An impressive accomplishment. This represents one of the most incredible achievements of practical computing today. However, even this breakthrough in computing technology does nothing to narrow the gap between computer and human intelligence. The technology cannot operate independently of human involvement. The technology is still responding entirely to human based input, on human based instructions with human programmers and human technology feeding it, like electricity or data from the internet.
Or, to look at an example of cutting edge technology trying more directly to mirror the power of the human brain, let's consider the Human Brain Project's effort to recreate the human brain's neural network by networking millions of computers. Their hope is that one day the network will be so sophisticated that it will have the same plasticity and power of a human brain. Even though there are real people with real plans to accomplish this, on their own website they acknowledge how unfeasible this project is in reality, and why even if it is created it will not really rival human brain power. First, the power consumption of their current model is more than an obstacle, it is a concrete barrier. The technology required would require hundreds of millions of times the power of the human brain. That means that to power one single hypothetical brain, it would require the entire power production of several small countries combined - for one "brain".
If we examine the thinkers that predict a world of computers thinking on a human level we encounter a mostly deluded camp of sci-fi lovers who base their theories on Star Wars inspired fantasy more than any facts. Even the serious and respected thinkers, like Ray Kurzweil, Google's "futurologist" (Even the title invites mockery, doesn't it?) have questionable motives when they make predictions about computers that think like people in 15 years. The existence of his job relies on the hope that one day computers can reach that level. Similarly, Kurzweil's reputation would suffer if the idea that computer's will match our thinking power became common place. Certainly The Guardian would be less interested in him.
Artificial intelligence, and the abiding fears of computer-powered dominion over humans, are common place and popular fodder for idle discussion. However, when considered in reality these fears are misguided, and the hope of a computer as smart as a human is absurd.
If we examine the thinkers that predict a world of computers thinking on a human level we encounter a mostly deluded camp of sci-fi lovers who base their theories on Star Wars inspired fantasy more than any facts. Even the serious and respected thinkers, like Ray Kurzweil, Google's "futurologist" (Even the title invites mockery, doesn't it?) have questionable motives when they make predictions about computers that think like people in 15 years. The existence of his job relies on the hope that one day computers can reach that level. Similarly, Kurzweil's reputation would suffer if the idea that computer's will match our thinking power became common place. Certainly The Guardian would be less interested in him.
Artificial intelligence, and the abiding fears of computer-powered dominion over humans, are common place and popular fodder for idle discussion. However, when considered in reality these fears are misguided, and the hope of a computer as smart as a human is absurd.
First Draft Introduction
Everyday we marvel at the power of our tiny computing devices - a phone that knows if it is in a purse or not, a watch that tracks your calendar, or shoes that help you exercise optimally by measuring your heart rate. However, we usually forget perhaps the most amazing computing device we all have - our brains. Perhaps computers can beat the brain in certain, limited computational tasks, but the overall performance of the brain out-performs every man made object to date. Think about it - Your brain keeps you balanced while you walk, helps you decide when and what to eat, regulates your emotions and allows for all art and culture ever produced. Actually, you couldn't even think about this without your brain, a task no computer could accomplish. Although computers are constantly evolving, they will never be as powerful as the human brain.
1. Attention grabber -
I attracted the audience by describing a familiar situation to them, commonplace and powerful technology. Then I pointed out something most of them forget - they themselves are actually incredible computational powerhouses.
2. Explains the topic -
In the attention grabber I introduce all the elements of my topic: Human computational power, computer computational power, and the comparison of the two.
3. My thesis -
It is clear, direct and an argument. I thought the argument "Human brains are more powerful than computers" was too simple and nobody would dispute it. I changed it to a better argument, computers will NEVER be as powerful as the human brain.
1. Attention grabber -
I attracted the audience by describing a familiar situation to them, commonplace and powerful technology. Then I pointed out something most of them forget - they themselves are actually incredible computational powerhouses.
2. Explains the topic -
In the attention grabber I introduce all the elements of my topic: Human computational power, computer computational power, and the comparison of the two.
3. My thesis -
It is clear, direct and an argument. I thought the argument "Human brains are more powerful than computers" was too simple and nobody would dispute it. I changed it to a better argument, computers will NEVER be as powerful as the human brain.
Classical argument outline
Please tag or label this post as "classical argument outline".
This is the outline for your 1st draft of your persuasive essay. This is in the classical argument format. If you need more information on the classical argument, check out the sample classical argument or the classical argument PDF.
1. The introduction, which warms up the audience, establishes goodwill and rapport with the readers, and announces the general theme or thesis of the argument.
This is the outline for your 1st draft of your persuasive essay. This is in the classical argument format. If you need more information on the classical argument, check out the sample classical argument or the classical argument PDF.
1. The introduction, which warms up the audience, establishes goodwill and rapport with the readers, and announces the general theme or thesis of the argument.
I will start by describing the situation everyone is already familiar with: Computers are powerful and are becoming more and more powerful. Then I will shift attention to how these current computing powers are not as powerful as the pile of gray matter in each of our heads. I will end with my thesis, "The human brain is the most powerful computation tool in the Universe."2. The narration, which summarizes relevant background material, provides any information the audience needs to know about the environment and circumstances that produce the argument, and set up the stakes-what’s at risk in this question. In academic writing, this often takes the form of a literature review.
I will summarize the research I've done and provide an explanation for how I will quantify or measure the power of the brain in comparison to other computational tools. I will give a brief history of the evolution of computational tools, from the abacus to Big Blue, the famous chess playing computer.3. The confirmation,which lays out in a logical order (usually strongest to weakest or most obvious to most subtle) the claims that support the thesis, providing evidence for each claim.
I will start by examining how computers lack autonomy and therefore any achievement of a computer is really a human achievement. I will examine the ironic list of accomplishments of humans compared to that of computers. I will describe a set of problems that computers can't solve that humans can. I will examine the mathematical comparison between the computational power of the most powerful computers versus the human brain.4. The refutation and concession, which looks at opposing viewpoints to the writer’s claims, anticipating objections from the audience, and allowing as much of the opposing viewpoints as possible without weakening the thesis.
I will concede that certain tasks computers obviously excel at, but in such a limited set of conditions that it doesn't matter. I will use the metaphor of a professional swimmer that can only excel on sunny days with 78% humidity and 22.3 degree water temperature in a room with no windows and a coach that has to micromanage every decision of the swimmer.5. The summation, which provides a strong conclusion, amplifying the force of the argument, and showing the readers that this solution is the best at meeting the circumstances.
I will close with a summary of my previous points, then a brief consideration of the unquantifiable abilities of the human brain, like emotions and creativity that demonstrate a nuanced level of intelligence that computers have not even started to approach. I will end with a reaffirmation of my original thesis.
Articulation
1) My argument
I would like to argue that online learning education should not be implemented to students. We usually think that when there is developed technology, it gives many benefits at first glance. However, I want to emphasize that we need to be more aware of side effects of the developed technology especially in the case of education.
2) How I found my argument Explain how your research helped you find your argument. Or, in other words, how did your research evolve into your argument? Start with your research question.
My first research question was "what are disadvantages of online learning?" Since there are already so many supports about the argument whether online learning is good or bad, I could find choose the best information that I want. Then
3) New research questions What do you still need to know? What is your research plan?
I have several questions that need to be resolved.
a) How can I compare the brain to a modern computer?
b) What areas are the brain objectively and obviously better at than computers?
c) What are the moral implications of possessing the most powerful "thought" apparatus in the world?
I'll continue browsing the internet and looking for interesting articles and keeping track of my research with blog posts.
4) Connections to the Harvard Sampler How is your argument connected to the Harvard Sampler? ANY CONNECTION IS VALID. Please focus on choosing a good argument first, then think about how it is related to the Harvard Sampler. I will help you think of the connection if necessary.
This argument has many connections to the Harvard Sampler. First, it obviously is directly related to the human mind. Second, it connects to medical detectives because there are lots of medical questions about the physical nature of our brain. It also relates to evolution because I can address how the power of the brain is what led to humans being the dominant species on the planet. Last, the internet is the most powerful product and playground of modern computing, so when comparing the mind to computers I will need to look at the mind versus the internet. NOTE: Here I connected the argument to all 4 Harvard Sampler topics. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY. You only need to connect it to one, but can connect it to more if you want.
I would like to argue that online learning education should not be implemented to students. We usually think that when there is developed technology, it gives many benefits at first glance. However, I want to emphasize that we need to be more aware of side effects of the developed technology especially in the case of education.
2) How I found my argument Explain how your research helped you find your argument. Or, in other words, how did your research evolve into your argument? Start with your research question.
My first research question was "what are disadvantages of online learning?" Since there are already so many supports about the argument whether online learning is good or bad, I could find choose the best information that I want. Then
3) New research questions What do you still need to know? What is your research plan?
I have several questions that need to be resolved.
a) How can I compare the brain to a modern computer?
b) What areas are the brain objectively and obviously better at than computers?
c) What are the moral implications of possessing the most powerful "thought" apparatus in the world?
I'll continue browsing the internet and looking for interesting articles and keeping track of my research with blog posts.
4) Connections to the Harvard Sampler How is your argument connected to the Harvard Sampler? ANY CONNECTION IS VALID. Please focus on choosing a good argument first, then think about how it is related to the Harvard Sampler. I will help you think of the connection if necessary.
This argument has many connections to the Harvard Sampler. First, it obviously is directly related to the human mind. Second, it connects to medical detectives because there are lots of medical questions about the physical nature of our brain. It also relates to evolution because I can address how the power of the brain is what led to humans being the dominant species on the planet. Last, the internet is the most powerful product and playground of modern computing, so when comparing the mind to computers I will need to look at the mind versus the internet. NOTE: Here I connected the argument to all 4 Harvard Sampler topics. THIS IS NOT NECESSARY. You only need to connect it to one, but can connect it to more if you want.
Second Researching
Source: What Are the Disadvantages of Online Schooling for Higher Education?
http://education-portal.com/articles/What_are_the_Disadvantages_of_Online_Schooling_for_Higher_Education.html
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find more informations and accurate supports
Notes:
Student Perspective
<Less instructional Support>
1.Some students may see the lack of face-to-face interaction and one-on-one interaction even though teachers can instruct students through online means such as e-mail.
2. There can be a frustrated relationship between teachers and students who are having hard problems with course materials because of a lack of communication.
<Issues with required skill>
1. Because online coursework is mostly dependent on reading and writing, it can make students who prefer hands-on-training feel discouraged.
2. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), students can be excluded by a lack of access to the technology and be discouraged by technical problems. Especially for adult students, computer anxiety or a lack of technological proficiency may also impede learning.
Final Thoughts:
I could understand some disadvantages from students perspective but I couldn't understand disadvantages from instructors' view. I think I need to find disadvantages from teachers perspective too.
http://education-portal.com/articles/What_are_the_Disadvantages_of_Online_Schooling_for_Higher_Education.html
My Topic: Online Learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find more informations and accurate supports
Notes:
Student Perspective
<Less instructional Support>
1.Some students may see the lack of face-to-face interaction and one-on-one interaction even though teachers can instruct students through online means such as e-mail.
2. There can be a frustrated relationship between teachers and students who are having hard problems with course materials because of a lack of communication.
<Issues with required skill>
1. Because online coursework is mostly dependent on reading and writing, it can make students who prefer hands-on-training feel discouraged.
2. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), students can be excluded by a lack of access to the technology and be discouraged by technical problems. Especially for adult students, computer anxiety or a lack of technological proficiency may also impede learning.
Final Thoughts:
I could understand some disadvantages from students perspective but I couldn't understand disadvantages from instructors' view. I think I need to find disadvantages from teachers perspective too.
2014년 8월 24일 일요일
Researching
Source: The Main Disadvantages of Internet Learning
http://www.bgiedu.net/the-main-disadvantages-of-internet-learning.php
My Topic: Online learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find the most fatal influences when students learn through internet routinely.
Notes:
1. The one-on-one interaction cannot be found in online classrooms.
Teachers and students communicate through online so they miss actual talking and this is why students cannot develop public speaking techniques.
2. Online classes can be much harder for students who are used to traditional classrooms because students need technological skills to follow instructions.
3. Students that take online classes have tons of freedom and this can be dangerous if students cannot handle it.
Final Thoughts:
I could not find a lot of information!! I need more information plus some exact supports.
http://www.bgiedu.net/the-main-disadvantages-of-internet-learning.php
My Topic: Online learning education should not be implemented to students.
What I hope to learn from this source:
I would like to find the most fatal influences when students learn through internet routinely.
Notes:
1. The one-on-one interaction cannot be found in online classrooms.
Teachers and students communicate through online so they miss actual talking and this is why students cannot develop public speaking techniques.
2. Online classes can be much harder for students who are used to traditional classrooms because students need technological skills to follow instructions.
3. Students that take online classes have tons of freedom and this can be dangerous if students cannot handle it.
Final Thoughts:
I could not find a lot of information!! I need more information plus some exact supports.
Research Proposal
*What is my current topic?
I would like to write my persuasive essay about foreign languages but since it has to be related to the harvard sampler, I decided to focus more on the topic about education.
*What are my guiding questions?
I have thought about combining internet with education. As internet technology develops, it can play an important role in education. However, I want to argue that there are also disadvantages when internet technology takes possesion of an education part.
*What are my current thoughts?
Even though there are many benefits and conveniences when using internet technology, I would like to persuade people that there can be unexpected side effects.
*What is the opposition?
Many people can think that e-learning is beneficial because it is quick and not complicated. Opponents can argue that there needs to be a technology innovation in education too.
I would like to write my persuasive essay about foreign languages but since it has to be related to the harvard sampler, I decided to focus more on the topic about education.
*What are my guiding questions?
I have thought about combining internet with education. As internet technology develops, it can play an important role in education. However, I want to argue that there are also disadvantages when internet technology takes possesion of an education part.
*What are my current thoughts?
Even though there are many benefits and conveniences when using internet technology, I would like to persuade people that there can be unexpected side effects.
*What is the opposition?
Many people can think that e-learning is beneficial because it is quick and not complicated. Opponents can argue that there needs to be a technology innovation in education too.
Brainstroming
Brainstorm thoughts about the various topics, what are you curious about?
What do you want to write a persuasive essay about?
-Education, foreign languages (English and Spanish)
http://byrneelementaryed.blogspot.kr/2012/03/should-foreign-languages-be-taught-in.html
http://lubbockonline.com/education/2014-10-20/multicultural-classroom-educators-encourage-foreign-language-courses-changing#.VEzIicu_lq1
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141006000800
What do you want to write a persuasive essay about?
-Education, foreign languages (English and Spanish)
http://byrneelementaryed.blogspot.kr/2012/03/should-foreign-languages-be-taught-in.html
http://lubbockonline.com/education/2014-10-20/multicultural-classroom-educators-encourage-foreign-language-courses-changing#.VEzIicu_lq1
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141006000800
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