Week 5: BLOG #2 Youth & Digital Access

TRIANGLE
In the article, Digital Divides Research; its main focus is inequality, access and society. There has always been a gap between those who have technology in their homes and those who do not. During this research inequality was observed. Inequality has persisted for some time but, when it comes to technology it creates a gap. For instance, concepts of inequality in terms of possessions, status and profession have still been relevant in many cases. Some of the children that live in lower income household do not have a computer, vs. those who are middle class and are always exploring different alternatives to have fun. Technology access should be seen as a process with many technological causes and not as a single event of obtaining particular technology. There are several types of access, first a computer user has to acquire operational skills, then the individual has to develop and apply information skills and finally strategic skills. Usage access is the final stage and ultimate goal of the process of technological appropriation in its applications. Non- users are relatively scarce due to the lack of money and skills that they might have. Another striking result from digital skills research is that people learn more of these skills in practice, by trial and error, than in formal educational settings. There are different types of access to technology, but in this research the most educated get an opportunity to do best with technology access. Society has different believes some believe that without education there is no high income, but the truth is that society has shaped the world into what it wants the world to be. Current computer and internet have notoriously statistics. Technology will be changing constantly and some of the change that will occur is for the best of its people.

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I agree that technology has many important aspects in children; this is because they build many skills. School is a great place to learn some of these skills. For instance, many of the teachers teach their students to write a resume. This is extremely important for the student because they are learning how to construct a resume and skills.

CIRCLE
In the video, Virtually Equal, it is interesting to know that many children have the access to technology. But, this is not true for children that are living in poverty, because some of these children have limited access to technology. One of the issues that children are facing is that some are becoming addictive to some games that the internet has. This could have a negative effect in the children. What can be done so that children do not become addicted to the internet?

Week 5: BLOG #1Youth and Tensions in Education -Fostering Digital Innovation or Digital Narcissism?

TRIANGLE:
In the reading, Getting over the Slump, it focuses on academic performance, digital media and the challenges that are associated with in it. Many of the highs school students are not learning the skills that they are required. Their performance has changed in the past years. Academic performance varies among children. For instance, fourth-graders can decode, but many of them cannot read to learn because they are unable to negotiate the language and its content. According to the reading, Getting over the Slump, kids are already attracted to digital games and anything that is has digital media. Many times digital media can become effective when its combined with teaching. This will allow teacher to begin to study different trajectories toward mastery by giving students constant feedback based on this knowledge, and then assess learners in terms of trajectories. Many children are being mentored at their homes while other only learn in school. This is a huge disadvantage to students that live in a home where no mentoring is available. Many students today, especially from low-income families, do not get early language preparation for schooling The other gap is a newer emerging one, which is connected to the skills in our rapidly changing world. It is a digital gap, between those students who can leverage technical skills and technological knowledge. These challenges will always persist.

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In the video, Interview with Mark Bauerlein, I agree that teenagers do not care as much about literature as what they did before. This is because teenagers are more into social network and this gives them less time to study. Many teenagers like to have friends and have fun, but this is harming them as a whole because they are in their own world. As Mark states, friends are not going to help you learn your vocabulary. This is true but, technology has shaped teenagers in a different way.

CIRCLE
It is interesting to know that technology is changing the world around us. In the video, Special Reports, many believe that teenagers do not care about school as much as they did before. It is interesting that social network has been more important than school. How can teenagers learn the importance of being more concentrated in school and their career instead, of their computer and cell phones?

Week 4: BLOG #5 Family and Community Violence: Gang Intervention Efforts

TRIANGLE
In the video, Glen Mills Gang: Arrested Without Locks and Bars, Glen Mills is an institution alternative to any prison. This school has several benefits for the youth that are placed here. Its main focus is to change behavior, education opportunity and rehabilitation. Those who are put in Glen Mill have norms that they have to follow. For instance, they do not allow running on campus. They are also required to have a change in behavior, because they are being taught academics and correction. This is a benefit for them because these juveniles get the opportunity to change their perspective of schooling because the staffs have a positive attitude at all times. Many of the members have engaged positively in their educational goals. Some of the youths here have had the opportunity to graduate and obtain a GED. Some get vocational training, which helps them to work on what they would do for a job in the future. These techniques are important because they have the opportunity to grow individually. They also get some other important opportunities such as getting credits for college. Many of the students are engaged in sports and they are accepted in the gang. Once a month they get together to get an award, this give them the opportunity to encourage themselves on doing better in a daily basis. When a new person comes in they encourage them to do their best. Positive behavior is accomplishes by having a positive attitude. This is the best place to give others the opportunity to talk and give their opinions. Student counseling gives them the opportunity to speak out and by letting them engage in a conversation. This gives them the opportunity to grow as a group with the respect and the confidence that they need to accomplish what they want. They are a stronger gang in this institution, but also a more committed gang.

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I agree that many programs aim towards violence prevention, but most of the time it is achieved if the person really wants to put violence to an end. This programs main focus is on crime prevention. For instance, in the reading Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention, it takes a closer look at intervention. This was an important factor because it stops violence by putting problem resolution strategies into play. This was one of the most successful programs because they looked at the problem and looked for ways to resolve it.

CIRCLE
In many circumstances some of the youth that are involved with gangs or any criminal activity do not get an opportunity to rehabilitate. But, for many being placed in an institution that will help them become a better individual is better than being put in jail. It was interesting to know that many individuals still have an opportunity to be back in society. How can a teenager stay out of problems when coming back into society? Will they become involved in gangs and violence or will this stop?

Week 4: BLOG #4 Family and Community Violence: Globalization and International Gangs

TRIANGLE
In the article, The Global Impact on Gangs, it gives a wide understanding on the importance of gang research. Gangs affect the community at an international level. The growth of gangs is an epidemic, there are gangs worldwide. Gangs have impacted the community with its culture, economy and social control. Gangs have their own culture and they are changing each time. According to the article, the power of rap music has strong influence that culture is in decline, and even more so in subcultures. Also, Muslim youth gang members enforce Sharia in Nigeria, while wearing gold chains, using and selling drugs, and listening to rap music. This has become a type of gang culture among the members. In the recent studies it shows that gangs make high revenue. For instance, in the UN made more than 400 billion annually from drug dealing. This type of crime is linked to the drug cartels. This is a crime for which many are benefiting from. Youths have become a major target for drug cartels. Despite that drug dealing makes a profitable business, the ones who sell it don’t get paid as much. Many decide to sell these narcotics because they are facing extreme poverty and this is the only way out of poverty. Gangs have control over some of its people. Many of the youth that get involved are those who are in poverty and this are the ones more vulnerable to such violence. This social control has become a huge issue because gangs not only control youth that are becoming involved they are also involved and control the real estate market, politics and community organizations.

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I agree that the most vulnerable to becoming involved in the gangs are those are in poverty. This is because the gang members take advantage of those who are in need. This has become an international problem and it will be difficult to stop these organizations because they have grown in a rapid rate. They have also become dangerous to the community.

CIRCLE
It was interesting to know that the gangs did not originate in the United States. Since there was a lot of violence by such gangs in California, I believed that it all begun here. According to the article, gangs have formed all over the world whenever and wherever industrialization and related processes drive people into cities. Many of the gangs that were formed in the early 18th century were formed in Hong Kong, China. How can such violence expand worldwide? Can this cycle be stopped?

Week 4: BLOG#3 Family and Community Violence: Generational Gang Membership

TRIANGLE
In the video, Nuestra Familia, Our Family, it gives us a broad understanding on why some teenagers get involved and what the results become. Nuestra Familia is the most violent gang that there is in California. Salinas is a little town, but knows it is not the way it used to be. The peace that was once there has become fear to most of the residents. Nuestra Familia is all about respect, violence and rivalry. Many of the teenagers that get involved in Nuestra Familia believe that they are part of a family; they feel that they are at home. In this particular documentary what gets many involved is the welcoming of the gang members that are already involved and they feel safe when they are around them. When teenagers are having problems at home with their family they look for friends and if those friends give them trust and respect they will most likely be with them most of the time. Lack of parental attention could lead many of the teenagers into an environment that is unknown to them and it will affect them later in the future. Nuestra Familia is a gang that is controlled by some prisoners, but once you’re in the gang there is no way to get out. Many of the gang members have murdered innocent people, this occurs when they are doing drive bys. There was a boy in the documentary named Armando which at age twelve committed an armed robbery. His problems began when he was in and out of youth and adult prisons. Rivalry of opposite gang members have always created problems, many believe that being violent to their revelry will protect the others. Nuestra Familia rivals are the surenos, which are the south. The do not take any disrespect form the rivalry. They fight for territory and things that do not really matter. But, despite of all the violence associated with the gang members they are a family and it is difficult to break the cycle. Teenagers that get involved in gangs do it because they have been growing up in the same kind of environment, which encourages them to commit crime for money. Drug dealing has become a big part in the gang, because it is easy money and control.

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I agree that many times teenagers get involved in the gangs because they feel peer pressure. But, even if there is peer pressure they have the opportunity to say no. This could be difficult for many because they are trying to impress their friends or fit into that particular environment that was difficult to be in at the beginning. Many teenagers should stop because they will destroy their lives and the lives of others.

CIRCLE
It is interesting that many teenagers that were involved in Nuestra Familia were children of the oldest gang members in that particular gang. Parents get their children exposed to many problems that they are facing, mainly to benefit the race. This was because they wanted to have the opportunity to expand. Being involved in a gang is a cycle in which many teenagers become exposed each day. How can gang involvement be stopped?

Week 4: BLOG #2 Family and Community Violence: Youth & Gang Violence - U.S. Perspectives

TRIANGLE
Youth gang violence has been increasing and this has become a major problem for the general population. In the reading, Longitudinal Perspectives on Adolescent Street Gangs, prior to joining a gang, gang members do not have significant higher rates of gun ownership than non members, but they are more likely to engage in gun delinquency. Gang involvement is dangerous, because the main issues that surround them are delinquency, drug use and problematic transitions. Delinquency is associated with gang members in one way or another. Their delinquent trajectory begins when they join the others. The study concluded that adolescents involved in delinquent behavior are more likely to drop out of school. There is a tendency for the level of drug involvement to increase with the onset of gang membership. For example, drug sales and drug use increase during the first year of involvement. Drug use also remains high after periods of active membership. Problematic transitions in adulthood occur when these teenagers decide to drop out of school. Many times this is the best thing to do because they see their future with the other gang members. During that time they do not realize how dangerous this could become for them or how this could affect their future in a negative way. Early pregnancy is also a problem that many teens face when they leave their home, but this is only a beginning of a changing world to these teenagers. Many believe that being a member of a gang during adolescence will be associated with disrupted transitions from adolescence to adulthood and which will later impact life chances. But the truth is that being part of a gang is dangerous and death rates in gang are 7% per person per year.

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I agree that sometimes teens are prone to doing some of the crimes because they see money in between. In the video, Why Do Crack Dealers Still Live With Their Moms, Steven points out that teenagers that see a roll of money are tempted to go ahead and spend it. In the mean while, they will owe the leader the money and be forced to be part of the business. Many of the teenagers that enter the gang, will find it difficult to leave because they are becoming used to an illicit environment along with the violence associated with it.

CIRCLE
I would of never have compared an illicit business with any corporate business. But in the video, Why Do Crack Dealers Still Live With their Moms, Steven compared the drug business with McDonalds because they have a hierarchy that they go thru as in whatever business that is out there. I was unaware that in the drug business had a hierarchy that is extremely important. Most of the time the gang members that are at the top, are those who have more time in the business. How can teenagers be helped to get out of the business?

Week 4: BLOG #1 Family and Community Violence: Domestic Violence and Youth

TRIANGLE
Domestic violence has become a major issue in the past several years, but the most affected are the children that are watching the violence. In the Journal, Domestic Violence Crimes and Children, it showed that many of the children that were involved in a domestic violence case were more likely to participate with police officers; these children were six years old and younger. In this journal it concluded that 75% of the children that were exposed to the violence were also injured. In the video, The Impact on Domestic Violence on Youth, what impacted children the most were isolation, socialization and struggle. Isolation is a huge thing; if mothers are isolated so are their children, later children believed that this is normal. Isolation begins when kids will not bring their friends home because they know what is going on in their home. Children are reflected on all the ways in which they are treated. They also have limited access to transportation and daily activities. This becomes an issue for them because they are only at home. Socialization changes in many ways for these children. For instance, if a little girl drops something and it breaks, then the older sibling cleans it up before the angry person sees it. This causes lack of communication between the parents and the children and becomes a cycle of fear. Children struggle a lot because they will always give their parents the information that they need when they are in fear. Children are always expecting the worse from there violent parent. This becomes a daily cycle that they will always struggle with. In this case, children will not always be the center of attention. Many children that experience this have to face a lot of stages because they are becoming victims of such acts committed by the family.

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I agree that domestic violence affects a child as a whole, especially younger children that are experiencing such violence in the family atmosphere. In the video, The Impact of Domestic Violence on Youth, research showed that 3-7 million children are exposed to domestic violence annually and that thirty to seventy percent overlap the child abuse. Domestic violence also becomes a trauma for a child because they do not know what to expect and they are always in fear.

CIRCLE
In the video, The Impact of domestic Violence on Youth, it gives a clear explanation that not all of the families that are involved in domestic violence have child protective service orders. This was interesting because I would have expected some of the violence reported prior to escalation to a more serious problem. Case workers will get involved later due to the allegations. Advocates always work to get women out, but sometimes the situation gets worse because fatalities could get worse for these women once they separate. How can women be helped to get out a domestic violence relationship so that it does not affect their children?