Sunday, February 26, 2012

Blog Assignment Number 4

What do I have to say about blogging?? Hmm...well I must admit, as all of you can surely see, no matter how much I use the internet to communicate, I still haven't gotten used to the fact of using it for schoolwork. Take for instance the very fact that this will have been the SECOND blog assignment I am at least one day late for! How easy an assignment it could have been and yet, how ridiculously I have managed to screw that very thing little thing up!

Moving on, I think blog assignments teach you how to be a better communicator to the world its self! As people of the 21st century, we have gotten so accustomed to texting, and talking with incorrect grammar, and because of this, we hardly ever have any clue what we mean! Sure, it can be easy to carry on a conversation with someone: Act interested, nod, use emotion, change your tone, etc...but do we actually even know what point(s) we are trying to get across? Most of the time the answer to that question is NO :) Blogging helps us write down our ideas in our head so that we are able to review them and bring meaning to them.

While journaling may seem like a terrific idea for getting ideas across to US, no one actually gets to see how we have evolved as people like you do with a blog or a website. Plus, it gives you a free audience to try and prove your thoughts and opinions to people all over; or at least share with them a new aspect of an idea that maybe no one else has even ever thought about. I think I've realized this most in my research, because while in my past I've done these projects before, I don't think I've ever actually gotten the full grasp of the concept or even understood the full point of doing the project itself. Its usually the same step-process every single time: Get the project, do it/get it done, and turn it in for the best grade possible. Yet, as I've moved on to college I've found that thinking about my projects in the process of them all is the whole point of the project itself! It teaches you something, if done correctly!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Third Blog Assignment

1) I will be writing to an audience that consists of parents of children and people who want to be in charge of their health in order to prevent the risk of obtaining asthma. I now have a better understanding as to why my topic is a timely one to be aware of: Everyone who may either have a family background of asthma or is afraid of environmental effects on people as well as prevention of asthma and it spreading across the world, especially with children. I am very invested in this topic because I, for one, have asthma and was confused as to why people without a family background in it (genetics) could get the same thing I have...even sometimes with worse effects. I think high school teachers were just interested in the assignment itself: to see that we could write a supportive essay that explained something. College teachers want you to benefit from your writing and care that you have learned something.
2) I am actually seeing a minimal amount of differences in viewpoints concerning my topic. They are all fairly consistant : indoor pollution (mold, animal dander, dust mites) the same stuff everywhere I look...thenagain, it is based solely on environmental factors.
3)I never knew that environmental factors would ever concern indoor factors...especially concerning asthma. I knew that there were things everywhere that affected it and made it worse, but never actually thought that it could be caused by a factor in and indoor climate.
4)I commented on Sarah Hudson's blog post number 2 about how pets have a positive influence on humans

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

2nd Blog post (oopsies i forgot)

SO far the most interesting source that I've found (even though its apart from my main question: "What Environmental Factors Affect/Cause Asthma?")is an NC document study covering breastfeeding and childhood asthma. Apparently in 2005, The NC Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program (CHAMP) did a follow-up survey to show how breastfed children are less likely to have childhood asthma. This of course was aside from the fact of environmental factors of asthma. I don't think it necessarily altered my question, it just made me want to do research on breastfeeding and its effects on a child's health and growth as a whole.
I think the biggest challenges I'm facing right now are finding different sources with other interesting facts. I'm afraid that the only "known" environmental factors dealing with asthma that are out there for the public, are the ones that everyone already knows about....lets get interesting ppl!

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

My Research Topic :)

Hello all! I'm so psyched about finally being able to "speak" without writing down words on a paper! Blogging is so much more down to earth and friendly, and I can't wait to finally have the time to think things through.

For my research topic, I chose Asthma and the leading factors that make it so popular, as well comparing that research to people who are born with it! In other words, I want to know the difference. Why is it that some people are born with Asthma, and other people get it later in life? I was especially interested in this topic because...I was born with Asthma and have met others who have just recently gotten it.
This topic is timely because there are so many things dealing with Asthma alone and there are tons of new books being written about it every day. I think it is important to know about the leading factors that cause Asthma because we need to start taking better care of ourselves. As a person who has had it all of her life, I for one can't really say I know what its like to live without Asthma, but if I could...I would!
I think there will be tons of information! There are so many environmental problems and I can't wait to "breakdown" that info. Plus, they are just now starting to come out with better inhalers!
After following certain scholars, I have learned that while many would agree that Asthma is caused by environmental factors, some say it deals with genetics. Apparently there is still much to learn! I would agree that Asthma is caused by genetics partially, because my brother had it as well as my great grandfather, yet have known people in their later years who seemed to get it randomly. Why?! And is this Asthma that they have as bad as mine? I've had it forever yet, can't imagine it being worse for people based off of the enviroment. For if so, what kind of place is this earth we so easily call home?

More to come