JOURNAL SET 3 MULTI-MEDIA ENTRY (REVISED VERSION)

HUMAN GENETIC ENGINEERING

This video is about human genetic engineering and it states that genetic engineering may be beneficial for curing lifelong and deadly diseases, give a chance to parents to choose their babies' gender and people may live longer thanks to it. On the other hand, it may cause discrimination in a society, super diseases and new species of human. That is, its consequences may not be predicted, so what is ethically right and where we will draw the line should be thought before genes are modified.

I agree with the speaker in this video because genetic manipulation may be beneficial for curing some diseases, but it may cause socio-economic differences in the society. In addition, there are some unanswered questions about this manipulation. For example, ‘Which traits are good or bad? ‘Should people live longer?’ Firstly, the possibility of being able to cure deadly and lifelong diseases through genetic manipulation can be a hope for people especially parents having a child with the diseases. However, it may cause more dangerous diseases because of unpredictable consequences of genetic experimentation. Secondly, genetic manipulation may be expensive, so only rich people can reach it and just they can choose their children’s traits like intelligent, skilled in any areas. As a result of this, there may be discrimination between genetically modified people and the others in the society.

In conclusion, on one hand, genetic experimentation may provide better lives for people; on the other hand, it may have negative and unpredictable consequences. Therefore, especially its possible consequences must be thought seriously before genetic experimentation is applied.

JOURNAL SET 2 SOME EFFECTS OF ADVERTISEMENT (REVISED VERSION)

In my opinion, advertising is a double-edged sword. People may buy both the products they need and the things they do not need through advertisements, so they are both beneficial and harmful.

          Firstly, one of the most important advantages of advertisements is that they give information about products to us, so we can remember a product we need and we may have an idea about it thanks to them. However, the aims of the advertisers are to sell the product and make a profit, so they may misrepresent their products and present them as if they were ideal or they may introduce only the good aspects of their products.

Secondly,advertising establishes competition among companies. As a result of this competition, more quality and cheaper products are manufactured. Nonetheless, consumers prefer branded goods because of advertisements although there are the others which are cheaper and more quality. The reason of this is that they do not watch the advertisements of the others in televisions or internet.

   Finally, advertisements enable consumer to be more consciousness. Through advertisements, they may choose the best one for them, because they have already known their options for a product and the qualities of the options. However, advertisements affect people especially children negatively. The children under eight years of age cannot evaluate them critically, so they may easily believe the information which is presented in advertisements.

      In conclusion, advertisements have both advantages and disadvantages, so we should be aware of its benefits and harms, and we should watch them consciously.

MY COMMENTS ON MY FRIENDS' JOURNAL AND MULTI-MEDIA ENTRIES

           

I             I have commented on Gülçin's and Dilek's journal entries. The links:

I    

            >>http://gulcindudukcu.blogspot.com/2012/12/journal-set-1.html#comment-form

            >>http://dilekfazlioglu.blogspot.com/2013/01/journal-set-2-why-do-people-tell-lie.html#comment-form

              I have commented on Nur's and Osman's multi-media entries. The links: 

            >> http://gokdemirsddkanur.blogspot.com/2013/01/journal-set-1_10.html

            >>http://osmangulgun48.blogspot.com/2013/01/set-1-multimedia-entry-this-videois.html#comment-form

ı

     

GROUP WORK

OUR TEACHING DEVICE

ENGLISH LEARNER'S DICTIONARY WITH PRONUNCIATION AND PICTURES

           Our device aims at teaching English vocabularies and their pronunciations for beginner learners especially kids from the ages of 7 to 12. It looks like a notebook, but it is much smaller. It has letter buttons, so one can write anything s/he wants on its keyboard to learn its meaning in the other language. In addition, the pictures of the words can be seen on its screen, which provides children with associating the words with their pictures and learning the words more efficiently. As for its the most important feature, it pronounces the words when one clicks the ''pro'' (pronunciation) button and also by showing happy or sad face, it gives him/her a chance to control his/her pronunciation with ''verf'' ( verification) button. That is, when the ''pro'' button is clicked, it pronounces the word and when the ''verf'' button is clicked, s/he is supposed to pronounce the word correctly. If s/he pronounces it correctly, a happy face shows up on the screen. If not, a sad face shows up on the screen. Furthermore, its size enables people or children to carry it with them everywhere, and its feature of showing pictures of the words makes it entertaining. Besides, its visual and audial traits enable children to learn the words efficiently and permanently. Apart from this, it translates the words from Turkish to English and also English to Turkish.

ZAHİDE HAKAN

İNCİ DEMİR

SIDDIKA NUR GÖKDEMİR

JOURNAL SET 3 (MULTI-MEDIA ENTRY)

HUMAN GENETIC ENGINEERING

This video is about human genetic engineering and it states that genetic engineering may be beneficial for curing lifelong and deadly diseases, give a chance to parents to choose their babies gender and people may live longer thanks to it. On the other hand, it may cause discrimination in society, super diseases and new species of human. That is, its consequences may not be predicted, so what is ethically right and where we will draw the line should be thought before genes are modified.

I agree with the speaker in this video because genetic manipulation may be beneficial for curing the some diseases, but it may cause socio-economic differences in society. In addition, there are some unanswered questions about this manipulation. For example, ‘Which traits are good or bad? ‘Should people live longer?’ Firstly, the possibility of being able to cure deadly and lifelong diseases through genetic manipulation can be a hope for people especially parents having a child with the diseases. However, it may cause more dangerous diseases because of unpredictable consequences of genetic experimentation. Secondly, genetic manipulation may be expensive, so only rich people can reach it and just they can choose their children’s traits like intelligent, skilled in any areas. As a result of this, there may be discrimination between genetically modified people and others in society.

In conclusion, on one hand, genetic experimentation may provide better lives for people; on the other hand, it may have negative and unpredictable consequences. Therefore, especially its possible consequences must be thought seriously before genetic experimentation is applied.

JOURNAL SET 3 GENETIC EXPERIMENTATION

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF GENETIC EXPERIMENTATION

Genetic experimentation may have both positive and negative consequences. It can provide people with better and healthier lives or destroy all their lives.

           Firstly, scientists will be able to create cures for the diseases that are not curable today by manipulating human DNA thanks to recent advances in technology. Moreover, even birth defects, structural and functional abnormalities could be almost totally eliminated if doctors were able to change a child’s genes before birth. However, an accident or an unknown result could cause several problems. An accident in manipulating the genetics of a virus or bacteria could result in a stronger type, if released, it may cause an epidemic. Even worse, accidents in human genetic experimentation could cause problems ranging from minor medical problem to death because the process cannot be reversed once an altered gene is placed in an organism.  

Secondly, curing hereditary diseases and preventing them from passing from future generation could be possible thanks to genetic manipulations, but an accident in this process affects even future generation. Even if it was successful, the release of the new genetically manipulated species may have the possibility of causing an imbalance in the ecology of a region. The changes that they cause on the environment are unpredictable.

Finally, if genetic experimentation was applied by terrorist groups or armies, it could be harmful for human beings. They could develop more powerful biological weapons by manipulating the genetics of viruses. Using these weapons will be more inviting for them because they cannot be noticed easily.

In conclusion, genetic experimentation affects not only a person but also all human being and even future generations, therefore it is much more important to be responsible for its consequences than to apply it.

JOURNAL SET 2 (MULTI-MEDIA ENTRY)

EFFECTS OF JUNK FOOD ADVERTISING ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY

This video focuses on one negative effect of advertising on children. It states that junk food advertising causes childhood obesity in America and there are almost no advertisements for nutritional food.  In addition, it indicates that some fast food companies deceive children by relating their unhealthy food with active lifestyles and persuade children by having playgrounds at their restaurants. Moreover, it claims that certain junk food products are placed at kids’ eye level in markets.

 I am off the opinion that children are interested in active lifestyles and advertising companies sometimes abuse this interest of children. Almost all advertisements targeting children have active characters especially cartoon characters in order to be more attractive. Children watching them think that they will be powerful and active if they consume the junk food in advertisements because they do not evaluate them critically and they can be persuaded more easily than adults. I think advertising companies should this interest of children by promoting healthy and nutritional food. As a result of this, not only they may still make a profit, but also children consume more healthy products and are protected from obesity and the other diseases it may cause. For example, there was an advertising introducing a milk brand, Sütaş. In the advertisement, cows were flying and it was interesting for children in my opinion. This type of advertisement both provides companies with profit and for children to consume healthy products.

In conclusion, advertising companies should be sensitive to children’s health apart from their profit.

JOURNAL SET 2 SOME EFFECTS OF ADVERTISEMENT

In my opinion, advertising is a double-edged sword. People may buy both the products they need and the things they do not need through advertisements, so they are both beneficial and harmful.

          Firstly, one of the most important advantages of advertisements is that they give information about products to us, so we can remember a product we need and we may have an idea about it thanks to them. However, the aims of the advertisers are to sell the product and make a profit, so they may misrepresent their products and present them as if they were ideal or they may introduce only the good aspects of their products.

Secondly,advertising establishes competition between companies. As a result of this competition, more quality and cheaper products are manufactured. Nonetheless, consumers prefer branded goods because of advertisements although there are the others which are cheaper and more quality. The reason of this is that they do not watch the advertisements of the others in televisions or internet.

   Finally, advertisements enable consumer to be more consciousness. Through advertisements, they may choose the best one for them, because they have already known their options for a product and the qualities of the options. However, advertisements affect people especially children negatively. The children under eight years of age cannot evaluate them critically, so they may easily believe the information which is presented in advertisements.

      In conclusion, advertisements have both advantages and disadvantages, so we should be aware of its benefits and harms, and we should watch them consciously.

JOURNAL SET 1 ( MULTI-MEDIA ENTRY)

SINGS OF A PERFECTIONIST

According to Christine Hassler, who speaks about sings of perfectionists in this video, there are ten signs of a perfectionist. These are all or nothing thinking, having a critical eye and ear, pushing too hard, setting unrealistic expectations, obsessing about results, being depressed or disappointed by unmet goals, fearing failure, procrastinating, being defensive and having low self-esteem. I especially agree with the idea that perfectionists may have all-or-none principle, may be depressed or disappointed by unmet goals and are likely to procrastinate their works.

Firstly, a perfectionist thinks that everything must be perfect and flawless. If it is not, it is not good at all. For example, a perfectionist student thinks he must get a full score of a paper or an exam. Otherwise, he supposes he is totally unsuccessful. Secondly, he is depressed and disappointed about unmet goals because he has unrealistic ones. His goals are unattainable because he wants to do everything perfectly, on time and in a very short time. Lastly, he may have a tendency to procrastinate his works because of fearing failure. Failure is unacceptable for a perfectionist, so he may wait too long to start doing anything.

In conclusion, if you have all-or-none principle, are depressed because of unmet aims and postpone your works, you are probably a perfectionist. In my opinion, desire to be perfect is like a virus. If not be taken precautions in time, it just keeps spreading and harming you psychologically, so try to get rid of it. 

JOURNAL SET 1 PERFECTIONISM

                Perfectionism is an attempt to make the best and to reach unrealistic goals.  The desire to be perfect has some possible negative effects on people in my opinion.

                Initially, loss of self-confident and failure may be among possible effects. One who is perfectionists is likely to set unattainable goals and feel pressure on him in order to reach the goals, and this pressure may lead to his constant failure. In addition, because of the constant failure, one blames himself persistently and this may lead to lose his self-confident.

                 Secondly, perfectionist attitudes may cause depression and prevent ones to improve themselves. Perfectionists try to achieve perfection and set unrealistic goals, so not being able to be perfect and reach the goals may make them go into depression. Moreover, perfectionists dare not to learn new things due to fear of failure or making mistakes, so they miss opportunities to improve themselves.

                Finally, perfectionism may cause nervousness. Perfectionists may realize even the smallest error in their work and they think they are unsuccessful because the work is not perfect. This thought may cause them to be nervous all their life. In addition, they cannot bear people who are not like them because they are flawed, irresponsible and frivolous, so living with them may cause them to be irritable.

               In conclusion, the desire to be perfect may make one’s life miserable, so trying to avoid being perfectionist may enable one to be self-confident, successful, happy, open-minded and calm.