Thoreau's Ideas Don't Apply to Today (Argument Essay)

          According to Thoreau men are nothing “but a machine,” and that inventions are “pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things.” Thoreau also claims that fashion is just a way to show people’s prestige and where they belong in the social pyramid. Thoreau has a point however today in 2016 this is untrue because workers are not treated like machines, new inventions don’t distract people but instead help them in jobs and at school, and fashion doesn’t mean social ranking today.

          Thoreau’s ideas don’t apply to today because times have changed and most of these issues that Thoreau claimed have ended. Thoreau was correct when he claimed workers as “machines” but that was true during the second industrial revolution when workers had no rights however, times have changed and Progressive presidents like Theodore Roosevelt have improved workers conditions and today in America workers are not mistreated and they have the right to form labor unions to go against abusive companies. Furthermore, inventions aren’t distractions however, some critics may say that social media and iPhone’s are distractions to students. Nevertheless this is false because todays inventions like social media allow people to socialize and create relationships, plus iPhones allow students to look up help for homework and learn about the subject that is taught at school. In addition, other critics say today fashion today still causes division in social status just like Yeezys show people are rich while vans are for people with less money and the same goes for clothing like ones from Pacsun are more expensive than clothing from Ross or Burlington. However, this is also not true because fashion has a positive effect and that it is to show people's style and personality. Therefore, Thoreau’s ideas don’t apply to today because times have changed. 

As More Schools Embrace Tablets, Do Textbooks Have a Fighting Chance?

                        In As More Schools Embrace Tablets, Do Textbooks Have a Fighting Chance?, by 

Brenda Alvarez on neaToday, Alvarez points our the good and bad of tablets in classrooms and even

though she states the cons she still acknowledges the achievements made in classrooms. Alvarez 

sheds light that tablets are useful because they are up to date with latest versions of textbooks and

information and creates a diverse learning environment. However, Alvarez also discusses the cons 

that some school's wi-fi can not handle tablets and they are to expensive for schools to afford.

                        Analyze: Tablets seem to still have pro and cons when it comes to classroom use. 

Furthermore, with the data stated in the article it clearly shows the evolution in technology in 

classrooms is inevitable and what really needs to happen is find ways to fix the issues with tablets. 

In addition, since tablets need to be checked on and updated this requires some teachers to be

tech-wizs which most aren't so it and it also becomes a tough and time consuming job for teachers to 

run and figure out plans with the new various tools at their disposal. On the other hand the variety of 

tools can make their teaching more effective because teachers can create lesson plans for students

with tablets that can be more interesting and effective making tablets great. One big issue is noted

to school districts and schools with less funding than others because since these schools already used 

their money for tablets how can they possibly have money for technical support which can make 

tablets ineffective because they can't be fixed or updated to reach its full potential. In conclusion, 

tablets are on the rise however, I believe they shouldn't replace textbooks because they introduce 

funding and technological issues that result in gap between poor and rich even though their is some 

positive results.

Alvarez, Brenda. "As More Schools Embrace Tablets, Do Textbooks Have a Fighting Chance? - NEA Today." NEA Today. 31 July 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2016. <http://neatoday.org/2013/07/31/as-more-schools-embrace-tablets-do-textbooks-have-a-fighting-chance-2/>.

Do Tablets Help Learning?

                         In Do Tablets in The Classroom Really Help Children Learn?, by Matthew Lynch on

Gizmodo, Lynch sheds the light on both sides of the argument by giving good examples and bad 

bad examples. Lynch claims tablets shown by statistics increase children performance test wise and

school motivation, as well as introducing newer and more updated textbooks. On the other hand

Lynch also admits that their is problems with tablets in education like it creating a gap from 

privileged students to ones who aren't, application control in tablets especially ones that come 

from home, and privacy issues between "third parties 

                        Analyze: Tablets affecting learning have both pro and con effects and it makes it 

really difficult to pick a side between replacing textbooks over tablets. In addition, tablets have the 

capability to do great things to improve learning which in return can create more successful students. 

However, tablets can also create problems between economic backgrounds which can create even 

more gap between the rich and poor because the rich will have more opportunities with technology 

than underprivileged students. Furthermore, tablets are also harder to control district wise and if they 

aren't checked on students will find a way to put games on them and create distractions during school 

hours which instead of helping education it can make it worse. In conclusion, tablets seem to 

have cons that outweigh the pros so far. 

"Do Tablets in the Classroom Really Help Children Learn?" Gizmodo. 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 31 Jan. 2016. <http://gizmodo.com/do-tablets-in-the-classroom-really-help-children-learn-1694963939>   

Anger: An American History The Rhetorical Precis

                  In Stacy Schiff's article, Anger: An American History published on December 18, 2015

by the New York times she declares that America has had it sense of exceptional-ism since America

has been established and America will continue to believe that idea of being special and superior to

other nations. The author first points out her main thesis by a quote from Paul Ryan and agrees with;

she then supports her claim by using a list of examples of groups that showed the nationalism of

America and the superiority they felt they had over other nations/immigrants; and to conclude she

asserts that this will continue to go on by giving an example of the Mormons still being a target for

around 200 years. Her purpose is to expose the American ideology of its superiority of other nations

in order to bring on change and to be on the look out for it. She seems to have a specific audience

which are the liberals because it is an issue and the conservatives like Trump have pointed out

their opinion.

Just the ticket for the GOP: Cruz and Rubio Precis

                In Jonah Goldberg's op-ed Just the ticket for the GOP: Cruz and Rubio (November 3rd,

2015) he acknowledges that Cruz and Rubio are waiting patiently in their debates to strike at the

right moment. The author first exaggerates the debates by comparing it to a battle for districts, he

then criticizes Trump and Bush by comparing them to "Napoleon" and how they overextend what

they can handle; and to conclude he sheds light on Cruz and Rubios debates by giving exmaples of

what they said and there thought process going into the debates because they outperformed mostly

everyone. His purpose is to show readers the reason why and Cruz and Rubio debate this way and

why it is effective in order for Cruz and Rubio to get votes and popularity. He seems to have the

voters as his audience in mind because they are going to be voting for him.


Goldberg, Jonah. "Just the Ticket for the GOP: Cruz and Rubio." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2015. Web. 10 Nov. 2015

Bernie Sanders has some explaining to do

                   In "Bernie Sanders has some explaining to do" by Doyle McManus at the LA 

Times (October 21, 2015) McManus argues that Bernie Sanders has ideas that should listened too

need explaining. The socialism democracy Sanders views is that the government supports all of the

people not just the wealthy. Sanders is running as a Democrat rather than in the Socialist Party and is

gathering millions of voters around his plans to provide one big government health insurance system

for everyone. The money needed for the plan is going to come from removing all the health care

systems and keeping only one. Sanders last way to get the money for the health care is creating a tax

proposal on the middle class that will give the government the money.

McManus, Doyle. "Bernie Sanders Has Some Explaining to Do." Los Angeles Times. Timothy Ryan, 21 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

In wake of school shootings. Gov. Jerry Brown bans concealed guns on California campuses

http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-gov-brown-concealed-guns-on-campuses-20151001-story.html

                    "In wake of school shootings. Gov. Jerry Brown bans concealed guns on California

campuses" by Patrick McGreevy from La Times (October 11, 2015) explores the reasons why guns

should or shouldn't be allowed in school campuses. Jerry Brown signed a bill that prevents weapons

in K-12 schools because they should be institutes for learning. Actions against gun violence comes

from a gunman who shot 18 people killing nine and wounding nine others at Community College in

Roseburg, Oregon. Gun-right activist are saying that schools should have guns on campuses just in

case shooters do come so they can protect themselves from them. The Firearms Policy are saying

because of this bill shooters now can target K-12 without fearing of them having protection because

they know they won't have any firearms on campus.

McGreevy, Patrick. "In Wake of School Shootings, Gov. Jerry Brown Bans Concealed Guns on California Campuses." Los Angeles Times. LA Times, 11 Oct. 2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. <http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-gov-brown-concealed-guns-on-campuses-20151001-story.html>.