Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Issue with Issuing Laptops essays

The Issue with Issuing Laptops essays Supplying students across Cobb County with laptops is a bad idea. There is a lot of money going towards this leap in technology. There are some good things about them. Firstly, learning would become more interactive. Secondly, some students would make better grades. There would be more doors opened for learning. Students with problems in their shoulders and backs wouldnt kill themselves lugging books around all day. Now, think for a second about how much money is going towards this project. Now think about that kid who kicked a fifty dollar textbook down the hallway because he was to lazy to pick it up after he dropped it. Who is to say this wont happen to the laptops? What about when books fall off lunch tables? The laptops would be crushed. And the repair rates would be enormous. Remember the money Cobb is proposing to pay to buy them in the first place? Multiply that by two when the replacement and repairing comes into play. Cheating would reach an all time high in the classroom. It would be very easy for a student to sign onto the internet network and email friends answers to tests and share essay topics. That is partly why the students would receive better grades. They would have all the answers delivered to them by other students classrooms away or even a few desks away. It would be almost as bad as issuing each student a cell phone capable of taking pictures and texting across the building. It would be infinitely harder to judge class participation. Teachers would not be able to tell who was doing what unless he or she walked around the classroom to monitor every student individually. The internet connection would be horrible. The internet is a very useful tool in learning, but so many computers would be entering the system at the same time that the server would most likely overload. It would be virtually impossible to keep it running. The issue is that laptops can help, but they can also b...

Monday, March 2, 2020

Modeling DNA - Structure, Function and Replication

Modeling DNA - Structure, Function and Replication Constructing DNA models is a great way to learn about DNA structure, function, and replication. DNA models are representations of the structure of DNA. These representations can be physical models created from almost any type of material or they can be computer generated models. DNA Models: Background Information DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is housed within the nucleus of our cells and contains the genetic information for the reproduction of life. The structure of DNA was discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick in the 1950s. DNA is a type of macromolecule known as a nucleic acid. It is shaped like a twisted double helix and is composed of long strands of alternating sugars and phosphate groups, as well as nitrogenous bases (adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine). DNA controls cellular activity by coding for the production of enzymes and proteins. The information in DNA is not directly converted into proteins, but must first be copied into RNA in a process called transcription.​ DNA Model Ideas DNA models can be constructed from almost anything including candy, paper, and even jewelry. An important thing to remember when constructing your model is to identify the components you will use to represent the nucleotide bases, sugar molecule, and phosphate molecule. When connecting the nucleotide base pairs be sure to connect the ones that pair naturally in DNA. For example, adenine pairs with thymine and cytosine pairs with guanine. Here are some excellent activities for constructing DNA models: How to Make a DNA Model Using CandyCardboard DNA ModelsDNA Jewelry ModelKNEX DNA Models DNA Models: Science Projects For those interested in using DNA models for science fair projects, remember that simply constructing a model is not an experiment. Models may be used, however, to enhance your project.