The Grand Canyon

While reading the article at http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/20110222arizona-state-university-shorter-classes.html, I went to the front page of the Arizona Republic to see what other interesting stories had been reported about. I found another article which looked pretty interesting, "National Park Service attempts to undo trout damage at Grand Canyon". I was completely unaware of this problem that was occurring and has been occurring up to the point to where now they are considered endangered. The Grand Canyon is always an admired place and a spot where many tourists visit. This article interested me though because it does not talk about pleasurable facts, but about a problem and people looking for a solution at the Grand Canyon.

The problem being reported is that there were trout brought to the Grand Canyon, which are now huge predators for the native species there. The National Park Service along with volunteers, are dedicating their time to remove all of the trout from those waters, therefore letting humpback chubs, while bringing some more to the Grand Canyon, seize to be considered endangered.

Entry # 3. Shorter Classes.

My response to the article "Arizona State University to offer more short classes" in the Arizona Republic is not very concrete due to me seeing and agreeing with the two sides of the argument. I think that the university implementing the option for shorter classes is something very good and that it should stay. It is something that is optional, so it is not mandatory, but accessible for those who are interested in taking 7.5 week classes. As stated in the article, " By squeezing just as many class hours into a 7 1/2-week course, students could finish a course faster, graduate faster and pay less in tuition", those who decide to use this opportunity can benefit from it in several ways.

There is one main factor that is the main determinant in taking those types of classes: the type of person and the learning habits of each person. I personally might not want to take all of my classes in that style, but it would depend on the type of course that it is. Some I could see easier to take than others and others that I would not take in that manner. A course with several projects or in something that I would think of being classified as a more challenging class, I would take in a face-to-face classroom setting, also because I feel like I get more out of classes like that and it would be easier for me to fully understand everything for that course. The fast pace being needed for those type of course could become difficult as well.

In the article comments I saw a few off topic comments, but those specifically about the topic seemed very interesting. When something new is being implemented, there are always concerns, especially when it has to do with something as important as people's education. There was a specific person who was sharing his/her concerns with the new classes being offered, along with their analyzing of their ability and opinion on taking the shorter classes. I agree with what that person was saying as I see myself being more of  a face-to-face learner and hands-on type person.