Communication of Stem Cell Research

Without our thinking domain, people would not even be aware of stem cell research. Our thinking domain involves various forms of communication such as oral, visual, and written communication. All of these methods are used when it comes to stem cell research, and that is why it is currently such a popular and controversial topic in our country.

                

 There are many different examples that come with each form of communication. When a speech, rally, or debate is taking place about stem cell research, then that is a form of oral communication. If there are commercials or advertisements about stem cell research, then that is a form of visual communication. However, the form of communication that I am most familiar with is written communication. As I researched stem cell research, I found a very wide variety of articles and journals, and it was interesting to see the different ways it was communicated. Some articles are written more toward a popular audience, while others are written more towards experts on the subject. The popular articles used language that was easily understandable to everyone, but the scientific journals used more sophisticated language that is hard for the average person to comprehend without significant concentration. Both types of articles portrayed their particular views effectively, but they just used different language to get their point across. The scientific articles used more hard facts with many different tests and experiments as evidence. The popular articles still used facts to support their claims, but they did not include all of the tedious details. Although the popular articles seem like a better read, scientific articles work better if you really want to become educated on the subject of stem cell research, or any subject for that matter.

                  

No matter how stem cell research is communicated, it is obvious that the topic is controversial. The primary issue I saw with stem cell research is morality. Especially when it comes to embryonic stem cell research, many people think it is morally wrong. Those against it say that if researchers didn’t do tests on the embryos that they would eventually become a human being, and therefore they are committing murder. People for the research argue that if the research didn’t take place, then the embryos would be discarded, and therefore they wouldn’t become a human being anyway. Each side of this issue is communicated effectively through various forms of communication such as articles, advertisements, commercials, etc.

                  

I believe that the different methods of communication work the best depending on what type of information a person is searching for. If someone just wants to know what is currently happening with stem cell research, then an advertisement or a commercial would work best. If a person wants to develop a quick opinion on the subject, then a popular article would suffice. But if a person really wants to become educated about stem cell research, then they should listen to a debate or read a scientific journal. When it comes to the controversial issues, I am personally for embryonic stem cell research. I understand what people opposing stem cell research are arguing; developing embryos will eventually become a human being, and I do believe that it is wrong to destroy them. However, if the embryos are going to be discarded anyway, then I don’t see the problem with using them to benefit science and medicine. 

Preliminary Argument Against Gender-Divided Classrooms

Gender divided classrooms is a fast developing issue in this country. People are beginning to understand that boys and girls learn differently, and therefore think that they should be separated in their education. This may make sense if you just look at the learning differences, but what about all the other effects this would have on our society? Same sex classrooms would cause a huge gap in the student’s social skills, a more disruptive classroom environment, and possible questions of discrimination.

If boys and girls are separated in the classroom, they will miss out on important social skills. Girls would not know how to behave around boys, and boys would not know how to act around girls. In fact research shows that “the formative years of children are the best time to expose them to the company of the other gender, in order that they may learn each others’ behavior and be better prepared for adult life” (Jones). Therefore, if boys and girls are not placed together in their education, a social gap will form that will affect them for the rest of their lives.

Boys and girls are said to distract each other from education, especially in their adolescent years. This statement makes it seem like gender divided classrooms is the answer, but is the statement even true? I’m sure it is to an extent, but other sources say that boys and girls are actually a good influence on each other. In fact, since girls “usually exhibit greater responsibility than boys of the same age”, co-gender classrooms often have a more focused environment (Jones).

Gender divided classrooms also raise questions of discrimination. The American Civil Liberties Union argues that the practice of allowing single sex classrooms on a public school violates several state and federal laws, including Title IX and the equal Educational Opportunities Act. Also, if same sex classrooms were put into action, parents would most likely complain constantly that boys are getting a better education than girls or vice versa.

Overall, I do not think gender divided classrooms is a good idea. Not only because of the gap in social skills, disruptive classrooms, and questions of discrimination, but also because of the approach that would be taken in the gender specific classrooms. The main reason for the separation is that boys and girls learn differently, so when separated a teacher can focus directly on the needs of a gender. But what about students who learn like the opposite sex? With co-gender classrooms, this would not be an issue because the teacher would be teaching towards all the kids, but with same sex classrooms, where specific genders are being addressed, those student’s needs would not be met.