16/02/16 - Period 4 - Vista

In-class activities

1. P 352 - Before you read
2. Video - Grameen 
3. Video - Thailand's Micro finance
4. Reading - P 353/353

Feature Article- The use of your mobile phones in my country

Are you a mobile phone user? Compared to the past, we can see that in today’s society technology is replacing jobs and this is affecting people’s lives. Mobile phones are quickly spreading everywhere around the world. They allow us to access many things such as banking and are much easier and quicker to use when doing business. It’s easy to reach out to others. However, there are also some drawbacks.

http://therealholyfire.blogspot.com/2011/05/cell-phones-giants-and-scanners.html

There are many advantages to using mobile phones. It is a small device that people can easily carryit around. When people are far away from their friends and families they can easily contact each other and it’s relatively cheap. Mobile phones can improve our knowledge by allowing us to search for information. For example, in rural areas, farmers and fishermen can check the market price before travelling to the place. Students can use it to access learning resources and be up to date with current situations.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks. It is easy to get disturbed by text messages and social media. People can become addicted to using mobile phones so they forget about people around them. Many people, particularly adolescents, feel that without mobile phones they are lonely. In addition, owning a mobile phone can cost a huge amount of money and after purchasing a mobile phone, people have to pay for extra things such as Internet, SMS and accessories.

In conclusion, mobile phones have changed the lives of humans all around the world. In the beginning, mobile phones were heavy, large and too expensive. As time went by, mobile phones got lighter, smaller and cheaper. However, people, especially teenagers need to be careful when using mobile phones because mobile phones can consume people’s lives.

Speech - How mobile phones are transforming rural communities

Nowadays, mobile phones have a big role in every society, especially in rural communities. As the mobile network spreads all over rural areas, we are giving poor people opportunity, information and choice so they can also know how to handle money, work, learn and participate in government. Mobile phones are no longer just an audio communication tool but capable of providing many functions. Yet, mobile phones also face limitations and challenges.

In rural communities, people can now gain more access to the open world. This will lead to an increase in living standards. Furthermore, it has also allowed people to communicate more efficiently with their loved ones. In education, mobile technology has helped provide schools, teachers, and parents with access to meaningful data and tips to help students succeed.

Banking is also out of reach for many people in rural areas of developing countries but mobile phones are bringing people into the financial system. They enable people to start their own businesses without needing a bank account to transfer the money. Mobile phones have allowed farmers to gain access to market prices before traveling long distances to markets.

However, there are some drawbacks. Mobile phones can be very expensive. They can cost too much money to pay for all phone calls, SMSs and recharging handset batteries. Society is making mobile phones too much of a necessity which has now made it compulsory for the younger generation to own a mobile phone. This has led poor people in rural areas to take out loans, mortgage their lands and even steal in order to fulfill the needs of their children.

Even though the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, we should never let the technologies take over our mind and lives.

Nanki Chularatnaphol

Letter - cell tower in community

12/1 Birmingham Rd. 

Vanesia Therodore, Donicia

001 3469 235

4th February 4, 2016

Dear Ms. Alixa,

I am writing this letter to ask you to carefully consider building a cell tower in our community. The community is located in the midst of a valley where the signal is very unstable and unreliable. Everybody in the community is able to afford mobile phones but the problem is there is no adequate signal available in the area.

If your company built a cell tower in our community, both the community and your company would benefit. The signal will provide us with business opportunities and better access to education and healthcare. For example, people in our community would be able to use mobile phone to get access to essential information like market prices for example. Once farmers have the access in market prices, they would know where they should sell their products to gain more profit. We can use this money to construct new schools and roads. Moreover, signals will allow us to contact school teachers and professional doctors in case of emergency. Therefore, our community’s standard of living will increase as we have better healthcare and education for our population.

Your company would also benefit.There will be few providers competing with you. So it is a good chance to penetrate into new markets and gain more profit. Another advantage is that there is lots of plain flat land in the area and the installation cost will be affordable. This would be a great chance for your company to make your company reputation even bigger.

I hope to hear back from you soon. Thank you for your understanding,

Yours sincerely,

Rosanun Silairat

Communication & Media Writing Topics

Here are some topics related to mobile phones in Africa. You will need to write 250-400 words on each topic.

• Write an interview with a family of Kenyan farmers or fisherman on how the mobile is transforming their lives. [how to write]
• Write a speech entitled 'How mobile phones are transforming rural communities'. [how to write] (Nanki)
• Write an official report recommending one of the areas to receive a cell tower to transmit a mobile phone signal. [how to write] (Rosa)
• Write a formal letter from a community leader asking a mobile phone signal provider to build a cell tower to serve your community. [how to write] (Rosa)
• Write an advertising blurb for a telecom company in an African country mentioning all the benefits and opportunities mobile phone ownership can bring. [how to write]  
• Write a feature article on the use of mobile phone technology in your own country. [how to write] (Natasha)

Some useful words

(from 29/01/16)

correlation: There is usually a direct correlation between an older person’s social status and their level of personal achievement.
skew: A researcher’s mistake has skewed the results of the study.
bias: Ideally we’d choose judges who are without political bias.
staple diet / maize: The staple diet in most parts of Africa is Maize. 
penetration: This was in the days before the organization’s penetration into African markets.
market share: Nokia's market share has dropped dramatically since the introduction of the iPhone.
big players: The big players in the mobile telephone market are Samsung and Apple.
barrier: High levels of debt are a major barrier to economic development.
saturated: The shops were saturated with merchandise from the film.
virtual: In the future, it's very likely that student will get degrees from virtual universities.

Activity 1: Go to https://quizlet.com/class/2403592/ and do the Jan 29, 2016 quizlet.

Homework: Write sentences using the words listed above. Post as a comment below.