16 I - What to Look for in a Classroom

One of my professors mentioned this book in class because it explains what you are really suppose to be doing in classrooms and how they should be so it’s best for the students learning. I went through it a little bit and it’s really just about what there is supposed to be in class rooms for kids. It was pretty easy to find you can just look it up on the computer and find where it is or you could just ask someone who works at the library. I would say this book would best fit my SOC class because in that class we always talk about a lot of different things and how we think we could make things better.

16 V – Freedom

Freedom is the power to act and live as you wish, without being restrained and unable to do as you wish.  I think freedom is the last word of our sixteen weeks of vocabulary words because we are done with the class, and have freedom from school for a while.

Overwhelming

Overwhelming is something that is overpowering, intense, and hard to deal with. Sometimes I feel this way about my school work.  When I get behind, then I feel overwhelmed by all that I have to do.

Accrue -

Accrue- something that increases in value over time.  It can build up slowly over time and accumulate.

16 A & B – Final Writing

I had high hopes for myself when I started my first semester at Southern CT State University.  Instead I have fallen short of my expectation of myself.  This has happened because I underestimated the work and time that college courses require.

 I have always had to struggle with my ability to plan, organize, and manage details of my school work.  I knew that I would struggle with performing certain tasks that would be required of me.  I learned during this first semester that I have to become more self reliant and I have to learn to advocate for my own success.  For me to be successful in college it will be through hard work.  My biggest challenge will be to overcome my worst habit, which is procrastination.  I put off important tasks and this stops me from being successful with my school work.

I start a priority task, and stop mid-stream to do something else.  I leave out some things that I am supposed to do that I know are really important.  I do not focus on the right now, and I do other things that are more comfortable to do.  I do things that aren’t important instead of accomplishing the important things first.  I make excuses too often.  I have to be honest with myself and manage my time more efficiently.  I must learn to be less disorganized and overcome my reluctance to get going.  How long a given task will take me and how to manage the time necessary to accomplish these things, will be one of the challenges I will have to deal with next semester.  Sometimes I become overwhelmed by the work I haves to do and do not make good decision on how to complete everything on time.

When I arrived at Southern I should have realized that I needed to develop a plan for good time management skills.  In high school many of my teachers kept on top of me to get my work done and handed in on time.  College is certainly more complicated and I didn’t really plan for all of this.  I have to develop my goals and decide how I will achieve them.  I realize now that I have to look at the entire semester and have to keep a calendar to help me use my time better.  I also know now that I have to plan ahead and be able to balance time for all my school work and still have time for a social life. I am going to keep a weekly calendar for next semester to help me organize my time for better use.  As the semester proceeds if I think I need help, I will get it right away and not wait until time is running out, and I am behind in my work.  I will devote more time to each class because I read that for every hour in class I should allow 2 – 3 hours of outside the classroom work.

Time management is something I have to learn because of necessity.  Sometimes bad habits that are already in place are hard to change.  I know I can accomplish these new goals if I put my mind to it, and am persistent.  I will have to try to eliminate my habit of procrastination and try to meet my deadlines on time instead of worrying about it without finishing on time.

Procrastination is the ultimate problem that I continually face during my life as a student and a teenager.  I hope that with learning the proper use of my time I will be able to balance my school work and my social life as well.  This will be my goal for the rest of my college years.  

15 I - Library - Quiet Place

In my dorm and at my house I get distracted a lot by all of the noise so, if it’s ever too late or I can’t concentrate I just go to the library. The library is probably the quietest place to go when you really want to get work done. It’s a great place to study because that’s what everyone goes there for.  It is a great place to go if you need to get a book for a class, or to use the computer if you don’t have one.  Everybody knows that the library is one of the best places to go and we can find it right on campus across the bridge near Engelmann hall. This is a picture of a quiet table on the second floor near the windows.

15B Finals and studying–

Finals and studying–

I know I am going to have to spend a lot of time studying for finals.  I let myself get behind in some of my classes, so I am working as hard as I can to get caught up with the work that is past due.  I realize that I need to better budget my time, so I can get all my work done on time.  Due to the fact that I got behind, I am now scrambling at the last minute to get caught up, and then I have to put time into studying for the classes I have final exams in.

I am working on getting my final video project done for this class, and also a final project for another class as well.  I will be going to a math tutor to help me with Algebra.  I am not great with math, which is why I need to go get extra help. So I need to not only to study for the exam, but try to learn the information that I do not understand.  I should have already been going for the extra help, so I was not waiting till the end to do it all.  I will make sure in the future I go for help in the beginning and not procrastinate.

In the future I need to really learn to budget my time better, so that going forward I do not get behind, because it really is not good, and it is very stressful as well. My schedule has been full, spending all my time working on everything that needs to get done by the end of the semester.  I should not still be working on that, at this point in time.  I should be devoting all of my time on studying for my finals, however, that is not the case.  I will learn from my mistakes this semester, so that I do better next semester.

15 A Videos – What I have learned

Videos – What I have learned

 I have found it very interesting watching the drafts of videos in class.  I learned what I am not supposed to be doing on my video.  There were examples like not to talk for too long, and regarding the music, not to make it too loud. Sometimes when people talk for too long they can lose the interest of those that are watching it.  If you have a lot of information to discuss, you have to break it up a little bit and perhaps put some pictures in which would keep peoples interest. Also when the music is too loud, it takes away from what people are looking at, because all they hear is loud music.  There has to be a balance of information and keeping the interest of the viewers. I saw there were many different examples, as no one’s was the same.  Some of them were great and some of them still needed some work. Some included all the required inofmation, and others still needed more.   It made me see where mine could be better when I compared it to other peoples.  Some people I think are just more creative by nature then others.  I really have to put time and effort into my work.  Creativity does not just come naturally to me.  I want my video to be creative and to address all the issues, which are discussing the problem, coming up with a solution, giving information that people can use to address the problem, provide evidences that supports the solution of the problem, and be creative.  I have seen many videos and it is clear the ones that have more thought put into them than others. I want my video to not be a chore for someone to watch.  I want it to hold the interest of the viewer and possibly even teach someone about something they did not already know.

15 V Autonomy

Autonomy-

Autonomy is being able to act separately or independently from others.  It means that you should act in a way that you can live with and that meets your own personal and moral guidelines. You would do your own thing but it would be in your opinion the right thing to do.

 

Relational autonomy-

Relational autonomy is when a person is defined through his or her relationships with others. This would lead me to believe that people are influenced by their relationships with others.

Supported autonomy-

Supported autonomy is if due to a certain specific circumstance it may be necessary to temporarily compromise the autonomy for the short term in order to preserve their autonomy in the long-term.

14 I - Dorm RA

I have become pretty good friends with, Rocko, one of the CC’s in my building, Farhnam ,so I asked him how to become a CC or a RA for the building. He said that it is advised that you attend hall council meetings and participate in attending programs around campus when it comes time to apply for a resident advisor. You need to apply on the Southern website and have a resume. Then after the applications are tallied you will have a one on one interview with a hall director and as well a group interview to show how well you apply yourself around others. Also, there are a lot of benefits of being a CC or a RA and some of them are that you get to have your own room to yourself, and you also get paid every two weeks.

14 B – What I am thankful for

What I am thankful for

I am thankful for my family, and spending the holidays with my family.  It was very nice to go home and spend time with my family, and the holiday traditions that we have. My great-grandparents come up from New York for thanksgiving. They are ninety and ninety-two years old.  We go to my grandparents for dinner.  Everyone asks me about college.  In listening to my great grandparents talk about how life was when they were my age, it made me very thankful for everything I have and the opportunities that I have. Life is certainly a lot different now than it was over seventy years ago. I hear them talk about when they got their first radio in their house when they were young, and how they got their first television.  It makes you more appreciative for what you have.  For example, they were amazed at my brother’s I-pad and how it worked.  They were even playing solitaire on it, which was really something.

  I am thankful for the fact that I am able to attend college and for my college experience at Southern. I have struggled a bit during my first semester at college.  It has taken me a while to get adjusted to balancing my time in order to get everything done that I have to, but I believe I am doing better.  I want to succeed in college and strive to have a good future.  I look at my great grandfather, and he had a great job as an accountant and has been retired for over 30 years.  In my opinion he is someone to be thankful for.  He provided a great role model to our family.  I enjoy spending time with them and hearing the stories of how things were years ago, and realizing how much technology has evolved over the years.

14 A – Stress Relief- Necessary

Stress Relief- Necessary

In order to relieve my stress, while I was home for Thanksgiving I went to the gym near my house.  I enjoy going to this gym more than any other gym I have tried. I went here on a daily basis before I started at Southern.  Now I go when I am home.  I do go to the fitness center at Southern; however, I do enjoy my own gym better.  I have a routine there to follow, with the assistance from the owner, and it is very stress relieving.  I feel much better about myself after I go and work out at the gym.

I also will spend some of my time relaxing and sleeping in.  It is relaxing to know that I do not have to get up at a certain time to attend class. I can get up whenever I want and relax in my own room at home.  I can lie in bed and watch whatever I want on television.  I can also get up whenever I want and go to the kitchen and open the refrigerator and find all of my favorite foods in there ready for me.  That is the best, especially after being at school and not always getting what you want o eat, when you want it. It is stressful for me to eat food that I do not feel is good for me. I enjoy eating healthy and done always feel that I eat healthy, especially at school.  So it is less stressful when I eat good food, and there is always good food to eat when I go home.

Spending time with my family is stress relieving also.  It is just so normal and not different or stressful like school is sometimes.  I enjoyed spending time and playing Xbox with my little brother.  Just doing normal everyday things that I did before I went to college is stress relieving to me. 

14 V – Investment

14 V – Investment

Investment is when you put something into an asset and you expect to see results.  I see this as investing in yourself to better your future.  When you go to college you are investing in your future.  You are spending the money now at college to better your education so that you can get a better job and have a better career going forward.

Counterintuitive -

Counterintuitive is doing something that is the opposite of what is wrong or right.  I believe the situations vary by the individual.  What is good or bad for one person may not be the same for someone else.

Substantial –

Substantial is to have a sufficient, or large amount of something. There would be enough of whatever it is that is needed to go around.

13B - Creative Video

Creative Video

I will make my video creative, and different than others.  I think I am a creative person.  However, I do sometimes have difficulty in putting my creativity down on paper or in this case in a video. I have a lot of good ideas, and I hope that I will be able to creatively put them into the video.   I realize that in my video I need to be creative in order for people to want to watch it.  A dull, boring video would not hold anyone’s attention.  The purpose of the video is to capture the audience’s attention and to be informative, but interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention.  You also want to make sure you give the viewer the correct information.  I am doing my video on resources available at Southern CT State University.  I will try to include all the pertinent information, and also to include music to make it more interesting.   I want people to understand that there are resources available should they have some form of disability.  These people at the Disability Resource Center are there to help all those who need it, and qualify for their services.  If there are students that do, then they should definitely take advantage of all the resources available at the school. 
I know there are different programs and software available on the internet to assist in making the video.  I will try to find something that will assist me in putting my creative thoughts into my video, so that it will be a video which clearly represents some of the concepts we have learned about this semester in the Inquiry class. I found this class to be quite interesting and learned a lot, and want to be able to put my best effort into creating a creative video.

13 A- College Level Thinking- Video

I want to make my video demonstrate a high level of college thinking.  I will include video and music in my video. I hope to be able to improve this from the last video that I did. I will be making my video about school resources which are available to students.  It is my understanding that there are many different resources available at Southern CT State University.  I will be going to different departments that offer resources.  I will be finding out what kinds of different resources are available here at Southern.  I will also find out what the requirement are, in order to gain access to these available resources. I know there are rules and certain regulations that have to be met followed, in order for someone to qualify for these services.  Once you provide all the required documentation, then you have to wait to receive approval.  You can receive the following accommodations:

Assistance with reading and note taking.

Help with time management, and aid in the development of study skills.

Support with self-advocacy.

Assist in indentifying strengths and weaknesses.

Assistance with choosing your courses when it comes time to register.

Weekly appointments with a Disability Resource Center Specialist, in which the student can bring up any questions, concerns, or problems they are having.

I would like to include the different types of disabilities that are accommodations here at Southern.  They are, learning disability, ADD, manual dexterity, low vision, or blind, hard of hearing, or deaf. In addition there are accommodations for autism disorders, psychological, and chronic health related issues.

It is important that people are aware of the resources available to them, and that they make the most of the help that they are entitled to.  It should help people have a more successful college experience.

I really hope that my video comes out good.

 

13 V – Purpose

Purpose

Purpose is ones reason for doing something, to reach a certain goal.  I believe that the more something means to someone and the more motivation you have, the better you will be at achieving your purpose to accomplish your specific goals. Everyone has a purpose; you just have to figure out what it is. Sometimes it will require persistence but the more initiative you show the faster you will achieve your purpose.

Frankl writes: The uniqueness and singleness which distinguishes each individual and gives a meaning to his existence has a bearing on creative work as much as it does on human love. When the impossibility of replacing a person is realized, it allows the responsibility which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the "why" for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any "how."

Cited from: http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theres-more-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/

Forthcoming

Forthcoming is something that will be happening in the future.  You do not have to wait for it. It is available.

Perspective

Perspective is how the relationship between different things is viewed. This can be by how important something is.

13 I - Artistic Performance

The other week I attended an artistic performance which was mostly about music and a little bit of dance.  It was located outside behind Farnham, near the basement.  It was pretty interesting because there was a kid that lives in my building who was performing. I got to listen to his song in which he was singing and rapping. After he sang, a few other people got up, and they were also singing.  It was a pretty cool event, and I’m happy that I went to it and got to experience it. They have had it a few times throughout the year so far.  In the future I’m definitely going to try to go to them more often. 

12 I - Sonya Sotomayer

I attended the Sonia Sotomayer visit when she came around a month ago.  I found it very interesting and inspiring that she came so far and from nothing.   When I heard that they were having another event that was about her again I went to see how it was. They talked about how she was the first Hispanic Justice, and the third female justice, just like they did when she was here.  However, they also went over how everyone thought her talk was. A lot of people were talking about how interesting it was, also someone asked if she goes around to a lot of schools and talks or if it was just Southern because New Haven is where she is from.  That’s something I would like to know also.

12B – Inquiry Question

Inquiry Question

What traits do employees look for in college graduates who apply for positions in their companies?

Employers want their employees to have the necessary skills and knowledge of the world around them.  This is a skill that a liberal arts education provides.  Students that are really interested in liberal arts should be encouraged to follow their choice successfully.  Employees want their employees to be able to think for themselves and to make intelligent decisions.  Communication skills are at the very top of the list of life skills that employees are looking for.  A liberal arts education will provide these skills to students.  A specific degree will more likely prepare students for a much more specific job.  This may or may not be the job that they end up having for the long term.  It is very hard for all students to know exactly what career they want to pursue when they complete college. Some people know what they want and some are still undecided.  In this case a liberal arts education is a great choice.  This still provides you with a college education, and gives you flexibility with your career choice.

In the United States there is continued pressure to prepare students for the workplace and this can be achieved with a liberal arts education.  Employers want their employees to write better, speak better, and to reason better. 

“A majority of employers want their employees to have more knowledge of global issues, more knowledge of cultural diversity in the U.S. and abroad, and more civic knowledge, among other things. Both the skills and the knowledge for which employers clamor are those provided by the liberal arts.”

Cited from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timhall/liberal-arts-and-the-work_b_3055433.html

In the workplace it is necessary for employees to be able to use their skills when writing and communicating and when applying critical thinking to their decisions.  All employers look for these traits in their staff.  The stereotype of a liberal arts college is that they do not always prepare its students for finding a job after graduation.  But, we do know that liberal arts colleges do help teach students to develop all of the qualities that are in demand by employers.  They are taught to be successful in the choice of a career.  

12 A - Liberal Arts Education?

 Liberal Arts Education?

A liberal arts education is focused on the whole person.  This type of education can make a student a more complete person.  A liberal arts education teaches students how to think for themselves.  A student can learn people skills which are very important and essential in the workplace. Students can also learn a trade or a particulate skill which can be changed to accommodate ones needs. T he liberal arts education help students see the whole picture in regards to real life situations.  A liberal arts education helps to prepare students for the future that is not always certain.  A liberal arts education is focused on giving students knowledge to help prepare them for the work force they will enter into upon graduation.  This education helps a student prepare for a competitive work place.  It had been stated that many employers feel that all students should have the knowledge given them by a liberal arts education.  Textbook learning is important but students have to learn to think for themselves and make decisions based on their own knowledge or judgment. There is a big difference between learning something in a book and real life experience.  Both have their differences and can be beneficial. You can never learn too much, whether it is from books or hands on experience. The more you learn and the more experience you have the better off you are.

Students need to understand that their college education can help them to understand and to learn the value of the new situations that they have never seen or experienced.  A liberal arts education gives a student the skills and knowledge to find information they need.  It also gives them the ability to apply their findings to the everyday life.  They learn to evaluate this information and to use it after looking at it with different viewpoints.

“Liberal arts is founded on a whole person, developing a person athletically and academically. Liberal arts is going international. The 21st century is one of entrepreneurship and innovation. There will not be fixed careers. The liberal arts teaches you to think outside the box.”

Cited by:  http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/two-views-on-liberal-arts/?_r=0

12 V – Interdisciplinary Perspective

Interdisciplinary Perspective is when you put together different ideas and put them together as one. It is the way you look at ideas to see how they can work together as one whole idea.  One must have knowledge of all the concepts and different ideas that they are trying to incorporate together.

Segments

Segments are the parts into which something is divided. Many different things would be segments and they do not necessarily have to be evenly divided.

Pragmatism

Pragmatism is having a practical approach to a certain thing, or to balance things. If you have a reasonable way to approach or to look at something then you are considered pragmatic.

11 I - LGBT Community

A few weeks ago I attended a talk in Farhnam, which is the dorm that I live in. I am friends with the , Yo-yo, that was giving the talk, so I figured it would be nice to go to it. The talk was on October 29^th at 7:00pm and it was located in the common room of Farhnam.  The speaker was Yo-yo and the topic was about people’s different sexual orientation. A few interesting points she made are that being gay isn’t a choice, and that people are born either liking men or liking woman. Another point she brought up was that there is a difference between gender, and sex gender is who you want to be, and sex is who you physically are. The last point she brought up which I thought was the most impotent one was about the LGBT community. It’s a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community.

11B – Peers Blogs

1. What are ways we can promote more creativity, and why are these important looking towards the future?

2.   Why are young people often more innovative then their elders?

3.  Without the invention of computers, do you believe people will be more creative?

I found many questions to be very good and of college level critical thinking.  I chose the third question regarding the invention of computers and peoples creativity.  I am sure there are many different opinions on this matter, however in my opinion, my answer would be no.  I believe that people are and can be very creative.  With the invention of computers, people have more ways to be creative.  They have more tools available to them to assist their creativity.  The tools that the computer and the internet provide us are priceless.  I could not imagine a life without computers. People have been creative long before computers were around.   It was really not that long ago when computers were not around, and now people cannot even imagine their lives without them.  People’s creativity can be increased by the computers in fields such as science, art, and music. There are just so many programs that assist with creativity.  All projects can be made to look better with the use of a computer. I also believe that a person’s age does make a difference in this as well.  Kids are brought up using computers today, and that was not the case in years past.  My grandparents for example learned to use computers and the internet as adults, therefore I believe that it takes longer for them to learn and get used to using computers.

Since creativity is defined in many different ways, it is not possible to know for sure the impact that computers have had on creativity, however I’s sure everyone’s opinion on this will be different. 

11 A – 4 Inquiry Questions

1. How is water/air quality affected by human activities?

2. How do glasses help people see better, and how does laser surgery work to improve vision?

3. How is stopping distance related to the slope of a surface?

4.  What makes sound change?

I chose to answer question 1. Pollution is a large problem on earth today. There are many different opinions on it.  The question is: How is water/air quality affected by human activities?  Human activities effect water and air qualities every day.  Some of the things that affect air quality are pollution, littering, noise pollution, thermal pollution.   We pollute the air by the cars we drive, and the airplanes that fly in the sky every day.  We also pollute the oceans with the boats that use the oceans for transportation.  We dump a lot of trash into the ocean. The worst case of pollution lately was the BP oil spill in the gulf coast.  Two hundred six million gallons of oil poured in the waters of the gulf coast.  It took them over eight-seven days before they were able to stop the oil from leaking into the ocean.  Over four thousand birds died, and over five hundred sea turtles died. Sixteen thousand miles of coast line were affected by this disaster.  This included Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.  This also affected people because they were not able to fish any more in this area, which in turn also affected tourism.  Tourism is a big source of revenue for these states.  The people who live there and who own local businesses depend on tourism for their livelihood.  If the beaches are polluted and there is not fish for the local restaurants.  The residents of the states then suffer due to the water quality being polluted by human activities and human error.

11 V – Innovation – What does it mean?

Innovation is when someone comes up with a new idea, or a new way to do something that is an improvement to how it was previously being done. Some innovations can happen rather quickly, while others may evolve over long periods of time.  Some innovations may require a lot of persistence and may suffer failure before it becomes a success.  This all relates to what we have learned so far in class.  Some innovative ideas may even fall into the category of delayed gratification.  This would depend on what the innovation is and how it would benefit whatever the intended field is which it was in.

Synthesize

The meaning of synthesize is to incorporate things together in order to make something new. 

Regurgitate

The meaning of regurgitate is to repeat facts without understanding them.

10 I - Halloween

This week my hall farhnam decided to have a Halloween party in the basement, it was at around 9ish at night and went pretty late. Outside there was a truck where you could get fried dough pizza which everyone ended up getting. There were a ton of different things you could do, there were some snacks and also some drinks but the biggest thing they had there was pumpkin painting and then you could take your pumpkin and put it in your dorm. I never ended up painting a pumpkin but I did take one to put in my room just to have and its actually still fine it hasn't started to rot or go bad yet.

10 B - Being Creative

I think everyone is different when it comes to being creative, I think everyone is creative with something or they can do something that not everybody can do weather they actually know it or not. Some people show it by playing sports or some people might hide that there creative by just singing when nobodies around or they might show it so people know they are able to sing or if they can dance. When something really interests me I usually can’t keep my mind off of it and its all I think about so I try to think about it and how I could fix it or make it my own which I think is very creative and I think I have come up with some pretty good things when I really take the time to think about it. Something that really makes me think and that really interests me is music. It can be any kind of music such as rap, hip-hop, pop and rock it can be anything. It gets me thinking about words I would of used if I were to of wrote the song instead of the artist. If I had a good voice I would have loved to sing and wrote music. Or I will think about random things when I listen to music and new things I could do to be creative, listening to music actually gives me a lot of new ideas and I feel that it actually helps me get work done because it makes me concentrate more then when its silent or when I don’t listen to anything. Overall I think being creative is a good thing and that you can never be too creative because that means your mind is always thinking and you’re always coming up with new ideas as to what you could do with yourself and what your able to come up with.

10 A - Video Project

I think I did a good job with the video project, it was a little short but I still meat most of the requirements. I interviewed the right people and the right amount of people and I think I got a lot of good video clips in the video of a lot of different people and activity’s. Also I don’t think I made any sections of the video too long. The biggest part for me on this project was the technology part and what I should use to make the video because I have never made a video before like this that you have to edit and add in words or take away sound like this. I spent a while creating and getting the clips for the video by going to different sport events and taking videos of them and trying to get people I could interview. I ended up just using the windows movie maker on my computer.  What I tried to do in this video was inform people that there are a lot of sports you can do here at southern with your friends and you can actually have a lot of fun by joining teams and making new friends. I went to a sporting event and a couple intramural sports to see how they were and what they were like. Also I interviewed people that did intramural sports and then I just interviewed some of my friends that have played sports in the past here and how they liked to play or what they thought about all the different sports you could do at southern.  Overall I would probably give myself a B on this project because I put in a good effort not knowing how to create a video and never doing one before. I would like to go back and stat earlier on the project so I wouldn’t be jamming a lot of work into one time period.

10 V - Creativity

The vocabulary work of the week is creativity. I think I’m a pretty creative person so I am familiar with this word. I grew up with a really creative family also so creative things have always been around me. You can be creative in a lot of things such as writing, drawing, performing in front of people or singing and coming up with lyrics the list goes on and on. I think a good meaning for this word is when you see something you see it differently then everybody else and you think of how you could do it differently than everybody else or if there’s another way to do it that people wouldn't think of.

9 I - Intramural Sport

This week my friends and I got some people together and we played volleyball on the volleyball net outside of chase. Also we played some football together in the open field right next to the volleyball court, we didn't really play a game we just had a pass which was still pretty fun. Also some of my friends play intramural soccer here so I went to watch them to see how it was and it was put together pretty well I would definitely like to play an intramural sport here if I could, and If I could pick a intramural sport to play I would probably want to play Frisbee.

9 B - Almost There

Its crazy to think that I’m done with half of my first semester of college already, everyone said it was going to go by faster than high school but I didn't think it was going to go by this quick already. It seems like I just graduated high school and I just went to orientation and I’m still looking forward to going to college moving in and meeting new people.  All of my teachers have already posted the midterm grades for our classes and so far I think I’m doing alright there is always room for improvement and I’m getting more use to everything now so I think I will be able to get more on track for this half of the semester. So far I do think high school was a lot more easy then college is but college definitely does challenge you a lot more and the teachers and the teaching styles they have here are a lot different and its more on you do what you have to get done.  I think I have the potential to do a lot better than I could be doing and I think it won’t be hard to make these changes at all to get my grades higher. So far some of my classes have been a little bit overwhelming but I know that it’s only going to get harder and not easier but I’m up for the challenge.  Also now that I have got a feel to the first half of the semester I will be able to balance things I have to do more. Something I should balance more is my homework and try to study more and not hangout with my friends as much.  From here I now know what I have to do to succeed and I plan to capitalize on that.

9 A - Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking is the process of applying a certain thinking process as a model in order to reach a decision about the best way to handle something or the best way to achieve a goal.  I think critical thinking is important, especially when you are faced with difficult or important decisions.  It is very easy to think with your emotions or your heart, and that sometimes will not lead you to making informed decisions.  When you let your emotions rule your decisions, they are more of a rushed decision and not a well thought out one.  In my experience these decisions tend not to be the best ones you make.

With critical thinking you will take the time to use facts, and take the time to interpret the relevant information that you have.  You should be evaluating the data that you have and consider the options, or the ramifications of the decision you make.  You should be asking yourself questions, and comparing the answers to your long term goals.  This will assist with your thinking and decision making process.

I believe that there are definite situations, and they may depend on their importance to you, when critical thinking is necessary.  Many things in life require a lot of thought and soul searching in order for you to achieve your goals.  You should be tin inking with your long term goals in mind.  This also involves persistence and motivation to achieve and will take some work to learn how to carefully and thoroughly take into account the different phases of thinking something through. 

This applies to college because you need to decide where you want to be or what you want to do with your future, and what the best way to get there is.  You have to evaluate how much time and effort you are putting into your classes, and compare that to your grades. Is what you are doing enough to achieve your long term goals?  This is definably an example of delayed gratification. You may not see all the results immediately, but to be able to use critical thinking to achieve your future goals, will definably make for a better future for yourself.

“Critical thinking can be seen as having two components: 1) a set of information and belief generating and processing skills, and 2) the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior. It is thus to be contrasted with: 1) the mere acquisition and retention of information alone, because it involves a particular way in which information is sought and treated; 2) the mere possession of a set of skills, because it involves the continual use of them; and 3) the mere use of those skills ("as an exercise") without acceptance of their results.”

Cited From: http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/410

9 V - Critical Thinking - A Good Skill to Have

Critical Thinking is when you apply a thinking process to how you approach whatever skill it is that you are trying to accomplish.  You would have to think about what you want to do, and then evaluate how you will set about accomplishing your goal. You may weigh the pros and cons and the reasoning behind what motivates you to accomplish what you set out to. This is important in order to justify what you are doing and why. 

Intellectual –

Intellectual is defined as the ability to think in a logical way, using intelligence instead of emotion. This requires serious and reasonable thought. 

Rational –

Rational is defined as having the ability to think of things clearly.  In this definition, it is similar to intellectual because rational thinking does not allow for emotions to be brought into your decisions. They are based on fact, not emotions.

8 I - Campus Radio

The campus radio station has a lot of up and coming shows such as J’Ella Stylz Show and then later in the day Alt Grove, Caribbean Riddims, Talk about Random, Turnt off and Across the Pond. Also DJ D-Nice will mix the radio a little bit. There are a bunch of things on the southern radio that I wouldn’t mind listening to , the first thing I would want to listen to would have to be DJ D-Nice and then next DJ G. Vega. Some other thing I would like to listen to are The Big Picture, King Glory Radio and the last thing would have to be Rise Up Radio. I think all 5 of those would be very interesting to listen to. One of these thing I have listened to before is DJ D-Nice, I’ve heard him before and I think he was pretty good, I would give it a high rating and I would most likely listen to it again.

http://radio.southernct.edu/

8 B - Sonia Sotomayor

The book My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor displays a positive inspiration towards young people. Throughout the book, the author provides detail of the struggle and adversity she faced while growing up in the Bronx, New York. The book was assigned as the common read because it shows young people such as ourselves, that hard work and dedication can help you overcome any obstacle. As a child, Justice Sotomayor was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and she had to learn how to care for herself, and track her insulin at a very young age without the assistance of her parents. She also discussed how her fathers drinking habits, and her mothers work schedule negatively impacted the family. Her father died from alcohol abuse, and her mother worked so many hours at the hospital that they barely maintained a stable relationship. It was at a very young age that she developed an interest in the judicial system of the United States, and planned to pursue it through attending Yale Law School, and graduating in 1979. From there she went on to become the first Hispanic, and the third woman to be appointed United States Supreme Court Justice.

            The book explains all the hardships she faced before she became so successful, and that is what is so inspiring to young people. It promotes a positive message to not only people who are facing the same hardships she did while growing up, but it also inspires people who have goals that are difficult to achieve. Many young people who have goals that may seem out of reach tend to lose hope, and Justice Sotomayor is a tremendous example of why it is important to not take simple luxuries for granted, and to always work hard towards what you want to accomplish. She proved that no matter what you are given, what obstacles you may face, it is always important to work towards achieving your goals in life no matter how hard they may be to reach. Justice Sotomayor is an inspiration to many people, and her book was a great way of explaining her story and passing it on to people everywhere.

8 A – Blogging Masters

8 A – Blogging Masters

I have read quite a few blogs and there were two that stood out to me, more than others.  Over all I felt both of these blogs fell into the category of master blogging.  They were each original with both thought and creativity.  I have never written a blog or read so many blogs before this class.  I find them to be quite interesting and have learned a lot about myself in writing my own blogs, and relating things we have learned in class to my own life.

 The 2 blogs which I feel show master blogging skills, and they are:

http://anowlsmind.blogspot.com  - I think the background on this blog is very clever.  Having the owl in the background of a blog named an owls mind was a great idea. The posts and the overall blog demonstrate mastery in blogging.

http://behindddoors.blogspot.com – This blog has a different and catchy background.  I think the background is important in order to catch someone attention, and make them want to read you blog. The post which I feel exemplifies mastery in blogging from this blog is:

http://behindddoors.blogspot.com/2013/09/5b-so-much-to-do-so-little-time.html

In my opinion this is the perfect blog post. I can relate to this because I also have issues with time management.  All of the requirements according to the rubric have been met.  There is a clear beginning, middle, and end.  I do not see any grammar or spelling errors in this blog post. The title of it is perfect and the picture is an excellent example of what the blog post was written about.  This post definitely relates to the inquiry and what we have learned.  Critical thinking and inquiry was applied when this was written.  You can clearly see how it relates to what we have learned regarding initiative, motivation, persistence, and failure.  This blog is about someone who sees there is an issue with something and wants to work hard to improve. I felt it was well thought out and was definitely interesting to read especially to someone that has the same issues with budgeting time.

“This is my turning point. I am hoping I can keep up with this positive attitude toward time management. I may have slip ups, but I will continue on with trying. If I start doubting myself, or feeling as if I don't want to continue with these habits, I plan on reflecting back at this blog post to give me inspiration to keep going.”

Cited from: http://behindddoors.blogspot.com/2013/09/5b-so-much-to-do-so-little-time.html

8 V – Mastery

8 V – Mastery

Mastery is when you have accomplished a skill completely.  You have put all the time and effort into it, so that you are exceptional at that skill.  You dominate at it, with complete confidence and expertise.  It takes years of hard work at whatever skill you are trying to master, in order to consider yourself a master at something. This relates to everything we are learning about in class.  In order to master something you need to exhibit motivation, persistence, and to be able to deal with failure.  You must be patient waiting for the delayed gratification, which you will gain when you accomplish mastering whatever you are setting out to accomplish.

“Nobody is “great” without lots of work. Early aptitude is not a predictor for greatness in a given field without consistent practice over a long period of time.”

Cited from: http://litemind.com/talent-myth/

Distinction: is a difference that you can see or hear.  It is when there is an obvious difference between people. 

Deliberate: to consider something very thoroughly, in order to make an informed decision.

7 I - Writing Center

For my English class I went to the writing center a few times for help on assignments and just any tips I could use for the future. Its not that hard to make an appointment, all you do is go to the writing center which is located downstairs in engleman hall and write your name down for the time you would like to meet with them. Overall I had a good experience and I would most likely go back if I need some help or need someone to look over my writing. One reason I would go back is because the woman there that helped me was very nice, I forget her name but she explained exactly what I had to do and fix and iv actually meet her before because she shopped at where I use to work. I had a typed paper that was a rough draft and she just went over it and told me where I needed corrections or if I need to add more. After the appointment I listened to what she said and it was overall very worth it.