Metacognition : A tribute to Aristotle

          I had kept piles of paper and schoolwork from last year. All the math, science, history, and English binders were placed on my shelves. I never had a chance to throw it away or organize them. I was kind of overwhelmed and did not know where to start. Before I organize my desk, room, and drawers, I felt chaotic and unfocused when I sat on my desk to study. Many post-it notes were taped in front of my desk and piles of books were stacked up.

          Since I had a lot of free time over Thanksgiving break, I promised myself to clean up my room. I threw away unimportant papers from previous years, took off all the posts-its on my wall, and threw away the clothes that I never wore, or will wear. It took a few hours to clean and organize everything, but in the end, I felt relieved.

          Now, I know where everything is located in my room. I donated my clothes and school supplies that I do not use. I have lots of extra space and I can focus more on my desk. I threw away all the stuff that distracts me. I do not know why I never cleaned my room before. I feel like my life is more organized. I will be easier to clean up next time becasue I already finished the hardest work. I think I should organize myself more and through away all the things that distract my life.

Change of Mind : new technologies

On Tuesday in class discussion, we compared between is and ought. Mr. Allen asked us a question, “Ought we to need a cell phone or smart phone?” And he said, the cell phones are distracting people, and it is not necessary to have them. He even changed his smart phone to a regular free phone, because he does not want any distractions.

When we talked about this in the class, I deeply thought if I need a smart phone? Because everyone has one, or do I really need one? Not even just cell phones, but I get distracted by other technologies. I constantly check Facebook and e-mail, and I listen to music every time. I feel like I miss something when I do not check them.   

I changed my mind through this discussion. Most of the technologies that were invented in the 21^st century, it can be convenient, but we ought to not need them. Even a few years ago, people were fine without having a smart phone or Facebook. They did not have to check mail or go on the internet every few minutes. The new inventions can help people in one point, but it hurts and distracts some part of people’s life. Now I choose not to be distracted by other technologies that surround me. I promise myself not to spend more than 30 minutes on Facebook or e-mail every day.

iMedia: Pilsen Mural

           

I went on a field trip to Pilsen, a neighborhood located in Chicago, for my Latin America class. Many artists lived in Pilsen until a few years ago. However, the murals that they painted still remain on the wall.

            When I saw a mural on the street, I never looked at it closely. I thought it was simply just a painting that people just drew. However, from this field trip, I learned that a mural has a lot of meaning behind it. The muralist painted the symbols of what they wanted to tell people.

             The mural on the left is my favorite. When I looked at it at first, I could not understand what message the muralist was trying to relay. However, when I looked at it closely and thought about the symbols that he painted, all the ideas came together in my mind. The eagle symbolizes Mexico, and the ribbons symbolize different religions and countries. The tree that is pointing to the earth shows that immigrants are trying to lay their roots down in America. The ribbons are covering the people, because they do not have a freedom to say, see, or protect them. Since the muralist was Mexican, he tried to tell people that immigrants did not have these rights even though Constitution states that they should.

            Even though Pilsen is only located only 30 minutes away from Glenview, the atmosphere of the neighborhood is very different. More immigrants from Mexico are living in Pilsen. Therefore I could see Mexico’s culture through different murals. Most of the murals display messages from immigrants. Since I am an immigrant, the murals were familiar and I could understand the meanings. They try to tell their hopes and dreams in America.

Connection: Complexity

The Shadow Catcher and Sophie’s world have a similarity. They both have complex stories. Marianne Wiggins did not tell the story directly. She always had the readers think and the stories were full of twists. She wrote two different stories in one book and connected them at the end. These two different plots can easily confuse a reader. Jostein Gaarder also made the readers think while they read. The whole story is kind of mysterious. Sophie got mail, a video cassette, and a Hilde letter from a person she never met. The story does not make sense in real life, but it makes the reader curious and continues them to read.

 Recently, there are many books and movies that have a complex story. Inception is an example.  I was very confused throughout the entire movie. Even when I came out of the theater, I could not stop thinking about the movie. Inception did not end when the movie ended. I started a thought process which left me with millions of unanswered questions. It has a twisted story and has a multiple layered plot like The Shadow Catcher. 

 In the 21^st century, the world is full of complexity, and people enjoy it. The Shadow Catcher, Sophie’s World, and Inception challenge the viewer but also respect the viewer’s intelligence. 

iMedia: Guatemala children

              

In Latin America History, we are learning about Guatemala, Ecuador, and some other developing countries. A few days ago, we did a computer lab activity and we searched for pictures of Guatemalans. I found many different pictures, but I liked this picture the most. I think this picture shows how Guatemalan children are living now days. I would never find this kind of sight in the United States. People would never find their food in the garbage dump on a daily basis.

                This picture personally moved me. I reflected upon my life through the eyes of this picture. I complain because I do not have an I-phone, a new computer, and clothes. Also, I throw away unfinished food. I regretted what I have done and I was ashamed of myself after I looking at this picture. Even though these children are living in poor condition and do not get enough food every day, they are smiling and they look happy in the picture.

                All teenagers in the Unites States should be thankful for the lives that they have. They might think their family is not wealthy, but compared to other countries in poverty, we should be thankful about what we have now. While we are throwing away our food and clothes, they are looking for food in the garbage dump.