http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/30/3061.html
1. The Cultural Origins
This is and Egyptian hieroglyph thats means "underworld" or "kingdom of death." The star in its center is an Egyptian hieroglyph that means, not surprisingly, star.
2. What it Represents
This was mostly explained in #1, but it also can a computer sign that means "system" when it is upside down.
3. Emotive, ambiguous, or vague?
I'd say this symbol is vague, as it is just a circle with five lines in it, and I can't really deduce any real knowledge about what it means from that.
4. Knowledge Issues
The problems of knowledge that I identify with this symbol are that it can easily be mistaken by people who are computer savvy as the symbol that means system instead of an Egyptian hieroglyphic. Additionally for people who don't know Egyptian hieroglyphics and aren't involved with computers, it wouldn't be able to be understood. Lastly, since it is round and has what look like spokes, the symbol would probably be assumed to have something to do with wheels when first guessing its meaning.
5. Similar Symbol
A symbol that looks similar to the one I originally chose is this http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/30/3019.html.
This is a symbol within Buddhism called the Wheel of Life. Symbols.com says that "Its eight spokes represent the eightfolded way: right knowledge, right state of mind, right speech, right action, right way of living, right striving, right vigilance, right meditation." This symbol looks very much like mine, and it actually does have a meaning that involves a wheel and spokes.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
WOK Language-Global Views
Quote: "...learning additional languages enhances the learning of the 'mother tongue' as well as broadening a student's worldview."
As an IB student, I strongly agree with this statement. I take French, Latin, and, of course English, and I'm also in Greek Club. I personally love languages, and learning them is a really interesting process. I've noticed that I'm become significantly more aware of other cultures while learning French, Latin, and Greek, and I've broadened my world view immensely. Learning another language also helps me more clearly understand my mother tongue, as I can see how other languages work grammatically, and pick out the differences between that language and my own.
Alex and Ray
Alex and Ray display real enthusiasm for learning languages. I couldn't believe how fluently and easily Alex spoke the languages he demonstrated in the video. Not only did he know it, he had a natural accent as well. I aspire to be able to speak multiple languages one day, even if I didn't have the advantages Alex did at traveling around at a young age.
Ray also was able to travel around the world because of his job, and that traveling is what triggered his love for learning languages. Both of these people showed how nice it is to be able to speak to people around the world, and how it facilitates traveling and working in other countries. Their international abilities and worldliness are definitely qualities that support language learning. Lastly, I do know someone who demonstrates the same qualities in my school: Meredith Sullivan. She travels often and is so eager to learn new languages that she does whatever she can to go to the native countries. I've heard her speak multiple languages, and she is always so committed to learning more about them.
The Best Way to Learn a Language
I think that I am more of a auditory and kinaesthetic learner. I find that in French class speaking out loud and hearing the vocabulary that Madame Blanc uses helps more than when I am studying vocabulary off of a sheet. Also having the experience of talking with others in a group and trying to find the right words to convey our thoughts together is really helpful. Whenever I am forced to come up with new vocabulary to convey an idea, that usually sticks in my mind. That's why I really want to go to France, so I can have the experience of being surrounded by the language and being immersed in the culture.
As an IB student, I strongly agree with this statement. I take French, Latin, and, of course English, and I'm also in Greek Club. I personally love languages, and learning them is a really interesting process. I've noticed that I'm become significantly more aware of other cultures while learning French, Latin, and Greek, and I've broadened my world view immensely. Learning another language also helps me more clearly understand my mother tongue, as I can see how other languages work grammatically, and pick out the differences between that language and my own.
Alex and Ray
Alex and Ray display real enthusiasm for learning languages. I couldn't believe how fluently and easily Alex spoke the languages he demonstrated in the video. Not only did he know it, he had a natural accent as well. I aspire to be able to speak multiple languages one day, even if I didn't have the advantages Alex did at traveling around at a young age.
Ray also was able to travel around the world because of his job, and that traveling is what triggered his love for learning languages. Both of these people showed how nice it is to be able to speak to people around the world, and how it facilitates traveling and working in other countries. Their international abilities and worldliness are definitely qualities that support language learning. Lastly, I do know someone who demonstrates the same qualities in my school: Meredith Sullivan. She travels often and is so eager to learn new languages that she does whatever she can to go to the native countries. I've heard her speak multiple languages, and she is always so committed to learning more about them.
The Best Way to Learn a Language
I think that I am more of a auditory and kinaesthetic learner. I find that in French class speaking out loud and hearing the vocabulary that Madame Blanc uses helps more than when I am studying vocabulary off of a sheet. Also having the experience of talking with others in a group and trying to find the right words to convey our thoughts together is really helpful. Whenever I am forced to come up with new vocabulary to convey an idea, that usually sticks in my mind. That's why I really want to go to France, so I can have the experience of being surrounded by the language and being immersed in the culture.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sources of Illogical Thinking
Skepticism: Skepticism can be appropriate and almost necessary in certain situations, but if it is taken up as a permanent attitude then it can have the opposite effect. If one enters every situation already skeptical, it "subverts the reasoning process before it even gets started." There are two kinds of skeptics, the extreme skeptic and the moderate skeptic. The extreme skeptic claims there is no actual truth. The moderate skeptic claims the truth can exist but the human mind cannot attain it.
Evasive Agnosticism: An agnostic, often heard about when talking about religious beliefs, is someone who claims that they don't have enough knowledge to make a solid judgement about it. They "claim ignorance" in a sense. Agnosticism can be appropriate when there is not enough evidence to make a clear judgement, but mistakes in reasoning come in with evasive agnosticism, when one uses ignorance as an excuse. If there is enough evidence to make a judgement, or if one hasn't even looked into the matter, agnosticism becomes a mistake in reasoning.
Narrow-Mindedness: In order to learn more about the truth, one should keep their mind open to all possibilities. If someone is narrow-minded, they are limiting their scope and closing opportunities for finding the truth.
Hypothetical Situation with Narrow-Mindedness: If I've noticed that my friend is a bit out of sorts lately, and I want to find out why without directly asking her so not to put her on the spot, I would need to consider all the aspects of her life that could be influencing her. If I'm a narrow-minded person though, I might completely eliminate the possibility that her friends, including myself, could be causing her sadness. This would limit my scope and lessen my chances of finding the truth.
Evasive Agnosticism: An agnostic, often heard about when talking about religious beliefs, is someone who claims that they don't have enough knowledge to make a solid judgement about it. They "claim ignorance" in a sense. Agnosticism can be appropriate when there is not enough evidence to make a clear judgement, but mistakes in reasoning come in with evasive agnosticism, when one uses ignorance as an excuse. If there is enough evidence to make a judgement, or if one hasn't even looked into the matter, agnosticism becomes a mistake in reasoning.
Narrow-Mindedness: In order to learn more about the truth, one should keep their mind open to all possibilities. If someone is narrow-minded, they are limiting their scope and closing opportunities for finding the truth.
Hypothetical Situation with Narrow-Mindedness: If I've noticed that my friend is a bit out of sorts lately, and I want to find out why without directly asking her so not to put her on the spot, I would need to consider all the aspects of her life that could be influencing her. If I'm a narrow-minded person though, I might completely eliminate the possibility that her friends, including myself, could be causing her sadness. This would limit my scope and lessen my chances of finding the truth.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Logical Fallacies
1.
- Middle Ground-When someone justifies the truth of a claim by saying that it's in the middle of two extremes. Example: "I hear that Kylie is a genius," said Adam. "I hear that she's actually quite dull," said Alasdair. "That must mean that she is somewhere in the middle, just of average intelligence." said Kit.
- Two Wrongs Make a Right-When someone justifies a claim because they believe someone else would do the same thing. Example: "It's okay for me to eat some of Jack's lunch, since he would do the same to me if I walked away for a second."
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