Meta-cognition Essay

March 14, 2008

            In William Golding’s Thinking As A Hobby he describes the three levels of thinking.  The three levels of thinking are one being a person able to analyze situations and make there own choices and desicions on there own.  The second being a kind of ignorant stage when you able to contradict a situation or action without full reasoning why.  The third level being a stage when you are a spunge to new material and believe whats your told and whats around you without reason. I believe that my level of thinking is mainly a level two with a lot of level one. 

            In Thinking As A Hobby he explains level two thinking as being the detections of contradictions. This pertains to me becuase I’m able to see whats wrong with a situation but not know exactly how to fix the problem.  For example when Im underpressure instead of over coming whats going on I sometimes let it over come me and instead of trying to figure it out I instead try to forget about instead of solve it. 

            My level of thinking is also like level one becuase the hardships I have been through in my life have taught me more about how to handle difficult situations and made me view life and its obsticals in a way I think most people my own age wouldnt understand. Going through certain situations have changed my view on life and has made me think about things in a deeper more serious level. For example when a difficult situation comes my way instead of crying about it at school to my girl friends I instead think to myself about the good I can find in it, try and understand what lesson I can learn from it and take the time to really analyze whats going on and do my best to help myself move on. 

            I am also like a level two in that when a difficult assignment is put in front of me instead of trying to figure out what Im really supposed to do I feal over come, and it takes me twice as long to get the assignment done becuase I put up this mental wall and instead I spend half the time thinking about the hight of the wall (difficulty of the assignment) instead of how in going to get over it and just get the assignment done. 

            Although in my day to day I show a level one becuase I understand many things and am able to make most decisions for myself and unlike a level three thinker I try to make as many of my own decisions as possible instead of letting my parents decide most of what I do and where I go. William Golding describes level three when he talks about the statuette of the girl in the towel with no arms and cant understand his teacher would have a statuette of this girl that wouldnt be able to pull up her own towel if it fell. Later while he expirienced level two thinking he understands that the girl in the towel is a goddess and doesnt need to worry about her towel becuase of her pure beauty she appears to have no worries. I believe that at my thinking level I would understand that she had to be more then just a girl in a towel but I may not understand her significance. 

            In school I am a deffinite level two thinker for example in math I am presented with a chapter of information through out the week which in my mind I see it as something I know how to do. When it comes to test day, before Mr.Ryan hands out the test I go over in my mind what Im expecting will be on it and feal confident that I understand the material enough to do well. Once I begin I realize that maybe a few extra study sessions were a little more necissary than I thought. When he teaches us the new lesson I listen and take notes until I think Ive soaked up what is being taught and at that point I find myself doodling or planning out my after school plans.  Im  not doing this on purpose cuase the last thing I want is for Mr.Ryan to feal disrespected by my ignorance it’s simply my somewhat ignorant stage of thinking which draws my mind away instead of learning about the little details which will could make my whole answer wrong when 95% of my answer is right sadly 100% is what it takes to get the answer right. 


John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

February 22, 2008

 

JFK’s Inaugural Address

 

 

 

While the speech’s respectful eloquence is appropriate for the occasion of an

inauguration, its youthful energy and look to the future make it distinctly John F.

Kennedy’s. In his inaugurial address you feal a very friendly, trustworthy man showing

his love and commitment for his country. He talks about his commitment to keep peace

with other countries but more importantly keep peace as a nation. His warm friendly tone

makes his speech more convincing. He consistently uses short paragraphs to get his

points across and to keep his audiences attention.

Kennedy was a kind hearted strong president, and in Paragraph 5 he shows that ,

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill,

that we shall pay any price, bear and burden, meet any hardship, support any friend,

oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge

and more.” He is saying anything that comes our way we will be able to handle it

as long as there is a strong nation behind him. This being his first speech as president he

proves that he has a warm heart, and plans to be a strong leader. John F. Kennedy was

and is known to be one of the most respected presidents in United States history.

In his speech he uses powerful bold vocabulary phrases and metaphors that shows

his commitment to this country. For example he says “Those who foolishly sought power

by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.” [paragraph, 7] In this he is talking about

having a country that isn’t ran by one power hungry person but by the power of the nation.

This metaphor is saying people that try to be leaders by themselves without the help and

support of the country will fail.

John F. Kennedy proves his youthfull energy throughout the speech to show his

aggression towards the changes he wants made as a new president. He talks about the

past problems with war and hardships and brings new ideas to how he will advance to

solving them. In paragraphs 13 he states “We offer not a pledge but a request: that both

sides begin anew the quest for peace.” Anew in his speech is meant as a new way to find

peace between countries.

In Paragraphs 15-20 he uses the phrase “Let both sides…” What John F. Kennedy

means by both sides is, one side is the United States, and the other side is Russia. JFK

wants to gap the bridge between countries to seek peace for the United States Russia and

other countries. He begins with “So let us begin anew- remembering on both sides that

civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is allways subject to proof. Let us never

negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” When he says “Let us” he is

refering to Americans as a nation instead of talking about how HE will begin anew he

says “let US begin anew” as a form of letting Americans know that they are important to

the new change, and it can’t be made by one person alone [JFK].

We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.[p.12]”

He lets citizens know that incase of an attack we are still fully prepared. Letting

American citizens know that peace is the main goal, but incase of emergencies we are

well prepared.

John F. Kennedy brought a youthful energy becuase he’s whole speech was about

new beginnings and a change for peace. In the beginning of his address he says, “We

observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end,

as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change.” He is saying now lets

make an oath to peace and a brand new start.

His great efforts towards peace and the future are shown greatly in

paragraph 20. “All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in

the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime

on this planet. But let us begin.” He is saying we might never notice a change but as long

as we stick with this new idea of peace through out the United States and our relationship

with other countries it will only help. He’s also saying that you may not ever notice a

change but now is a great time to start.

What really makes this inaugural address John F. Kennedy’s was his famous lines

“[p.25-26]And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask

what you can do for your country.

My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together

we can do for the freedom of man.” This was his famous line that sort of personifies him

as a great president. He is saying don’t wait around for your government to make a step

towards peace make one as a nation.

John F. Kennedy was apeared to be a very peace driven president with new ideas

and, ideas of new beginnings. His phrases and word choice show his boldness as a new

leader of the United States.


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February 6, 2008

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Satire

February 3, 2008

The deffinition of satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. In A Modest Proposal the author uses satire when he talks about the poor children he says we should just eat the children so there is some use for them when really he is using sarcasm to tell people that there is somthing that needs to be done about the poor population.  The School ‘fine’ teen report the writer uses satire when he says that when kids say school was just ‘fine’ that they are saying that you should be proud that the kids believe they are getting a fine education when really he is sort of making fun of there responses. His use of satire is very obvious in the paragraph when says.

             ”Students were even more enthusiastic about America’s hard-working educators, with 71 percent characterizing their social-studies teachers as ‘incredibly fascinating’ and earth-science teachers as “not at all boring.’ A full 82 percent said that their civics class is ’so important, I don’t want to miss a second of it.’ “