Philosophy of Thought & Logic -2013

Welcome

Welcome to Philosophy of Thought and Logic

Understanding the world through experience and reason.

Everyone has to think in order to function in the world, and this course will equip you with the tools to reason effectively in your pursuit of reliable beliefs and useful knowledge. Whether you are a budding philosopher searching for ultimate truths, a science student grappling with the nature of scientific proof, a new parent weighing conflicting childrearing advice, or a concerned citizen making up your mind about today's issues, the lessons you learn in this course will help you cut through deception and faulty reasoning to get closer to the essence of a matter.

This is equally a course in argument and in reasoning. While you will learn how to reason, you will also learn how to persuade others. And it teaches how to judge and answer the arguments of others and how they will judge yours. This is the very center of a well-educated mind.

Dr. Michael Thompson

Thinking

Juan Pacheo

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.

It entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning: purpose, problem, or question-at-issue; assumptions; concepts; empirical grounding; reasoning leading to conclusions; implications and consequences; objections from alternative viewpoints; and frame of reference. Critical thinking — in being responsive to variable subject matter, issues, and purposes — is incorporated in a family of interwoven modes of thinking, among them: scientific thinking, mathematical thinking, historical thinking, anthropological thinking, economic thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking.

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.

Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful manipulation of ideas in service of one’s own, or one's groups’, vested interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish use.

Critical thinking of any kind is never universal in any individual; everyone is subject to episodes of undisciplined or irrational thought. Its quality is therefore typically a matter of degree and dependent on, among other things, the quality and depth of experience in a given domain of thinking or with respect to a particular class of questions. No one is a critical thinker through-and-through, but only to such-and-such a degree, with such-and-such insights and blind spots, subject to such-and-such tendencies towards self-delusion. For this reason, the development of critical thinking skills and dispositions is a life-long endeavor.

Another Brief Conceptualization of Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is self-guided, self-disciplined thinking which attempts to reason at the highest level of quality in a fair-minded way. People who think critically consistently attempt to live rationally, reasonably, empathically. They are keenly aware of the inherently flawed nature of human thinking when left unchecked. They strive to diminish the power of their egocentric and sociocentric tendencies. They use the intellectual tools that critical thinking offers – concepts and principles that enable them to analyze, assess, and improve thinking. They work diligently to develop the intellectual virtues of intellectual integrity, intellectual humility, intellectual civility, intellectual empathy, intellectual sense of justice and confidence in reason.

They realize that no matter how skilled they are as thinkers, they can always improve their reasoning abilities and they will at times fall prey to mistakes in reasoning, human irrationality, prejudices, biases, distortions, uncritically accepted social rules and taboos, self-interest, and vested interest. They strive to improve the world in whatever ways they can and contribute to a more rational, civilized society. At the same time, they recognize the complexities often inherent in doing so. They avoid thinking simplistically about complicated issues and strive to appropriately consider the rights and needs of relevant others. They recognize the complexities in developing as thinkers, and commit themselves to life-long practice toward self-improvement. They embody the Socratic principle: The unexamined life is not worth living , because they realize that many unexamined lives together result in an uncritical, unjust, dangerous world.

http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

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Thinking

By:Clifton W. Griffin

Thinking is basically putting together information that is perceived about something. Sometimes we as people have problems because of us misinterpreting something someone has said, done or just what we have seen. I looked up and found different important definitions of things that are related to thinking from (Dr. Bob Kizlik’s Catalyst: Tools for Effective Teaching and Dynamically Balanced Study Skills) . One of the three important definitions I found was Metacognition, which refers to awareness and control of one’s thinking. Another important word I found was something we all know about, Critical thinking, which is reasonable and reflective thinking. The last word that I thought would be helpful to learning about thinking and its processes is Creative thinking, which is the ability to put together new ideas to fulfill a need.

A few cites I have looked at say that the process of thinking is first concept formation, then principle formation, comprehending, problem solving, decision making, research, composing, and last to the process would be oral discourse. Throughout this process, if a person has a problem doing one of these steps then they could have many problems. Concept formation is organizing information about something and associating that with a label. Principle formation is recognizing a relationship between or among concepts. Comprehending is very simple, it is understanding the information and relating it to other things. Problem solving is putting together information to a problem; then the next step is decision making, which is coming to a conclusion based on the information you put together. Research is looking up information and things to validate the decision a person has made. Composing is developing a product which may be written (it could be musical, mechanical, or artistic) and oral discourse is talking with others about the things the person has thought.

There are also different skills that are related to thinking. Thinking skills are specific cognitive operations that can be considered “building blocks” of thinking. These skills are focusing skills, information gathering skills, remembering skills, organizing skills, analyzing skills, generating skills, integrating skills, and evaluating skills. All of the skills that were listed above can help a person with thinking in the best and clearest way. Focusing skills are attending to certain pieces of information and maybe ignoring others. Information gathering skills are bringing to consciousness the relative data needed for cognitive processing. Remembering skills are obvious, storing and retrieving information about something. Organizing skills are self-explanatory, arranging information so it can be used effectively. Analyzing skills are clarifying existing information by examining parts and relationships. Generating skills are producing new information, meanings or ideas. Integrating skills are connecting and combining information that one has thought of. Last of the skills is evaluating skills, which means to assess the reasonableness and quality of ideas.

Thinking may seem so basic because of its definition or meaning but it is a lot that goes into thinking and thinking clearly but also effectively. There are many things that are related to thinking, some of them are metacognition, critical thinking, and creative thinking; without these it would be tough for a person to manage nowadays. Also there are skills that help people think more clear and effective such as focusing skills, information gathering skills, remembering skills, organizing skills, analyzing skills, generating skills, integrating skills, and evaluating skills. All of the skills are not needed but would be a big help for a person. The mind is a powerful thing that gets tested in many ways and gets tested very often, those who use the skills that were listed properly and that have a thinking process similar to the one listed probably makes decisions that are the best to them and others.

Sources: Kizlik, Dr. Bob. “Thinking Skills, Vocabulary and Definitions”. Catalyst: Tools for Effective Teaching and Dynamically Balancing Study Skills. August 17 2012. http://www.adprima.com/thinkskl.html
Chafee, John. Thinking Critically. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988.

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Thinking
Josh Martinez

​What comes to mind when we think? When we say we're thinking or when we think, we are referring to doing a lot of things. When we analyze the different definitions of the word think, you can start to see all the different things our minds are capable of. To think means we could be referring to recalling a memory, generating ideas, solving problems, or even making decisions. There are endless possibilities of things to think about. Thinking is just the process of using the mind to consider something carefully. We as humans are constantly thinking no matter what we are doing. We are constantly using our minds to unravel the mysteries of our own worlds. It almost feels like our minds never stop thinking of stuff to think about.

When you stop and ponder on the things we tell our mind to do or the things we can imagine, thinking seems more and more complex. By being allowed to think, we unconsciously give ourselves more things to think about. We can think about the most trivial subject and expand our own knowledge of it by just thinking about it. Think about tis sentence. The girl thought about cutting her hair. The girl is able to consider something carefully before carrying out or making a decision. In this case she "thought" about cutting her hair, and the girl is able to entertain the thought of her hair being shorter.

We as humans can do almost anything, but everything begins with thinking of whatever it is and making it reality. When anyone says they thought about doing something, do they really mean they thought about doing something and even include weighing out the good and bad of their decision to do something? Maybe. That's what we're supposed to mean when we say we thought about doing something. We mean to take in all this knowledge and information, or stimuli, given to us and to decide what our best option is to carry out. Expanding our knowledge of the world is a main priority of almost anyone. By trying to attain knowledge in every part of our life, we allow our intelligence to grow and allow ourselves to think more deeply about certain things. It was Martin Luther King Jr. that gave this quote which I believe to be an accurate observation. "Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half baked solutions. Nothing pains people more than having to think."

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Josh Frerichs

Thinking. What does thinking mean to you. It may mean a lot of things but we are known to thinking as in using our brain and thinking stuff out. But im going to talk about what people do for children to think. In the recent years there has been some interests in the world for developing children’s thinking. There are some thinking skills that are out there for the kids, but the objective is to let the kids know thinking skills and their role, understand key principles, know the main approaches. So what are thinking skills?? Thinking skills are not mysterious entities that are in the brain. There are a serious of steps that include remembering, questioning, forming concepts, planning, reasoning, imagining, solving problems, making decisions and judgments, and also translating thoughts into words. Over all thinking skills are ways in which humans exercise the sapiens part of being Homo sapiens. A skill is defined as ability in doing something. So why do we need skills and why are they important. Thinking skills are important because they are used in education, such has math and science. Thinking skills are a valuable key thing to us. The challenge that is to come with thinking is the educational process. But thinking plays and important role for every one.

Sources.
http://www.teachingthinking.net
http://www.adprima.com

Critical Thinking

What is critical thinking?

A critical thinker is someone who has developed a knowledgeable understanding of our complex world, a thoughtful perspective on important ideas and timely issues, the capacity for penetrating insight and intelligent judgment, and sophisticated thinking and language abilities. This is the definition John Chaffee explains it as in his book “Critical Thinking”. Seemingly an exact definition, it can easily be understood as an overall understanding of the daily procedure of thinking. Critical thinking is outlined as more of a procedure than an act. Critical thinkers are not robots with this system simply programmed into their minds, they are creative open minded men and women willing to learn and understand the infrastructure of our lives. Critical thinking is a process, combining everyday life with generalities, and using the common thinking process to navigate ourselves through any tricky situation. “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking so that you can clarify and improve it.” -John Chaffee-

Critical thinking is very helpful in everyday life. Once you understand the basics (it may sound cliché) there is nothing you can’t accomplish. Becoming a critical thinker will help you at your job, among your piers, and most importantly it will allow you to feel confident in any day to day problem solving. Using this system will not only allow you to think more clearly, but also it will help you to be more efficient in your thinking process. In any situation you will be able to accurately assess given information, and manipulate your surroundings, allowing you to take control of your life. It’s almost as if you possess a superpower. Situations you would have never thought to work out in your favor are shaped into outcomes you can’t say no to. Here are the steps to mold your thinking into taking action.

Before anything else, and the first step to critical thinking is having and open mind. Having an open mind exposes you to all of the information, putting yourself in the shoes of others can help see things from a new perspective. Looking from a new standpoint daily can help open your mind to new outlooks and possibilities. Being open minded will also help you to study the thinking processes of others, allowing you to view situations in a new direction. On the flipside routinely forming a fixed view based on biases and other informalities will cloud your mind, and prohibit new relevant information from being processed to help your situation. It soon becomes as if your mind has formed a rut, making difficult for you to welcome new ideas.

Secondly is being knowledgeable. Being knowledgeable helps link others ideas’ with your own knowledge. It will allow you to piece information based on factual information. Based on your level of intelligence you will be able to vary the results easier and easier each time, and can assist in analyzing gathered information to better your outcome. Having knowledge, expressing knowledge, and using knowledge are systematic in expressing yourself when determining the outcome.

This brings up my next point of expressing yourself after processing credible information. Being a skilled discussant will allow you to combine the information gathered in the first two processes and transform it into an intelligent topic of discussion. Benefits from this step are letting others know what your standpoint is, along with voicing your opinion regarding new topics for discussion. Not only will you relate to others ideas, but most likely will introduce a focus that has been unseen by other group members. Expressing yourself isn’t useful only in groups or audiences but can helpful wherever you go. Being able to take your mind with you is the best tool you will have. Using it to the best of your advantage is simply learned, easy to practice, and completely up to you.

When thinking, or critically thinking, remember to practice the three main steps. Know that having an open mind is crucial to gathering any information. By using your knowledge and communication skills you will then be able to communicate it for discussion. Knowing these steps will give you the upper hand in determining your daily life, making you (metaphorically) a force to be reckoned with.
Austin Lowell

Sources:
John, Chaffee. Thinking Critically. 10th. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2012. 8-9. Print.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

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Cordae McKelvy
Critical Thinking

Though and logic is the process of being able to properly reason and interpret what someone is saying. To be able to do this it is necessary to have critical thinking skills. An efficient critical thinker has the skills to process information by analyzing, synthesizing, interpreting, explaining, evaluation, generalizing, abstracting, illustrating, applying, comparing, and recognizing logical fallacies. Everything you read and hear will go for nothing if your critical thinking skills are not where they need to be. Critical thinking is a necessary skill that you need in order to learn.

To listen and be able to hear is one thing, but to be able to interpret is another. It is important to know the point of view and the role the speaker playing in their statement. Knowing if the speaker is making an argument, asking a question, or making a command is something a critical thinker should know how to do. To understand a speaker and their message you need to know the purpose of what they are saying and their point. To be able to understand what someone is trying to say you have to be able to relate to them and know where they are coming from.

It is possible to be able to reason without being a great critical thinker. Sometimes decoding things is simple just to make sense of what someone is trying to get you to understand. You don’t necessarily have to have personal experience or being through what the person is talking about for you to understand the point that they are trying to make. So I would say a step to becoming a critical thinker is to first know how to logically reason.

When traveling to a new place or environment you may find it hard to be able to communicate with people from that area where you’ve never been. Simply because you may not at first be able to make sense of what already makes sense to them. What is true for someone already you may have yet to find the truth in it. Or maybe, what is true for one person may not apply to what you believe is true. A prosecutor would be a great example of someone who needs to know how to listen to what someone is saying a judge rather or not the person speaking is telling the truth. The most important ability within critical thinking is being able to tell if someone is telling a lie. For prosecutors evidence isn’t all that is considered when making a decision. Prosecutors have to be able to know if someone is lying or not based off of what they say and the way that they say it. Words isn’t everything they judge though. Prosecutors also have to know how to study behavior and expressions.

Thinking critically includes having the ability to be open-minded and see things from every possible angle. Understanding the views of others makes it possible for you to see the world from different views. When you think critically you see more possibilities. This helps you to be able to solve more problems. Those who are able to think critically understands that the way they presume things to be may not always be the right or only conclusion.

Sources
Glaser, Edward M, Defining Critical Thinking , The Critical Thinking Community: 1941, Web.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

Dylon Braun
critical thinking

The tradition of research into critical thinking reflects the common perception that human thinking left to itself often gravitates toward prejudice, over-generalization, common fallacies, self-deception, rigidity, and narrowness.

The critical thinking tradition seeks ways of understanding the mind and then training the intellect so that such "errors", "blunders", and "distortions" of thought are minimized. It assumes that the capacity of humans for good reasoning can be nurtured and developed by an educational process aimed directly at that end.

The history of critical thinking documents the development of this insight in a variety of subject matter domains and in a variety of social situations. Each major dimension of critical thinking has been carved out in intellectual debate and dispute through 2400 years of intellectual history.

That history allows us to distinguish two contradictory intellectual tendencies: a tendency on the part of the large majority to uncritically accept whatever was presently believed as more or less eternal truth and a conflicting tendency on the part of a small minority, those who thought critically, to systematically question what was commonly accepted and seek, as a result, to establish sounder, more reflective criteria and standards for judging what it does and does not make sense to accept as true.

Our basic concept of critical thinking is, at root, simple. We could define it as the art of taking charge of your own mind. Its value is also at root simple: if we can take charge of our own minds, we can take charge of our lives; we can improve them, bringing them under our self command and direction. Of course, this requires that we learn self-discipline and the art of self-examination. This involves becoming interested in how our minds work, how we can monitor, fine tune, and modify their operations for the better. It involves getting into the habit of reflectively examining our impulsive and accustomed ways of thinking and acting in every dimension of our lives.

All that we do, we do on the basis of some motivations or reasons. But we rarely examine our motivations to see if they make sense. We rarely scrutinize our reasons critically to see if they are rationally justified. As consumers we sometimes buy things impulsively and uncritically, without stopping to determine whether we really need what we are inclined to buy or whether we can afford it or whether it’s good for our health or whether the price is competitive. As parents we often respond to our children impulsively and uncritically, without stopping to determine whether our actions are consistent with how we want to act as parents or whether we are contributing to their self esteem or whether we are discouraging them from thinking or from taking responsibility for their own behavior.

1. http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/our-concept-of-critical-thinking/411
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

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Jalyn McCauley

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is reflective reasoning about beliefs and actions. It’s a way of deciding of what is true, what can be true and what may not be true at all. It is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication as a guide to belief and action.

Critical thinking can be seen as having two components:
1. a set of information and belief generating and processing skills
2. the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior.

There are some strategies for critical thinking that tend to help a lot of people out
1. Develop a statement of the topic
2. List what you understand, what you have been told and what opinions you hold to it.
3. Identify resources available for research
4. Define timelines and due dates and how they affect the development of your study
5. Print the list as your reference.

You want to be able to define your destination, which is what you will be able to learn. Then develop your frame of reference, your starting point. What will your resources be?

Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful manipulation of ideas in service of one’s own, or one's groups’, vested interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish use.

So Why exactly critical thinking?
Everyone thinks it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uniformed or down-right prejudiced.

Why is critical thinking so important?
Without critical thinking, you’re only looking at the surface of things. When you come across and politician’s statement in the media, do you accept it at face value? Knowing whether or not you agree with someone is not necessarily the same as critical thinking, however. Your reaction based on emotion, or on the fact that this elected official supports programs that are in your interest though they may not be in the best interests of everyone else. Some specific reasons for the importance of critical thinking can be, it identifies bias, it’s oriented toward the problem, issue, or situation that you’re addressing, it gives you the hole picture, it brings in other necessary factors, it considers both the simplicity and complexity of its object and it gives you the most nearly accurate view of reality.

Sources:
http://www.studygs.net/crtthk.htm
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

Solving Problems

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Eduardo Romero
Problem Solving

Solving a problem can be really tough at times. You may sit there for hours on end trying to think of a solution but nothing comes to mind. To problem solve, you must follow seven different steps. The first step is to define and identify the problem. The second step is to analyze the problem. The third step is to identify any possible solutions that could work. Step number four would be selecting the best solutions. Step number five would be evaluation the solutions. You would develop and action plan in step number six, and finally in step number seven you implement the solution.

Lets start with step number one. You need to identify and define the problem you are facing. One way to do so is by writing down on a piece of paper what the problem is, what it is causing, and why it should be stopped. Write down as much information about the problem as possible. Write down all of the facts, goals, statistics, history, feelings, attitudes, frustrations, behaviors etc. Once the problem is written down and defined, you must set an end goal.

Step number two includes the analyzation of the problem. Analyze the causes, effects, symptoms, history, and seriousness of the problem. What type of methods can you use? What things may stay in your way from achieving your overall goal? Write down anything and everything about this "problem".

In step number three, you must try to identify any possible solutions that could possibly work. Your goal is to create a list of any and all possible alternatives to the problem. Try brainstorming, metaphorical thinking, fantasy chaining, focus groups, delphi methods, buzz groups, and etc. The more people you can get to help you, the better your chances are at solving the problem. Having many people gives many different types of views and ideas that you may not have been able to come up with on your own.

Step number four includes selecting the best solutions. To complete this step, you must go over all of your information from the beginning. You must be alert, don't jump to conclusions, state what the problem is and its history and think to yourself about what decisions must be made and by whom. Talk about all other possible alternatives and identify the important factors in each alternative. Be fair, follow principles and respect all other persons ideas, thoughts and feelings. Finally, you must select the best solution to your problem.

Step number five includes evaluation of the solutions. As in step number four, evaluate everything. What the solutions are, what they may cause, who they are made by, and how it will solve the problem. Make a chart and evaluate the pros and cons of each solution. Think about the advantages and disadvantages, and what outweighs the other. Think about the long and short term effects and before making a decision, ask if the group should modify the criteria.

Step number six includes developing a plan of action. Prepare for unintentional kinks and problems that may come along with this solution. Think about what actions need to be done, who will do them, and how long each step will take and when it should be done. Think about the best sequence of action, time management, and the standards that need to be set.

Finally, step number seven includes the implementation of the solution. Monitoring is very important in this step. It assures that the specific tasks are being done and goals are being achieved. It plays a huge role in time management as well. Always implement a contingency plan if necessary. Think about the things that could go wrong, how you could prevent it from happening and how you will fix it if it does end up happening. In conclusion, problem solving may seem easier then it actually is. There are many different steps that must be done in order to achieve your end goal but by following these steps, it may make problem solving just that much easier.

Source
http://www.skillsyouneed.co.uk/IPS/Problems.html
http://psychology.about.com/od/problemsolving/f/problem-solving-steps.htm

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Solving Problems

Every day in our lives we face obstacles, different situations that require us to stand back and evaluate life’s problems. These problematic instances although sometimes difficult to get through, help us pick through what is irrelevant, and what will prepare us for the next step. Challenges such as this may frighten the majority of us, but with the correct tools we can successfully navigate our way through, and better our Solutions. In five steps I will help you solve any problem, from who to invite, to what to wear.

When solving a problem, we must first address the problem. In other words, ask ourselves what the problem is. This is directly the cause, or what is causing the problem. Uses of interpretation help to distinguish how serious of a problem we are dealing with. Once categorized by intentions of solving it, it can now be interpreted. This is something to call great attention to. When looking deeper into the problem you can take note of its depth, or what are some main causes of the problem, leading me into my next point. What are the alternatives of the problem?

Step two is what are the alternatives? When addressed with a problem it is very simple to only understand your viewpoint. Looking at the problem in only one way can develop a bias for all of the other solutions, hindering the act of actually trying to solve the problem. When solving problems, or attempting to solve problems, you must be a critical thinker and stay on your toes all the time. New aspects sometimes can ultimately change the way you view a problem. Introducing different viewpoints can not only change your method of thinking, but will include other systems of solving the problem. Once you have all of the necessary alternatives you can put them in action by then applying them, then by taking the advantages and disadvantages of each possible outcome.

The third step is finding the advantages and the disadvantages of each problem when trying to solve it. This is a crucial step especially when trying to persuade others to see your opinion. When discussing any matter it is important that you introduce why you feel this outcome is necessary. Coming up with valid reasoning for or against a problem helps because it shows how these problems could potentially end. It also helps to include the problem in your system when breaking it down and solving it. After coming up with the advantages and disadvantages you now are ready for a solution.

The solution to any problem is ideal. It is always what we look for when physically accepting of the problem. The solution usually is a mediator allowing credibility to both sides. Giving each part of the argument validity to support. Without a solution there is nothing. The underlying fact is that all problems will have a solution. Denying a solution to a problem is unlikely and immature. The trick is finding common ground to resolve the problem. A neutral stance in this part of the process is defiantly the most intelligent spot you can have.

The last step is making sure the solution is a perfect fit for the problem. Usually you can tell based on reaction of the problem subject. Although making sure things are resolved really is all you can ask for.

Sources: The Philosophy Book

Austin Lowell

Solving Problems

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Ashli Jones

Solving problems is one task people face every day but they are unaware of it. Before you can begin solving problems an organized approach will make things easier; 1.Identify the problem 2. Are there alternatives 3.Identify advantages/ disadvantages of the alternatives 4. What is the solution? Lastly 5.Is the solution working well?

The first step into solving a problem is accepting the problem and identifying what exactly it is. When you have done that committing yourself to fix the problem will keep you focused and positive. For example “school is boring” vs. “I feel bored in school” the second statement is realizing the actual problem.

Since you “feel bored in school” you need to come up with alternatives that will benefit you. Try and get involved with extracurricular activities and try a sports team or a club. Getting involved will help brighten your mood about school and hopefully make you feel less bored because you are involved. Also more friendships are built during these times and this could better your social skills

Advantages and disadvantages could be easy to organize. Just get a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle and put pros and cons. It could be like pros: I make new friends, keeps me busy; I have a new talent and so on. You can also do the same thing with the cons. Visually seeing this will help you make the right decision and it clearly shows the steps of problem solving.

Once done comparing advantages and disadvantages which ever choice you pick will be your solution to “I feel bored in school.” The next thing to do is commit to the compromise and test it out. You have to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day so this will take some time to adapt to the change you made.

Lastly ask yourself if this new solution is working well. If it is then congratulations you have problem solved in an organized ration way. If the solution is not working then you need to take a few steps back to step number two and rethink alternative ideas you could do then proceed through the steps again.

When problem solving it is best to have an open mind and be prepared o start over a new times. Sometimes it comes naturally to us because problem solving is an everyday thing. When dealing with complex problems this will our ability to the test. Challenges are a good thing to face; they keep everything in order and in balance. If you aren’t problem solving then something your not living life the right way. Even if the problem is personal, taking steps will help for a better outcome. Personal problems may come with side distractions and maybe taken as a long-term because it might not be an easy fix.

Problem solving I a big part of the everyday life, if you can’t solve a problem while working your job then you can kiss that job good bye. Your employer wants someone who can rationally come up a solution possibly quickly but also a working solution to the problem. Also when a problem is solved this shows a higher success for yourself because it makes you think out of the box from everyone else.

Sources:
Chaffee, John. Thinking Critically. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988. Print.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_TMC.htm#approaches

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Jaydon Bixenman
Problem Solving

Problem solving is an essential skill that everyone must use as an essential skill of life. Problems come in many forms. Relationship issues, homework for students, and job situations all require good problem solving skills. There are six main steps towards problem solving. Number One, understanding the problem. This step can often times be overlooked, sometimes we jump into working on something before we even realize the reason why. The problem is not always clear. For instance, when working with science or math word problems, it is important to read and fully understand what is being said and then figure out what the question is asking for. Once you understand this, it makes the next steps easier to accomplish. The next step is to devise a plan. Come up with solutions to using the information you are given. Sometimes information is not given too you. For instance, only an end result is given. Research is needed to move forward with the problem solving process. Look for articles on the internet, talk to people, read books, and if necessary even create your own survey to gather statistics about a topic. In the math problem example most of the information should be given in order to find the solution, but in most worldly problems, the information is not quite clear. Number 3, pick a solution. Pick one of the solutions that you came up with in the last step and go through with the plan. Pick the most likely one first. From this step, move on to implementing the solution. It is important here to follow through with your plan and not do screwy job. You want to get the best results from the solution as you can. In a math/science problem, it is important to implement your solution without making any mistakes otherwise your results will be off and you will get a deduction of points. The last step is reviewing the results. It is important to know whether or not we have solved the original problem. If it is a math problem, we might be able to assume what kind of number we should get, be it a perfect integer or a relatively small number. For instance, if you are looking for the distance it takes to get to the sun and back you wouldn’t expect one hundred meters. If you think the answer is wrong, then the cycle repeats itself. Going back through the cycle as many times as it takes to come up with a successful outcome is an important idea behind problem solving. If you fail the first time it doesn’t mean give up, game over. No! it means you repeat the procedure using the knowledge you gained from failure to come closer to success. No inventor is successful the first time he makes something. He always fails. He learns from his mistakes and then succeeds. That is what an inventor is.

Now that we know the main steps of problem solving, let’s go through a practice problem. Let’s say that you are a computer scientist and you have just discovered that you can store data on a piece of memory, but it can only hold the value of one and zero. Your goal is to come up with a solution of number representation using only 8 bits of data at a time. The first step is understanding the problem. The problem is that you need to represent numbers with ones and zeros. Next is brainstorming solutions. Once we have a solution we should apply it to the problem. The solution I came up with was taking it one number at a time. So number one would be 00000001, and 2 would be 00000010. Eventually I would start to see a pattern. But now let’s test my theory, let’s say I want the number 34. Using my solution, I come up with 00010010. After testing many more numbers can I say that my goal has been accomplished.

Sources
http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/steppro.htm
http://php.about.com/od/programingglossary/qt/binary.htm

Perceiving and Believing

Ethnocentrism and Egocentrism
Taryn DiRito

Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture. Ethnocentric individuals judge other groups harshly and think they are doing something wrong because it’s different from what they believe in or what they thought. It has developed throughout the years as religion has become more popular. It has developed a bad connotation as well. The term ethnocentrism was created by William G. Sumner, upon observing the tendency for people to differentiate between the in-group and others. He defined it as "the technical name for the view of things in which one's own group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it.”

He also talked about ethnocentrism leading to pride, vanity, beliefs of one's own group's superiority, and contempt of outsiders. Ethnocentrism isn’t a good thing. Ethnocentrism leads us to make false assumptions about cultural differences. We are ethnocentric when we use our cultural norms to make generalizations about other peoples' cultures and customs. But, ethnocentrism isn’t the only thing that is around today. Egocentrism is characterized by preoccupation with one's own internal world. Egocentrism is often confused with narcissism. Egocentrics regard themselves and their own opinions or interests as being the most important or valid. To them, self-relevant information is seen to be more important in shaping one’s judgments than are thoughts about others and other-relevant information.

Egocentrism is not like ethnocentrism in the way where one thinks that ethnocentrism is that one’s culture is better than the next. On the other hand, we have egocentrism where one thinks that they, individually, are better than everyone else. Egocentrism is part of human development and according to Swiss developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, egocentrism is the tendency of children to cognize their environment only in terms of their own point of view. Egocentrism is also a part of adolescence development in that teenagers often find it hard to judge situations based on the perspective of others. Ethnocentrism on the other hand is a sociological term that defines the belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own ethnic group or culture. This can be described as the tendency to view alien groups or cultures from the perspective of one’s own ideologies.

Ethnocentrism is the main reason that there are so many divides in different races because each race thinks that they are the best and it cause problems with all of the others. There can be numerous issues based solely on them thinking they are the best based on their heritage and their ethnocentrism can be seen in government. Egocentrism is more on a personal basis whereas ethnocentrism extends to a race and most people that are a part of that join into the ethnocentrism. Both are a somewhat selfish views but it is based on different reasons. Egocentrism is just a single person and ethnocentrism is a group of people. 
 
Resources
http://www.lifepaths360.com/index.php/the-differences-and-similarities-of-egocentrism-and-ethnocentrism-455/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egocentrism

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Perceiving and Believing
Ashlon Gaines

What you perceive, your observations, feelings, interpretations, are all your truth. Your truth is important. Yet it is not The Truth.”- Linda Ellinor. We construct our knowledge based on our beliefs, we construct our belief based on our perceptions, and we construct our perceptions based on our experiences.

Perceiving
“Perception or perceiving is defined as actively selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensations”- John Chaffee. Perception is how we choose to view, shape, and take in the world through our senses. There are 3 stages to the perception they are

• First, we select

When we select we select data from the environment through all the five of our senses. When we make our selection it is not just a conscious selection it’s also an awareness process. The first stage of perceiving is like a filtering mechanism. Most of the data we are exposed to is filtered out and some pass on to our awareness. From the thousands of stimuli we have we choose the intense, repetitious, and changing stimuli to become aware of which shapes what we notice and ignore.

• Second, we sort

When we sort we organize and prioritize the information we have become aware of. While sorting and organizing we pick certain information that stands out over the other information based on our experiences. This means we all have our own unique way of organizing information.

• Third, we interpret the data

We control the data to give meaning to the information that we have selected and sorted. All of the data we have selected and sorted has no meaning until we search our memory and find meaning for the data based on its similarities to our pervious experiments.
These 3 stages in the thinking process help us to perceive our world. Our experience is the result of combining the sensations we are having with the way we understand these sensations”- John Chaffee.

Believing
Believing in something can be defined as having confidence in something that you have absolutely no proof of. Beliefs represent an interpretation, evaluate on, conclusion, or predictions about the nature of the world that we endorse as true”- John Chaffee. Interpretation is an explanation or analysis of the meaning of something. Evaluation is a judgment of the value of something based on certain standard. Conclusion is a decision made or an opinion made after consideration of the relevant facts. A prediction is a statement about the future that they think will happen.

Perceiving and Believing
Perceiving and believing go hand in hand. Each person has their own belief on each thing they perceive. Anytime we perceive something we are already taking into account our own personal beliefs. As I said earlier in the passage we construct our beliefs based off our perceptions. So when we believe in something do we believe it to be true because it’s true, or do we believe because our perceptions and experiences. We choose what we perceive and don’t perceive just as we choose what we belief in and what we don’t belief in based of our experiences.

Examples
An example of perceiving and believing is say there is two people one loves playing basketball, and the other person loves playing tennis. These two people are both looking at a painting that has soccer, tennis, football, basketball, and tennis in it. The person who loves playing basketball eyes will probably spot the basketball first just as the person who loves playing tennis eyes will spot the tennis ball first. This happens because they already have knowledge of that sport, and they love playing it so their eyes go to that sport first.

All in all perceiving is believing. Our perception of things reflects our beliefs, previous knowledge, past experiences, and how we were raised. In a way each of us views the world through a pair of individual eyeglasses or contact lenses which shape and influence our perceptions. In other words we see and understand things not as they are but as we are.

Thinking Critically John Chaffee
http://www.slideshare.net/flukepleboi/the-perception-process-4122131

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Caleb Dyer
Perceiving and Believing

Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third-story window. They are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behavior and information processing. They open one up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong. –Terence McKenna

Contrary to the political idea of a sovereign state, culture trumps geographical borders. Culture rules the day. Leaders rise to power, and countries go to war based primarily on culturally fueled ideologies. Logic holds little value in the face of the these varying modes of thought. Ideologies cannot live on their own. Mass approval and communication are necessary in the longevity of ideals.

Perception is the product of cultural influences. It is a social creation, stemming only from societal norms forced upon the individual. In all civilizations, particularly democratic states, exists a common mode of thought. Morals hatch amongst members of a given society, based on a consensus of right and wrong. Laws are derived from this consensus.

One institution holds most all power over the modern world’s perception: the church. Religion is the oldest and strongest promoter of common thought and moral consensus, thus perception. In many instances, the church is the moral backbone of a nation. Governments and their constitutions reflect the teachings of the geographically preferred creed. Whether it be the Islamic Iran or the Christian United States, the laws set into place derive from the church’s moral code. This fact shows that at some level, all members of a given society are influenced by a common factor: religion.

Perception plays an enormous role in maintaining a constant society. Governments, such as our own (United States), publicly promote a free-thinking population. However, a true free-thinking society would lead to anarchy with clashing ideologies across the board. Governments must influence the perception of the world on an individual level.

One particular set of laws found in many nations shows this attempt at controlling a society’s perception of the world. These laws were enacted in the 1970s by President Nixon with the glamorous label: War on Drugs. These pieces of legislation outlawed various substances regarding the potential danger they may present to an individual or society as a whole. Substances such as the powerfully addictive opiates and amphetamines proved extremely harmful to a users’ health; however, questions arise with relation to the banned hallucinogenic substances.

Terence McKenna’s thoughts on the illegalization of psychedelics show the government’s active effort to maintain a morally constant society. Hallucinogens break down socially created mental walls (the user’s perception) that encourage the conforming to societal norms. For a government ran by the people, it is essential to uphold these “walls”. If these drugs were legalized, the psychedelic counter-culture would have the potential to flourish. The demonization of hallucinogens could vanish, leading both users and non-users to a commonality. This common ground could be that not only is perception fluid, but also that the government should have no role in molding its citizens’ perception. This thought could ultimately topple a faction, especially one ruled by the people. 

The constant danger the existence of a given government faces lies not in the hands of its citizens, but in their minds. With the right leadership and proper execution, perception can be manipulated and transformed across a nation to reach a consensus regarding political structure and law systems. On the other hand, with a lack of essential social conditioning, one individual’s perception may serve as a domino among many others in dismantling the most powerful of man-made institutions.

drufed.jpg

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/terence%20mckenna
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/drugpolicy/tp/War-on-Drugs-History-Timeline.htm

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Perceiving and Believing 
Katie Zerr 

Perceiving: Verb. 1.) Become aware of conscious of (something); come to realize or understand. 2.) Become aware of (something) by the use of one of the senses, esp. that of sight.

Believing: Verb. 1.) Accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of. 2.) Accept the statement of (someone) as true. 

Who are we to judge someone? No one should be judged for his or her past or what is going on in the present. When people hear gossip or rumors about someone they perceive something about that person. It does not always have to be bad. Now in our world not a lot of people believe things because people are too quick to judge someone and trust is not a trait many people have now-a-days. Sometimes once we believe something about someone that is all we can remember about them. What if all we could remember is something about someone that is good, that they have done for someone else or for the world? Good traits seem to be so rare in our society today. Everyone has good in them somewhere we just have to give people a chance before we automatically assume anything. 

I know that I’m not perfect, and I know that no one is completely. But changing a belief about anything such as religion, a person, or anything in your day-to-day life is hard. People get so use to the same routine or thought and that is all they know. Personally I am a creature of habit, and in some ways we all are. If we all just changed one thing that is negative about our own life or a thought about someone, we may be able to change our outlook on so many things. 

It is up to the people to change their own thoughts. When we believe something we need to make sure that it is the truth and not just word going around the street. We have to accept it on our own. For most people to believe something they have to see it. That gives us confidence that it is the truth. For example to watch someone show Christian ways and just not say that they are a Christian. For us to believe someone is the first step of bringing out his or her best. We tend to get what we expect. We not only have to believe other people, but ourselves also. Here are some steps to help you start believing in something or yourself: 

1.)First, we must have one specific belief to channel into. 
-It’s okay if you don’t believe what you’re trying to believe in at first. This is an easier thing to do if the belief is positive so you keep your thoughts positive. 
      2.) Repeat the belief in your head, and this does not happen over night.
-Write down the belief everyday.
-Put it everywhere you see. 
-Visualize your belief everyday. 
       3.)Associate with people who believe the same thing. 
-This is like your own support group. 
       4.) Confirm the belief with your environment.
       5,) Take action to reinforce your belief. 
       6.) Acknowledge that you have made progress on your belief. 
       7.) Continue to do steps 2-6. Over and over again. 

So next time your best friend or anyone leans over to gossip to you or feed you a line of junk that you don’t care about, just brush it off your shoulder. Just continue to have more positive thoughts. And don’t forget to believe in yourself and other people when they prove the truth to you. 

Sources:
http://briankim.net/blog/?p=48
http://lmay.net/how-to-believe-in-something-because-believers-are-blessed/

Constructing Knowledge

Joey Leitner

Constructing Knowledge

What is constructive knowledge? Constructivism is a theory to explain how knowledge is constructed in the human being when information comes into contact with existing knowledge that had been developed by experiences. Two different kinds of constructivism are cognitive constructivism and social constructivism. Cognitive constructivism is based on two different senses of construction. First, the idea that people learn by actively constructing new knowledge, not by having information forced into their heads. Social constructivism is theories of knowledge that consider how objects of consciousness develop in social contexts.

Knowledge is general awareness or possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles. Some of the outcomes wanted from constructing knowledge are concepts, schemas, misconceptions, and conceptual change.

Sources:
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_eggen_education_7/49/12581/3220913.cw/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)
http://thecollaboratory.wdfiles.com/local--files/philosophy-of-thought-and-logic-2009-2010/career-2.jpg

Language and Thought

Erin Miller
Language and thought

“Language reflects thinking, and thinking is shaped by language.” Language and thought are used throughout everyone’s daily lives. It is even used in any grade level school, in college, in the working force, at home, on the street; just wherever you might happen to be at any given time there is always language being used. There are so many different types of language as well such as verbal language or body language.

Verbal language is something that we all know and learn every day. We use this to spread our ideas throughout the entire world, such as in the work force when someone pitches an idea to make their company grow and expand, or to make them more successful. We also use verbal language to express our feelings with others; telling someone we are happy with them, or if were mad or annoyed with them, or to just simply say “I love you”. We use this method of language the very day we are born to the very day that we die. Even though babies can’t talk, they have different cries that help communicate to their mothers what they are in need of. As we grow up, our vocab grows bigger and bigger. So therefore we can communicate and expand our social networks.

Sometimes though, words can hurt one another. Different people can take what someone says in so many different ways. To help up communicate and to get the message across in the right way, we use what is called body language. Body language is something we do unconsciously, without even realizing it. For example, when a coach is talking to the team and something that he says doesn’t really apply to one of the team members, they will just stand there with their arms crossed and have a dazed or even angry look on their faces. They might even turn around and lose interest. In this situation, the arms crossed and the dazed or angry face is considered body language. I would be able to tell that what the coach is saying has upset the person. With body language, one would be able to tell what the other person is thinking as well. Body language can help one person see and know how someone else is feeling; like if someone is uncomfortable or comfortable, or they are happy with what the other person is saying. Like when you are talking to someone about something important and serious, the other person might have a concerned or worried facial expression, and maybe their breathing is a little labored or maybe the opposite.

Language and thought are so closely tied together. When we hear someone say something, we internalize the information and start the thinking process. Before we say the things we are about to say or write down, we think about them and ask ourselves if it makes any sense, or if it should even be said at all. I catch myself thinking about the things I am going to say before I say them because some of the things I catch myself saying are not very bright or do not make any sense at all. Some people though, believe that language and thought aren’t together. They say, “We have thought in the very first place, and then language came in as a tool for expressing our thought.” An example could be the cavemen. They thought of hunting and gathering, but they couldn’t really talk or annunciate their words. This can go either way, depending on the way one thinks and how they internalize the information given to them.

Sources:
Thinking Critically by John Chaffee
http://www.thomastsoi.com/2010/03/the-relationship-between-language-and-thought/

Language and Thought

Clifton W. Griffin

Before explaining and talking about language and thought I looked up the Merriam Webster’s dictionary definition of both. One definition of language as a noun, is the words, their pronunciation, and the methods of combining them used and understood by a community. The Merriam Webster’s definition of thought as a noun, is the action or process of cogitation (which means the act of pondering or meditating, usually intently) ; another definition of thought is serious consideration. Language kind of depends on how you perceive something in your own way and thought is the step before language, you think then whatever is said or done you process it, then make a judgement on what is being said or done.

Language in my opinion is a relative to communication because we communicate by using language. There are several different types of ways to communicate, some types of communication are verbal, written, nonverbal, formal, and informal. Verbal communication is done by word by mouth and or by writing, and non verbal communication is sending or receiving messages by tone of voice, facial expressions, and or body language. Oral communication is sending or receiving messages by talking and written communication is the sending or receiving of messages by written symbols, signs, and or words. Formal communication occurs in professional settings and informal communication is the use of slang because it is basically casual talking, unlike formal communication foul language and slang is allowed. All of these ways of communication somehow deal with language, just in different ways. When communicating with someone you are using language most of the time, like if you are talking to someone but you are using slang it is language; no matter if everyone understands you are not. Another example is using sign language, that is language obviously and it is non-verbal communication. Most of the time if you are communicating with someone, you are using language.

A thought in my words is an idea, and or concept that is pondered throughout something and or someone’s mind. Thinking is the initiator of everything, it is impossible to do something before thinking about it; some people say think before you speak but this comment is just a figure of speech. It may seem like people do not think before they speak but they do, they just do not think about it how we would. Many websites, books, and people have proof how language and thought can tie in together, the way someone talks to your or communicates to you not only depends how they say it but it also depends on how you take it. If someone is communicating to you no matter if it is by talking or by how their body language is, what you think about what they are doing or saying will be what makes you communicate back and how you do it also. Thinking/thoughts are sometimes a good thing or bad thing, I tell many people that. One reason I tell people that thinking is a bad thing because some people end up thinking too much about a certain thing, which could lead them to become emotional and or violent about something or towards someone. A reason I say thinking is good because sometimes we as people act on some things without giving it enough thought, sometimes thinking over something a little longer can help someone make a decision that is better.

A thought is being created while something or someone is communicating to you, the way you take and understand what they say then react back towards them could be language. A thought is nothing but pondering and or meditating of information. Language is how someone perceives what someone has done or said with a response in some way.

References:
Language, Thought, and Information Processing, Vol.14, No.2 pp. 147-170.
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici?=0029-4624%28198005%2914%3A2%3C147%#ALTAIP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4

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Jalyn McCauley

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is reflective reasoning about beliefs and actions. It’s a way of deciding of what is true, what can be true and what may not be true at all. It is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication as a guide to belief and action.

Critical thinking can be seen as having two components:
1. a set of information and belief generating and processing skills
2. the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior.

There are some strategies for critical thinking that tend to help a lot of people out
1. Develop a statement of the topic
2. List what you understand, what you have been told and what opinions you hold to it.
3. Identify resources available for research
4. Define timelines and due dates and how they affect the development of your study
5. Print the list as your reference.

You want to be able to define your destination, which is what you will be able to learn. Then develop your frame of reference, your starting point. What will your resources be?

Critical thinking varies according to the motivation underlying it. When grounded in selfish motives, it is often manifested in the skillful manipulation of ideas in service of one’s own, or one's groups’, vested interest. As such it is typically intellectually flawed, however pragmatically successful it might be. When grounded in fairmindedness and intellectual integrity, it is typically of a higher order intellectually, though subject to the charge of "idealism" by those habituated to its selfish use.

So Why exactly critical thinking?
Everyone thinks it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uniformed or down-right prejudiced.

Why is critical thinking so important?
Without critical thinking, you’re only looking at the surface of things. When you come across and politician’s statement in the media, do you accept it at face value? Knowing whether or not you agree with someone is not necessarily the same as critical thinking, however. Your reaction based on emotion, or on the fact that this elected official supports programs that are in your interest though they may not be in the best interests of everyone else. Some specific reasons for the importance of critical thinking can be, it identifies bias, it’s oriented toward the problem, issue, or situation that you’re addressing, it gives you the hole picture, it brings in other necessary factors, it considers both the simplicity and complexity of its object and it gives you the most nearly accurate view of reality.

Sources:

http://www.studygs.net/crtthk.htm
http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

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Concepts

Concepts of Thought and Logic: Joey Leitner

What can you really say about the concepts of thought and logic? A concept is a general idea used to organize your experiences. A thought is process that we use to understand the world and make informed decisions. Logic is the study of the principles of reasoning. Any of these would be useful in your life to avoid unfortunate events happen.

First thing we will talk about is the concept of thought. Concept of thought is a way to understand the world and make informed decisions. It is planning out the ways to make your decisions when you’re not sure what to do. For example when you aren’t for sure what to get at the grocery store you would plan and see what you would need before making any decisions on what to spend your money on. Or when you are driving on a country road right after it rains and you see a puddle of mud. You would stop and see how muddy the road is before going down it and figure out what you are going to need to do if you do end up getting stuck. Another example is when you’ve drank too much at the bar and you are going to drive home to stop and plan out witch way you are going to take home to try to avoid the police. As well as thinking about deciding to have someone drive you home so you don’t get in an accident.

The next thing we will talk about is the concept of logic. Concept of logic is planning out the reasons or organizing the reasons for doing something you have decided. For example, like I said before deciding what to get at the grocery store, you would have to plan out the reason why you would need the things you want to get. Or again like I mentioned before, driving down a country road and you see a puddle of mud, it is figuring out what the reason is for going through it and realizing if you actually need to go through it. Another example like I said before if you’ve drank to much at the bar what would be your reason to drive home. Like why you couldn’t get a ride with someone who hasn’t drank as much.

Both of these ways of thinking/reasoning would be very useful in everyday life to keep you from spending too much, from getting in trouble with the law, or keeping yourself and others safe.

Sources:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=concepts+of+thought&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=0B64ABDAD218D60B291D494496B22E72B95AFD6D&selectedIndex=12
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2104538?uid=3739672&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101879125997

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Concepts of Thought and Logic - Gabe Peterson-Shea

The concepts of thought and logic, when u break it down u have thoughts and then you have logic. Thoughts are what we use to make sense of the world around us, while logic is our reasoning tool. With the use of both of these every day we are able to make rational thoughts in our own mind, which In part brings our decisions down to our own values and concepts of right and wrong. Also in our decision making we use our past experiences to mold how we think and how we process the situation in front of us.
So the first thing we have is thought, the mental process in which we use to make sense of the world around us and decipher some abstract thinking, which is also where logic come in but we will hit that next. With the thought process constantly being used it hardly gets a rest and with that sometime people can feel fatigued or even confused with their surroundings. This process also is a planning stage for what we base our decisions on. An example would be if you were hungry, you got to figure out how much you are willing to spend on the food and also where or what kind of food you want to eat, and even then the process can keep going all the way down to specifics on your order from the condiments you and want the sides that come with it.
Second up is our concept of logic, which is our past experiences and our values being thrown into our decision making process and furthering the organization we have with our thinking process. Such as again with the process of when u get hungry, by past experiences we know that certain types of food will upset our stomachs or cause some rather discomforting side effect. With logic also comes with wisdom in our actions and things we say, write, do and act upon situationally. For example in a tough situation your mind will run at what seems like a million miles an hour till you come up with a solution or a action that best fits what is going on around you. Sometimes our decision making is not the best for the situation but in our minds we are not doing anything wrong.
In the end with both thought and logic working together in our everyday lives we are allowed to make decisions on our own and in our own way of thinking and deciding on the best actions. They may not be the best when looking at it from an outside perspective but then we must think about how and why this person made such a decision, was a past experiences, a misunderstanding from the person, or is it just that persons values showing themselves threw their decisions. We as people will never be the same In our decisions or how we even got to them, just like two writers never have the same stories and writing styles. There may be similarities but nothing will ever be exactly the same. These concepts also help us day to day to keep ourselves and other safe from harm.

Sources
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/eraxion/eraxion0904/eraxion090400232/4683041-x-ray-head-with-gears.jpg
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2104538?uid=3739672&uid=2&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21101879125997

Organization

Eduardo Romero
Organization

Staying organized can be difficult for many people. For others, it comes naturally. Whether you’re organizing your school work or your CD’s or your entire home, following some simple steps may be the key to successful organization. The purpose of organization is to be able to find and evacuate items within minutes. If you stay organized, you will no longer have to turn your entire house upside down to find an item. When deciding to organize, choose an area where you will see results quickly. Some examples may include a kitchen or bathroom and work your way up to larger rooms such as an office or living room. The first step to organization is to declutter the area you wish to start with. Remove and discard any objects that you no longer have use for. You could also place all and any objects in a box and set aside-you may later want to sell these items in a garage sale or maybe donate them to a thrift shop. Step two includes separating items by the type of item it is, the frequency of use for it, who this item belongs to, and where this item belongs. Set out separate bins so that items you have already separated don't accidentally make their way into another group.

When The items are separated, choose one bin and find a place for the items. Maybe there is a certain shelf in the bathroom these items belong, if you use it everyday then make sure it is visible. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. We don't want to mistakenly think we don't have an object when we actually do and go out buying more thus causing multiples. Once you have placed all your items where they belong, move on to another room. Lets say you want to organize your office but the amount of paperwork is overwhelming and you're not sure where to start. First, make it fun. Play some music or have someone come over to help you. Don't think of this as a chore but rather something that will be beneficial for you in the end. Separate paperwork by level of importance. Visas and passports, bills, personal letters, documents, etc. Buy a filing cabinet and set each stack of paperwork in its own file where its not jumbled up with everything else. Make sure to label each file so that you're not spending any unnecessary time looking for something in particular. Try to avoid using boxes to store things at home. Instead use a see-through container and label what items are inside.

When you want to organize multiple items that belong in the same category, get a shelf and place each item in a visible place, that way you just have to browse a little in order to find it. In the end, it will give you comfort that you know where almost every item in your house is and you also avoid wasting time looking for items or buying multiple items because the previous one you had is now lost. Organization is the key when it comes to time management and a happier you!

SOURCES:

http://www.xojane.com/diy/how-organize-your-stuff-without-spending-any-money

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/how-to-get-organized#slide-1

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-organize-bills.htm

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Time Management

By: Whitney Schultz

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You stayed out late last night and you did not hear your alarm. Not to mention you spaced out the paper that was due and the fact that there was a test today. You think to yourself “How am I ever going to be able to organize my life?” A couple of little tricks will help you become more organized and give you a better understanding of some time management tips.

1. Lay out the day- Plan your day before it starts. This will give you an idea of how the day will go. Your goal should be to stick to the plan as best as possible. But, allow for some bumps in the road.
2. Use a calendar or planner- Having a calendar is the most fundamental step to managing your daily activities. Plus, with all the technology in our society, you can input important information such as due dates, assignments details, and anything else to help you remember what needs to be done and when. Set reminders before the assignments are due to make sure you have everything done.
3. Be early- When you attempt to be on time, you’re either be on time or late. Most of the times you’ll be late. However, if you aim to be early, you’re most likely to be on time. Do your best to be early and for assignments hand them in early.
4. Stay focused- When you multitasking too much, it can cause problems. So, focus on just one key task at one time. Close off all the applications you aren’t using. Close off the tabs in your browser that are taking away your attention. Focus solely on what you’re doing. You’ll be more efficient that way.
5. Block out distractions- What’s distracting you in getting stuff done? Instant messages? Your phone? Text messages? When doing important work, try turning your phone off.
6. Track your time spent- A timer is a simple way to be aware of how much time you spent working on a specific task. You set the timer to the exact amount of time you want it to track and it counts down by itself and when the times up it beeps, so you don’t have keep looking at the clock. Did you know every time you look up at the clock, it takes 5 seconds away from whatever you are doing?
7. Don’t be a perfectionist- This is probably my biggest time killer! Every time I sit down to write a paper or something, I always have to correct as I go, but is that not why you reread your papers or double check you work? Make it look the best you can and forget about the extra flourishes that make it look special.
8. Prioritize- Since you’re not Superman or Wonder Woman and you cannot use your superpowers to get everything done, learn to prioritize the important work and let go of the rest.
9. Eliminate your time wasters- What takes your time away your work? Facebook? Twitter? Email checking? Limit when you check your Facebook, Twitter, or Email accounts until after all your work is done. Plus, it can act as an award for getting your work done!
10. Leave some free time in-between- Don’t schedule everything back-to-back. Leave a 5-10 minute break in between tasks. This helps you make sure you can finish one task, maybe use the bathroom or grab a snack before starting you’re next task.

Sources:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/20-quick-tips-for-better-time-management.html
http://www.mindmapart.com/time-management-mind-map-paul-foreman/

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Juan Joel Pacheco Orozco

The Organization of Main Ideas

Placement of the Main Idea in Paragraphs
Most paragraphs contain a controlling statement called a “topic sentence.” In each topic sentence you will
find a word or phrase—often at the end of the sentence—that identifies the subject or focus of the paragraph.
“Pattern 1” Paragraphs
Most paragraphs begin with a topic sentence. These are “Pattern 1” paragraphs, sometimes called “deductive
paragraphs,” that begin with a claim followed by specific examples or support.
“Pattern 2” Paragraphs

More rarely, the main idea will come in a topic sentence placed at the end of the paragraph. These
paragraphs, suggesting the scientific method of exploration, are sometimes called “inductive” or
“exploratory paragraphs.” That is, they invite the reader to examine several related pieces of information or
concepts that generate a rather obvious interpretation or conclusion. That interpretation or conclusion is
written at the end of the paragraph, reflecting the natural consequence of the exploration. Again, the main
idea of that exploration is usually found in a word or phrase contained in the topic sentence.

Implied (Unstated) Main Ideas
Still other paragraphs will lack a written topic sentence or will contain a topic sentence stated either so
broadly or generally that the main idea is only suggested, implied, or assumed. These paragraphs often
demand careful attention and concentration. To identify the main idea, as you read the paragraph, ask
yourself, “What do these details have in common?” “Where does the author seem to be taking me?” “What
seems to be the point of this discussion?” Try to state that common element, that direction, or that point as a
complete sentence.

The Hierarchy of Controlling Statements
The coherency within an essay is controlled by a series of controlling elements. Topics sentences are only
one of the controlling elements.

Sentence-length Controlling Statements
Specific types of sentences guide the reader through an essay, often outlining each major section in longer or
more complex essays. The two most familiar controlling statements are the “thesis” and “topic sentences.”

Two Types of Thesis Sentences
The controlling statement that governs the development of a full essay is called a thesis statement. A
“catalog thesis” contains a list of points to be addressed in the body of the paper. A “position thesis” makes
a claim that must be supported by evidence or examples developed in the body of the paper.

Example of a “catalog thesis”:
Three issues confronting Congress are 1) retiring the national debt, 2) curbing spending, and 3) preserving
“Social Security.”

Example of a “position thesis”:
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has not lived up to its original expectations. General vs. Specific Thesis Sentences
Thesis statements can be composed to include very specific detail so that the main idea(s) are clearly
identifiable, or they can be written very generally so that the main idea is only suggested or implied.
(General statement) New college students have a lot to consider.
(Specific statement) Three factors new college students have to consider are transportation, finances, and
personal discipline.

Construction of Thesis Sentences
Thesis sentences can be composed as grammatically simple sentences (one independent clause) or as
complex sentences (containing both dependent and independent clauses). Complex sentences reflect the
relative values of concepts to be discussed in the essay or differentiate the major from the minor points that
the essay will explore.

Example of a grammatically simple sentence used as a thesis:
The general and specific statements above are both examples of grammatically simple sentences since both
contain only one independent clause:
(General statement) New college students have a lot to consider.
(Specific statement) Three factors new college students have to consider are transportation, finances, and
personal discipline.

Example of a grammatically complex sentence used as a thesis:
While new college students are faced with important issues such as transportation and finances, the one
factor most critical to their success is personal discipline.

Topic Sentences
Topic sentences control the development of individual paragraphs found in the body of the essay. Usually,
they are found at the beginning of paragraphs, although they can be placed at the end of the paragraph or
even only implied, rather than actually stated. Here is a set of topic sentences generated by the previous
example of a grammatically complex thesis:
1) One of the issues faced by students new to college is finding transportation to move around the
campus and for going back and forth from the university to their homes.
2) Another factor confronting students is creating and living within a budget.
3) Perhaps the most important factor in the success of the new college student is developing personal
discipline.

Note that at the topic sentence level, the details listed in the catalog thesis are restated more specifically for
controlling the development of the paragraphs in the body of the paper.

Other Types of Controlling Statements
Thesis and topic sentences are only two of several types of controlling statements. Two others include “subthesis” sentences and “echoes.”

Sub-Thesis Statements
The prefix “sub” means “less” or “below.” It can also mean “within,” the more appropriate meaning for our
purpose here. If a “thesis statement” controls the development of the full or entire essay, then a “sub-thesis”
controls the development of a section “within” the essay, usually a section containing two or more related
paragraphs. “Sub-thesis” statements are usually placed at the beginning of the section that they control, and,
if they aren’t isolated in the text as separate sentences, they may appear at first to be topic sentences. Only careful reading of the text of the paragraph that follows will reveal a more specific discussion set up by the
“sub-thesis.”
Functioning like a guidepost or sign along the way, a “sub-thesis” is most helpful to the attentive reader.
Longer, more complex essays may use several “sub-thesis” sentences throughout the body of the
compositions.

Example of a “Sub-Thesis” sentence:
To establish personal discipline within a college setting, students must learn to master conflicts between the
demands of study, work, and free time.
This sentence sets up a discussion of three factors, each of which might be developed within a separate
paragraph. Note, also, that this “sub-thesis” establishes the outline of that discussion that will address first
the demand of “study,” followed by those of “work” and “free time.”

Echoes
Used primarily for emphasis, an “echo” is a sentence that mirrors the main idea developed within a
paragraph. While it usually comes at the end of a paragraph or a section within a paper, where it restates a
point that has just been developed, it can also come at the beginning of a paragraph. The topic sentence of
the paragraph, in that case, usually follows the “echo.”

An example of an “Echo”:
Balancing course work, one or more jobs, and the distractions of campus life are critical to student success.
Single-word/Phrase Transitions
Some controlling elements are simple transitional words like ordinals (“first,” “second,” “third”). Others
include such words as “next,” “then,” “however.” Phrases are also used as controlling elements: “on the
other hand,” “most importantly,” and “last, but not least.” Titles, the first controlling element of an essay,
are usually short phrases. Headings and sub-headings that appear within the body of paragraphs are also
examples of phrase-length controlling elements. A process essay, for example, might include headings like this: Collecting the Data, Classifying the Data, Organizing the Data.

http://www.distancelearningassociates.com/eng1301navarro/The%20Organization%20of%20Main%20Ideas.pdf

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Josh Frerichs
Organization

Have you ever stayed up early trying to finish homework. But then the next day you don’t go to class. Well then may be its time to get a little organized. There are many ways to get organized. But im going to tell you a few

1. Plan your day out ahead of time- Plan your day before the next day starts soo you know what you have to do.
2. Calendars and planners are the best ways to plan your day out. You can right on the day if you know of something happening that day.
3. Be early is always a good. Being early for a job interview will help you get to know the boss better and may help you land that job easier. Im always early at going to my job.
4. Focuse plays an important role to be organized. A person always needs to be focused at doing anything in life. From your job and even to having fun.
5. Get ride of time that you may not want to do anything. Like me I just lay in bed and don’t do anything. But from know on I don’t do that.
6. Leave time for you. Always leave some time for you. You need to have some fun in your life.

parentinvolvementmatters.org

Sources
www.enotes.com
Philosophy book.

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Organization
Jalyn McCauley

The week of fillls has quickly approached and you realize you have more papers, essays and tests due than you had thought. You try to hurry through everything and end up forgetting over half your assignments that were due. Have you ever thought about your organization skills? Took your time on your assignments and lay them out class by class? Organization can play a big part in your life when it comes to schooling, especially in college. When you are organized you tend to get things done earlier than you have planned. Your assignments also begin to flow more easily and you can understand the idea of things clearly. A few tips will help you be able to reach your goals in becoming more organized.

1. Write things down in a notebook as soon as they are assigned to you. This way you can go back and can remember exactly what your supposed to do and what day it is due on.
2. Do one thing at a time. Don’t try to rush through things just so you can have more free time. Take your time on one subject then move to the next so in the end you wont have to go back and redo everything you thought you did so well on. You also don’t want to forget any assignments due for a certain class.
3. Do it now. Don’t procrastinate. Procrastination has a big effect on things. Once you begin to procrastinate you wont get your things done and therefore will have to end up rushing through them and once again forget about assignments that were also due.
4. Find a place you love to be at, whether it be your room, the park, a lobby, or even a classroom. Once you find a place where you know you can get things accomplished, it will just become easier to get your homework done. Find a place that’s quiet most of the time with no distractions. With no distractions you are able to work harder and even cut down some working time by getting through things.
5. Getting a binder where you can separate your classes can help you stay organized as well. That way you can flip to all your classes to see what you have coming up and when it is due.
6. Hang up a white board with a calendar on it and list the assignments on the days they are due. This will also help with procrastination. You’ll be able to get assignments done a few days before they are due and end up with more free time than you’ve expected.
7. Begin to eat healthier. An apple away keeps the doctor away you know! Building up your immune system will help you be able to focus on what needs to get done and help you feel up to getting your tasks accomplished right away.
8. Schedule study sessions with friends. Make sure you actually get studying done. Most people just like to mess around because the groups they get into are the groups with all their best friends. Find a group you know studies and join them. Don’t study for too long or you’ll end up getting tired and losing all the information you already retained.
9. Don’t try and overload yourself with many outside activities. Having a job, playing a sport, and going to class tends to already be a lot with having to pile homework on top of everything. Limit yourself to what you feel is best to be adding onto your schooling.

http://zenhabits.net/27-great-tips-to-keep-your-life-organized/
http://www.getorganizednow.com/art-students.html

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Juan Pacheco

The creation of a structure, which determines the necessary hierarchies and grouping of activities, in order to simplify them and their functions within the social group.

What is Organization?
It is a set of positions whose rules and norms of behavior, must be subject to all its members and thus avail the medium that allows a company to achieve certain objectives.

What is Organizational Structure?
The organizational structure of a medium that serves any organization to achieve its objectives effectively.
Types of organization
The formal organization
The formal organization is determining standards interrelationship between organs or charges, as defined by the rules, guidelines and regulations of the organization to achieve the objectives.

Linear organization
It's the simplest structure and oldest, is based on the organization of the ancient armies and medieval ecclesiastical organization.

Functional organization
It's the kind of organizational structure, implementing the principle or principle of functional specialization of the functions for each task.

Organization by Product / Marketing
The organization by product / marketing, often called division organization, meets in a unit of work to all involved in the production and marketing of a product or a related group of items, all dealing with certain types of customer .
Departmentalization When a company becomes too complex to coordinate the functional structure, senior management, generally create semiautonomous divisions. In each division, managers and employees design, produce and market their own products.
The organization by product / marketing can follow one of three patterns: product division, geographic division is used by service companies, financial and other non-factory, division by customer, the organization is divided according to the different uses that give customers products.

Matrix Organization
The matrix structure, sometimes called multiple control system. An organization with a matrix structure has two types of structure simultaneously. Employees are, in fact, two heads, ie working with two chains of command. A chain of command is that of functions or divisions, the type that is plotted vertically in the graphs above. The second is a horizontal design that combines staff from various divisions or functional areas to form a project team or business, led by a project manager to a group that is expert in the field of expertise assigned to the team.

Often, the matrix structure is an efficient way to collect the various specialized skills required to solve a complex problem. Another advantage of the matrix structure is that the organization gives great flexibility to save cost. As each project is assigned only the exact number of people required, avoiding unnecessary duplication.

A disadvantage is that not everyone adapts well to the matrix system. Team members, to be effective, must have good interpersonal skills, be flexible and cooperative.

Conclusion
The same concepts and analyzed for structuring purposes of a definition of the nature of the organization gives us the pattern to determine its importance.

The conditions in this present time of crisis and the need for coexistence and group work, require an efficient implementation of this discipline that will be reflected in the productivity and efficiency of the company requiring it.

To prove this we rely on the following facts:
The organization may be where there is a social organism, and according to its complexity, it is most needed.
A social organism depends for its success on good management, because only through it, is how to make good use of material and human resources, etc. that the agency has.

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Ivee Noel
Being Organized

The lifestyle we live these days is chaotic! There is always so much going on, and just when you think you are caught up…BAM! More tasks are thrown your way. Things get stressful, and at the end of the day you probably don’t want to clean up the messes that were made in your house from frantically trying to be at one place and then the next on time. On top of everything one has to do from day to day, one might wonder “when will I have time to clean up this mess?” It can be overwhelming, and if you are not willing to find a way to tackle the clutter, it will only make your life less efficient.
Getting organized is a project that seems impossible to some people. How are you supposed to get organized? Where to start? How long will it take? First, put away the notion that everything will happen overnight, or even in a week. And keep in mind the goal isn't to end up with a sparkling space where everything is always in its place. The key to a more organized home isn't just about tossing most of your stuff and stashing the rest in cute containers- it's more about recognizing and replacing bad practices with better habits that'll help you dig out from the mess on a daily basis.
The easy part about the organizing process is that no matter what rooms you want to straighten up, the rules are basically the same. Here are four simple rules to follow to become more organized:
1. Define Your Space
For each room of your home you want to organize, take a notebook and sit down in each space, making notes on the following questions:
• What is the most efficient way to use the cluttered space? Do you desire a shared space for games and movies with your family or roommates? An office for one or all? A seating area? Be sure to account for all of the various activities you partake in because it will dictate what stays and what should get the boot when it comes time to sort out the room's contents.
• What storage is available in the room?
• What needs to be stored in the room to support the use you would like the room to have?
• Does the furniture work in the room, or should it be rearranged or cleared out?

2. Sort Your Stuff
Once you have a plan, tackle only one room at a time and if you're still overwhelmed, narrow it down to one corner at a time. Then, begin the organizing process by sorting the items into the following categories:
Keep: Items used on a regular basis.
Donate/Sell: Items that are no longer used or things that you can do without and would rather give it to someone else for them to benefit from.
Store: If it is a sentimental item, that you want to hold on to but don't need to have cluttering up your daily living space, as its not used on a daily basis.
Trash: Things that are no longer usable. If you are unsure if you should toss an item, use this rule of thumb: if it takes longer than 15 seconds to figure out what the item is, when you used it last or what purpose you would need it for, throw it out.
3. Set Up Storage Systems
Now that you're left with only the items you would like to keep, it is now time to find these items a place in the room where they will be easy to find, use and store. If you are always losing your car keys, create a “home” for them, such as placing them on a hook by your front door where they are easy to spot. Try to establish a routine of always placing the keys in the designated spot.
Invest or reuse containers to create a storage system. Let your family/roommates know where things are located, since essentially a lot of things will be in a new place. If there is limited space, add shelves inside closets to make use of the vertical wall space. Take advantage of every nook. Adjustable shelving is a good idea for closets, because it can be moved to accommodate various storage needs.
4. Stay Focused
Procrastination can have a snowball effect. The little things you put off each day can pile up to the point where you're at a loss as to how to get organized again. Just use these tips:
1. Vividly imagine the way you'll feel inside after the task or project is complete.
2. Change your attitude with positive thoughts of "I want to," "I can," and "I enjoy" instead.
3. Let go of perfectionism. Many things aren't worth doing perfectly, so just start and do your best. You can always improve as you get more accustomed to organizing your items.
4. Break your project into small, manageable chunks. Never try to do too much at once!
5. Build in rewards for yourself as you finish each step or as you complete a project.

Sources
http://www.womansday.com/home/organizing/100-Ways-to-Get-Organized
http://www.hgtv.com/topics/organization/index.html?layout=desktop

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Moral Issues

Gabi Palacios
Moral Issues

In today’s world people are faced with choices and decisions that can change lives. From going to school to holding a door open we can affect the lives of others. A major challenge with today’s world is our morals. Morals are not defined. They are different for every person and culture. How we view right and wrong, good and bad is all defined through our morals and then the actions we choose to take or not.
We are taught what is right and wrong by the people who raised us and the village that we group up in. People have different values and when we are confronted with a moral dilemma we are tested. Everyday challenges and choices cause us to question what we find acceptable.

Political issues like abortion and the death penalty can plague a mind and a person’s morals. People are forced to sit down and take a good look at what they have and how they want to handle a situation. Is the right answer with the majority, or do we risk doing the morally correct thing in our mind and become a minority? A huge part of moral issues is what we are willing to be seen as. Some people know what the wrong thing and the right thing are but they are not willing to be pushed out of a group or excluded from a group of people.

When we are young we are taught that we should stand up for the people that cannot stand up for them. As we get older that becomes more difficult. We begin to focus more on blending in and not drawing more attention to ourselves then we need to. Our moral compass is covered up by not becoming a victim. The policy goes from equal is better, to as long as it’s not me I don’t care. Morally we lose ourselves. We have the opportunity to become better people and we don’t. Verbally most people are incredibly good people. When it comes down to a morally tough situation you find out who is willing to stick by the morals that they were taught as a little kid.

When people look at themselves they can say all they want about good morals. Morally sound people are hard to find in the world. The morally courageous are really questionable. Rosa Parks has been called morally courageous when in reality she just wouldn’t give up her bus seat. She sparked a movement but was she really doing anything more then not fallowing the rules. The rules were unfair and ridiculous, but she was the first one to break the rules. So is that really moral courage? There are so many situations like this. Are the firemen that save property instead of lives at a huge fire considered heroes? Everyone’s view on these situations is different. If your property was saved they might be heroes, if lives were lost because of it they might not be. There are too many moral issues involved in this. There is no way to know what the actual answer is.

Morals change all the time, making a moral issue change with every generation. What was considered wrong in the 50’s, like birth control, is a part of everyday life now. Hot topics like abortion and the death penalty might be resolved in my life time, but there is no guarantee. Our moral issues are hard to really say what they are. Our geography, background, religion and much more are factors in how we deal with moral issues or tough situations. There is always a test, but there is no real pass or fail.

Sources:
http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/issue.html
Thinking Critically by John Chaffee

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Gabe Peterson-Shea
Moral Issues

People today are faced every day, many times per day, with actions that are affecting by their morals and values. The definition of morals is pertaining to , or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical. The definition of values is relative worth, merit, or importance. Our values are based upon our past experiences and how we were raised and even where we were raised. These values are also very different between person to person, because everyone is raised differently and everyone has a different thought process. A good example of this is in the case of sociopaths and psychopaths, these individuals have no such feelings of right and wrong set by our moral values.

Let’s expand of the meaning of right and wrong. There are many places people pick up on what they believe is right and wrong, some of these places are religion and the laws that each faith as described to them by their religious readings and the word of the priest, pastor, ect. Another place would be the laws set down by the country of residents by the government in power and the laws that follow from town to town. Along with these people have their own personal rules they follow from day to day. With all these rules that have been set down before they may conflict in purpose and beliefs, and with that a person’s own values and experiences they have had through their lifetime determine which rules to follow and which rules to disregard.

In everything we think, see, use, experience, and even learn about, there is an issue with someone somewhere, which in turn can make day to day activities, for me, more time consuming than they should be. There are so many moral issues today I can’t even begin to list them for you to read about but it’s as simple as typing in a Google search “moral issues” (Moral Issues Google). With all these moral issues today there is always one that is causing distress in your thinking and decision making process, and when one leaves another one will take its place and the cycle begins.

Where do all these values originate from even back to the laws our governments have set forth? It all begins in childhood and how you were raised. Even in raising a child the parents are molding that child’s behavior to be what they want it to be or close to what they want to be and in doing this our morals and values have been passed down for generations from parents to children, rinse and repeat. Which is how our laws today have come into place, because they have been around for so long that it eventually made its way to the law making bodies of the country and instated as a law. Sometimes in these cases the morals passed along aren’t what society today considers right or good, but what is it that would determine what is right or wrong, no one can ever be always right or even always wrong cause someone somewhere will disagree with you and your decision making.

http://www.churchleaders.com/thumbnail.php?file=article_images/moral_issues_128054468.jpg&size=article_large

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/moral

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/values?s=t

www.google.com

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Moral Issues

By: Shasti Stupka

A moral issue is a thought on how you or someone else is to behave or if a situation is right or wrong. We face moral issues more and more each and every day. From opening a door for someone to simply buckling up in the car. We even make some decisions based on our own moral issues. When you are born you're raised to always believe certain things, stand up for yourself, and to know right from wrong. This creates your moral issues.

Now a days it seems like no one has morals or even know what they are. This is why some people decide to make such poor decisions when it comes to themselves or even others around them. They think it's okay to have sex with random people they have no idea of who they are or with multiple people. Choosing to have sex without protection could be another example of a moral issue where you are allowing yourself the higher risk to get a disease. Others may have the moral issue that that isn't right and that you shouldn't do that until marriage or with only the one you "love." Some have morals to only worry about themselves and not worry what other people think about what they do with other people. Another moral issue would be about keeping certain things private or telling the whole world about it. It's what you're brought up to think is right or wrong.

Making choices such as buckling up in the car, whether you should go to college, or if you should get a tattoo is another example. Buckling up in the vehicle could save your life if something ever came along or happened to you and could save you money if you got pulled over and got a ticket for not wearing your seat belt. Its just a choice if you'd rather be safe or sorry. Deciding to go to college could be a big moral. If you want to work at McDonalds and flip burgers all day because you didn't feel like going to get an education could just be something you do or don't believe in. Maybe you decide college is a better option for you to pursue your dreams. A moral issue could also be what other people think about you. Making a choice on getting a tattoo may be something that you look at what other people would think about it. If they may think your choice of what you got was dumb or trashy. You might also have the moral that you don't care what other people think and just decide to make your own decisions to what best helps you.

Moral issues are everywhere. People might think that opening the door for someone is really nice, or some people might be offended by it. Where you live could be another example. Some kids were brought up to be mean or not talk to others that are less fortunate then they are. What type of clothes you wear can get you judged and liked both at the same time. What choices you make reflect on who you are everyday. You can never please everyone, so just do what's best for you. Never worry about what someone else thinks because ultimately it's your life, not theirs. People have good and bad moral issues. As long as you know right from wrong and make the best decisions to benefit you or sometimes others, then I think you're on the right track with your moral issues.

http://www.mhhe.com/mayfieldpub/ct/ch13/glossary.htm

http://www.moralissues.org/

http://www.moralissues.org/

http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=4cda0586bb1144c4957716f72fe1eb14

Erin Miller
Moral Issues
MORAL ISSUES
There are so many people in today’s society that tell people how to be and how to act. Even though it is a “free” country, there are so many laws out there that tell you what you can and can’t do; being gay, lesbian, or bi are some of the examples of big “No no’s” or taboo’s today. A lot of people today are so against same sex marriage that they are willing to protest, boycott, and even go on a strike. You can’t help who you fall in love with, and if marrying someone of the same sex makes that person happy, it should be left alone. In the end, the only people that they are hurting, is themselves. By not accepting why they are the people who are against it are pushing their loved ones away. Who in the world really has that much authority to say who we can and cannot love? God is the only judge of everyone in this world. The bible says that god made everyone special, and he loves everyone the same.

So if the bible says this, why do people say that god does not love gays? Almost everyone is so set on what people have done for the longest time, that if anyone strays from the norm, they are doing something totally wrong. Religion has a big role in why everyone thinks being homosexual is the biggest sin of them all. From all of my personal experiences, people who are hard core Catholic and do not stray from what the bible says, are very against people who are homosexual. There are other religions out there such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism that are against being gay as well. There are bigger issues in this world of ours, being gay should be the least of our worries. Since we are talking about moral issues here, I feel like infidelity is a bigger moral issue than being a homosexual. Infidelity is when a person cheats, commits adultery, or has an affair with someone other than their spouse. If someone likes the same gender as they are, what is wrong with that? At least they are not breaking vows, breaking promises, or sneaking around being unfaithful.

Sources:
~http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090105171521AAqUeN6
~http://www.google.com/#hl=en&rlz=1R2TSNP_enUS494&sclient=psy-ab&q=infidelity+definition&rlz=1R2TSNP_enUS494&oq=infidelity+&gs_l=hp.3.1.0l4.87220.87220.1.89554.1.1.0.0.0.0.184.184.0j1.1.0...0.0...1c.1.9.psy-ab.pqUUs78sKNY&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.45368065,d.b2I&fp=2bb579c66ee172d8&biw=1441&bih=621

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Reasoning

Chelsea Jonte

Reasoning deals with being able to make sense of things, establish and verify facts and changing practices, institutions and beliefs based on new or existing information. We use reason to determine why we believe in what we do and we use reason when we argue. Reason is thought to be a characteristic of human nature, but it can be affected by cultural factors. There are three types of reasoning.

First theres inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning generates new knowledge. Basically this type of reasoning helps develop a hypothesis but it doesnt guarantee that these hypothesis are always one hundred percent correct. Education.com gives a good example of someone watching all the birds in their neighborhood and sees that they all have wings and fly. Naturally that person (who has no prior knowledge of birds) assumes that all birds have wings and can fly.

Then there is deductive reasoning which is being able to take two or more premises that are correct and get a conclusion that is also correct. So if Jose is older than Bob and Bob is older than Steve then Jose is older than Steve. The whole basis of deductive reasoning is being able to organize knowledge in a way that allows one to reach a conclusion from the information provided.
The third type of reasoning is abductive reasoning. In abductive reasoning individuals watch an even or phenomenon occur and then try to form a hypothesis and try to explain what just happened. A good example of this is when forensic investigators try tot reconstruct a car crash from the evidence thhat they gather at the scene. They can loo at car damage, surroundings, or any exams conducted on the drivers and passengers. Using all the evidence, investigators can reach a likely explanation of what caused the wreck.

One very important factor in valid reasoning is how a person interprets a situation. No two people will interpret the same situation the same way. They will bring different assumptions into their reasoning process.

Another factor is prior knowledge. In children prior knowledge causes causual reasoning. when asked to make predictions about the likelihood of future events occuring instead of basing their predictions on te known frequency of occurance, they based their predictions on how easily an example of an event came to mind.

In an argument there can be flawed reasoning. These flaws or fallacies can be in the structure of an argument or jusut in the content alone. An example of a flaw in structure would be, if a drink is made with cocoa, it will be hot, this drink was no made with cocoa, so therefore it is not hot.

To be able to reason validly a person has to let go of all previous knowledge and assumptions. Also take into consideration that not everyone will interpret a situation the same. Although ha sense of reason is instilled at birth as a person grows it can develop and change.

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Ashli Jones
Reasoning Critically

Reasoning from premises assumed to be true to a conclusion supported (but not yet logically by the premises). Reasoning is the type of thinking that uses arguments. Reasoning can be used to decide, explain, predict, and persuade. Inductive reasoning is when an argument from in which one reason from premises that are known or assumed to be true to a conclusion that is supported by the premises but does not know logically from them. When you reason inductively, your premises provide evidence that makes it more or less probable that the conclusion is true. Reasoning is one thing that can make or break any situation.
Casual reasoning is in which an event is claimed to be the result of the occurrence of another event. Casual thinking can consist of questions like: “what’s wrong?” “what’s the cause?” “what’s going on?” “why did that happen?” In some of these cases you assume that there is some factor responsible for what is occurring, some cause that result in the effect you are observing. Casual reasoning is using your own common sense and casual answer. The scientific method is one example of casual reasoning because nothing is being ruled out.
The scientific method is 1. Making a theory or hypothesis 2. Making predictions to what you think will happen 3. experimental testing to see if your predictions was right or wrong 4. Information gathered to show results. Applying this situation “scientific method” is an everyday thing we do on our own self-consciously. Science classes use this to help predict theories and we use this every day for regular decisions. Personally I think this is a strong and positive way to make decisions and its one hundred percent effective.
Another way to reason is called cause-to-effect experiments without intervention. This form of reasoning is similar to the ones previously described but does not expose experimental group to a purposed cause. For example like a hair growing cream. You must form a random selection then have a controlled group and experimental group also a suspected cause (what you’re adding to the group). You can then for a control group of individuals who are not exposed but match up to those who are exposed so you can compare and contrast them. You can then see the differences and look at all the information and data, this is evaluating the experiment and showing what happened.
Opposite of that is cause-to-effect without intervention. It’s basically the same but they are flipped flopped and backwards. Once again you will want to expose people to the experiment test your hypothesis. There will be no middle personnel to compare the tested experiment to. So this time you will have to record your date and compare it to other experiments. These last two types of reasoning maybe a bit more complex but thy will work about the same. Reasoning takes time and thinking it all depends on what you would prefer as well instead of an experiment.
Reasoning can be complex and difficult to master, we all have flaws and sometimes nothing is done to perfection. This section implies how to pull important issues with reasoning. There are many different types and it can be done in a matter of different ways. Thinking outside the box will always help and having an open mind about things too. Reasoning is one thing that you will have to do when entering the real work when you are not only in school but also when you are done with school and looking for a job.

Sources:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reasoning

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Living Creatively

Alexus Wanker: Living Creatively

What would the world be if we didn’t have colors, music, art, or even language? In a way the world would be black and white. Most of the time, people don’t realize how much creativeness influences our everyday lives. When a newlywed couple buys a new house, they buy a lot of things that they need to fill their house with like furniture, towels, dressers, clothes, bedding and even paint for their walls. If we didn’t have a much widely variety of colors, designs and textures, everyone’s house would look exactly the same and where is the fun in that?
Being creative is also a way of showing people who you are. The length and color of your hair, what clothes you wear, and even body art like tattoos and piercings. The shape of your body, eye colors, weight and height is all art about yourself. However in society, it seems like people are always putting down others creativity. But again, what is the point of everyone being the exact same? The point of human beings is to be different and that’s why when we are created, our chromosomes cross over DNA from each parent just to make sure each offspring isn’t the same.
I don’t think most people realize that colors influence us even when we don’t know it. Why do you think movie theaters or most restaurants are red? Why are most spas blue and green? Why do we wear black to a funeral and brides are white for their wedding day? Because every color means something.
According to Color-Wheel-Pro.com, red is the color of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, war, danger and as well as passion, desire, and love. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. Which is why most restaurants have red in them. It has very high visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights, and fire equipment are painted red.
Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Bright yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color. When overworked, yellow may have a troubling effect and it is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms.
Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility. Green has strong emotional correspondence with safety. This why in traffic, green light means go. It’s also said that the color green has healing power. It is the most restful color for the human eye and said that it can improve vision. Make sure to eat your veggies!
Every color means something. Every person has something to say. Every texture gives you a different feel. Creativity doesn’t mean that everything is the same. It means that everything is meant to be different. If you are having trouble with getting some creativity in your life here are some hints from beliefnet.com.
Realize your dreams. Every person has the ability to be creative to themselves and not for others. Just reach inside yourself and think! But not too hard.
Don’t break old habits. Sometimes it’s good for yourself to try new things. New food, places, books etc.. They can lead to new ideas and sensations you never knew you could.
Reconnect with nature. Even if you are not a nature person, the outdoors is a wonderful place to find creativeness. The sights, smells (ok not all smells), colors, and feelings can increase all your senses.
Live a life of possibility. It’s easy, for some, to say no to things. But most likely those people always wonder, “I wonder what would’ve happened if I said yes and done it?” I personally don’t like to live a life of what if but for some that’s easier said than done.
All in all, we all need to be creative in our own ways. That’s the beautiful thing about life is that no one’s is ever the same.
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/2010/07/10-Prescriptions-for-Living-a-Creative-Life.aspx?p=5&b=1

Katie Zerr
Living Creatively:

People can be so colorful and people can be so black and white. Colorful people are fun and not always organized and do whatever they please. And black and white people many be straightforward and don’t put up with anything. Living creatively is what the colorful people do on a day-to-day basis. What is living creatively, though?

Living a colorful life is about being creative and changing things up. There are times when we should all be those black and white people, for example at work. But most of the time being creative is something that people do in their daily life and they don’t even know they are doing it. For others it may be harder because they may have to really concentrate on things. Being creative may just spice up your life and make you a more likeable person. There are millions of ways to spice up your life while being creative, for example meeting new people will expand your horizons. Another may be to change up your daily routine, like when you go to brush your teeth use your non-dominant hand. (It’s actually really tricky, and exercises your brain.) Also, think of multiple ways to do things and pick the way that might be the most fun or the most challenging. Maybe you could try something new like skydiving or taking salsa dancing lessons. Something like taking lunch at a different time everyday may make a big impact on life. You can look up ways to be more creative or come up with things on your own, the list goes on and on.

I know for me being creative is coming up with ideas for work and in my art pictures. Sometimes we must not be ourselves and completely step outside of our comfort zone to come up with something great. Stepping out of our comfort zone may be strange but it is totally worth it. New and fun ideas make you excited for what you are about to work on. Looking forward to an upcoming even or project makes me giddy and words can’t always explain the way you feel.

Did you know that a person’s favorite color might tell you how they are feeling or how creative they are?
Red- shows passion and control or it may mean that they are angry.
Orange- commonly used as a power color because it shows optimism.
Yellow- is a cheery color, but also shows that a person can be impatient.
Green- shows balance and is very positive.
Blue- is commonly known for peace and loyalty.
Purple- shows a person’s creative and imaginative side.
Pink- means love, your feeling silly or bright.
Brown- is a earthy color or means you’re serious.
Black- may mean they are trying to hide, or be secretive.
White- means you are pure and innocent.

Something so little can tell you so much about a person. Also a person may just put clothes on in the morning, so don’t judge they way they are acting on the color they are wearing or they like.

It’ so simple to be creative and change things up with all the different possibilities in life. Next time you think your life is boring just do something new and out of routine. If you need ideas you can google “ways to spice up your life.” It’s as simple as that. Stay colorful!
Sources:
http://www.trans4mind.com/fiftyways.pdf
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/color-meaning.html

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Living Creatively:
Shasti Stupka

We can, for the most part, turn our creative thoughts on and off as we need them, but if we are to reach the greatest heights, we cannot be part-time creators. Living creatively means never turning the tap off. It's not about what you do, but who and how you are. People express their creative ways of life through art, culture, what they put on themselves, homes, or vehicles, etc. Living creatively is about being unique and different. So stand out!

Living creatively is a person's daily life. One way of living creatively is through how you do your hair, makeup, and what kind of clothes you wear. Some people show their creativity through art, so they use their face as a canvas and ut drastic looking makeup on such as extreme blue eyeshadow with heavy eyeliner, painted on eyebrows, and bright, sometimes dark colored lipstick. Another way someone can express their ways is by how they do their hair. Say you do your hair really random one day and it turns out really cute that all anyone can do is compliment you. If they ask who did it and you say yourself, all that person can think to themselves is wow she got creative to come up with something like that. Individuals also like to color their hair to un natural colors such as blue, purple, pink, red, etc. It shows that they are different and don't like to go with the crowd. Individuals also like to be unique by their clothing attire. Maybe a bunch of people buy the same pair of jeans, but you don't want to be like everyone else, but you have the same jeans. You could spray bleach on them to make them different, add a design, cut them differently, or even paint them to however you would want them to look. The physical appearance always says it all. If you color your hair blue and green and have purple eyeshadow on and really random different clothing, most likely people will think that you aren't afraid to get creative and just be different.

Individuals like to tattoo and pierce their body. Some like to tattoo their entire body where others just like a few. Once you have certain tattoos on your body, you're completely different from everyone else. No one else will have the exact tattoos in the exact same spot as you ever. That makes you be completely different than any other individual out there. The colors you chose to put in your tattoo and the place of your tattoo can really show who you really are and tell a story about yourself. Others also like to have piercings. Some pierce their nose, lip, tongue, eyebrow, nipples, etc. This is just expressing what they like and to be different again.

The lifestyle you chose to lead when you walk into your home is just one more example of living creatively. You could paint your walls a thousand different colors to create an illusion, paint a picture, or just simply colors that make you feel the way you want. Getting furniture from some far away place that you know no one that you know would ever know about so therefore it's different. You can get creative and make your own decorations to your home, for outside, windows, or doors.

Living creatively is a way of life we all live whether or not we know it. There are some many different ways individuals can show their personality or express themselves. Being creative isn't just about being colorful, its about expressing yourself in a way of being different and unique. You never want to follow the crowd. Stand out and let the crowd follow you.

Sources:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/inspiration/2012/06/live-creatively/
http://myartfullife.wordpress.com/2008/10/17/what-does-it-mean-to-live-creatively/

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What is Color?
By: Whitney Schultz

To see color, you have to have light. When light shines on an object some colors bounce off the object and others are absorbed by it. Our eyes only see the colors that are bounced off or reflected. The sun’s rays contain all the colors of the rainbow mixed together. This mixture is known as white light. When white light strikes an object, it appears white to us because it absorbs no color and reflects all of the color equally. A black object absorbs all colors equally and reflects none, so it looks black to us. Different colors have different wavelengths, which is the distance between corresponding parts of two of the waves. The longest wavelength of light that humans can see is red. The shortest wavelength is violet.

We know what color is, but do we know what each color means or represent. Below lists each color and what they each mean and represents.

Red- shows power, passion and control. It is used in flags as a symbol of pride and strength. Also, red is a sporty color that many car companies use to showcase their signature vehicles.

Orange- is a bright and warm color which represents fire, sun, fun, warmth, and tropical images. Oxygen increases oxygen supply to the brain and stimulates mental activity. As a citrus color, is associated with healthy food and stimulates appetite. A darker, richer shade of orange can be associated with autumn.

Yellow- is the brightest color to the human eye. It represents youth, fun, happiness, sunshine and other light playful feelings. It is a cheerful energetic color and is often used for children’s toys and clothes. Though yellow is a bright cheerful color, as it starts to darken it, however, quickly becomes a dirty and unpleasant color. Yellow can also be associated with being scared and, cowards.

Green- is the color of nature and health. It represents growth, nature, money, fertility and safety. Green is a relaxing color that is easy on the eye and has a healing power to it. It is often used to represent anything having to do with health. Dark green is commonly associated with the military, money, finance, and banking. However it can also be associated with being new or inexperienced as being green or a "green horn". Green is becoming a very popular color in design for web sites.

Blue- is a cool calming color that shows creativity and intelligence. It is a popular color among large corporations, hospitals and airlines. It is a color of loyalty, strength, wisdom and trust. Blue has a calming effect on the psyche. Blue is the color of the sky and the sea and is often used to represent those images. Blue is a color that generally looks good in almost any shade and is a popular color among males. Blue is not a good color when used for food as there are few blue foods found in nature and it suppresses the appetite.

Purple- combines the stability of blue and the energy of red. Throughout history, purple has been associated with royalty, nobility and prestige. It symbolizes mystery, magic, power and luxury. Purple is often used to portray rich powerful kings, leaders, wizards and magicians. Purple combined with gold can be flashy and portray wealth and extravagance. Light purple and pink is good for a feminine design and is a popular color among teenage girls. Bright purple along with yellow is commonly used in promoting children's products. It gives the appearance of something that is fun and easy to do.

Black- is often a color used to portray something evil, depressing, scary or even death in western civilization. It has negative imagery with it at times such as "black mail" "black list" "black hole" etc. Black is also a very powerful color that also portrays one of class elegance and wealth. Classy clothing is designed in black from the "power suit" to the "sexy black dress" to formal "black-tie attire". Black combined with other colors can have a very strong statement. Black is a color that can fit into almost every design to add contrast, type, and make the other colors stand out more.

White- is often associated with being pure, clean, fresh and good. The color of a fresh snowstorm brings up images of a peaceful and pure winter scene. White is a common background for Webster's as it is easy to read black or dark text on it. When used with a design using lots of negative space it gives a very clean look to it. White is also used lots for charities and non-profit organizations to denote something good and positive. Hollywood often portrays their characters in white as being good. White usually is associated with being pure and almost heavenly, it is associated with hospitals, doctors, and heaven.

Sources:
www.crayola.com
www.digitalskratch.com

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Living Creatively
Josh Martinez

The daily news mesmerizes us with messages of lack. There's not enough—not enough energy reserves to meet our future needs, not enough food to feed the hungry, not enough jobs in the US economy or enough money in the federal budget for education, health care, environmental protection, Social Security, and Medicare, not to mention science and the arts. As concerned citizens, we may feel at a loss, wondering what difference we can make when the problems are so vast. But focusing on lack only narrows our perception, leads us into learned helplessness (Peterson, Maier, & Seligman, 1993), convinces us that nothing we can do will make any difference. When we feel this way, we perpetuate the status quo. Yet beneath the stream of negative events, we still live in a world of dynamic growth, a world of possibilities. How many creative ideas exist within one human soul? We can cultivate our creativity by shifting our perception, looking beyond lack to the larger process. As thousands of potential tomatoes exist in one small seed, so the fruition of our creative work exists in the first flash of inspiration. With faith in the process, we can follow our inspiration to creative fulfillment.
Living creatively is a lifestyle taken on by people who seek a fuller life and want to step out of the hustle and bustle and learning to provide and thrive on their own. It's taking something old and unwanted and turning it into something useful. It's taking an object and looking at it in a different perspective to have a new use for it. Being creative is stepping onto a higher plateau of interpretation and understanding of the environment around you, and what's more you are about to respond creatively and third dimensionally as well. You are now in a different league to most human beings. Living a creative lifestyle holds no boundaries. You may wake up and feel like splattering paint all over your walls or designer clothes. Do it. Don't even think about the consequences. Living creatively means to immerse and enjoyment of all emotions and experiences, whether it be positive or negative. Don't be afraid of negative feedback or responses. As much as you'll get criticism from those who are too shallow or ignorant to understand your genius, you are going to also get praise and be admired by people who want to be as outlandish and bold as you are. There are lots of people wanting to be outrageously creative or just simply more creative but are too afraid! You are living their dream, make them proud.

http://www.wikihow.com/Live-a-Creative-Lifestyle
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/your-personal-renaissance/201111/living-creatively-in-world-lack

Dylon Braun- Forming and Applying Concepts

Concept Formation is an inductive teaching strategy that helps students form a clear understanding of a concept or idea through studying a small set of examples of the concept. A concept is defined by critical characteristics shared by all examples of the concept. For something to be an example of a concept, it must contain all these critical characteristics. To help students form the concept, the teacher helps them first to see these critical characteristics across different examples and, then to summarize those characteristics in a definition that students themselves write.

There are two things you need to do when forming concepts.— The first thing is generalizing, focusing on certain similar features among things to develop the requirements for the concept. The second is interpreting, looking for different things to apply the concept to in order to determine if they meet the requirements of the concept we are developing. —An iterative back-and-forth process between generalizing and interpreting to develop a list of requirements that something must have to be considered an example of the concept and to give ourselves a clear idea of how the concept is defined.

The term concept formation describes how a person learns to form classes, whereas the term conceptual thinking refers to an individual’s subjective manipulation of those abstract classes. A concept is a rule that may be applied to decide if a particular object falls into a certain class. The concept “citizen of the United States” refers to such a decision rule, meaning any person who was born in U.S. territory or who is a child of a U.S. citizen or who has been legally naturalized. The rule suggests questions to ask in checking the citizenship of any particular individual. As most concepts do, it rests on other concepts; “U.S. citizen” is defined in terms of the concepts “child” and “territory.” Many scientific or mathematical concepts cannot be understood until the terms by which they are defined have been grasped. In this way concept formation builds on itself.

1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_learning

2.http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/130954/concept-formation

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Mind Map

Ashlon Gaines

Digital Stories

Eddie Romero

Juan Pacheco

Katie Zerr

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Ashli Jones

Erin Miller

Shasti Stupka

Ashlon Gaines

Clifton W. Griffin

Jaly McCauley

Chelsea Jonte

Whitney Schultz

Gabi Palacios

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Josh Frerichs

Dylon Braun and Josh Martinez

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