Post your replies to the midterm review questions by commenting on my post below. Include the names of your (active) group members.
- Have you heard of the growth mindset versus the fixed mindset theory? Watch this 5-minute YouTube video. Next, provide a definition of a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Which mindset do you have? Provide examples.
- What are some characteristics of a critical thinker? Name at least 3 that you learned or came to appreciate this semester. Provide examples from your life to support your answer.
- What is emotive language? What are rhetorical devices? Watch the short film “Anxiety” and provide examples of emotive language and rhetorical devices from the movie.
- What is a bias? Locate at least 3 biases in the film “Anxiety.” List them and provide examples of each. Next, discuss how being aware of those biases can help you make better life decisions.
- Solve Maddy’s problem by using the 5 step problem solving method.
- Watch the short clip on Confirmation Bias. Next, define confirmation bias and provide an example from your own life.
- Your friend has joined a cult. You are concerned. Write them a letter stating what a cult is, how it works, and why it can be dangerous. Give your friend some advice.
- Create an argument that represents both sides: provide conclusions and premises for each one.
Everyone:
- Please take this anonymous 10-question survey about your experience so far this semester.
- With your group members, create a survey about your classmates’ experience at BMCC. Include at least 3-5 questions. Next, interview at least 3-5 classmates. Take notes.
7 thoughts on “Midterm Review Meetings 3/12 Classwork”
Group 4: Diamond, Kayla, Makera, Pamela
7.(Cults) A cult is a community of people large or small, that share the same values and beliefs. The community is overlooked by a single person who often suffers some sort of mental disorder. They are either sociopaths or narcissists who control the community through pressure and fear. They always hide their true intentions by being charismatic and nice. A cult is dangerous because you never know the leaders true intentions. It’s also dangerous because often times they make you lose contact with family members and you’ll be in a mob mentality. Something that is also dangerous because you can’t see other perspectives and flaws in the community.
8. (Arguments)
– Cults give you a sense of community since you are around people who share the same beliefs as you. When you’re apart of a cult you will never feel alone which is why I strongly believe you should join one.
– Don’t ever join a cult because the leader used intimidation tactics to gain your trust and they will always make the decision even if you don’t find them agreeable.
Group Members: Kiara, Jazmarie, Isabelle, and Tyler
Questions 5 and 6
5. Maddy’s Problem
Step 1: What is the problem?
Maddy anxiety is putting herself down, thinking her friends only hang with her because of pity. Letting her overthinking and anxiety control what she do. Thinking about school and her boyfriend, feeling like she’s not good enough.
Step 2. Option 1: Talk to her friends about her situation, open up to them and tell them how she feels.
Option 2: Counseling/Therapy
Step 3: Disadvantage option 1: They won’t understand how she feels or maybe think she’s overreacting.
Advantage: It will let off a burden and they probably with relate to her situation.
Option 2: Advantage: Help set a plan for her everyday life, day to day
Disadvantage: The cost will probably add up and maybe too expensive.
Step 4: What is the solution?
We chose therapy, talking to friends might backfire depending on their own opinions or beliefs, with therapy it’s a for sure thing.
6.) Confirmation Bias
Definition: Taking evidence and interpreting it the way we want to help benefit our own beliefs or theories. Having evidence specially to help our own side.
Example: Saying all men are the same just by the repetitive experience with them and using only your own experience to back your side.
Group #1: Ana, Bill, Bianca and Emanuel
Yes, we’ve heard of the growth mindset and fixed mindset. Having a growth mindset is being opened to learning and growing as an individual. A growth mindset means not afraid of making mistakes. An example of a fixed mindset that we talked about in the group was my experience with my mother. Growing up in Haiti, she would often tell me that I’m not good at certain things or would never be good at them because I wasn’t born with those talents. Instead of encouraging me to practice or not give up, she scolded me for doing things wrong.
A good thinker is someone who is not afraid to be wrong or make mistakes. Someone who’s open-minded, skeptical and curious. They’re not afraid to judge their own thinking and see what they can do to improve. They have to be aware of their own biases.
One example would be a friend that I have who’s always curious about different ways and methods of doing things. She always wonder out loud instead of forcing her ideas or beliefs.
3. Emotive Language: words that produce emotions. Some examples are negative emotive words, positive emotive words, and evaluative value-laden words.
Rhetorical devices: a form of expression to convey information, however, it doesn’t always work. Some examples are euphemisms, dysphemisms, sarcasm, and hyperbole.
An example of a rhetorical device used in the film is hyperbole because it represents the girl Maddie, anxiety as having its own persona. In the film, it is shown that her anxiety is manifested as a human being when anxiety is an emotion.
4. Bias: a judgemental perception of someone based on how others might see them and how people are seen in the media.
Three Bias in the Film:
When her friend texts her and says “Do they really want to go out with you”
She feels the need to put on makeup to make herself look and feel attractive.
Maddie constantly believes her boyfriend is cheating on her when she doesn’t get attention from him.
Based on this, being aware of these biases can help us make better life decisions by taking accountability for the things we may say or do. As well as having self-awareness of how others may feel or react to our comments.
Names: Ashley, Christian, Evelin, Sonia, Marian, Alzura
Activity 7
-A cult is a group of people who venerate one leader. These groups are very secretive because of their extreme beliefs or rules.
-Cults are known for being very isolating. They isolate their group members to be able to brainwash the members into the cult’s beliefs.
-Cults are dangerous because members lose themselves; they lose their right to freedom of speech and belief.
-I would recommend you to stay away from these groups; you can always find support in your friends and family; there’s no need to isolate yourself and give all your life to these groups that might look to have good intentions, but they only want your money.
Activity 8 – Argument
In favor:
“Abortion should be free and accessible to everyone who needs it.”
-68,000 women die to unsafe abortion annually
-Not everyone has access to sex education
-There’s always a chance for the contraceptive to fail
Against:
“Abortion should be illegal.”
-Goes against religious beliefs
-A person shouldn’t decide who lives and who doesn’t
Group 5: Christen, Faysal, Isai, Elijah, James
5(5-step problem) People have problems every day and by using the 5-step problem solving method it may allow you to get through the issues easier. The problem-solving method is as follows 1: Define the problem, 2: Brainstorm Ideas, 3: Decide on a solution, 4: Implement the solution and 5: Review the results. Today we’re with Maddy who is dealing with overwhelming anxiety, by using the 5-step problem solving method we can help her to possible overcome her issues. Step 1: Maddy’s anxiety is making her overthink and think and believe negative thoughts. She’s currently stuck in a cycle of constant negativity she’s anxious so she’s easily overwhelmed with negative thoughts and since she’s overwhelmed that allows her anxiety to grow easier. Step 2: Some potential solutions to this would be constant self-encouragement, taking deep breaths and/or taking a break and allowing your mind to calm down, speak with people you trust/ feel comfortable with. Step 3: In Maddy’s case we’re going with the speaking to people you trust due to the first issue which leads to the other issues being her feeling like her friends don’t actually want to hang out with her. If she goes out to hang out with her friends, the people who invited her out, and she speaks to them about her issues or even just shows up and Maddy sees that her friend do in fact want her around, that’ll help her to calm down. Or even the reassurance from people you call friends will make you feel better. Step 4: Maddy goes out with her friends later in the day. Step 5: Maddy’s and her friends have a good time and Maddy realizes that her previous anxiety was unfounded and she feels better about herself.
2.(Characteristics of a critical thinker) There are many different characteristics that an effective critical thinker could/should have. The traits that we chose to speak about are the ability to be open minded to differing ideas, the ability to make the best possible decision while disregarding personal bias, and the ability to be curious and inquisitive.