task 9

1. Based on your preference, what kind of classroom activity do you like most and which one do you like the least?
Above all the courses I take so far, I like the one that offers students opportunities to show their ideas or themselves. The least I like is anything that does with math or any thing cramming.
2. Can you recall some very fun activity you experienced recently in class? Please describe it.
I like the “show and tell” in English listening and speaking class. Every period of time, we are assigned to do “show and tell”, which is a program you can show everybody what you got. As long as you like it, your topic can include all kinds of things. Now we just finished our show and tell round two, and to compare with our first round, everybody has made a great progress on not only their content but also their performances on the stage. Although it was really a hard work to prepare the content, the program has made us understand more and more about our classmates and brought us a lot of fun. The subtitle editing program is also a lot of fun in Professor Gina’s class. It inspired our creativity and brought us laughter as well. I like those activities full of joy.
3. When encountering some kind of difficult knowledge, do you have any strategies to process it? I would either ask my classmates or go on the Internet to find the information. I would email TA or professor in the end if everything just doesn’t work.
4. Based on your responses to Q1, Q2, and Q3, can you tell the type of learner you are? Why?
I am a self-starter. I know what I am going to do and what I want so bad every period in my life. However, I am lack of composure and persistence. Also, I have a poor memory, but I try my best to keep on with others.

task 8

Compare among various viewpoints, writing styles, communication styles, interaction, and interesting insights between other groups and yours. Discuss with your partner through blog about your pair work quality and answer the following questions.Question 1: From 1~10 (with 10 as the highest score), how well are you two doing? Please grade yourselves and give a suggestive score.
Answer 1: Judy and I decided to grade our blog 7.5 point.Question 2: How and why did you two decide the score?Answer 2: Both of us have tried our best to reply each other’s opinion and give each other comments as detailed as we can.
Question 3: What kind of improvement are you two making in the remaining weeks of the semester?Answer 3: Sometimes we delay a little bit to give out our opinions because we are both extremely busy. It is better to hand out the homework on time in any way. As to myself, I should improve my choice of words and try to enrich my paragraphs. I think my paragraphs are not “mature” enough; therefore, I should read more articles and memorize more phrases to improve my works.

task 7

We young people, especilly the youngsters who were born after 1981, are being mocked as “strawberry generation”. It is said that we are as vulerable as strawberries, who put more emphazise on external (apperance) than internal (personality), and are unstable, unendurable, unprincipled, even are hedonists.
However, from my point of view, those decriptions is a little bit stereotypical and subjective as well. There are always some black sheeps not doing well fulfilling their duty, so that others may take a part for the whole, saying we are this and that.

I am quite unsatisfied with the statemants and the adjectives describing us. At least I am not that kind of young people they mentioned. I think those who are too vulerable to face tha music are because they lack of the courage and are not being trained to do that. Perhaps their parents play a great role on it. My parents, especially my mother, has trained me to solve the problems on my own, and to think independently, which has made me learn to believe in myself, be more and more confident so that I won’t be defeated easily. As I have mentioned before, I take my failure and mistakes as a key to success, so I don’t care how many times I fail or lose. The more times I lose, the stronger I get. I even encourage my friends or classmates to hold on stright anytime they are frustrated. I would tell them some ways to bounce back as well.

Maybe they are right in some ways about we young generation, and I am to no denial. But somehow I am figuring out a way to help my peers to get away from those unwarranted statements. Perhaps we have been taught by the media for too many wrong conceptions, that we act unlike the way we supposed to do. For instance, everyone purchase material life, but we young people just don’t know where is the limit. We do things in an excessive way, which eventually leads to an imbalance and disorder life.

It is important to cultivate a right attitude toward things. Don’t blame on hermon or an impulse, because we are big enough to take care of ourselves and distinguish things from right or wrong.

task 6

Question 1: How do you usually look at your mistakes?
Answer 1: I view them as a key to success. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, there’s nothing to be ashamed of, like I just mentioned several weeks ago. It is also said that every failure is a stepping-stone to success.

Question 2: How do you define mistakes?
Answer 2: Mistake is a necessary existence. Only when you do something wrong will you reflect on yourself. Mistakes make me grow more and more mature since I learn from every wrongdoing.

Question 3: After listening to Prof. Pausch’s speech, do you still see mistakes in the same way? Answer 3: Yes, I already think in the similar way with him. I like the words he said: “The walls weren’t there for no reason, they let us know how badly we want things. ” It inspired me a lot. And, also, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.” I would keep those words in mind=).

Task 5

1. Can you explain what this picture is showing about collaborative learning (or group learning)?
It shows the progress and the outcomes of collaborative(group) learning.
2.What is your favorite part of this type of learning?
My favorite part of this type of learning is “Learning through reflection”. Not only in writing works, but also in reality, I enjoy reflecting on what I have done. Only through reflection would you know your drawbacks, and it also stands you a chance to fix them. It is rather important to check it over again with your paper works, because it can avoid you from offending others, making reading troubles for others, and bringing shame on yourself in formal occasion and so on.
3.What would be the part that usually bothers you when working with others? Give an example from your personal experience and elaborate on it. I think “written and/or oral deliverables”is the part that bothers me most. I am afraid of making a fool of myself, worrying that someone would laugh at me if I make mistake. I build up my confidence basing on others’ judgments on my paper works or oral performance. For example, as an English-majored student, I have a great stress when others ask me for helping them on their paper works or English-related questions. I also feel like being on the thin ice while doing English blogging task like this. It is like we are having a competition that kind of thing>< However, pressure makes progress, I will work hard on my writing! Please feel free to point out my mistakes so that I can fix it!

Task 4

Question 1:
This is how American college students learn. Are you learning in a similar way?
Answer 1:
I am not exactly learning in the same way with American college students, but stilll in the similar one. For example, I use the Internet medium that has mentioned above, such as Google, Facebook, Skype. Unfortunately, I use them engaging in leisure activities more than in school work. Take Facebook, as an example, which is now popular for the game “Happy Farm” on it, is one of the functions of Facebook that I use most commonly. In addition, I use Skype to contact with my family. Still, I share some thoughts and news with my friends on my blog, but it just seemed not so formal enough. It’s a pity that I ignore the importance and the convenience of networking. This video reminds me of the multi-function of the Internet, which is just the thing for me to start my new style of learning all over again! From now on, I will try to make the best use of Internet!
Question 2:
What does it mean by “Networked Students”? Is it a good or a bad change, and why?
Answer 2:
“Networked students” means students who use Internet to learn or self-study. I think it is a thing from both sides now. It seems fast and easy to find information on the Web, but in the information explosion generation, you should cultivate the ability of telling right from wrong, otherwise the same knife cuts bread and fingers. However, I tend to be opposed to learning things only through the Internet but not going to school. Since school is a place you can not only learn knowledge but also learn how to get along with others. It is possible to be a know-it-all by surfing on the Internet, but it is also likely that you may become a basket case on making friends with others. Only studying in school will stand you a chance to “quarrel “with others, which will then enhance your ability to negotiate and cultivate the ability of critical thinking. Therefore, I think it is not completely a good change.

Britney Spear's confession

Upon seeing Britney’s confession, I take it with a grain of salt. First of all, she reminds me of the other female star- Paris Hilton. Paris is young and was coddled since she was little because her father is the head of Hilton enterprise. She stepped into showbiz and seemed to get lost at the very beginning-she has a totally chaotic personal life and act like no better than one should be. Anyway, she one day realize she was filled with guilt, and decided to turn over a new leaf. But this oath just last for couple of days, and collapse before you know it. The temptation in Holly Wood seems great enough to destroy a person, not to mention an absolute beginner and a young girl as well. It is too easy to get lost. Secondary, the timing she made the confession is too skillful-right on the time she release her new album! Don’t you think she did it on purpose? Therefore, I chose not to believe her.

However, whether she is my family, friends, or neither of them, I will still give her a chance. I believe everyone is born to be good, and it is fortunate of her to realize her wrongdoings and even try to fix them. We should always give others the second chance. After all, to err is human, and everyone makes mistake through out his or her life now and then.

Weekly task 2

Being as teenagers, we easily grow sensitive to others’ words, especially the one who are really intimate with us, for instance, our parents. As long as they try to communicate with us, we take it as a preachment, and start to turn a deaf ear to them; we thought we are big enough to make our own decision, and they have no rights to convert. You could count it to hormone’s count, or, on the other hand, you should chose to face it with a more positive and correct way-be calm and think twice.

Take myself as an example; I always tend to ignore my father’s advice, trying hard to prove myself right-that leads to two kinds of consequences, one is that I am right in the end, which is fine with everything; the other is that I was wrong then, but through the progress, I have learned a lot, including both the right answer and the right attitude to solve the question. Of course I didn’t mean to overthrow your parents or other things like that, but in my point of view, you should respect your parent for sure. Although you may defy, you may struggle, the initial point of your parents is definitely good for you anyway, you just need to take time and accept it. In other words, it is quite essential to rethink about things from a new angel. Stand in others’ shoes is always a good way to stay peace=).

What would you say when someone laughs at you for never skipping classes?

First of all, I think it’s quite difficult to face the peer pressure. Everyone’s trying to get along well with others, so sometimes you tend to cater to them unconsciously. Secondarily, although everyone has their own values and principles (I do so), they should be respected under not necessarily all kinds of circumstances. In my point of view, one should adjust himself/ herself to the circumstances, but not forgetting his/her original insistence.

If someone laughs at me for never skipping classes, I would give them a snort of contempt. Skipping classes is nothing to be proud of. It’s only a distorted value among nowadays college students. Students make excuses for their oversleeping or laziness, and try to rationalize their wrongdoings. It is definitely not the right attitude toward learning. In addition, as the Bible has taught us, one shouldn’t walk according to the course of this world. You can do whatever you want, but still, all things are lawful for you, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for you, but all things edify not. (Corinthians 10: 23)