The United States is known as the "melting pot" based upon its foundation for those seeking salvation from political tyranny and religious persecution in other nations. The United States was founded by immigrants. Yet in modern society, immigration is especially frowned upon (by American-born natives) if someone has come here illegally. In almost all cases, the undocumented persons have come to the U.S. to seek a better life, just like our American great ancestors. In my opinion, it's very harsh to berate someone that has crossed our borders because they want to live the "American Dream" or are fleeing from a poverty-stricken, corrupted homeland. I guarantee almost everyone would attempt do what it takes to live a better life, and the United States has the reputation of savior. This is one of Jose Vargas's major points about undocumented immigrants. Families are being separated and even children (as seen in Which Way Home ) are being traveling to America a
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What drives one away from their home? What social, economical, or political circumstances drive people to leave everything behind and seek a fresh start somewhere else? Let's talk about that. I have always been aware of immigration, but it was not until I divulged into more extensive research about it (including the documentary) that I realized it was not just an "American" issue. It's global. People are fleeing their home nations because of corrupt governments, extreme poverty, or to seek a new, higher standard of living. The United States has the highest percentage of immigrants entering the country, but there are also many immigrants from Russia, India, China, and the middle East. Immigrants often choose to face the hardship of moving out of desperation. The situation in their homeland has gotten unbearable and they hope it will be better when they cross the border. Many of these immigrants are caught by border patrol and sent back or arrested. Unfortunately for
Two major topics we covered this week in classes were Growth vs Fixed mindsets and cheating/plagiarism. We had separate discussions about each but the two topics are actually related very closely. Let's divulge. First, lets break apart the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset is the belief that one is born with a certain capacity of knowledge for a skill like academics or sports and do not have much motivation to achieve more than what they think can be achieved. Growth mindsets on the other hand is the belief that knowledge is limitless. It's more about focusing on the process to achieve your goals and in turn, expanding your knowledge of skills by fully understanding the process. The " neuroplasticity " video explains the science behind how your brain creates new neurological pathways to store and process skills, which is pretty neat. The " Introduction to a Growth Mindset " video goes more in depth about the reasoning
Communication is a major proponent for improving basic human behavior and conduct, inside and outside of a professional setting. How we communicate poses a great potential to elevate or decline the impressions we give to others. We must constantly seek understanding through an open mind and with a respectful character in order to effectively communicate our own ideas and insights. In the classroom, our communication with our peers and teachers enhance our educational experience by collecting and assimilating contrasting views of a topic and having a mutual, respectful conversation explaining why we think a certain way. The " process involves listening with empathy, searching for common ground, exploring new ideas and perspectives, and bringing unexamined assumptions into the open " ( London ). This is how we begin to understand each other. As outlined by London, we need to move from a "din" culture of meaningless dialogue to a more progressive "dialogue&quo