Today's Takeaway

April 10, 2013

Today we worked in partners and did little "skits" about Manifest Destiny. Our topic for a "takeaway" is on whether or not we think Manifest Destiny was successful. I think it was definitely successful for the United States government. The US government got more land and power this way but in general, this question varies depending on what you define as "success."Americans did end up spreading west so technically that was a "success" but they also ended up killed tons of Native Americans and I would argue: is succeeding by committing wrongs really succeeding? Those are my personal beliefs and when I look at it that way, I'd say that Manifest Destiny wasn't a success.

And now for some tigers! They are my favorite animal!

Until next time!

Post About the Last Four Day's Takeaways

April 3, 2013
We were assigned a letter as we walked into class and did mini presentations at the end of class (on what we learned through a passage) with our fellow letter (partner). It was fairly interesting but my takeaway was that I really need to prioritize better. It's something I know I've needed to work on for a long time but it is now to the point where it's basically impossible to put off any longer. So my takeaway was really just "intervention" with myself.

April 4, 2013
 Most of the class was out taking the Acuplacer (?) Exam and there was only six of us in class. We watched a video of Whitney Huston singing the star spangled banner and debated on whether or not she was lip-sinking. We also talked about jazz and 80s movies--both of which I was the only one who really knew anything about (or at least I was the only one who voiced my knowledge). Nothing really to "takeaway" there except for the fact that I'm a major nerd (but I think we already knew that).

April 8, 2013
There isn't much to talk about because we just did some writing about worksheets on the Oregon Trail. We had a substitute so there was no real discussions or anything. (No real takeaway either.)

April 9, 2013
We got into groups of three and read some worksheets. Then we talked about how ship were moved over the mountains though canal systems. It was a short talk that I found really interesting. I even did some short research on it because I found it cool. (Some pictures are shown below.)

When we got back form lunch, we looked at a bunch of different types of people's lives on the canal by reading cards form a game. I thought it was cool seeing all of the different scenarios.
One last thing:

Until next time!

Today's Takeaway

We are starting this new thing called actually thinking instead of just reciting what we did in class each day. So I'm starting fresh and just posting about today. Hopefully I will be more consistent because it does seem like fun posting all of my thoughts and things and I do not want to be a block head.

(That was a photo from my trip last summer to Iceland by the way. I like Iceland. It's nice.)
Today we had a pop-debate on all the events that could've triggered the War of 1812. The group that I ended up choosing as being the reason, was incitement because I decided that basically, in a nutshell, once weapons are involved, there is no going back and they are a much more real and much more personal threat than anything else we discussed.
My real takeaway wasn't on the topic itself though. I found it much more interesting that many people in the class chose the group who had the most confidence instead of the most supporting facts. I found it interesting that everyone just chose the more glorified group when in reality, had the same group been debating a completely different side, people would have gone with the completely different side because that side would've then been read with confidence. (I hope that made some sort of sense.) No matter how the information is conveyed, all that matters is the information itself and I thought that a lot of people didn't do that, they just looked at how it was conveyed.
But I also must admit, that I don't believe any of these single events themselves started the war but they were more each like stones in avalanche. You don't know what really "started it" because they all did, but I think that there was a "best answer" (as MCAS people put it and mine would be incitement) They were all very important in their own way and that is my takeaway.

Until next time!