Preparing an Argument

Quick Write: One strong opinion I have about the state of public education in the Bronx is that it's not supported enough to become better. I believe teachers and schools from the Bronx aren't receiving the help they need.

-  I finished my 3-2-1 after discussing the start of preparing for my argument essay.

Conformity Experiment

Quick Write: One time I did something because other people were doing it was in middle school. All of my friends were cutting school to go downtown, Manhattan. It was a fun experience but I only did it since my friends wouldn't be with me in class. One time I decided not to follow others was two summer's ago when my best friend and her friends went my building roof to smoke. I didn't go because I knew it was a terrible idea and didn't want to be around them anymore.

                I answered the following questions based on the Group Conformity Experiment.
Question 1: Based on this sentence, write down your own definition of “conformity” or “conform.”
"A lot of girls in school – including Johanna's best friend, Sarah – were dying their hair orange, but Johanna refused to conform, stating that she preferred her natural color."
-  My own definition of "conformity" or "conform" is to act as others around you would act. Follow the acts of others to try to fit in.

Question 2: How do you think conformity and obedience are similar? How do you think they are different?
-  Conformity is to do things like others in order to fit in and not to be the "different" one. Obedience is following orders or rules. Conformity and obedience are different because acting on conformity is something you want to do for comfort while around people. However obedience is an act for showing respect to others.

Question 3:
(a) What does the Asch Experiment demonstrate? Explain. 
-  The Asch experiment demonstrates how an individual can act around a group when others disagree with them.

(b) Given what you’ve learned, do you think you're more of a conformist or an individual? How has this benefited you and/or worked against you in the past?
-  I think I'm both an conformist and an individual but more of an individual. Being an conformist only happens when I'm around my friend's or cousin's. I'm more of an individual because I do have different opinions and ideas than most people I do know. Both have benefited me and worked against me in the past.

(c) Is conformity good or bad? Consider these situations: driving laws, Nazism, the Holocaust, body image, religion, and clothing styles.
-  Depending on the situations, conformity can be good and bad. For the situations of driving laws, Nazism, the Holocaust, and body image, conformity is bad because people will agree with others for these terrible issues only to fit in. However for clothing styles and religion conformity can be a good thing because some people dress or have the same religion as their family. They conform to what their loved ones are used to or what they do.  

(d) Can you think of other instances where people might conform?

- One instance people might conform is in a group discussion. I have been in some socratic seminars in my english class and I have now realized that some people will change their mind on what they think. When you explain your thought or claim to someone they can turn out to agree more than at first. 

Identity

Quick Write: Five things that have influenced me are my cousins, my nephew, my brave single mother, being bullied in elementary school, and school. The main thing that has influenced me is my single mother. She pushes me to do better and expect more for myself than what I can imagine. I see her struggling with rent and trying to give me what I need. This pushes me to do my best in school so I can give her the "world" when I can in the future.

Question 1: What are the most important things that make up your identity? 

 The fifth thing that makes up my identity is where I come from. I was born in the Bronx, this borough does make up my identity because I learned how to strive to be better since I've been through the worst. The fourth thing that makes up my identity is how I grew up looking up to my brother. Even when he made the worst decisions, I still looked up to him and how he is. The third thing is how much I love art and literature, I like to draw and read at times just to relax. Second thing that makes up my identity is my family. I'm such a family person, I love spending time with family, and being around them makes me happier.  Finally, the most important thing that makes up my identity is what I see myself in the future. My goals, dreams, and aspiration to become independent with a great career. I want to be able to help others in the future like family and friends. This makes a big part of my identity because not everyone wants to become a better person to help others as much as I want to.

Question 2: What is the relationship between the individual (you) and the world and other outside influences? Who determines who you are? What factors do you have control over? What factors control you?

 The relationship between me and the world is that it will keep going even if I do or don't do what I expect myself to accomplish. I determine how I am and what I will be in the future. Nobody or the world has control over what I want to do with my life except for myself. Some factors I have control over is how I live in this world and how I can change the world as an individual. Time is one factor that has control over me. Nobody can control time because time keeps going just like the world keeps going. 

I Need An Actual Vacation !

Quick Write:  Based on my work so far that I have done in this class my grade should be great. I have done my blog posts. Using the rubric for blogs, my blogs have earned a perfect grades because of my effort.

Welcoming Conformity.

Quick Write: I'm still yet about the meaning of conformity but I do disagree with this image. I don't think people imitate each other when they have free minds and opinions.
          Today I was introduced to my new class of conformity. I finished a worksheet to understand conformity, obedience and individuality.

Classwork 2/11/2015

 Quick Write: Based on my first post on my blog I gave myself a grade of 94. I rate my learning outcomes a 4 because I know what I will be learning and how I can take it to another level. My ideas from my first post is a 4 because its clear. Writing conventions is a 3 because I just wrote what I thought. Finally my effort is always a 4 because I do always give all my effort even for little things. This gives my grade of 94 for my first post using the rubric for blogs.

Survey Question

 "If at first you don't succeed, try again. If at second you don't succeed, try again. However, third strike you're out." I disagreed with this question because I don't believe there's a strike out when ever you try. The strike out is giving up not when you keep trying. You can try five billion times and shouldn't be strike out because you're still trying. For example, I always have problems writing essays. Although its a problem for me, I still write essays and keep trying. Lastly, I disagree with this question because the third time you try something and still doesn't work out, it shouldn't be the last time you try.

Intro

 My name is Amy Starr Ortiz. I'm currently in Crotona Academy High School, graduating June 2015. I'm doing this blog for my english 8 class. I hope to show my mind and way of thinking through this blog from my learning experience of psychology. I hope to explore ways to change myself from what I learn from psychology. How can our learning experience of psychology change us to be better?