Published
- 25 min de lectura
Ensayos cortos de aprendizaje
Estos son ensayos que escribí para mi curso de inglés de abril a septiembre del 2023.
Atención: Traté de balancear la calidad de contenido con lo que se permitía en cuestiones de construcciones gramáticas específicas que, cabe aclarar, debían evidenciarse. Ya notarás la repetición de estructuras. Y por favor no sentir tanta grima al leerlos.
An argument on user-friendly tablets
In today’s world, electronic devices are becoming more and more important for our daily lives. An example of these are tablets. Basically, tablets are wireless and portable personal computers with touchscreen interfaces that offer access to digital information anywhere, instant connectivity and online interaction at any time of the day, and ease of use for the elderly.
First, using a tablet means you can search for information on the internet regardless of your location. Tablets have come a long way since the 2000s, and now they are like carrying a whole library, research materials, and educational tools in one lightweight device. Consequently, you can read books, do research, or study, no matter where you are – whether you’re in a park, on a train, or even on a plane. It’s all about making information convenient and giving you the chance to keep learning and stay informed, no matter where life takes you.
Second, nowadays, tablets have great connectivity and excellent capabilities for interaction. For this reason, individuals can access emails, participate in video conferences, and engage in online discussions even while on the move, requiring only regular a regular Wi-Fi network connection or cellular data. Furthermore, tablets are great for interacting with others due to the fact that they are equipped with front and rear-facing cameras which allow you to meet with your colleagues, friends or family even when you are not physically with them via video calling software.
Third, tablets have been a benchmark product in terms of ease of use for vulnerable populations, specifically the visually impaired elderly. While almost all smartphones have particularly small screens and user interfaces that are difficult to navigate, tablets offer a more user-friendly and intuitive experience. These devices not only make text, apps, images and graphics larger and more readable, but also provide simplified interfaces that make navigation intuitive and easier for older generations. As an effect, the elderly are no longer excluded from using today’s technologies.
In conclusion, tablets have influenced our daily lives, offering information globally, ease of use for past generations and seamless interaction through the internet. As we adopt these devices let’s ask ourselves: How we can make the most out of the effects they bring into our lives in the future?
On the drawbacks of mandatory volunteering
In today’s world, volunteering, which is to give time and effort willingly, has become a symbol of altruism and community involvement. Indeed, one popular idea is to make volunteering in school compulsory, which means that students are required to do it in order to graduate. Some people argue that this would be beneficial for preparing high school students to become well-rounded citizens. While it may seem like a way to become more engaged in the community, I think a mandatory volunteering program implemented in school could be off-putting to students for the following reasons.
First, even though the program only mandates five hours of monthly commitment, some students have a hard time balancing time-consuming activities and schoolwork. It should be noted that extracurricular activities are already taken up by the students at the time they are asked to volunteer. Therefore, they do not have enough space to fit an extra activity into their busy schedule, not to mention those who decide to volunteer on their own before the school forces them to do so, which is the case for many.
Second, unprepared students might be overwhelmed by the number of options within the volunteering program. Furthermore, while it can be argued that school counselors could provide students with information about the organizations they might choose to volunteer with, just like choosing a major, it is simply not easy for everyone to make what we consider the best decision in a short period of time, let alone for those who are under pressure. This can result in students committing to volunteer roles that are not aligned with their interests or skills.
Third, a mandatory volunteering program may cause the students to resent the requirements and not focus on their commitment. Although it might seem reasonable to say that students will feel motivated because they are going to get academic credit, in the end, not everyone feels fine doing something only for the sake of it being part of the curriculum or compulsory, no matter if they get the reward or not. This leads to a loss of focus within the volunteering program, resulting in poor performance and a negative perception among students.
In conclusion, the proposal to mandate volunteering within the school environment, while well-intentioned, presents drawbacks that should be taken into account. As discussed throughout this essay, these disadvantages, including time constraints, potential overwhelm, and the risk of student resentment, cast doubt on whether the benefits truly outweigh the drawbacks. So, should we make students volunteer because we think it’s good for them, or should we let them choose to volunteer because they genuinely want to?
On the benefits of genetic testing
Did you know that a baby’s life was saved by a test that found a rare bleeding disorder in her genetic blueprint? Today, genetic testing, which involves analyzing DNA to identify genetic mutations, is becoming a more affordable and viable option for anyone interested in knowing what disease they could suffer from in the future. Without a doubt, genetic testing allows us not only to make sound medical decisions, but also to choose what therapy is best for us.
To begin with, genetic testing is incredibly useful when it comes to making a choice based on early disease detection, aligning with the practices of most physicians. This can be proven by research done by the National Institutes of Health of the United States. According to these, over 90% of tests can be used for diagnosis. Hence, patients have more time, and therefore more control, to avoid risk factors–the food they eat or the routines they have–if the genetic test comes out positive. Moreover, people who undergo genetic testing can reduce the factor of emotional impact by seeking mental health support, applying stress-relieving techniques, or whatever is to their liking.
In addition to making well-informed medical decisions, genetic testing allows us to choose the best treatment to follow in case we have a disease. Indeed, once patients determine their specific genetic markers, they are able to make better choices among different treatments they can follow. For instance, a breast cancer patient with the BRCA gene mutation can opt for targeted therapies like PARP inhibitors, whereas a lung cancer patient with EGFR mutations might choose prescribed medications like tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
To conclude, I firmly believe that the most effective way to ensure that our health is at its optimum level is to take a genetic test. Its ability to detect specific genetic markers linked to diseases permits us to undergo more personalized treatments. As we have seen, this kind of testing empowers us to make the best decisions. Having said this, let me ask you: Who would you like to be: an indifferent patient, unaware of his or her destiny, or an informed patient actively striving for his or her health?
Two styles of teaching
Imagine that you are sitting in your classroom, and your teacher is about to start a lesson. Do you wonder what your teacher will be like? Will he or she be the demonstrator, someone who shows through examples, or the lecturer, someone who talks about the subject matter while students take notes? Remarkably, while the demonstrator and lecturer share common ground, they are quite different with regard to pedagogical approaches, teaching methods and classroom atmosphere.
First, not only do the educators who teach in the style of the lecturer and demonstrator have to have highly developed communication skills in order to deliver information clearly to students, but they also need to assess and track student progress over time, for example, by monitoring performance on quizzes or exams. Nonetheless, while a demonstrator is keen to take a hands-on approach, a lecturer might prefer to deliver information passively. Indeed, what characterizes demonstrators is that they focus on practical demonstrations of the content taught in class. These could vary from a group activity to a laboratory experiment. What is clear is that the role of the demonstrator is to guide the student throughout the entire learning process. On the other hand, the lecturer, as his or her name indicates, tends to focus on delivering structured lectures, which do not necessarily demand active involvement from students.
Second, while both the demonstrator and lecturer share a common goal of fostering student learning and academic success, a distinction lies in the teaching methods employed by them. As it was previously mentioned, the demonstrators teach through experiential activities, which several studies have shown are particularly effective for subjects that require tangible understanding or skill development, such as electronics. In contrast, the lecturer’s primary mode of instruction is through verbal and visual communication. Hence, it is appropriate for subjects where theoretical knowledge is the primary focus, an example of which is calculus.
Finally, although acting as a demonstrator or lecturer demands that the teacher be an authority figure, both of these teachers create distinct classroom atmospheres. In a demonstrator-led classroom, there is an abundance of interaction and spontaneity, where students not only observe but actively participate in class, sometimes even without predefined instructions from the teacher. This, however, cannot be seen in a lecturer-led classroom, where interaction may be limited to question-and-answer sessions or discussions held separately from the lecture itself. This limitation is a deliberate aspect of lectures, which are designed to necessitate attentive listening and effective note-taking.
In conclusion, after reading about the similarities and differences between these two types of educators, who would you like your teacher to be? The demonstrator or the lecturer?
To give value or something else
”He who bestows his goods upon the poor, shall have as much again, and ten times more,” said the English writer John Bunyan in his work Pilgrim’s Progress. But, what did he mean by “bestowing”? Giving everything you have to others? By analyzing Bunyan’s quote, we can understand the motivation behind people who perform altruistic acts and how they do it.
It is clear that, in his quote, English writer John Bunyan values individuals who give their goods, such as food or money, to people who did not have the same opportunities as they do. More importantly, Bunyan uses the verb “to bestow” to indicate that what is given is very valuable or important to the recipient. Further on, Bunyan states that people who give generously will, in return, receive not only the same amount of the good they donated, but an additional tenfold as well, emphasizing the idea that our altruistic or philanthropic actions bring us the rewards we merit.
When we understand this quote, we can see why some people like to help others without expecting anything in return. Bunyan’s idea of getting more when you give suggests that when we do good things, it can make us feel good, too. This could be one of the most important reasons why people choose to help others. It’s not just about helping someone; it’s also about how it makes us feel. Indeed, people achieve this by involving themselves in selfless activities, such as volunteering and charity work, among others.
In conclusion, John Bunyan’s words emphasize the value of philanthropic acts and the joy they bring while benefiting those in need.
A classroom of the already present-future
Have you heard about flipped learning, a type of blended learning where students are introduced to content at home and practice working through it at school? Although they might seem dependent on technology, not fully engaging and teacher-demanding, I think that classrooms that practice flipped learning, and their technology are going to be dominant in the not-too-distant future of education and students.
In the first place, while some students may not feel engaged or comfortable doing classes at home with a non-traditional teaching approach, flipped classrooms enable every individual to learn at their own pace. For example, flipped classrooms often employ technology tools that facilitate learning in an accessible manner. Teachers can use interactive software and applications, like Quizziz or ClassDojo, that enable real-time participation, quizzes, and polls. These tools motivate students to contribute to their own learning process, be it at an early stage of knowledge or not.
In the second place, although they rely heavily on technology and not all students have immediate access to the internet, flipped classrooms promote active learning during class time. With the traditional lecture moved to homework, students can engage in discussions, group activities, and problem-solving during class, which enhances their understanding and retention of the material when experiential subjects are taught. For instance, this approach might be useful for learning electronics.
In the third place, even though at their core, they are very teacher-demanding, flipped classrooms enable individualized, and consequently, unique learning experiences. If a student is struggling with a class, for example he or she could revise all the digital resources the taught subject he teacher has uploaded on the platform in order to fully understand the subject being taught. Besides, we need to bear in mind that once the initial content is developed, it can be reused or modified in subsequent years, saving teachers time and effort when preparing classes.
In conclusion, despite initial concerns about technological dependence, potential student experience and teacher demands, flipped learning’s emphasis on personalized pacing, unique learning experiences and active classroom engagement makes it a promising educational model for the future.
Going smartphone-free
In the morning, I rolled over to the other side of the bed and reached across to try to grab my phone lying on the nightstand. However, I realized that my smartphone was not there. Then I remembered that I had agreed to go two days without my device. In my opinion, going smartphone-free, which has benefits for our productivity and our relationships, was an interesting challenge that I would dare to try again.
Before my first day of going smartphone-free, I expected that I would experience some feelings that might resemble withdrawal symptoms, which are any physical or psychological disturbance experienced by an addict when deprived of their substance of abuse. I thought this way because I felt like an addict, checking my smartphone periodically. However, iIt turns out that my actual reaction was totally different. From breakfast time until bedtime, I did not have the urge to look at my phone and connect to the constant stream of messages of it.. On the contrary, what I did was to read. I also realized is that I spent much more time on more productive and didactic activities, such as finishing reading a collection of short stories, instead of watching the same short-format YouTube videos on my phone and ending up tired of them. Also, due to the absence of instant notifications on my smartphone, I could concentrate more on the conversations I had with my little brother.
On the second day, I experienced no problems or withdrawal symptoms. I think this happened because much of my cell phone functionality can be found on software on my personal computer. Indeed, tools like WhatsApp Web, for communication, and Google Drive, for storage, are good examples of this. Another reason is that I am not a person who moves from one place to another very quickly and has to staying connected, such as as entrepreneurs like my mother and father have to. That is why I understand that some people cannot stop using their cell phones for long as they are essential tools in their work environments.
In conclusion, my two-day break from smartphones taught me valuable lessons about spending time productively and the role of communication in relationships.
On smartphones
Today, it is not a secret to anyone that smartphones have impacted human life. Since it’s creation in 1992, smartphones have come a long way from only making phone calls and sending text messages. In this essay, we are going to explore why entertainment is a reason for people to use smartphones, and what are the consequences of this in the realm of health.
First, smartphones hold a universal appeal because they offer easy access to entertainment, social interaction, and a vast repository of online information. These pocket-sized devices grant individuals the power to watch the latest episodes of their favorite TV shows or seamlessly scroll through the endless stream of video on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Moreover, social media platforms have become integral parts of our smartphones, making them hubs for information and news consumption.
Second, while smartphones have made us feel more connected to the digital world, they can become problems to our health. Many studies have shown that one of the deciding factors of insomnia and sleep disruption is the excessive screen time of these devices. Not only are there more people hooked to smartphones, but they are also increasing their phone usage while reducing their time to do physical activity, which leads to an unhealthy sedentary lifestyle. As a result, levels of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been increasing in recent years.
In conclusion, smartphones have evolved into powerful tools for entertainment and connectivity, but their excessive use has raised many pressing health concerns. It is up to you to manage your relationships with this little electronic wonder.
Showing emotions
I maintain that showing your emotions is crucial for well-being. However, due to various situations individuals may find themselves in, some people prefer to keep their emotions to themselves. That being said, it is essential to consider each approach, along with its advantages and disadvantages.
In the first place, I believe that emotional expression allows deeper connections with ourselves and others, strengthening virtues such as empathy in the process. In that way, we could build groups of support for people struggling with problems on their own. On the contrary, emotional expression is not adequate for certain environments, like a professional one, where composure is essential to promote productivity. Moreover, some individuals, who do not like to show themselves vulnerable, might prefer to process their emotions privately. In these cases, emotional restraint might be the best approach, but these do not come without drawbacks. Emotional restraint can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety or lack of understanding and empathy with others.
In the second place, by having received the unconditional support from my parents,I firmly believe in the power of emotional expression for well-being. Sharing my emotions helps me feel understood and validated. Also it eases the impact of negative feelings and makes my thoughts more clear. Furthermore, to embrace vulnerability is to value authentic connections.
In conclusion, I understand the different experiences everyone can have that could affect our way to express emotions. Nonetheless, to allow, validate and express our emotions, I believe, is the most beneficial behavior of the two, since my connections and relationships have proven it to me
Parcial comparison of two sources on the current state of printed newspapers
he lecture explains why printed newspapers will not disappear.
To begin with, the professor argues the overall quality of newspapers are superior than of blogs or other type of media. Newspapers’ companies cannot risk to hire non-professional or educated journalists for what they publish, which is not always the case for information media spread over the internet. This contrasts what the reading was posturing about the likeness of newspapers nowadays.
Secondly, in the listening passage it is expressed newspapers are a more commonly trusted source of facts than its counterparts, since the information that they present is verified for trustfulness. Hence, online-only news or blogs are more likely to disseminate wrong data and be unreliable. Going against the reading which mentions younger generations preferring this type for its accessibility, but not for its reliability.
Thirdly, the lecturer talks about how even if newspapers are in great competition, they can outdo by generating alternatives sources of revenue. This has some to digitalize and create news targeted to certain markets in the digital world, as an example. In this way, the listening explains the manner in which newspapers fight back the less investment in advertisement, size and price cut-outs, which the reading refers to as drawbacks.
The information in the lecture casts doubt on what is stated in the reading passage about the obsolence of printed newspapers when compared to online news.
Another partial comparison but this one is about homeschooling
The lecturer states that the drawbacks of Homeschooling, which are explained by the reading, are not completely true.
For one, it is stated that there is no evidence that suggests that homeschooled kids do not learn as much as their peers on traditional schools. Instead, recent studies show they do acquire more knowledge than if they were studying on their counterpart, contrasting what the reading says.
In the second place, the listening stands that, in reality, homeschooling gives lots of opportunities for social interaction. For instance, homeschooled kids can interact with other homeschooled kids. Furthermore, they do not have worry about an school schedule since they can meet at anytime. This is of course with the permission of their parents. Hence, homeschooling is in no way less socially interactive by lacking traditional classrooms, as the reading argues.
In the third place, homeschooling commonly gives students the broadest curriculum available. Because they are not limited to school boards, homeschooled kids can learn the more interesting topics for them. Therefore, there is no limitation as the reading suggests.
The lecturer’s opinion is quite different from the opinion expressed in the reading passage, which is that Homeschooling does not prepare children for future socialization and academic skills compared to traditional schools.
Comparison on Physical Education class
According to the lecture, it is necessary that Physical Education stays as a mandatory course in school.
Firstly, the listening suggests that, on the contrary to the reading passage, children are not mature enough to decide on their body and if to take physical education class. Therefore, taking it should be mandatory until adult age. Going against the reading that talks about students should skip this course if they choose to.
Secondly, to support the neccesity of Physical Education, the speaker talks about how it helps to avoid poor health and undesirable conditions such as obesity, which is in a growing trent in the United States. This contrasts the way the reading passage explains PE is seen by some parents as an unimportant or distracting course for other more academic ones.
Thirdly, in the listening it is explained that the possibility of injuries is rather rare. Regarding that matter, the speaker goes to the extent to mention PE contributes to the build of muscle. Hence, less chance to have an injury during class, contrary to what is said in the reading passage about the risks of taking physical education classes.
The information in the lecture opposes the reading, which argues that PE should not be mandatory because of some parents’ opinion.
Here Marco Polo is the star of the show
The lecture casts doubt on the reading passage’s idea of a fabricated travel of Marco Polo to Imperial China.
Firstly, the lecturer argues that no evidence exists that suggests the Chinese were methodical about keeping records of visitors. As an example, an Italian diplomat and his group made several visits to the Mongol ruler of China, Kublai Khan, and none of them were recorded on paper. Hence, it is possible that the idea of keeping the visits of Marco Polo, because he may be had been a governor for three years and participated in military actions, to the Mongol ruler of China in a written way never came up, due to a lack of interest in foreigns, which the reading passages says it is otherwise.
Secondly, the lecture discusses the absence of a mention of tea in Marco Polo’s travel book. It says that, during the thirteenth century, China was under the rule of the Mongols, and since they had different traditional beverages, such as a wine-like beverage that was made from the milk of the sheep they grazed, tea was not popular amid. This contradicts the point of the reading passage about the popularity tea had in Imperial China.
Thirdly, the lecture makes a point about why Marco Polo did not mention the Great Wall of China not even once. Because of the aforementioned rule of the Mongols over the empire, the construction of the Great Wall, which started in the third century with the sole purpose of defending from the Mongols, was cast aside and left unfinished due to many attacks. In that way, by the time Marco Polo supposedly traveled to China the Great Wall was in ruins and not as it is now. Hence, the lecture talks about how the Great Wall of China did not exist as today, amid the time Marco Polo’s travels. This is, of course, on the contrary to the reading passage view about the Great Wall of China being built decades before Marco Polo was in the nation.
Finally, it can be seen the different arguments the lecture has in contrast to what the reading passage offers to convince Marco Polo made up his travels to China.
The last comparison; this one’s on astrology
The lecture explains the proven inaccuracy of astrology, which is supported by the reading passage.
First of all, the lecture talks about the historical presence of astrology and how it is, indeed, based upon myths of ancient cultures, such as the Mayans or the Early Chinese that the reading passage mentions. However, currently, every study conducted has failed to produce evidence of the accuracy of astrology or its method of prediction based on the horoscope. Thereby, the lecture maintains that astrology is widely unproven, which contradicts the reading passage that says the belief in astrology is broadly accepted and has resulted in various changes in society.
In the second place, the lecture discussed that due to the deeper understanding of physics and astronomy, astrology is no more accepted on academic circles. Furthermore, more analysis and the appearance of the scientific method has helped scientists to verify the veracity of astrology and its beliefs, which was not present on ancient cultures. In this way, the lecture contradicts the historical astrological systems that are supported on the reading passage.
In the third place, the lecture argues that the belief in astrology, which includes individuals like Ronald Reagan, might be due to the comfort and emotions that come with it. The lecture says that phiscologists have determined the inspirational impact that astrology practitioners might have on people who consult their services, which is the cause of many still consider horoscopes and the supposed traits of people born under a particular date or sign. Hence, the lecture casts doubt on the benefits of the long-standing tradition of astrology that the reading passage mentions.
In conclusion, the lecture’s point of view on astrology is much different than of the reading passage.