Bias and Prejudice

In the class of thinking skill, we read a unit of " Bias and prejudice", then when we finished reading , we had to do an activity answering some questions. 

1) In Item A we can see the prejudice by the way the Germans blamed the jews for every problem in German.  In Item B is shown the prejudice by  presenting the Jews as the killers.
By knowing the context and the history of the Nazi Germany, we know that the sources show distortion and irrationality since they aren't truth, because they are biased.  
They are made in a  way to persuade people to believe they are in that way when they actually aren't. Since the context shows that the history of the Jews wasn't as the Nazi Germans saw it.


2)  In  the items the use of language indicates bias, The British uses a positive vocabulary and a negative vocabulary to describe the iraquies. Moreover, they say they neutralise.
Since  it is kind of obvious that a country is going to defend their side. Britain is not going to talk amazing things about Iraq because in this case it's the enemy. Finally, the credibility is reduced.

MAD MEN

THE SMOKING PITCH. 

During this short Scene of  ''Mad Men'' a team work company of cigarettes are discussing a new method, slogan in order to attract customers and obtain a satisfactory sale.

Here I leave the video for you.

1. Identify some of the vested interests in this scene. How do these work?

The most powerful vested interest in this scene is the way in wich they wanted to sell the product. This company tried to find fundamental, precise and powerful slogans in order to attract customers.

2. Why is Peter`s idea rejected and Don's idea accepted?
Peters interjects and offers the Death Wish while shocked with this idea the other mens begin to leave in particular disbelief over the ridiculous claims. When finally Don`s saved the meeting stating ''Advertising is based on one thing, HAPPINESS'' asking Lee sr, how Lucky are made. When Lee explains that ''Lucky are grown, cut, cured and toasted'' Don`s cut him off and pitches ''Lucky strike, it's toasted''. He makes his logical connection that if lucky strike cannot claim that cigarettes are healthy 
neither can any of their competitors.

OLD TABACCO ADVERTISEMENT.

TO KEEP A SLENDER FIGURENO ONE CAN DENY...
Tobacco advertisement gave people the IDEAL way of living. Smoking turned into a lifestyle soon targeting women.

This advertisement have a perfect distortion of the truth pretending to inculcate women that smoking makes us more beautiful. 

Helping students to deliver a presentation

In this proposal i will describe the different problems students have with spoken presentations and suggest how these problems could be overcome.
When students have to deliver a presentation in front of the audience they get nervous and also forget what they have to say, for that reason at that moment they ignore their audience. The main problem is that they sometimes say the information by heart, so they start hesitating.Moreover they use inappropiate content and the lack of internet connection would be another problem.
I would suggest somes recommendarion for students that have to delivered a presentation:

• Use appropriate language 
• Self'-confidence 
• Looking for key terms providing new sources
• Have a prendrive in order to save the presentation 

with this last recommendation, students make sure to give the presentation in case there are technical problem

Visite à L´Alliance

Le 18 mai nous sommes allés visiter l´alliance française. Quand nous arrivons nous nous divisions en deux groupes, un premier groupe est allé visiter la médiathèque et l´autre groupe est allé  voir les salles. La bibliothèque était très ordonnée, le guide été  très sympathique et professionnel. Dans l´alliance il y a beaucoup de salles ou les étudiants font les examens.  J´aimerais revenir à l´Alliance française, parce que j´ai eu un bon moment.

       

Presentation Personelle

Asesinato a distancia

La música, las risas pasadas de copas, el humo del cigarrillo rozando mis ojos y una hermosa mujer bailando frente a mi. Se veía tímida y cabizbaja, su vestido llegaba por debajo de sus rodillas. Mi euforia y el entorno nos llevó a encontrarnos. las horas pasaban y continuamos bailando, pero algo me hacía sentir que ella era diferente. Después de escuchar reiteradas veces mi celular sonar, atiendo y era el aviso de que mi pedido había llegado. Sin preguntarle, acaricio su pelo, le beso la frente y la llevó a la salida.
Allí estaban mis hombres, de forma silenciosa sacan de sus bolsillos éxtasis, les pago y la miro a ella pero no dice nada. Comenzamos a caminar por la hermosa ciudad de Nueva York. Su forma de andar era débil y sus ojos enrojecidos me miraban. Hablamos cosas que jamas imagine hablar con nadie, su sonrisa reflejaba felicidad y encanto. En horas me había contado mitad de su vida, algunas cosas a medias, otras sin tanto detalle pero parte de su historia ahora era mía. Me habló de una casa media abandonada a las afueras de la ciudad, aquella casa que había heredado de sus abuelos. Particularmente la usaba para escribir y alejarse del ruido de la cuidad. Y así pasábamos las horas.. sabiendo más del otro, conociendo nuestros miedos y alegrías.

 Amaneció, estábamos en mi departamento pero ninguno de los dos pudimos recordar cómo fue que esto pasó. Pero no importó porque estábamos felices, sentíamos tranquilidad y confianza.
Desde el baño escucho
-Me llamo Sofia-
-Simón- le dije acomodándome la camisa
De repente escucho que la puerta de calle se cierra, no lograba entender qué había pasado. Salgo y ella ya no estaba. Rápidamente, calzo mis zapatos viejos y corro hasta alcanzarla.
-A donde crees que vas?- Le dije enojado
-Ya es hora de irme a trabajar- me respondió tímidamente

Mi cabeza empezó a imaginar muchas cosas,habrá visto aquellas fotos? esas diez fotos que delataban el gran pasado oscuro que me digne a dejar atrás? Mi mente no dejaba de atormentarme un segundo. Todo estaba saliendo tan bien, me estaba enamorando, ella no iba a ser una víctima. Le solté el brazo y corrí hacia mi departamento. Me dirigí hacia el baño, corrí aquel azulejo negro, aquel pedazo de cerámica que tapaba la tragedia de mi vida. Con el corazón en la boca y los ojos cerrados lo corri, y las fotos no estaban.Mis fotos ya no estaban y aquella nota que una vez escribí delatandome de mi propio crimen ya no estaba. Mi vida estaba en manos de aquella mujer, aquella mujer que conocí en un boliche. Aquella mujer con la que por un instante pensé que podría empezar de nuevo. Tenía que encontrarla, no podía dejar que todo se eche a perder, no iba a dejar que esa mujer termine con mi vida antes que yo con la suya.

Sentado en mi cama, con cierto nerviosismo, trate de hacer memoria, y recordar los secretos de la noche anterior en la que caminamos sin rumbo. Recordé aquel lugar que ella me contó que visitaba a menudo, aquella casita en las afueras de la ciudad. Era el lugar perfecto para hacerla desaparecer. Me dirigí hasta allí .

Ha pasado un año, pero aun no puedo creerlo. Aun sigo recordando a aquella mujer, como su sangre recorría mis manos, mis ojos lloraban y mi conciencia no entendía el porqué de aquel trágico acto. Como aquella mujer con la que por un instante me imaginaba todo hoy ya no esté. Y de vuelta me gano mi pasado, mi horrible y terrible pasado.

 Mi cabeza se golpeaba con las rejas y mis ojos veían el gran camino que me faltaba, 15 años de condena.

Critical Thinking

Evidence and credibility:

Introduction 
Critical thinking teaches the skills needed to analyse successfully and evaluate arguments.

Arguments are a reason or reasons that must support a conclusion. These ones are designed to persuade and convince the reader that your argument is true. In order to do this, we would need and evidence that supports the argument. However, in some cases evidence is not totally convincing and a judgement about the credibility of the evidence is needed. Credible means believable. If we know that the argument is credible, then we might accept it.

Sources of evidence:

Evidence is always the information we use to support any idea in an argument. This evidence comes from a source, which could be an eyewitness, a newspaper report, a scientific journal, and many more. It is very important always to assess the credibility of the source, because if not the source is useless.

Credibility criteria:

Critical thinking provides a number of techniques wich can be used to asses the credibility of sources and the evidence they provide.

Neutrality:

Something neutral is impartial. It does not lie, distort the evidence, or present information to support one side of a subject.

Vested Interest:

If an individual or an organisation has a vested interest, they have something to again from promoting and defending a particular point of view. This may lead them to lie, to select certain evidence and ignore or reject other evidence, and to disert evidence in order to benefit themselves. Is a vested interest can be shown, then this may reduce the credibility.

However, identifying a vested interest does not necessary reduce the credibility of a source.

Bias:

A vested interest can lead to bias. Bias means favouring a particular view, having a preference for something, seeing things in a particular way. Identifying bias can reduce the credibility of a source and the evidence they give.

Expertice:

When evidence is given by an expert, is always more credible. Their knowledge and skills makes us sure about what we are reading, we trust what they say from the experience they have. Nevertheless, sometimes experts get it wrong or the standards of expertise change over the years. Expertise is only credible when it's relevant.

Reputation:

Credibily is also based on a character's reputation. Generally, the higher the reputation of a source is, more credible it will be. However, an honesty and reliable reputation doesn't mean that the information provided is the correct one.

Observation and eyewitnes accounts:

An eyewitness is one of the most, or even the most, credible evidences.The eyewitness observes an event. Someone gives an account of the event, like re-telling it. Sometimes little details might be changed. As a result, hearsay evidence is seen.However, the credibility of the eyewitness has to be proved, since some factor could alternate the sequence of events seen.

Corroboration:

Pieces of evidence wich support each other. Corroboration inereases the credibility of evidence.

Selectivility and representativeness:

What kind of evidence is selected? Does it represent all sides of an issue or only one side?. Compaining groups like friend of the earth and greenpeace. Select only evidence wich support their views.This one-sided selection of evidence is seem to reduce their credibility as sources. It reflects their bias.The presentations of unrepresentative information can weaken the credibility of the source and the evidence they provide.

Context:

This is used to know the context of the evidence or event (setting or situation in  which the evidence is produced). It is important since from the context you can obtain identifying factors that might affect the evidence.

Credibility on truth:

Credible means believable, not true. True means correct and accurate. Evidence not always has to be true, to be credible. Credibility and truth are not equals at all.