Independence

Independence is a word created to describe a humans affinity to function without outside influence acting as reinforcement. We as people should be learning this from the youngest of ages. Usually we do, for example as a toddler I learned to walk. I started by being helped to stand by my parents. After much and much practice I was finally able to walk without outside help. This is the process that we all go through from step to step to achieve this goal, as with most other forms of guided practice. I believe that independence can only be functional when we are being helped first but break from it later. As reinforced by the Revolutionary War. We were guided by the English but eventually broke free to guide ourselves, our lives, our own freedom.

Acquisition of Skills

The acquisition of skills project is a project designed for us to learn new skills and test them without fear of failure. I chose pyrography as a skill, which involves the use of heated metal to burn designs and patterns onto wood, leather, or glass. So far, I have whittled a stick to the shape of an antler, and burned some designs depicting nature on it. I plan to do a design later actually like a drawing, depicting people, action, etc.

My mentee Alex, has also been doing a project related to woods crafts. He is doing cutting and plans to create a pedalboard for an electric guitar using this skill. I found this very interesting, and am looking forward to viewing his progress.

Procrastination and Neurology

The process of procrastination is often categorized by a human being putting up a task they have a sign themselves or been assigned by others until the very last moment but it is to be accomplished. Though the process has been differently categorized by Tim Urban, as being the a person has a rational side of their brain, and a part of their brain that just wants to have fun and get instant gratification.  this phone has been said to not be very fun, as Urban puts it, this is the dark playground, when you're doing these fun activities that cause instant gratification they do not seem as fun as if you would earn them. Then comes the panic and you rush to get it done, usually never having enough time to complete the assignment in the first place, but if you do get it done you have a sense of guilt about you that says that this is not your best work, that you could have done better. In my experience I have felt some of these feelings but not all of them. Now to move on to the rest of neurology. neurology is the study of the mind, the brain, and all of the Connections you make within your memory.  with these connections you create more neurons which are connected by synapses that becomes stronger and larger as you complete that same task more and more often and reinforce that memory. They can shrink as well if you choose not to let that memory happened this is called mindfulness. Mindfulness being when you think about what you're doing and attempt to stop yourself and more often than not succeed in stopping yourself from completing an action and reinforcing a habit. The reason why these habits form is because whenever you create a new synopsis or strengthen one, these neurons will release dopamine into your brain causing a feeling of goodness within it , whether the habit was a bad good or neutral. These are the facts I learned about neurology, and procrastination, including playful euphemisms, and metaphors.

Collaboration

A humans ability to collaborate is both handicapped and yet boosted. As I've seen, humans and their sheer "will to survive and thrive" affact this. I've always seen a philosophy that humans will collaborate using the most useful components/people they can find. This was reinforced this week, both based on our choices of people to rescue in a disaster scenario, and our choices of people to trust. As I observe, people become dependent on their peers as they view a higher aptitude for a skill they see as "desirable" within that person. Not often considering either the moral or the possible.

I was given the task of spectating Ellen Reckamp as a collaborative person within scenarios. I was taken aback at the cooperative spirit that she possesses, and the odd sense of morality. In all honesty, these are characteristics to be viewed in a competent leader, such as a President or Ambassador. These are mere examples of things that I would trust Ellen to be and accomplish given an opportunity.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets

Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is definitively, a mindset of a person who believes in growth and development of knowledge rather than a person who believes in doing the work, and succeeding. A growth mindset believes in failure as an opportunity to learn and develop skills. This is the kind of mindset that we at the open program strive to have.

Fixed Mindset

A fixed mindset is a mindset that belongs to a person who only believes in success. This person fears failure and will deny it at any opportunity. This is also the kind of person who will cheat to succeed, and coasts through school. This plan however, fails in the real world as they cannot do so without failing at a task. This is the mindset we resolve to conquer.



Punctuation

The working grammar relates to the four tenants, in a sense of mathematics--Cross-Curricular knowledge--being "related to mathematics" as Mr. Sitze put it; grammar within use of commas in clauses and phrases is fairly mathematical. This isn't a well-known fact, but it should be clearly known. English relates to lots of things:  Drama, math, and even science.

Creative Problem Solving

During the past week we focused on learning our skills and creative problem solving. We first approach to this , by working to create a free standing structure out of paper, cups, tape, and popsicle sticks. Although, I do feel that we work very creatively in such conditions, we did not fully understand the instructions, and thus did not accomplish what we fully could have accomplished. There was yet another exercise that worked on our creative problem solving skills that involved saving a person who could not swim from their capsized boat without touching them using only only paper clips. I do believe that we all work very creatively, and showed that we are creative problem solvers, and can one day also improve our creative problem solving skills.

The Contract

  In my opinion, the writing of the contract was unprofessional, chaotic, and focused on making the students work easier. There were  far too many students working on the contract than there truly needed to be. There were arguments among us over rules, and when we tried to split up to optimize our work. We had people who refuse to give up their positions, even when someone more efficient for that position was asking to work. And much of the contract seemed much more focused on responsibilities of the teachers, and the parents in the responsibilities of the students, who were the true domain of this contract in the first place. We simply could have been far more optimized in this work process. These are my reflections on the work we did it during the contract, and I feel that we can do better next time.

Week #1 + Intro

Introduction

My name is Gage. The Open Program looked like a fresh look at the school system. I wanted to have an amount of control in my school experience, especially in classes; classes that focus on my future plans, so this type of program really spoke to me. I want to know that I have skills that I need, not classes that are assumed to be "important"



During the past week, I have learned very much about the President Theodore Roosevelt. One of the things that I did not know about him that as a child he was very sickly, and even had asthma. Before his presidency he was a member of the United States military and even started the first Cavalry known today as the Roughriders alongside notable commander Leonard Wood. He ended his military career as a colonel in then begin more interested in politics. Though he started his own Progressive Party known as The Bull Moose Party, this angered several people among the political world and even sparked assassination attempt during one of his speeches. The bullet was stopped by his speech booklet and was not fetal. He even completed his speech before going to the hospital, the bullet was never removed and it looks remain with him until he died. No he's adult life is not always full of glory, its first wife died during childbirth.in my opinion, Theodore Roosevelt is one of the most interesting presidents of them all. Having lived a full life and doing many great things.