My oral presentation: Albert Bandura

Hello everybody!

 Today I will talk about the topic that I have chosen for an oral presentation that will have place the next week in English class. I will present about Albert Bandura, a behaviorist psychologist that developed the “Theory of Social Learning”. I have chosen this author, because he is the first psychologist that developed a scientific theory that considers what he called “personal factors” (which involves human thoughts, personality, etc.), proposing that behavior was not a simple an immediate response towards the environment.

I will organize the presentation in three main parts. The first one will include personal facts about the author and information about the context in which he lived, for then comprehend better his theory, that was framed in a determined socio-cultural context. Then, I will talk about the critics that he find in the previous theories (psychodynamic and classic behaviorism theories), which were his incentive to develop a new one. Finally, I will explain the main determinants of his theory, which suggest that personal factors, behavior and environment are in a constant interrelationship, and that this relation explains correctly human actions, on basis that learning processes are a consequence of the interaction with other people.

I will put my best effort to realize a great presentation!   

My greatest ambition

Hello everybody! 

As humans, we always have ambitions that motivate our existence. My grater ambition is making of this world a fairer place, in which people can relate with each other and with their self in a healthy way. I think that for achieving this goal, people must live in reduced communities, so they could really know each other and construct a sense of cooperation.

For being consequent with my thoughts, my goal is convince people that share my ideals in order to form a community, collect money and buy a piece of land in the south of Chile (because I love green areas) for settle over there, and produce mechanisms that permit a self-sustainable community. I imagine a micro-society in which people experiment direct and deep relations, that aren’t interfere by superficial materials objects, such as cellphones or computers. 

    

The thought that inspire me towards this ambition, is that I consider that the superficial relationships that people experiment in the actual system, does not gave them the enough self-confident for leaving calm, without obtaining a great amount of material objects. And that the massive production of these material objects, stimulate the competitive sense that governs the actual social-economic system. So by organizing the society in a way that promotes a low production and deeper inter-personal relationships, we could generate the spirit of cooperation that the world needs in order to make it a better place.           

Fulfill my ambition will mean being consequent with my life ideals, which are the ones that impulse my ambitions, and as I said in the introduction, motivate my existence. 

Some information about my culture

Hello everybody!

Today I will talk you about the Jewish culture, in order to clarify some concepts. This topic I chose it because I ‘am Jewish, so I can show society some aspects of my culture that maybe very few people know about.

In first place, we have to differentiate between Jewish culture and Judaism. Being a Jew means that your part of the Jewish nation, which is a group of people that have sense of belonging towards a land, which in our case is Israel. As a nation, we have a culture, which includes traditions; a language; a religion; etc. The religion of the Jewish culture is Judaism, and in the same religion we can found different schools of thoughts, that go from the more orthodox to the most liberal people. But is important to consider that being Jewish does not implicate that you’re a believer of Judaism, but most people tend to confuse in this aspect because most of Jewish traditions have a religious origin.

In conclusion, is not necessary to believe in God for being a Jew, because it is a concept related to a nation, which has a culture that includes a religion, but religion is just a part of the culture, not the entirety of it. Indeed, I consider myself as a Jew but I’ am agnostic. 

Technology, a complex paradox

Hello everybody!

My personal opinion about technology is not favorable at all. Nevertheless technology can make life easier in many aspects (for example facilitating communication with relatives that live in other countries), I think that it generates a power so big that the human can’t manage it, so many times people become slaves of their own creations.

However, I can’t refuse my condition as a social actor, and for not become a hermit-like person, I use some technology equipment to maintain the contact that my social circle demands. For this reason, my favorite piece of technology is my computer, which was a present from my father for my 16^th birthday, three years ago. I try to use my computer the less time as possible, but all the same I use it every day, mainly for studying and making homework. However, I admit that sometimes I use it as an escape for anxiety or tedium, by logging on Facebook or listening music. Indeed, the thing I most like of my computer is the enormous amount of music that I can find in internet, considering that for me, listening music is a no-price activity.

After this contradictory reflection, I can ask to myself: “How would be my life without my computer?” By one side it would be better, because I would stimulate more my creativity in order to develop different ways for avoiding anxiety or tedium, which would let me spend more time with my family. But on the other side my life would be worst, because I would have difficulties for getting access to curtain information related to the studies and friends, being in some way, excluded of social life.

In conclusion, technology is and will be ever a complex paradox in my life!                  

A special picture

This picture was taken by one of my classmates in the study trip that we had with my school in May of the year 2012. It shows my best’s school friends and me, after a costume party that took place in the last night of the trip.

I like a lot this picture because it is special to me in different ways. First, every time I see it I remember the study trip, which was a great experience, mainly because all the classmates got close one to another and the whole class year joined together. Also, because I appear with my three best friends, which are the same senses I was four years old, and with these costumes –apart of wining the costume competition of the party- we lived an important life process together: the last night of the study trip, that condense the essence of trip, which is having fun and sharing with you friends.

In conclusion, this picture remembers to me people who play a very special role in my life: my best friend! 

My trip to Cucao: a great experience!

Hello everybody!

Today I will tell about the place that I have most liked in my life: Cucao, a National park situated in the central-west side of Chiloe Island. I ‘am being lucky of visiting a lot of different parts, even in different continents, but the context and the place itself delighted me.      

I went in December of the year 2012, and as a funny fact, the Christmas present for my parents that year was to saw me alive after the trip, because of all the unexpected events that happened to me and my friends (intoxication and subsequent hospitalization in a little island called Achao). I went with two of my bests school`s friend, which have a great sense of humor so the context was perfect for having an amazing experience.

We arrived to Cucao after visiting other places of the zone, and immediately after getting there, we set our tent and the rest of the camping stuff. We camp four nights in the official camp of the National Park, and every day we made walks to the different attractions and views that can be found there. The walk that I liked the most was to the beach, which includes three types of landscapes in one single view: the huge forest, a shiny lagoon and the beach; with the sea that makes you feel that is no horizon.   

I recommend Cucao no matter what! You can experiment a great connection with nature, and if you want to make the most of the trip, remember to go with your friends!  

Brief introduction of my self

My name is Santiago Guiraldes. I was born in Noverber the 11th of the year 1995, in Santiago de Chile. I lived in Providencia with my both parents, and when I was two years old y became the older brother: my sister Sofía was born. In my early infant life, y played a lot with my cousins and my sister. In fact, some times I miss those years when I've got no preocupations.

When I was four years old, I became a student of Santiago College, where in my first year in pre-kinder I met three kids that would become my best friends along all my life. In relation to religion, my mother's family is jew, so I am naturaly jewish. I believed in God when I was younger but now a days I consider me as an agnostic. With respect to sports, I love playing footbal, and I'am a fan of the team Universidad de Chile. 

Right now, I study psicology in the Universidad de Chile, and I'am expectant for all the experiences that would come along!