What I read
We have just read and checked our understanding of "Making a Difference."
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Our response
Having read the text a couple of times, Bixby and Scanlon now invite us to respond to those idea in a critical thinking exercise.
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Bixby and Scanlon's questions
Comment on the following questions, which are the critical thinking questions on page 79 (Bixby & Scanlon, 2013), and then reply to at least two of your classmates' comments.
- Describe your reaction to William's story. How do you think the attitudes of the people in his village changed after his success?
- What words would you use to describe William's personality? Do you (or someone you know) share of the the same traits? Which ones?
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Reference
- Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful Reading & Writing: Student's Book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education
I thought that William is amazing. To have created a windmill based only on an initial picture seen in a book suggests to me that he is very intelligent, but being intelligent isn't all. He also showed great determination to succeed in very difficult circumstances. I don't think I could have done that, and no one else in his village had ever had the same idea and determination to succeed that WIlliam shows. I was also very impressed by his creativity in problem solving. He did not have the modern tools and materials that we can easily buy in a store, but he worked out ways to do things with what was available in his poor rural village.
ReplyDeleteHis traits, the characteristics that led to his success, remind me of my father. My father's family were not poor, but they were ordinary farmers in rural Australia. And after the local primary school run by nuns, there were little options for further education, however my father started a small business with his brother, and after they had made a success of growing and selling bananas, they both went to a vocational college in the nearest large town, which was the best that was possible. There, my dad learned some basic skills that he and his brother, my uncle, applied to their farming. They designed and build new machinery to do things more efficiently, from controlling water to harvesting sugar cane. Like William, my father's abilities also won respect from others, so he was invited to be chairman of the national cane growers organization, and to chair the board of the sugar refinery for the state for many years.
The attitudes of the people in his village has been changed since he can prove that his determination to improve energy in the village yields the excellent result. It is then recognized by international supporters to support the improvement of utility in the village. Thus everyone in the village would feel happy about his success.
ReplyDeleteThe words that I want to describe William are determined, attempted and persevered. The reason to use those words is because regardless of any difficulty he faced, he still pertained and persevered to find out how to invent the windmill. One of the people that I know persevered is my mom. She is determined on whatever she decided to do in her life. She is able to cope with hard time and difficulty and navigates children's life to success.
After William's success, other people' s attitudes might be changed to a good way and possibly to imitate how he behaved because he proved that when he did not ignore the problem, but attempted to keep learning to improve his life better. At the end, he achieved what he expected.
ReplyDeletethe word "attempt" would be one of the appropriate one to describe his personality. He did not only have ambition to improve his life, but he also kept going what he was doing even facing many failures. Eventually, he reached the goal, and his results still affected others to change their mindset.
At first, my thought was like other people in his village. I don't think that he could made a windmill by using scraps of wood, broken bicycle, old shoes etc. So I was amazed that he finally completed it.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that the attitudes of the people in his village was changed after his success because at first, many people thought that he was crazy. But his windmill prove that he wasn't crazy, he can do it.
I would describe William's personality as ambitious because he want to build a windmill. Although the other in his village called him crazy, he didn't care and completed his windmill.
In my opinion, After William succeeded in his goal to create the windmills which have been used to generate the electricity in his village, he got accept from the people in his village. People became more respect to him and what he had done. They are all happy.
ReplyDeleteI would choose a word to describe William's personality which is "An ambitious person". I am also an ambitious person. When I would like to achieve something, I will not hesitate to keep doing whatever things I could do to make it happen.
The story of William impressed me a lot because he has very strong intention to build the thing, which is hard to construct without the blueprint.
ReplyDeleteAt first, people in William's village underestimate him about building the windmill, but their attitudes change in to the positive way. They admire William so much because this young man let the village has electricity.
William's personalities are ambitious and hard-working. One of my friends called Earn is a ambitious person. She always reads a book when she has free time.
I feeling poor about his life but I also appreciate in his ambition. The attitudes of the people changed because they see the completed windmill that make their village has energy for living.
ReplyDeleteWilliam's personality in my opinion is tall and hard working man.
This story amazed me not because of William's ability to built a windmill but his attitude to not give up on his hope and endure through his things in his life. After finishing the windmill, villager will admire him instead of look down him as before.
ReplyDeleteTo describe William's attitude, I would say that he's an ambitious kind of person. He's a believer that will never stop until reaching his aims. There are some of my friends that always try hard and work hard to achieve their goals. Most of them succeeded in their education life or at least they don't blame themselves later .
When I read William story, I think if you have an inspiration to do something you must fully with it and do your best to achieve your goal.And the people in his village they could change their mind because at first they think William is crazy but when he success his goal he can help his village to get better life, they should think differently and find the way to help their village to solving the problems.
ReplyDeleteWilliam has incredible ambition and determination to collected his goal and he never give up.....
ReplyDeleteI think people in his village is aggressive because they force his like he is crazy , they told his idea would nerver work.
After I read William story , I think he is ambitious person He didn't go to school ,but he learn by himself from book and he use problems of his life to solve his problem and other without give up to be better life. I know someone that same William he name is Tok , he is ambitious person . His life is rich but when he was study in the university,he life was change because of his famaily had problem in family company and have to take over their company. Then Tok had to force got job while he studied. He tried doing his own company by create seaweed product and he success.