Meiland essay: Paragraph 1

Hagiwara 1

Tomoya Hagiwara
Mr. James
ARW Section AC
30 May, 2007

Meiland essay: Paragraph 1

I disagree with this idea that “a college education seems to be fairly useless” because in college we study not only current studies but also “how to think.” I believe it is important to think critically. For example, there is a lot of untrue information these days. Consequently we have to examine it and to choose information which is relevant. And according to Meiland, he suggests that the college student must do critical examination and evaluation. This is absolutely the same as my opinion. Therefore I believe what we will learn in college can't be useless.

Fluency Journal: As A Leader through NS Retreat Trip

Tomoya Hagiwara
Mr. James
ARW Section AC
22 May, 2007

Fluency Journal: As A Leader through NS Retreat Trip

Today I’m going to talk about our retreat trip. We went to Gotenba in Shizuoka. I think some of the students will write about it. But I want to write about it. Therefore I’ll write it as a leader of NS retreat.
First I’d like to tell you why I wanted to be a leader. From elementary school, I’ve liked to be what we call a leader. I don’t know why I want to be a leader. But these days I feel that I’m happy to see my friends have fun and to hear that they have enjoyed something thanks to me after finishing it. Another reason why I want to be a leader may be that I want to be in busy. I mean I want to do something always. Of course I like sleeping and want to rest sometimes. But it is not me that do nothing. There might be other reasons but I can say this is me, this is tommy!!! Anyway, you understand I like to be a leader. Then I want to tell you how I became a retreat trip leader of NS. When we’re gathered in a room to decide rolls and a retreat leader of NS, there were two students who stand for a leader. The other candidate was a girl. I was surprised because I didn’t expect there would be other candidate. After all we decided by rock-paper-scissors. The winner was, as you know, me. That’s how I became a leader.
Second I wanted to talk about retreat trip. But I’m sorry I have many things to do today. Therefore I’ll write it next fluency journal. To be continued!!

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Fluency Journal: My Favorite Artist

Hagiwara1

Tomoya Hagiwara
Mr. James
ARW Section AC
15 May, 2007

Fluency Journal: My Favorite Artist

This is my first fluency journal. I have been thinking about what I’ll write as my first fluency journal. I came up with many topics. But today I decided to write about “My Favorite Artist.” I’ll tell you the reason why I chose this topic later.
My favorite artist is “Southern All Stars.” I love their songs. Especially I like Kuwata Keisuke, who is a member of Southern All Stars. They made great debut when they were students of Aoyama Gakuin University about thirty years ago. The name of their first single was, as you know, “Katteni-Sindobad”, which was a great hit. I think everyone has heard it before. Of course I was not born in those days. But I have all their single CDs because they sold their CDs again some years ago as a memorial of 25th anniversary and I bought, don’t be surprised, 44 CDs which were all of them. Furthermore I have bought many of their albums. I don’t know why I like them. But I can say that though they’re over fifty, we don’t feel they –especially Kuwata Keisuke- is old or out of date. I want them to make many more impressive songs forever.
Now you understand what Southern All Stars are great, impressive, and delightful artists. Then I’ll explain why I chose them as a topic of my first fluency journal. Kuwata has just started selling new single the name of which is “Ashita-hareru-kana” today in May 15th. The meaning of the title is “I wonder if it will be sunny tomorrow. “ I booked it on the internet shopping site on April. And today I got it. Now I’m writing this fluency journal as listening to it. As you can see, that’s why I decided to write about Kuwata Keisuke, the leader of Southern All Stars.

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ARP: Reaction to Meiland's "New Types of Intellectual Work" (corrections)

Hagiwara1

Tomoya Hagiwara
Mr. James
ARW Section AC
13 May, 2007

Reaction to Meiland’s “New Types of Intellectual Work”

Summary
According to Meiland, the difference between high school and college is that college work requires that student engage in a different kind of intellectual activity, in addition to the activity of understanding the material that is presented. The first type of intellectual activity in both high school and college is to understand the material. Second, once the material is understood, the college student must perform another sort of intellectual work on the material, namely “critical examination and evaluation.” In high school, materials are presented authoritative manner. But sometimes it which we are very sure can turn out to be false. In college, on the other hand, they’re treated as beliefs or conclusions that have been reached on the basis of investigations. It is rational to believe something only if one has a basis for that belief. One basis is what we call evidence. Material is presented in college as something to be believed. Therefore, college student have to engage in a different kind of intellectual activity: critical examination and evaluation.

Discussion
Meiland says college students have to engage in a different kind of intellectual activity, what is called “critical examination and evaluation.” I agree with his opinion. Up until high school, we are required to understand the meaning of what we learn and to memorize it. But after entering the university “ICU”, we have told in the course of “Introduction to Biology” to continue to have a question of which we don’t know the answer and to find the answer. I was really impressed to here that. I thought in university we would deal with just something more difficult than in high school and it was difference from high school. When I heard that, a certain example came to my mind. It is the example of Dr. Shirakawa, who discovered special plastic through which electricity can pass. It was believed that electricity can not pass through plastic until his discovery. But he changed the common knowledge. As we can see from this example, what we think fact can be changed into false. Let me show you another example. Isaac Newton, who I think is known to everyone. He is famous for discovering the gravity, which is said that he discovered it when seeing “an apple falling.” Nobody didn’t pay any attention to what things fall, because everyone except him though falling apple was “common sense.” But he thought it was doubtful. Then he searched and searched. Finally, he found the gravity. These examples may show that there is no “common sense” in fact. Therefore we have to do “critical examination and evaluation.”

Work Cited

Meiland, Jack W. College Thinking: How to Get the Best Out of College. New York: New American Library,1981. (The ELP Reader, 2007. 3-23).

ARP2: Reaction to Meiland’s “Why Reasons Matter”

Tomoya1

Tomoya Hagiwara
Mr. James
ARW Section AC
8 May, 2007

Reaction to Meiland’s “Why Reasons Matter”

Summary
According to Meiland, beliefs must have good reasons. There are five reasons. First, we hold that a belief which is supported by good reasons is more likely to be true than one which is not supported by good reasons. But we should not allow this justification of the search for good reasons to go unchallenged and unexamined. Second, because we base beliefs on good reasons, we can aid in avoiding frustrations of this sort and to help in achieving one’s goals. Third, basing beliefs on good reasons fits together well with our democratic way of life. This justification is what we might call a “social” justification. Fourth, if we know the grounds-the good reasons or justification-for our beliefs, we can defend our belief. Therefore we’re more likely to retain our true beliefs when we know why we ought to hold them. At last, it is as useless and as dangerous to hold beliefs that may be true but which you do not understand as it is to hold beliefs that are out-and-out false. By investigating reasons for our beliefs, we can understand them better. Therefore, college work is so concerned with the reasons for our beliefs.

Discussion
Meiland has said that beliefs must have good reasons. I want to discuss his last point: by investigating reasons for our beliefs, we can understand them better. I agree his opinion. There are two reasons. First, sometimes there are times when we don’t know whether we really understand about certain thing or not. In that case, I’m determined to examine my reasons for it. Because it means that I don’t understand fully about it to have obscure points. When I have no unclear points, I can say I understand. Therefore by investigating reasons for my beliefs, I believe that I can understand them better. Second, this is a little similar to the above thing I have just explained. By investigating reasons for our beliefs, sometimes we can find out new reasons for them. When investigating them, I may realize I don’t have much enough reasons for my beliefs. Then I will try to find out new and better reasons for them. If I can get a better reason or better reasons for them, I will be sure that I understand. But if not, it might mean that I don’t understand fully. Therefore I agree his point “by investigating reasons for our beliefs, we can understand them better.”

Work Cited

Meiland, Jack W. College Thinking: How to Get the Best Out of College. New York: New American Library, 1981. (The ELP Reader, 2007. 3-23).