A trip to the edge of learning Sandra Viviana Cachiguango Lema Yachay Tech University English Language Program Yachay, Ecuador
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A trip to the edge of learning
Sandra Viviana Cachiguango Lema
English Language Program
Yachay Tech University
Level 6-005
Matthew Craing Mackey January 09, 2017
Yachay, Ecuador
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Table of Contents
Reflective Letter ........................................................................................................................ 4
Response Essay: ............................................................................................................ 6 Has Collegue Education some disadvantages? ......................................................... 6 Interpretative Essay: ................................................................................................... 12 Beyond Realism ...................................................................................................... 12 Argumentative Essay: ................................................................................................. 18
Teaching English at an early age............................................................................. 18 Final Research Project: ............................................................................................... 24 University Education in the Face of Labor Demand ............................................... 24
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Reflective Letter Sandra Cachiguango University Yachay Tech Imbabura, Ecuador
December 06, 2016 Dear Portfolio Reader: My name is Sandra Cachiguango. I am student at Yachay Tech University. Currently, I am in the fourth semester of my major. The purpose of this letter is to share my experiences about the advances of English language learning that I have gained. This English Language Portfolio has a collection of my works, such as essays and a research project. At the same time, this portfolio contains my anecdotes that through them, I intend to demonstrate that learning new things can be difficult but not impossible. I am pleased of the work realized in this course, and I am sure to study this language even more. This portfolio presents my career in the English, it took place for two years, but principally this portfolio shows marked growth that I have had in level 6. First, I went to high school and receive poor instruction of English because there was no teacher to give English class. I felt wrong because I did not know anything about English. For this reason, I bought a book when I learned a bit of vocabulary. The book was constituted of pronouns, adjectives, regular and irregular verbs. In fact, the book helped me understand a little more about English, but it even was not enough to understand the English language when someone spoke fluently. I came to study here at Yachay Tech, and started the English course from the second level. The first classes were a great challenge because I could not understand what the teacher was saying. This was terrible because I should ask my classmates about the teacher’s instruction. I remember that I always sat next to my friend, who had more 4
experience with this language, because he explained to me about some topics of the class. Moreover learning was interesting because when I achieved understand the accent of a teacher I felt encouraged to learn more about this language. I remember that in the fourth level I began writing essays. My first essay seemed impossible. So, I even remember that I wrote the essay in Spanish and after I translated it to English. I took many hours doing this essay. Furthermore, I had many problems with the punctuation and in-text citation. Throughout this semester, I can see my growth from the first essay all the way until my last essay. For example, I learned to write a better thesis statement, I learned that I need to be clear and offer a much stronger thesis. I wrote four essays such as: response, argumentative, interpretation, literary analysis of which my favorite was the interpretation essay. This essay was an interpretation of a picture, “Acrobatic Engineering� of Rob Gonsalves painter. I worked this essay with classmates, it was a unique experience because I knew and learned proficient of each them. Now, I have improved some of the weakness mentioned above. The teachers have taught me many things and helped me in pronunciation and with the corrections of my essays and presentations. Additionally, my classmates have helped me with some errors of my English pronunciation. Now I have learned more about punctuation and transitions words. I am now aware that I should learn a lot more vocabulary, and improve my expression. I also believe that even I must improve pronunciation of words. So the journey learning English is still a long, but gratifying way. Sincerely,
Sandra Cachiguango
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Has Collegue Education some disadvantages? Sandra V Cachiguango Yachay Tech University September 30, 2016
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Has College Education some disadvantages? The best education you can get is investing in yourself. But this doesn’t always mean college or university (Buffett, 2012). The interest about college education and its relation with thoughts in the recent years has united many people from sociologist, educators, college students and more people. George Leef who is author of the article entitled: “Don`t buy hype, college education is not an investment,” tells us about paradigm of today about education university. The paradigm is if studying college has advantageous or not. Leef exposes some examples to argue that going to university could increase the productivity of a person but it is neither necessary nor sufficient for getting a job. The development of Leef’s work is about how important a college education is, and it is very interesting because the goal of many young people is to complete a degree or technical career. But what happens when after investing time, effort, and money on education, we cannot find a good job? Perhaps, college education is not an appropriate investment. In fact, College Education is necessary to increase knowledge but it doesn’t ensure success in working life because having a degree doesn’t ensure a sure job. George Leef begins his article considering the plight of recent college graduates by the lack of employment. He argues that graduate students are struggling to pay their college loans. However college education provides knowledge to apply to the workplace, but the problem is that recent graduates are not hired for a job because of a lack of work experience, and consequently, it would be difficult to pay expenses that were brought on by education. All college graduate students have high expectations about his or her professional future, but he or she has little or no experience, and so, they are in a difficult position. But this is not an impediment for employers do not hire
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them because recent graduates have all the necessary knowledge and desire to learn, Leef also focuses at the conclusion of the sociologists Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, they claimed that “more than a third of recent graduates had coasted through without adding anything to their human capital” (Leef, 2013). In this point Leef indicates that college education, in some way, helps even a small part of graduates get jobs. Also another interesting point is that the author quote studies carried out by the institute of Public Policy of California, which says that college is a good investment. Leef refutes this idea giving some examples as comparisons in the economic income of a person with work experience but without some study and a person prepared academically. Leef says no one receives any payment for simply having completed college. Finally Leef gives to know that "the university is not in itself an investment, just a way to increase its value" (2013, pp.2). The main idea of the article may lead to change the perspective of college students. Many students believe that studying at a university is not necessary, therefore some of them do not study. However, the author of this article mentions that college education is an opportunity to increase the knowledge necessary to face social life, but it will not be enough to get a steady job. To strengthen the idea of the author, let's look at another critical thinking. According to Ken Robinson, he analyzes nowadays society and says: "You are better to have degree that not but it is not a guarantee anymore and particularly” (2010). At this point the two authors Leef and Robinson have ideas in common. They state that collegue education is not an investment. Leef gives to know an implied way of how to get to succeed in life, it is only depends on each one. And he clearly explains with examples, Leef mentions a student "A" who was one of the best graduates of his career and managed to get a job in the same field of study, and he also mentioned another student “C” who did not Course 9
College but he continued computer courses with which he also managed to get work. This is a clear example that the desire to overcome this in oneself. Don’t buy hype, college education is not an investment article has an interesting development, at first believes that college education is a great investment because getting a degree shows the proper preparation of the person on an specific area. However, throughout reading his research it is inevitable to analyze some aspects with which the previous idea is contradicted. Leef`s proposed ideas are very convincing and logical. This text is understandable and complete, especially because it includes several examples. These examples give us a perspective that success always depends on personal performance and not an educational written document. At the end, Leef asks a question to his readers, "How can I increase my value and demonstrate it?" (2013, pp.2). This entails much criticism and therefore much controversy in the society. Finally, college education is defined as teaching quality, universities are distinguished by their ambition and complexity. However, in this article Leef simply says that higher education is not a good investment for people. The author informs us that there are recent college graduates unemployed who are struggling to pay their college loans and points out that the university certificate helps get them work but not in their area of study. So, after analyzing some points of the article and reviewing another article on the same subject, it is concluded that to get a good job is not required to pursue higher education but then if it helps to improve and increase knowledge to face life Social. Therefore, college education is needed to obtain a professional degree, but could not call this a good investment.
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References Buffett, W. (2012, May 19). Warren Buffett Trashes Higher Education, Says It's 'Not For Everyone'. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-trasheshigher-education-says-its-not-for-everyone-2012-5 Leef, G. (2013, Jun 12). Don't Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment. Forbes, 2. Robinson, K. (2010, October 14). RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
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Beyond Realism Kevin Chamorro, Sandra Cachiguango, JosĂŠ Tacuri, Ariana Rivera Yachay Tech University November 18th, 2016
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Beyond realism The painting Acrobatic Engineering by Rob Gonsalves is a combination of shapes, colours and sensations that are distributed in correct proportions and cause different interpretations depending on the point of view of the spectator. The painting is rich in details. In a global way, we can appreciate a landscape formed by lots of natural elements, such as a crescent moon, blue sky, trees, rocks, and a river. We can also recognize artificial elements, like a bridge, a circus, a train and bleachers. Moreover, from left to right, we can notice the transition of a bridge over the river finally composed by acrobats acting on a green picture. If we focus deeply in the design of the bridge, we can start to notice human forms in its long columns, and as it gets closer, the acrobats’ shapes are more noticeable. This allows us to distinguish characteristics such as yellow, red and blue clothes and their gender. There are little, undetailed spectators watching the acrobatic show. However, if we look deeper into Gonsalves’ work, we begin to find more than just a description. The painter is a Canadian artist inspired by famous old surrealists such as Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Joan Miró (Pinpple, 2014). He is known as a magical realist because he uses realistic elements from life without deforming it (Pinpple, 2014). Also, he attaches to his artworks symbolic illusions or optical illusions. Even though what you see is not probable to happen, the more you see, the more possibilities you are about to find. According to Gonsalves’ description of his artwork “Acrobatic Engineering”, he defines it as a similitude of balance and precision between the bridge’s stone columns and the acrobats of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (Gonsalves, 2016). Maybe, Gonsalves saw one of the real final acts of those acrobats, and he related that to the architecture of a bridge. Therefore, he tries to represent the architectural form of a bridge accompanied by the acrobats. It may mean only a
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physical similitude, but we can go further in meaning. For us, this painting means that all of us are important to build big things such as the bridge; hence, if we work it could be easier to reach a difficult to accomplish dream. The painting causes two main sensations: panic and confusion. The acrobats must have enough balance to be able to maintain the stability of the high columns without staggering, so if someone does something wrong, the columns probably collapse. Consciously, the person who watches the painting feels that panic because failing a goal because of others is sometimes frustrating. In the left side of the painting, there is a circus stage with people observing an act of acrobats, but as the painting moves away to the right, a change can be observed between the acrobats. On the right side, we can see the bridge stage. Acrobats act mimicking the form of a bridge, and then melting with the original structure can cause some confusion when people are looking at this painting, which is a big effect of the optical illusions that Gonsalves uses. Rob Gonsalves' painting titled "Acrobatic Engineering" could be seen as an unbreakable pillar to any big engineering structure (Gonsalves, 2016). While we are reading the title, the relationship between the engineering design and acrobatics perfectionism comes immediately to our minds, for this reason, it is not strange to relate it with balance and precision as Gonsalves talks in his description. Large structures like bridges need to be designed with great precision and balance, therefore, the construction is unbreakable. This idea establishes the relationship previously discussed between acrobats and engineering because they also need precision and balance so the act can succeed. In addition, this painting shows coordination and strength so that these (both the construction and the show of the acrobats) cannot collapse. Therefore, the coordination, strength, balance, and precision of the acrobats, the same as the bridge allow holding greater things while they are working together.
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In “Acrobatic Engineering” the stability from the acrobats is interpreted as good group work that takes place to accomplish a goal. At the moment of analysing the bridge, we note that it is solid, stable, and that each one of its parts is essential to its balance. However, what would happen if one of these components is missing? Will the bridge be capable of supporting the weight of the train, or external factors such as wind or water force? The union of each of the acrobats helps out with building the bridge, and working as a team drive them to support the bridge efficiently. The acrobats rely on the work done by the partners around them. This allows the passage of the train above them, which is the goal that the acrobats try to achieve working in a disciplined way. That goal would be impossible to do without the acrobats’ organization, since the minimum problem would crumble the structure. All of us are important in a group work! Therefore, if we want to reach a goal, we must unite with people who have the same vision, let go of selfishness and be willing to cooperate, so that this goal transforms an illusion into a reality. The concept of “Acrobatic Engineering” by Gonsalves relates the precision and balance of the bridge structure with the acrobats’ coordination; however, we think that this relationship goes deeper because it includes sensations and the importance of group work, which allows accomplishing goals. In other words, analysing the painting, group work helps to create great things and reach any goals that we propose to ourselves, which can cause panic and confusion in the viewers.
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References Gonsalves, R. (2016). Marcus Ashley Gallery: Acrobatic Engineering. Retrieved from http://marcusashley.com/artwork/acrobatic-engineering [14-11-16] Pinpple. (2014). An amazing selection of the paintings by Rob Gonsalves: Surrealism in the 21st century. Retrieved by pinpple.com/post/4170 [14-11-16]
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Teaching English at an early age Sandra Cachiguango Yachay Tech University November 22, 2016
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Teaching English at an early age. Language is one of the most fundamental aspects of human communication. It is the main medium through which human beings shall present their ideas and to relate the contents of their minds to one another. Learning a language at an early age is easier because the child acquires knowledge unconsciously and he has a more effective storage process compared to adults, then the child can relate information to the new language. Furthermore, it is important that children to acquire high proficiency as early as possible in the English Language, but why should it be in the English Language one might ask? Because it is one of the most widely and extensively taught foreign languages in many schools in the world. English is the Universal language. So, all children should learning English at an early age because, first, memory intertwines a language with experiences and interactions through which that language was learned, second, people who mastering English or another language tend to feel a significant emotional, and finally, learning English helps to find best job. People who learned English since they were children can relate this language with experiences and interactions that helped with learning this language. When a child learns English language, he relations each word with an event that happens to him. And when he grows and becomes adult, he can think in the learned language, he will becomes to mastery the language that he can to carry out financial decision and solving problems. Furthermore, several recent studies have focused on how people have relation with non-native languages. According to Costa, this relation is due to a reduced emotional response obtained by the foreign language because a growing physicological distance when using a foreign language induces to act in a utilitarian way (Sedivy, 2016). Children who learn English will master quickly it, and when they listen some word, they will feel a significant emotion. To the child, English becomes as a native 20
language and he tends to feel emotion. According to Janet Geipel and her colleagues say “ our childhood language vibrates with greater emotional intensity a difference a foreign language” (2016).For example, when an Ecuadorian-speaking speaker hears his partner says “ te amo”, he feels a greaer degree of happiness compared to listening to the English translation “ I love you” even though he understands the meaning. Something similar happens when a person did not learn another language as English since child. Finding a good job is a reason to learn English. English speakers in the United States earn more money than non-English speakers. Learning English will open your job prospects and increase your standard of living. English is most fully spoken; used language if viewed internationally. So English is Number 1 International Language. Many positions require dealing with clients, service providers or colleagues from other countries. In those cases, the knowledge of English is a critical advantage. It can help advance further in the career and to master one hundred percent it is better to learn from children. Some people are against learning English from an early age because they think that young people or adults can learn the language without problems, also adults have greater response to what has been learned. According to recent study published in the journal Cognition says “using a foreign language makes people responding and not only a language learned since childhood”(Sedevy, 2016). On the other hand, the Cognition´s study is quite controversial. However, when people don’t English at early age or learn when they are adults, they will have problems interpreting the idea in English. Furthermore, people can not feel the emotion that produces the communication in another language that not native. In conclusion, to teach English language at an early age helps in several aspects such as: people who learned a new language for example English, they tend to feel an 21
emotion because they understand very good, people can relate English language with childhood experience. Moreover, English is a language important because it is the Universal language for which it is used in research publications. So, like we can see, teach English from child is essential to strengthen more the interaction with language.
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Reference Sedivy Julie. (2016). How Morality change in a Foreign Language. Review from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-morality-changes-in-a-foreignlanguage.
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University Education in the Face of Labor Demand Sandra V Cachiguango Yachay Tech University December 01, 2016
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Abstract This project has a unique and considerable importance because, if something is to worry a developing society, it is to know the preparation of new college graduates and to ask if this preparation solves what the current market demands. In fact, the labor market demand has given rise to the need for new graduates to have a better focus on the labor aspect. They need to be technically specialized and have experience to get work. This project analyzes the research already carried out by professionals such as Robinson, Salmi and Abel, of which it can be pointed out that in order to facilitate professional, competitive and experimental training, universities need to implement highly trained teachers, increase hours of student internships and encourage innovation. The teachers are commissioned to transmitting their knowledge, for this reason the necessity to implement trained professionals as teachers with PhD. Increasing hours of internship is necessary to gain experience, which is very important to get a job. Finally, supporting and promoting innovation is also essential in the academic preparation of students because innovation generates new knowledge and skills. In conclusion, this document focuses on analyzing labor market demand as well as finding a solution to the lack of employment for recent graduates. Keywords: university, college graduates, innovate, internships, professionals, labor market, demand.
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University Education in the Face of Labor Demand As Nelson Mandela used to say “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Again and again, universities have priority on the programs and initiatives that are needed to increase productivity and competitiveness. University education is a multifunctional and multidisciplinary system that offers a series of requirements that are recognized throughout the world as a representation of knowledge. Education opens opportunities to the labor field because education implements the knowledge necessary to execute a job. Likewise, college education not only offers a high level of preparation for each job market, but also, this helps the training of professionals infusing work values (Abel,2014). However, today's labored markets do not seek people with better knowledge but seek skilled and experienced people. Hence, an area of preoccupation that has been taking place since years ago is the employment situation of new college graduates, most of them have no facility to access different jobs because they have no enough work experience. So, how would the change in university education for students incorporate their knowledge in labor camps? In fact, in order to create more technically specialized graduates to meet the demands of the labor market, universities must provide high concentration of talent (teachers), increase internships during students’ academic career, and encourage innovation. Demands of the labor market require technically specialized college graduates to perform jobs. Every year business are increasing, thus there is greater competition in the market, and businesses need developing, so a sophisticated labor market requires a clear specialization. The idea of knowing 'a little of everything' and orienting the career to a specific area must be abandoned. According to Jaison Abel, Richard Deitz, and Yaqin Su, Reserve Bank of New York’s Research and Statistics Group, inform that “young college 27
graduates entering the labor market since 2001 recession face more challenges in finding a good job�(2014). In today's market, high global competitiveness obliges companies to incorporate good professionals, furthermore, getting jobs with academic degrees do not serve by itself to predict the performance of "good professionals". Therefore, the labor market demands high level of professionalism, but a recent graduate has no such skills. The real situation in the labor market requires that universities have a greater concentration of talent in pedagogues. In principle, all universities must ensure quality education with a recognized teaching system, which means that all universities must have highly qualified teachers. According to the National Secretariat for Higher Education, Science and Technology (Senescyt) and the Council of Higher Education (CES), it is necessary for university teachers to have a doctorate, so that, these institutions are offering scholarships to train to teachers. The professionals with doctorates can give to students more knowledge since they have greater experience in the research. Furthermore, the most important determinant of excellence are the presence of a critical mass of the best teachers and the most qualified researchers, not only from the home country, but also internationally. This point, teachers who have the appropriate level of education and, above all, great academic experiences, are one of the promoters excellent learning, giving profound knowledge to university students. So, students who learn from best teachers greatly increases the opportunities of finding job. Universities need to increase the hours of internships to obtain more work experience for students. If the universities increase internships even more during the academic career of students, college graduates will not have any obstacle in the labor field. For example, according to the Abel´s article says that universities need to improve their teaching methodology so that the graduate is successful (2014). Improving teaching methodology refers to changing the theoretical method, practiced today by universities, 28
to the practical method. For this reason, the most important thing is to increase the internships because students learn better or gain experience practicing, testing theoretical knowledge, and also, students have opportunities to create solutions to real problems. Universities need to encourage innovation in order new graduates can gain more experience. People who innovate are exceptionally qualified with a high demand in the labor market. They gain knowledge and are people recognized in the professional field because they contribute with cutting-edge research that are published in leading scientific journals. Furthermore, universities that promote innovation can be recognized worldwide by the relevance of their contributions, which is also a plus for the recent graduate in getting a job. On the other hand, universities or educational establishments have standardized curricula that are an obstacle for innovation to prevail. According to Ken Robinson in his video titled “Changing education paradigms”, he says that changing the paradigm about divergent thinking helps to achieve greater success (2010). In this part, he wants to say that divergent thinking is not the same as creativity, but it helps to have original ideas. In fact, innovation also is linked to initiative, leadership, creativity, which are more relevant qualities that a person must have to open a path to the successful world of work. A lot of people argue that college education has been considered as a way of access to a better working conditions and social mobility, despite of the demands in the labor market or current economic situation of the country. However, for some people, to talk about college education is no longer an important development factor. There are research that says that going to college is not necessary to find a job. For example, George Leef, researcher and author of “College Education Is Not An Good Investment” article, affirms that going to college can increase a person´s productivity but it is not enough to get a
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good job. He also says that college graduates increases the employment guarantee only by obtaining certificate rather than having labor experience (2013). George Leef says that the university not enough to get a job. This idea is obvious. It is precisely the justification given by the author to support his idea: education is not necessary to get a job. But, how is it possible that most employees and employers are prepared people? Perhaps, he labor market requires no more educated people? Thus, today, university preparation has become important, because the market requires technically specialized, analytical, and critical personnel; employees that dominates new technologies. Furthermore , Joison Abel, head of research and regional analysis at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, clearly says that "although the labor market appears to be more difficult for college graduates, it is much worse for young people who do not have a university degree� (2013). Besides, in the labor field it is necessary to recruit staff not prepared academically to occupy some positions in the market, but it should be emphasized that these positions will be lower and therefore less remunerated, compared to positions directed by prepared people. On the other hand, Leef says that university graduates only increase their value by obtaining a certificate and not by experience. However, today, more and more jobs require university degrees because they demonstrate adequate preparation to perform the job. In addition, experience is acquired with more practice. And if universities increase even more practices in the academic career of students (one of the purposes of this project) we would have no obstacle to the employment introduction of recent graduates. It is not the case with unprepared people, they will have difficulty getting a good job because they must compete against professionals. They will have to accept what they offer and the options are limited. In the same way, by increasing the internships of the university students and fomenting innovation it gives more credibility to the certificates granted to 30
the students by the university. Even more, if students undertake any innovative project or research, they may be people who generate employment. This idea is supported by Ken Robinson, a British writer and speaker, who says that an innovative person offers creative ideas into practice, these ideas need people to develop them (2010), so an innovative person generates work. Consequently, the opposing arguments lose their strength due to the fact that they do not show support with more research, therefore, it is clear that university education is important so that graduates can access different jobs despite the labor demand of nowadays. In conclusion, university education has been seen as an issue of interest to citizens because today, the situation of recent college graduates is becoming increasingly difficult in the ambit of getting a job. A lot of the research demonstrate this fact like Jaison Abel, Robinson researches. The lack of getting job of the recent graduates leads to the universities take action on this matter. In addition, the current demand in the labor market requires highly trained personnel and, especially, personnel with more work experience. Consequently, universities are the main centers that can meet those characteristics, work experience and trained personnel, demanded by the labor market; therefore, universities must provide a greater concentration of specialized teachers, increase internships during the university career of students and, above all, encourage innovation.
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References Abel J, Deitz R, Yaqin. (2014). Federa Reserve Bank of New York. Obtenido de Current issues: https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/current_issues/ci201.pdf Leef, G. (2013, Jun 12). Don't Buy The Hype, College Education Is Not An Investment. Forbes, 2. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2013/06/12/dontbuy-the-hype-college-education-is-not-an-investment/#3f8c8af57ee6. Robinson, K. (October 14, 2010). RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
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REFLECTIONS
Some photos from class, activities in class and learning experiences.
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Thank you for reading my English portfolio. I hope that after of read this portfolio acquires interest to learn this. Really I enjoyed many this journey of learning and also hope that you have enjoyed reading my portfolio. Remember that the learning do not have limitations, and the limitations only put you. The effort must always go beyond the limits. Do not settle for what you need, fight for what you deserve.
Sincerely Sandra Cachiguango.
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