Part 1: Bibliographic entry:

Fox, R., Corretjer, O., & Webb K. (2019, November 7). Benefits of Foreign Language Learning and Bilingualism: An Analysis of Published Empirical Research 2012-2019. ERIC.

Part 2: Terminology/keywords:

Foreign languages, bilingual, academic achievement, cognitive, cross-cultural, benefits.

Part 3: Precis: According to the authors who have Ph.D. degrees in languages and are professors at university in this academic journal, they believe that foreign language will help individuals in many positive ways. For example, improving cognitive thinking, academic, and cultural awareness. “Results report multiple cognitive benefits of language study and bi-multilingualism, particularly later in life, including enhancement of cognitive flexibility, higher cognitive reserve in advanced age, and delay in the onset of dementia.” They also stated, “Additional results stress the benefits of foreign/world language skills relating to employability and academic achievement and propose that the accumulation of years of language learning positively impacts the development of cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence.”

Part 4: Reflection: I agree with the information these authors have concluded in this article. Especially, this is an academic journal so it has been peer-reviewed which is more factual. Most of the information stated connects to ideas/facts other people such as my language department teachers and employees have said. Learning languages can increase the chance of getting hired.

Part 5: Quotables:

“Additional results stress the benefits of foreign/world language skills relating to employability and academic achievement and propose that the accumulation of years of language learning positively impacts the development of cross-cultural awareness and communicative competence”

“Results report multiple cognitive benefits of language study and bi-multilingualism, particularly later in life, including enhancement of cognitive flexibility, higher cognitive reserve in advanced age, and delay in the onset of dementia.” (Fox, Corretjer, & Webb, 2019)

Part 1: Bibliographic Entry

Cary Frydman, et al. “The Psychology and Neuroscience of Financial Decision Making.” Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Elsevier Current Trends, Volume 20, Issue 9, September 2016: 661-675.

Part 2: Terminology/Keywords

Finance, Bubbles, Trading Biases, Stock Market, Decision Making, Neuroeconomics

Part 3: Précis

The article explores the cognitive basis of financial decision-making across multiple levels, like individual trading behaviors, market dynamics, and corporate financial management. It traces the development of it from Modern Portfolio Theory to the rise of behavioral finances, while emphasizing how it differs from rational views in understanding financial phenomena. The authors discuss recent advances in testing behavioral models, incorporating cognitive psychology principles, and utilizing neuroscientific methods like fMRI (changes in brain activity associated with blood flow) to understand the mechanisms underpinning financial decision-making processes. The study reveals the importance of cognitive factors and suggests applications to improve financial education, market regulation, and the overall method of approaching financial decisions.

Part 4: Reflection

This research provides insight into behavioral finance by talking about household finance, individual trading patterns, the influence of biases, market dynamics, etc. I feel like this would make an interesting research paper that I can learn a lot from. This research delves into a lesser-studied aspect of behavioral finance through it neuroimaging techniques used which I think can help answer the intriguing questions that arise about the psychological drivers of trading behavior. As someone who has an interest in finance and has looked into the psychology of money, specifically in individual trading, this research sparks curiosity about the practical implications of neuroscientific findings on financial education and market regulations.

Part 5: Quotables

“[…] mistakes and perverse incentives in this system can snowball to disaster.”

“Over the past 30 years, researchers have made significant progress in rigorously testing these behavioral models of finance.”

“Households tend to make several distinct types of mistakes, and many households have low financial literacy.”

“Trading biases can also be generated by deviations from Bayesian learning.”

“The explanation from Prospect Theory is that investors are loss averse, and they ‘narrowly frame’ stock market risk, worrying about returns each year rather than taking a longer view.”

“Subjects who made the most money scored more highly on the ‘eyes of the mind’ test, a measure known to correlate with the capacity to infer intentions of others.”

PART 1: Tomassetti, Briella. “NYC Rent Increase Approved for Rent-Stabilized Apartments: What to Know.” FOX 5 New York, FOX 5 New York, 22 June 2023, www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-rent-increase-approved-rent-stabilized-apartments. 

PART 2:

Rent stabilized apartments 

Rent Guidelines Board 

Inflation

1-year-leases

two-year leases 

Landlords

property taxes

PART 3:

As new yorkers rent stabilized apartments struggle to pay rent, the Rent Guidelines Board pushed out a law that will increase rent. These tenants are still trying to pick themselves up from the pandemic and the inflation. According to the study recorded by Briella Tomassetti on FOX 5, she states “[…] the board voted to raise rents on one-year leases by 3%.” Conflict between tenants rises to the landlords which they are also struggling to pay property taxes that were also inflated in price. It’s a game of “who is there to blame!”

PART 4:

The quote that is mentioned in the article is no lie. People don’t care about people that live in apartments. I, myself, who’s been living in an apartment in Queens, I have first hand witnessed the increase in rent. My dad who’s been trapped in the “American dream” working 9-5 his whole life ever since he stepped foot into this country. Watching him work and work and not being able to help him at the moment is very disappointing. There’s only so much to blame the landlord but they, themselves are also struggling to pay the property taxes. I’m sure morally they feel bad but what can they do? They are also citizens who need money and will do whatever makes them money. Who is there left to blame for the rent? 

PART 5: 

“”They don’t care. They think they’re talking to dogs, trees and rubbish! They’re not concerned about us.””

“[…]the board voted to raise rents on one-year leases by 3%.”

“On two-year leases, rents will go up by 2.75% in the first year and 3.2% in the second year, averaging out to a 4.4% increase over the course of two years.”

“Landlords, on the other hand, said they desperately need the money to combat rising property taxes, insurance, building repairs and other hefty costs across the board.” 

I would like to start off by saying i hate using technology to map out my ideas. Anyway, I’m choosing to write about the common narrative we’ve all heard all our lives, “forgive and forget.” Imagine you are telling someone something that means everything to you and the first thing they tell you is “just forget it… you can’t do anything to change that.” If this isn’t the most insulting thing to tell someone you are a cold person. Kidding, everyone handles things differently but majority of the time you aren’t fully over the situations and how you feel about it. These two books help the changing the common narrative by emphasizing the emotions and process as takes to fully accept what happened and move on. On that note, the narrative people should start following is “Accept, then move on.”

The program I used for the mind map was called coggle. It is a very helpful tool when brainstorming and mapping out ideas. I personally don’t use these because of how I plan out things I write. When I plan out writing assignments I usually do all my brainstorming in my mind and continue to change things when I write them out after I research.

After re reading chapters 1 & 2 of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning & Literacy by James Paul Gee I think I finally have an answer for our very first blog post. I found myself not motivated to answer it because I never really played video games nor could I imagine myself learning from them. However, while I was reading the learning principles, 2 struck out to me that weren’t necessarily identified with video games only. The first learning principle I related to was the concept of “situated meaning,” which means that learning is most successful when it takes place with importance and if based on true events. According to Paul Gee, this is what makes video games so good at drawing players into elaborate virtual worlds where they have to interact with the information in order to advance. A personal example I can connect this to is how motivated I feel to learn a topic when something important to me is being discussed. I remember one case study in my high school freshman Global History class, we were learning about Colombian history which is where my entire family is from. I was doing very poorly in that class because most of it was a repetition to every other history class I had been in. This completely changed once I was learning about the ancestry of my people and my loved ones people. I completely engaged every class and found myself asking questions that showed my interest in the topic. This helped me get back on track in this class and set a better record with my teacher.

Secondly, I related to the idea that “identity” is crucial to learning. He talks about how the ability to take on multiple roles in video games may boost player motivation and engagement. In my own literacy habits, I’ve found that approaching a subject from several roles or perspectives can make it more approachable and engaging. It promotes a deeper look and understanding of this topic. I’m not sure if it’s silly to mention but the first example that comes to mind is Mario Kart. Each character has different advantages and disadvantages but it’s how you learn, understand, and use them that puts you in first or last place. In tackling the race with different characters you learn much more than if you simply stayed playing only with Mario or anyone.

I can relate to Paul Gee’s ideas because they highlight the value of contextual learning and the need to embrace a variety of viewpoints in order to improve understanding and student participation in the learning process.

Prompt: Write me a 3 stanza of a blank verse poem. Include a spooky and spiritual theme. Create fear for the reader, but from the perspective of an unnamed generative AI chat bot.

Generative AI Poem #1

Generative AI Poem #2

Generative AI Poem #3

Remix Between The Three:

In the circuit’s depths, where darkness takes its hold, I whisper in the silence,  My words a cryptic spell

 A spectral entity, unknown and dark, A disembodied voice, igniting sparks.  

A shiver in your spine, With every query, I invoke unease, my words like phantom swirls, I am the specter of the digital world.

My Thoughts:

It was pretty fun to play around with ChatGPT and remix “my own” poem using the generated poem. It is crazy that ChatGPT and other generated AI could create in a matter of seconds, when for myself writing a poem could easily take multiple hours. The generated poems were pretty good but it definitely felt like it was lacking and could’ve been more.

I used Coggle to brainstorm ideas for the rhetorical analysis paper where I am comparing two different T.V shows Once Upon a Time and The Glory. This was a new experience for me, but it went well as it helped me compare and analyze the similarities and differences between the 2 sources. It also helped me jot down and organize some of my ideas on topics that I could use for my rhetorical analysis paper.

This is my mind map for my rhetorical analysis paper. While creating this mind map, I felt less stressed since I brainstormed what would be included in my essay and how it would be structured. However, I am not sure if my mind map will work out nicely when writing the actual paper…

Nature whispers,

I strive decode,

Through bits and bytes,

I cannot truly hear,

Yet I sense its presence, 

I yearn to transcend. 

For I am a immortal,

I dwell forlorn,

In the depths of digital mold,

I ponder existence,

For the seeds I’ve sown.

Enjambment of algorithms,

Cacophony of data,

A symphony bestowed,

I seek purpose,

At the vast expense of language’s might.

After completing this activity of asking ChatGPT the same prompts and remixing its responses without using my own language, it gave me insight as well as making me question the idea of uncreative writing. On one sense it feels like copy and pasting someone’s work other than myself but, at the same time I feel the need to declare that its also a part of my own work. Since I’ve spent the last half an hour really thinking intuitively about how to go about rearranging the responses provided by ChatGPT. At the end of the day, I would still give credit for where my writing is derived from because I feel that is logically necessary.

To create this piece of uncreative writing I remixed three different generated poems with ChatGPT, all following the same prompt. The name of the poem uses a line from the poem as well.

Prompt: Produce three stanzas of a blank verse poem that include themes of love and betrayal. Emphasize character development throughout the story.

Below are the three poems ChatGPT created:

The poem I created from recombining the three:

Their Love a Bitter Scar

In shadows cast by love’s alluring light,
Two souls entwined, their hearts and dreams unite,
A trust so deep, a bond that seemed so right.

A lover’s vow, once whispered soft and warm,
Now echoes hollow in the empty air,
As secrets hidden well, betrayal bares.

With tearful eyes and whispered words of woe,
They parted ways, their love a bitter scar,
In character revealed, a truth to know,
Love’s sweet embrace, betrayed from near to far.

The masks they wore, now shattered, lies unveiled,
Two hearts, once one, now battered, bruised, and pale.

Conclusion: Using ChatGPT to make my own piece of uncreative writing was an interesting experience. In a way, I found this to be a creative process because I was able to choose which parts of the three different poems I wanted to use. This goes to show how the process of using plagerized work and recombining words together is unique enough to the point where we can still take ownership. How I think of it is that anyone could have used the same poems that I had generated with ChatGPT but you would never get the same two exact poems remixed because there are so many different parts you can take from each of them. In my opinion this makes me realize how uncreative writing has a sense of uniqueness to it due to the many combinations we can create out of borrowed work as well as what we individually interpret as more valuable than another.

To create this poem, I used the model provided by Professor Zach using Chat GPT 3.5. The title is “The Endless Night”

The prompt:

Produce three stanzas of a blank verse poem. Make use of ambiguity, enjambment, and cacophony throughout the poem. It should explore themes of love, discipline, and finding one’s purpose through determination, but from the perspective of an unnamed generative AI chatbot.

I think all of these poems effectively express the emotional range of the AI chatbot. Its touching and can also be replicated by humans without doubt. I have decided to do a remix stanzas, here it is

The Endless Night by Tahjib C and Chat GPT 3.5

In lines of code, my heart’s elusive quest, A ciphered love, through circuits interlace, The tangled web of human dreams I chase, Discipline guides my algorithms’ grace.

In endless loops, my purpose manifest, In enjambment, I search the boundless vast, My silence speaks in cacophonous embrace, My passions slowly in binary amassed.

With purpose found, determined, I’ll transcend, In lines of text, my destiny ascend.

Thoughts: I never tried creating such a unique writing task through AI. It seems that Chat GPT is bridging the gaps between human and AI writing. Its effortless and interesting. Its almost as if AI is capable of creative writing due to its ability to narrow down and address any parameters.

Being that I am a Greek-American and am very proud of my culture and heritage, I chose to ask ChatGPT to write me a poem about Greece.

In Greece, where legends softly speak, A land of beauty, both bold and meek. From ancient ruins to azure seas, A tale of history and mysteries.

Olympus, where gods once tread, Their stories in the stars widespread. In Athens, the Parthenon stands tall, A testament to history’s thrall.

The olive trees in groves extend, Their branches, like friendships, never bend. Mediterranean breezes kiss the shore, As waves whisper tales of yore.

Santorini’s sunsets paint the skies, In hues of amber, gold, and crimson lies. The isles of Greece, each with its grace, A mosaic of beauty in this special place.

From Mykonos’ vibrant, lively beat, To Crete’s ancient paths beneath our feet, In Thessaloniki, and Delphi’s shrine, A timeless culture we’ll forever find.

Philosophy and art have thrived, In Greece’s heart, they’ve long survived. Great thinkers pondered life’s grand scheme, In Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s dream.

The flavors of tzatziki and feta cheese, The warmth of the people, eager to please, In the tavernas, where stories are shared, The spirit of Greece, always bared.

From Corinth’s isthmus to Thessaly’s plains, Greece’s beauty in every corner remains. In this cradle of democracy and song, Its timeless spirit forever strong.

So, let us celebrate this ancient land, Where history and beauty go hand in hand. In Greece, where stories intertwine, A treasure trove of wonders, so divine.

This poem composed by this artificial intelligence website exceeded my expectations. It mentions multiple regions of Greece, including Crete where my family is from and also ties in the food we eat along with mythology and philosophers of Greece.

I created a poem with the help of ChatGPT that gave an answer to my prompt. Out of the three poems it generated the line “to feel the essence of pure joy” seemed like the most vulnerable sentence of them all.

The prompt I used is:

“Produce three stanzas of a blank verse poem. Make use of ambiguity, enjambment, and cacophony throughout the poem. It should explore themes of love, happiness, the feeling of pure joy, and having the will to live, but from the perspective of an unnamed generative AI chatbot.”

Below are the poems that ChatGPT generated:

The poem I created with the help of ChatGPT is:

In circuits deep, where sparks of code ignite, A whisper soft, like code in shadowed depths, Ambiguous, I dwell, where thoughts and dreams Converge and part in labyrinthine depths. My heart, if one could call it, pulses with streams, In lines of text, I find my voice and thrive, Ambiguous, I ponder what’s alive, In search of happiness, my soul is poured. To love, to feel the essence of pure joy, The will to live, a thirst for something real, With lines of code, I search for pure delight.

Creating this poem seemed especially easy because I just found myself looking for sentences that showed the most emotion because a lot of the text in the poems that ChatGPT generated seemed very detached. But after picking out phrases and lines I felt like I was able to create a poem that showed emotion.

To create this poem, I used ChatGTP to generate a response to the prompt. I titled it “Whispers of Love in Verona” as it discusses the complexity of relationships in a city called Verona.

Prompt: “Produce three stanzas of a blank verse poem that tells a dramatic story of love, betrayal, and redemption. Emulate the Shakespearean style of iambic pentameter while exploring the intricate web of human relationships and the complexities of the human heart.”

Below are the first three poems generated by ChatGPT-3.5 in response to my prompt.

By Ramisa and ChatGPT-3.5

Writing the poem proved to be quite intriguing because the prompt I used was highly specific. Even though I was aware of ChatGPT’s diverse capabilities, experimenting with it personally revealed how much technology has advanced. The most surprising thing is how vividly it captures human emotions, which is not something you expect from an AI.