Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Free Essays on Phillip The 2nd

Phillip the 2nd’s Mistakes â€Å"Leadership determines the fate of a country.† There has never been a truer quote. For a country depends on it’s leaders for guidance and decision making. Phillip the 2nd showed a perfect example of how a terrible leader can royally screw up a country. Phillip the 2nd was the ruler of Spain from 1556 to 1598 and had the opportunities to become one of the greatest rulers of all time. He came in at the right time period, the golden age of Spain, and at one point was the king of England, Spain, and France, and all of America belonged to him. He controlled almost all of the ships at sea and could have been immensely powerful if he had not let his fanatical Catholicism get in the way. Phillip the 2nd was a devout Catholic that took it upon himself to head the Catholic counteroffensive, and he was willing to put in all the sweat, blood, tears, and not to mention money to see it through. He did not care about his country, or anything else for that matter, as much as he did for this. Phillip let economic and material matters slip away and deteriorate, thus beginning the downfall of Spanish culture and Spain. But, while Phillip could slowly destroy Spanish culture, he could not stop the Golden Age. Spain entered it’s Golden Age, and Phillip continued to pump money into the Catholic church. Phillip and Spain were so Catholic that the archbishop of Toledo had so much power and esteem, that he could address the king as an equal, and at one point it was estimated that one third of the population of Spain worked for the Catholic church in some way shape or form. Phillip built a new royal house for himself that was called the Escorial, it was a magnificent building that honored St. Lawrence (another sign of his fanatical Catholicism) because it was on that saints feast day that Phillip won a battle against the French. It was thirty miles from Madrid, on the plateau of central Castile, and was built in... Free Essays on Phillip The 2nd Free Essays on Phillip The 2nd Phillip the 2nd’s Mistakes â€Å"Leadership determines the fate of a country.† There has never been a truer quote. For a country depends on it’s leaders for guidance and decision making. Phillip the 2nd showed a perfect example of how a terrible leader can royally screw up a country. Phillip the 2nd was the ruler of Spain from 1556 to 1598 and had the opportunities to become one of the greatest rulers of all time. He came in at the right time period, the golden age of Spain, and at one point was the king of England, Spain, and France, and all of America belonged to him. He controlled almost all of the ships at sea and could have been immensely powerful if he had not let his fanatical Catholicism get in the way. Phillip the 2nd was a devout Catholic that took it upon himself to head the Catholic counteroffensive, and he was willing to put in all the sweat, blood, tears, and not to mention money to see it through. He did not care about his country, or anything else for that matter, as much as he did for this. Phillip let economic and material matters slip away and deteriorate, thus beginning the downfall of Spanish culture and Spain. But, while Phillip could slowly destroy Spanish culture, he could not stop the Golden Age. Spain entered it’s Golden Age, and Phillip continued to pump money into the Catholic church. Phillip and Spain were so Catholic that the archbishop of Toledo had so much power and esteem, that he could address the king as an equal, and at one point it was estimated that one third of the population of Spain worked for the Catholic church in some way shape or form. Phillip built a new royal house for himself that was called the Escorial, it was a magnificent building that honored St. Lawrence (another sign of his fanatical Catholicism) because it was on that saints feast day that Phillip won a battle against the French. It was thirty miles from Madrid, on the plateau of central Castile, and was built in...

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Book Review Culture, Literacy, and Learning Taking Bloom in the Midst of the Whirlwind by Carol D. Lee

Book Review Culture, Literacy, and Learning Taking Bloom in the Midst of the Whirlwind by Carol D. Lee Introduction In this book, Carol Lee brings into play her experience as a participant viewer to offer an exceptional and detailed opinion of both planning and employing a cultural receptive strategy to enhance learning and teaching in a particular subject.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Book Review: Culture, Literacy, and Learning: Taking Bloom in the Midst of the Whirlwind by Carol D. Lee specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through clear reports from real classrooms, Lee explains how AAVE helps students motivate themselves and learn. She describes the way students respond to improved scheme and the way teachers modify the cultural background of the language or English arts program. As the book emphasizes on literacy of African-American students, Lee assesses the role of culture in supporting learning. She provides approaches of changing cultural knowledge to support the issue, particularly the educational learni ng. Lee argues that attainment gap to some extent is affected by the restrictions of knowledge based on hypotheses which enlighten decisions concerning pedagogy, curriculum, evaluation, teacher qualification and situations which teachers follow while working. In this book, Lee reports on her three-year program while teaching students how to respond to literature at Fairgate High School; she states that teachers can achieve their targets if they realize the discourse, practices, and content of their field. Teachers will also succeed if they have precise understanding regarding the cognition, language, incentive, culture, and social certainties of urban learners. Cultural Modeling The approach which the author employed is based on her practices on cultural modeling, which serves as a learning plan to facilitate solving the issue in learning institutions. This helps both learners and teachers discuss the differences between the school-based and community-based standards. For example, A frican American learners are supported to generate clearly their understanding and responses of their cultures which are used outside the school. Their knowledge and answers are then implemented in the sphere of educational learning. In this manner, learners are offered support to create their culture applicable in the school environment and classrooms. They use certain languages to address the problem-solving lessons which help them create links between what they have done and what they are expected to perform with school based issues. When teachers and students assess the function of satire in literary understanding, cultural modeling contains outlines of this issue which students practice daily using oral traditions, songs, television, and film. Students create clear approaches of distinguishing satire set up in music lyrics, film, and television.Advertising Looking for book review on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They may keep on looking for satire in African canonical performances and in non-African, American canonical performances which help them improve their knowledge. Another issue for students is to distinguish the functions of symbolism in literary reasoning. Lee starts with students examining closely the cultural relics of their daily practices, such as hip hop lyrics, hip hop records, etc., observing and intuitively interpreting the difficult views in Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Most influential are the transcripts which are there in classrooms. These disclose discussion of student and teacher in interpretive reasoning articulated in AAEV. They also reveal daily language used by students, method of thinking, and significance of complex text applied in classrooms. Lee, in her book, describes the readers a classroom where animated discussions concerning the significance of satire and symbols prosper are aroused, and students experience a great desire to express their understanding openly. Correcting the Way Students Talk Lee persists that teachers can attain better outcomes and success if they only appreciate the strength of instructional talk derived of the standards of AAEV. They should put more focus on supporting students reasoning in a perspective of literary rather than correcting the manner they are used to communicate. Lee chooses not to correct students when they are responding to literature and states that they should feel that their views are well-considered and taken into account. She argues that selecting a student who will speak should not be regulated by the teacher. Lee continues to state that teachers should have both the content and educational understanding, and these two issues needed for the effective teaching are both valuable and compound. The teacher in this situation should be able to teach using various approaches which will help students struggling against literary problems. Lee argues that teachers should be aware of what students understand and value. Teachers should hear and respond to a wide range of students’ debatable questions with proper understanding. Additionally, Lee shows some important pedagogical understanding including some abilities, such as possibility to evaluate what students know and do not know. Other abilities include understanding several ways to capitalize learning and the way to know developmental progression. Lee considers that teachers should enter modern reading areas susceptible to the usual range of social and developmental issues displayed by students who are identified as incompetent. She considers that this is a requirement which almost all learning institutions or schools disregard.Advertising We will write a custom book review sample on Book Review: Culture, Literacy, and Learning: Taking Bloom in the Midst of the Whirlwind by Carol D. Lee specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lee specifies her instructional c hoices in many examples in her book. She uses Taquisha’s conflict to discuss this issue. Taquisha seems to be reading a newspaper instead of attending to Sax Cantor Riff. This is evident when Taquisha questions the function of the film in their study programs. Lee mentions that she employs her understanding of adolescent growth as a basis for managing the conflicts which Taquisha have. Lee also states that she uses her knowledge of Taquisha as an individual African American communication experiences to reconstruct the condition. Moreover, she offers the readers and students six guidelines for teaching which clearly create a precise reasoning to difficult theme or issue as well as provides interesting instances. Her example is re-voicing learners’ expressions to guide students to huge plans within the area under discussion. Lee favors responsibility but is uncertain of problematic evaluations which are not genuine and rigorous in corrective reading at the resultant stag e. Hence, these do not bring about students to find out ways to participate in very complex and analytical reasoning concerning the theme. In chapter seven, Lee offers instances of the post and pre evaluations of literary learning, and I hope Lee will add example of students’ essay. This could portray the language of literary reasoning. Several books and journals are used by teachers so that they can improve the students’ language through the application of literature and culture. Lee’s book can be recommended since it addresses this issue. The book begins with an issue concerning literacy, culture and learning, then it suggests values of student’s culture and understanding in the service of attaining educational success. Lee proposes that achievements in urban schools are not easy for the teachers to gain and need plainly a profound understanding of the theme of the book, language, language socialization and the way students learn. They should also under stand the process of the children and teenagers maturation. Teachers should improve their teaching skills and knowledge used in urban schools.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discrimination and Prejudice to Control and Protect Interest Assignment

Discrimination and Prejudice to Control and Protect Interest - Assignment Example Social difference and socialization exist, these are passed from parents to children. Fear and ignorance are the two greatest concepts of prejudice. Some are concerned with a loss of power and control and therefore prejudice and discriminate the certain group of people (Whitley & Kite, 2010). Â  I encountered racial discrimination when I was the young adult. This was at a time when I went to an office to inquire about a license to hold a convention in a communal place. This was during political campaigns and I was campaigning for a local office. I wanted to hold a small rally on the local ground but I had to have a license for the same. The local police told me that I had to pay more money for the license because I was not white skin. They added that they would offer me the license at their mercy but not because I needed it. I felt so embarrassed but I did not give up with holding the rally. Â  The police officers told me that I could not hold the rally at the ground because I was not supposed to hold a public rally at the ground. They told me that that place was a reserve for the right members but not me. This was pure prejudice and discrimination. They discriminated me because I was not white and showed prejudice to me because I did not belong to their social class. They thought that I was competing with them for the support of the local people to be elected as a local office holder. This was very hurtful and offensive as well. While it is true I offered my candidature for the local office, my aim was not to offer competition but to improve the life of the local people by bringing services to them. This was discrimination and prejudice. Â  The police used their power and control to prejudice and discriminate me.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Role of Technology in Education Research Proposal

Role of Technology in Education - Research Proposal Example With the rapid advancement of technology, the suggestions are expected to remain viable for a maximum of ten years. Research Methodology Research will initially be conducted by use of questionnaires. Learning institutions that are using technology will share their experiences before and after making the shift. The results will then be presented to technology experts for review. Scholarly materials will also be presented to them for viability checks and suggested improvements. Terminologies and Key Concepts Proposed These are computers, the internet, websites, teleconferencing and mobile devices. Computers are the fundamental interfaces between man and technology. The internet and websites will refer to the network of private and public connections and resources. Teleconferencing is the technology that allows geographically separated parties to speak while viewing the other person and any communications to be shared visually. Mobile devices, like computers, serve as interfaces between man and technology, only that they are portable and an be used while one is mobile. The Study and Literature Reviews Researches in the past two decades (Grauwe 9) and a report from the United States Congress Office of Technology Assessment have indicated that learning via computer and telecommunications technologies are the factors bridging the gaps between society and learning institutions. In this literature, most of the emphasis was placed on the relevance of what the education processes could offer with or without using new technologies. It was unanimously concluded (Grauwe 12) that the impact of technology in education was only beginning to be felt and teachers... This paper approves that the scope of this research will be restricted to primary, secondary and university education and how technology has shaped them in the past two decades. The study has been necessitated by the need to understand how education may benefit from the ever growing technology and impart better quality education to students. Material for the study will be sourced from scholarly journals, reports, websites and interviews. Interviews will include teachers, students and technology experts. This paper makes a conclusion that the research will initially be conducted by use of questionnaires. Learning institutions that are using technology will share their experiences before and after making the shift. The results will then be presented to technology experts for review. Scholarly materials will also be presented to them for viability checks and suggested improvements. while it is evident that technology is not attempting to replace education, it is time to ensure that each student owns a digital device for various beneficial reasons and have them in class, just like they have always had their textbooks. Most of the literatures used in this study suggest that the greater value of technology should be seen in the content it lends to learning experiences. Technology is part of the tools that makes learning more affordable, universal and interesting. To start with, digital devices are being developed exponentially and at affordable costs. Then, the quality and volume of digital learning content is bursting its borders and online interactive environments are getting more useful and easier to use and navigate through. The digital devices can be used to update and maintain portfolios, obtain grade updates, access information and news while managing the learning life.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Infant and Child Development Essay Example for Free

Infant and Child Development Essay This assignment will critically review Howlett, Kirk and Pine’s (2011) study, which aims to investigate whether attendance of gesturing classes affects parental stress. Howlett et al. , (2011) attempt to examine claims, advertised by commercial products, that believe attending gesturing classes can improve child-parent communications, thus reducing parental stress. Participants gave demographic information and completed a Parenting Stress Index (PSI) questionnaire. ANCOVA was used to look at whether attending gesturing classes affected parental stress, mothers attending a gesture group and mothers attending a non gesture group were compared; with ‘sibling status’ and ‘birth order’ controlled. Researchers found that mothers who attended infant gesture classes had higher stress scores than mothers who had attended non-gesturing classes. From these findings the following claims are made: that mothers in the gesture group had higher pre-existing stress than in the non gesture group, * that mothers attended gesturing classes in an attempt to alleviate their pre-existing stress, * that gesturing classes may cause mothers to view their child negatively. This critique will firstly provide an overall evaluation of the article with reference to strengths and weaknesses found. Flaws will also be highlighted with suggestion to how these could be rectified. Points of detail in the evaluation will then be expanded and conclusions discussed. Overall evaluation First and foremost, the overall presentation of the article appears to lack in structure and organisation; this results in a lack of flow and clarity. In the introduction, the research question and key definitions of interest (i. e. ‘gesture, ‘non gesture’ and ‘stress’) are not discussed at the beginning. Characteristics of non gesturing mothers are instead firstly mentioned in the discussion section. The outline of categories in the background demographic questionnaire should have been made aware to readers in the methodology. Furthermore, in the results, findings from the study should have been stated in the opening paragraph. A fundamental flaw consistent throughout the article regards its lack of sufficient detail in ensuring strength of argument. In the introduction and discussion more research is needed in relation to how and why parental stresses occur to support findings. Furthermore unjustified claims are used to sustain argument which questions the validity of the research. The lack of detail regarding the direction of study also instigates ambiguity. More information is also needed about the procedure of the study so as to allow for replication. Further details as to how these flaws can be rectified are discussed later. Fundamental flaws are apparent regarding the non-random sample used and the lack of baseline stress measures. As no baseline pre-test has been conducted authors’ claims, as stated previously, can only be based on speculation. More information is provided on these flaws in the latter section. Strengths highlighted in the article include the demographic information provided. This information is useful as it allows for generalisation of results by ensuring groups are appropriately matched and offers useful information for future research in the region. (Keith, 2010). Furthermore the PSI questionnaire used, is well validated (Colver, 2006); using a creditable measuring instrument like this increases the reliability of the study. Moreover, the correct statistical test has been used, ANCOVA, and results are also provided with appropriate information. Abstract and Introduction The abstract fails to provide a rationale for the study; as this is unclear, readers may misjudge the subject matter. There is also no description of the stimuli used; the meaning of ‘gesturing’ is unexplained. Authors should elaborate upon what they mean by ‘gesturing’ so as to avoid misinterpretation. However, principal findings and design measures used in the study are stated. The introduction appears to lack in structure and organisation. No initial description of research question with reference to what it attempts to demonstrate is present; this is firstly mentioned in the third paragraph. Furthermore, authors first provide a definition of ‘gesturing’ in midpoint of this section. Considering this topic is the phenomenon of the study it would have been more appropriate to be stated at the beginning, rather than after the discussion of the benefits of gesturing; this may prevent misinterpretation. Although an explanation of ‘non-gesturing’ is provided in the discussion section, it would also be helpful for readers if it were included in the introduction; this enables differentiation between the two conditions. Similarly, a definition of the authors’ interpretation of ‘stress’ could have been stated at the start in ensuring readers’ clarity of terms. There is also no statement of hypothesis. nd authors do not provide a rationale or historical backdrop, therefore it lacks in significance and does not substantially contribute to the literature. Moreover, research discussed appears to be framed as a general review of literature and set out in list form with a lack of evaluation. For example, research has been described in relation to a study that has found no relationship between gesturing and linguistic benefits in infants (Kirk, Howlett, Pine and Fletcher), however it has not been evaluated or linked to the aims of the study. Furthermore, there are limited findings provided relating to the negative aspects of gesturing. Considering the paper is directed towards whether these classes affect parental stress, more research should be discussed in relation to the disapproval of gesturing classes, to support findings in the article. In addition, the article has included different research examples to support their view that parental stress can inhibit parent-child relationships, however there is no development in argument of how or why these stresses occur. To rectify, in ensuring clarity, more detail should be provided whereby these examples should be put in context with direct reference to the research question. Moreover, unjustified claims have been used in an attempt to sustain argument; for example, Howlett et al. , (2011) highlight ‘‘advertising claims that baby sign will reduce parental frustration and stress have little empirical foundation’. As this statement is not explained, it may seem misleading and as an ineffective use of argument. There is also no valid reference provided. In improving the structure and validity of their argument, authors should use evidence from influential papers to provide further detail in supporting their claims. The direction of study also appears ambiguous as authors switch between terms when stating the aim of the research. It is unclear whether authors are focusing on gesturing affecting stress or gesturing reducing stress. Howlett et al. , (2011) firstly state, ‘there are valid reasons to suggest that gesturing with an infant could reduce parental stress, this paper evaluates that claim’, (p. 438) they continue by stating, ‘this research investigates whether gesturing with an infant affects parenting stress’ (p438). One clear statement of what is being intended to measure needs to be used throughout the article so as to avoid confusion. The final paragraph includes a vague definition of variables whereby readers are left to determine their own assumptions. For example, it is stated that the frequency and duration of gesture use was used to measure the relationship between gesture use and stress, however it is unclear at this stage whether authors are implying ‘gesturing’ in terms of when mothers’ attended gesturing classes or their general use of gesturing; in and out of classes. The PSI is outlined, however researchers have not explained its benefits or why it have been use; this may leave readers questioning its credibility. Furthermore, it is important for researchers to include a statement of predictions, however this is not present. Methodology The authors recruited 178 participants (mothers) from the south-east of England; the sample size represents regional bias as mothers’ solely attending gesturing classes in this region is not representative of the whole country. Age range of infants used in the study is firstly mention in this section. It is stated infants ranged between 3 and 36months; however research discussed in the introduction only refers to the importance of gesturing from 9 months. Therefore authors have not justified the relevance of focusing on infants younger than 9 months; in certifying readers understanding, this could have been mentioned in the introduction. Authors have stated the measuring instruments used in the study. A strength regards the sufficient detail provided about the PSI booklet; examples of typical features such as the subscales of both the child and parent domains have been described. However no further details are provided about the background demographics questionnaire; categories are presented in the results section, however, it would be helpful for readers if details were included in this section. The potential confounding effects of using self-report questionnaires should also be noted. Social desirability bias may be apparent whereby participants may respond in a favourable light; mothers may not want to admit they are experiencing difficulties and respond untruthfully. Furthermore, as questionnaires are standardised, ambiguous questions cannot be explained; this may lead participants to misinterpret questions. Motivation for parents to complete questionnaires may also be scarce, resulting in superficial responses. In helping overcome these difficulties, authors could have stated whether participants were informed about why the information was collected and how the results will be beneficial; if participants knew the importance of their responses and were informed that negative responses were equally as helpful as positive, it may have made them want to answer more honestly. A fundamental flaw in methodology regards the fact that authors have not measured parental stress levels before conducting study. As there is no baseline stress measures prior to class attendance, there is no way of knowing if gesturing classes caused an increase in stress or what would have happened regardless of the implementation of the program; to rectify, researchers should use a pre-test methodology. Furthermore, another weakness in the methodology regards the fact that no ethic considerations are discussed. For example, authors could have included whether participant confidentiality was taken into account and whether de-briefing was offered subsequent to the study to respondents who may have expressed signs of upset. Description of procedures appears to lack in detail whereby there is no sequential pattern to how the research was carried out. There is also no precision in relation to what is investigated, to whom, and under what conditions. For example, Howlett et al. , (2011) state ‘contact was made with the infant groups’ (p. 39); more information should be provided such as how and when participants were contacted. Furthermore, no information is provided on how many classes parents had attended before the study or when the questionnaires took place; more sufficient detail is needed so as to allow replication and in ensuring consistency. There are also issues surrounding the amount of time participants were given to complete the PSI; it is stated the questionnaire takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, however, the procedure of collection differed between participants. Some gave completed questionnaires to a group leader, others were returned by post; the same conditions should be applied to all participants in ensuring standardisation. In addition, authors have not provided details of data collection or analysis undergone in the study; to avoid ambiguity it is important to include where the scores used in the analyses have derived from. An apparent fundamental flaw in the procedure relates to the fact that participants were not randomly allocated to the two groups in the study; randomisation is important as it eliminates sources of bias and ensures unpredictability. To rectify, random selection of mothers from a population could participate in the study. Results The beginning paragraph of the results is too vague; the hypothesis is not stated and no information on what statistical tests were used is provided. Furthermore, what the study found has not been not stated; it is firstly mentioned half way through this section. However, a strength in the article regards the demographic information provided for the two groups of mothers. Hours a week mothers’ work, maternal education, family income and siblings were included. It also highlights the similarities and equivalence between the two groups, making the interpretation of results valid. Another strength to this study regards the fact that researchers have applied the correct statistical tests. Two analyses of ANCOVA were conducted to measure the differences between the gesturing and non gesturing groups’ PSI scores. ANCOVA is appropriate to use as it allows to compare one variable (PSI stress scores) in two or more groups (gesture group and non gesture group) ith consideration for variability of other variables; covariates (‘sibling status’ was used as a covariate in the first ANCOVA and ‘birth order’; in the second). Controlling ‘sibling status’ and ‘birth order’ stops these conditions being confounding variables and ensures validity. As ‘sibling status’ and ‘birth control’ covariates have been controlled, it may have been more beneficial for readers if authors ma de aware of these strategies used prior to the results section as there is no discussion relating to siblings until this point. Results found from ANCOVA also confirm to readers exactly what the researchers were intending to measure; after confusion from the introduction, uncertainties are clarified and findings explain that the focus is upon whether attending gesturing classes affects parental stress. Results are also provided with adequate information whereby the obtained F value, df and level of significance have been stated. Furthermore researchers are correct in using a Pearson’s r correlation in confirming results which is used to see if there is a correlation between at two continuous variables. By doing so, it was found that there was no relationship between how long or often gesture groups mothers had been gesturing with their infant, and the mothers’ total stress scores. Therefore mothers stress levels were unrelated to frequency and duration. Furthermore, in this section descriptive statistics have been provided in two separate tables. In ‘Table One’, which shows the ‘mean (S. D) stress scores for each item on the PSI by group’, data does not seem to be explained in full. The scale used is unclear and readers have not been informed on the system used whereby there is confusion as to what the numbers mean. Tables 2 which shows the ‘summary of two ANCOVA results’, is more coherent as a brief description is displayed underneath describing the covariates. Discussion In this section, yet again, the aim of the research remains unclear; it is stated ‘the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of gesturing with an infant upon parental stress’ (p442), authors need to be more specific in their interpretation of ‘gesturing’, whether they are referring to attendance of gesturing classes or general use of gesturing is uncertain. Possible explanations for findings have been discussed, such as the view that there may have been a difference between gesturing and non gesturing mothers due to gesturing mothers feeling more stressed prior to the study. Authors continue by suggesting these mothers chose to attend gesturing classes because of these feelings of stress in hope that they would help. However, authors’ claims can only be seen as speculation as no baseline measurement was used. It should be noted that researchers have evaluated their findings and acknowledged that as baseline measures are not present, no assumptions can be made as to why mothers who attended gesturing classes had increased stress levels compared to non gesturing mothers or whether they were more stressed before attending the classes. Due to the lack of solid findings, like in the introduction, groundless claims have been used in an effort to uphold argument in explaining mothers’ cause of stress. For example, it is stated ‘mothers have high aspirations for their child and the parenting industry may, albeit unwittingly, foster maternal insecurities’(p443); no justification has been provided for this claim. Moreover, additional research is needed to support the authors’ concluding claims that attending gesturing classes may be detrimental and effect mothers’ perception of their infant in a negative light. Only Hyson’s (1991) study relating to mothers who induced academically focused activities on preschool children has been used as evidence to back up this claim, this does not justify the authors’ inflated claims. To conclude, even though this article has used creditable measuring instruments and appropriate statistical tests, Howlett et al’s claims can only be seen as speculation as no pre-test baseline is used. No findings can be validated without measuring the stress levels of mothers prior to class attendance, whether increase in stress has occurred due to attending gesturing classes in unknown. For future recommendations, authors could use a baseline measures to test mothers’ stress scores prior to the study.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima Essay -- Rudolfo Anaya Bless Me Ultim

Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima, the author uses Tony’s dreams as a way of displaying various symbols. Three symbols that are used often are weather, water, and the Golden Carp. Weather is used to represent conflict. Water represents cleansing, and rejuvenation. The Golden Carp symbolizes religion and Tony’s beliefs. Because dreams are not an exact mirror of reality, they become the perfect tool for introducing symbolism. The author uses the dream as a way to access the recurring themes of the book. Weather affects the lives of everyone. When the weather turns foul, it makes life more difficult. Stormy weather in Tony’s dreams represents the conflict in his life, and the lives of those around him. One example of the weather in his dreams is the wind. In one of Tony’s dreams the wind is used to represent conflict that disrupts the peace that is a still lake. "There was a howling wind as the moon rose and it’s powers pulled at the still waters of the lake."(Anaya 120) The wind here is used to represent forces of disturbance caused by nuclear testing taking place south of the town, just as wind kicks up dust and blurs the view. Another element of storms is thunder and lightning. In Tony’s dream he sees, ".....a flash of lightning struck and out of the thunder a dark figure stepped forth. It was Ultima......I sought more answers, but she was gone, evaporated into a loud noise."(Anaya 71) Lightning can offer glimpses of illumination, but then darkness retu rns, and the noise of the thunder that follows deafens the ears. This represents the moments of good that can occur within the midst of conflict. Ultima’s appearance gives Tony a glimpse of where he needs to search for innocence, but he is still confused from this encounter. He continues to search for answers. Another significant weather occurrence is the appearance of mist. " The mist swirled around me. I was at the river, and I heard someone calling my name. I peered into the dark mist but I could see no one." (Anaya 61) Just as the mist leaves a person feeling isolated, the mist represents the war and how it left Tony separated from his brothers. Weather, in the form of wind, thunder and lightning, and mist, provides powerful symbolism for the conflicts in Tony’s life. Cleansing and rejuvenation are themes that are suggested by the author, and symbolized thro... ...eath he had seen he can’t really trust the gods because they continue to let people that are close to him die. Tony’s belief in the power of the carp is beginning to fade here because he can not understand why the carp, and God continue to let people die. Tony knows what the carp represents, so he blames the carp for these deaths. All of these quotes show how the Golden Carp represents the power, and the importance of Tony’s religion. The Golden Carp was the most important religious symbol in Bless Me Ultima. In Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima, the other uses Tony’s dreams to show the reader symbols of conflict, rejuvenation, and religion. The weather in this story is used to represent conflict. Weather is shown in Tony’s dreams to represent conflicts in his life. Water is used to represent cleanliness in rejuvenation. We all use water to clean ourselves, but in this book water is shown to clean the mind, body, and soul. The Golden Carp is shown to be a symbol of Tony’s religion. The carp is a symbol that Tony turns to for answers in his life. In all of Tony’s dreams the reader is able to gain a better understanding of Tony’s life through the use of symbols in Tony’s dreams.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Music Classroom Management

Classroom management is a challenge in any field. Effective classroom management in music classes or performance ensembles has the additional challenge of having to be able to encourage creativity and self-expression.   Gordon reflects that there are significant stress factors in music classes that it is critical that teachers develop all the necessary skills not only to ensure the artistic and co.uk/does-television-have-educational-value/">educational value for students but also to endure that classes also fulfill teachers (162-164). Considering these, music educators have to adapt standard classroom management skills to accommodate the nature of music as an expression and art (Moore et al 5-8). This entails an understanding of the students learning and performance, indicators of learning, manner of interaction and physical set up of the classroom. Those these factors are not the only ones to be considered, they are basic factors that are to be considered in any music classroom (Gordon 158-159). Students Learning and Performance Music classes require greater participation form students not only in discussions but also in actual performance. Similar to a physical education class, performance serves as the students’ main means of participation but music students are still required to master knowledge as they would in a science or mathematics class. Therefore, students will need equal amounts of knowledge in literature to allow understanding of notations and technique whiles at the same time just as much instruction to translate it to actual performance (Moore et al 37-40). According to the Teacher Vision sponsored article Strategies for Developing Basic Music Knowledge, this entails a child learning essentials of form in holding an instrument as much as learning to read notes. Both elements of learning are critical in music education which in a standard classroom for other disciplines may not be required as much. In other disciplines, there is a general inverse relationship between â€Å"book learning† and performance. At the same time, much of the studying that students do for the class lies beyond the direct control of the teachers. Mastery is of knowledge or a piece must be translated by students into practice. It thus becomes even more critical that students are driven to develop positive learning attitudes in students because of the interdependence of learning and practice in student performance (â€Å"Discipline Strategies in the Music Classroom†). Indicators of Learning As mentioned, there is an equal emphasis on the theoretical and practical application of music learning. However, music teachers also give greater allowance to the manner of performance to accommodate technique or style. Since music is inherently an expression, there should be an expectation that there are variances to the performance (Moore et al 17-23). Though mastery either in performance or form is a common indicator of learning, it should be remembered that it is not universal. Since musical aptitude varies greatly from one individual to another, standards may be developed in a progressive scale (Gordon159-160). After students learn the fundamental of music, the development of performance indicators becomes more challenging for music teachers. One suggestion for the qualitative indicators cites that learning in music must create value, allow for expression and be a tool for communication. Teacher Vision suggests that is important that students be able to learn the value of musical learning which can be indicated by the reflection and insight students make from the lesson of musical piece (â€Å"Strategies for Establishing a Thinking Music Classroom†). Next, students should be encouraged to use the learning as a means of expression whether directly or indirectly. Finally, music should create a foundation for communication for students whether they are performers or not. Manner of Interaction Communication and interaction is one of the most important elements in any music classroom. Since feedback is critical in improving performance, teachers have to develop interactivity among students. This is to be done by developing a communication platform among students and with the teacher that can facilitate not proactive critique and reinforcement as well as encourage accommodation or assimilation of various styles and techniques (â€Å"Strategies for Making Music Happen†). Though these are also critical in any standard classroom, music teachers have to develop this to a higher degree because of its significance in terms of encouraging expression and performance. This is even more critical in classes were there ensembles: in this scenario, individual students’ performances become only an element of the performance of the group (Moore et al 46-48). Students need to work more closely together or depend much more on each other’s performance and this in turn will require greater sensitivity in terms of managing friction among students (â€Å"Strategies for Making Music Happen†). Physical Set Up In a similarity to learning requirements, music classrooms must be set up to be conducive both to learning and performance wither individually or as a group. It should be helpful to develop specific sections of the room for specific uses or groups so that study can be done independently. Sectional divisions should be appropriately sized according to the needs of a section and ordered according to their association with other sections. These should also afford opportunities for collaborations as they may be needed (Moore et al 22-29). There should be particular attention given to the care and safety of not only students but instruments. Since most schools also use the music classroom to store or maintain instruments, a portion of the room should serve not only as warehouse. At the same time, there should be common area for performance or instruction. The common areas also serve as cohesive factor for the class (â€Å"Discipline Strategies in the Music Classroom†). Works Cited â€Å"Discipline Strategies in the Music Classroom†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.essaywriters.net/sys/index.php?rate=20&order=58130> Gordon, Debra G. Discipline in the Music Classroom: one component contributing to teacher stress. Journal Music Education Research (2001) Volume 4, Number 1. Pages 157-165 Moore, Marvelene C., Batey, Angela L.,Royse, David M. Classroom Management in General, Choral and Instrumental Music Programs. The National Association for Music Education, 2002 â€Å"Strategies for Developing Basic Music Knowledge†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/music/teacher-training/6764.html> â€Å"Strategies for Establishing a Thinking Music Classroom†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teacher-training/printable/6766.html> â€Å"Strategies for Making Music Happen†. Teacher Vision. 16 April 2007. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/curriculum-planning/music/6770.html>

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Computers & social change Essay

To argue for and against, use authors that are for and against technological determinism. In order for me to carry out this task effectively, I will define what is meant by the term technological determinism then break down the mystery of these term into parts and also demonstrate out some different technologists who have had a say on the term. According to Babylon, Technological Determinism is considered as an autonomous ling and is defined as technology being developed by its own ruling, with its potential limited by material resources. 1 Authors For As said by Neville Holmes a senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania â€Å"Computers are merely tools. They are not members of society; they are not even pseudo members, like corporations and governments. They are not independent agents. Like cars and telephones, they only do things if and when someone uses them. They can neither be blamed for what they do (are used for), nor given credit for what they do (are used for). â€Å"2 Here Holmes is arguing in favour of the above statement, he is telling readers that computers should not be classified as living being that they are just machines which we can control or use to assist ones doing, they are helpers or assistants. Also Jacque Ellul is arguing alongside Holmes, he also apply that computers are not independent of social change as he wrote that; †Technology, is symbolic of a cancer which as it grows increases the fundamental danger to its host, in this case society† Ellul see’s the idea of technology as a whole as an autonomous means with no ruling. He suggests that computers can not be autonomy of social change because they are not only created by humans but they are also used by humans. 3 Arthurs Against Whereas the Dutch social critic Michiel Schwarz is against the above authors opinion as he stated that; †Technology has become our environment as well as our ideology. † †We no longer use technology, we live it. † Schwarz is arguing for computers, he believes humans see computers as the structure of society. He is trying to tell us that computers are independent of social change. Also Marshall McLuhan is arguing alongside Schwarz, he believes that computers are independent of social change as he stated that †inventions in technology invariably cause cultural change. † McLuhan is trying to inform readers of his theory that the introduction of technology has changed the world, is still changing the world and will always have some kind of connection to do with the rapid evolving of the world. 4 Conclusion As a whole having looked at different authors’ point of view over the past years, one can see that computers have played and are still playing a great responsibility amongst our society since technologies are improving in terms of their functioning and capability, the society is adapting to it. I agree with (name of author u fink is right) and because of his/her point, we can see that technology is definitely the motor of our society therefore, I recon. 1 Babylon Translation, Available at: http://dictionary.babylon.com/Technological_Determinism (Assessed on 17-December-2008) 2 Neville Holmes, University of Tasmania, Available at: http://eprints.utas.edu.au/2765/1/ieeec97may.pdf (Assessed on 3-November-2008) 3 Jacque Ellul, Available at: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/280/class/gregtd.html (Assessed on 16-December-2008) 4 Amy Schick, Technological Determinism: A Critique, Available at: http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~as491398/tdaes.htm (Assessed on 17-December-2008)

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Tyler Perry

You may not know Tyler Perry yet, but you will soon. He is a man who can do it all. The writer, actor and producer of urban gospel plays has just signed a deal with CBS to develop and star in a comedy series targeted for this fall. His trademark role is Madea, who totes a pistol full of blanks, smokes her glaucoma medicine, and can’t imagine how her daughter "got saved growing up in my house." Perry’s hybrid format mixes hilarious street comedy with spiritual messages and exuberant gospel songs. It’s a winning combination. This is Perry’s fourth play featuring Madea, a widowed grandma with a trouble seeking mouth and a bosom so enormous it grazes her chin when she jumps around excitedly, which she does a lot. Madea’s class reunion of 1953 is just an excuse for an outrageous cast of characters to share stories that are rich with opportunities for forgiveness. Christian themes and biblical phrases are a definitive part of the production. But the preaching is kept in balance by high quality acting, raucous dialogue, and voices that can steal your heart and make you dare to dream. Before he makes his appearance as Madea in Act 2, Perry plays Doctor Willie Leroy, who works as a bellboy who won’t carry bags, and a bartender who can only make rum and cokes, at a fancy hotel where all the action takes place. Leroy isn’t a real doctor. "My mama just named me that because she knew I was never going to amount to nothing." Leroy is a character who can’t get over how funny he is, and neither can the audience. I suspect a healthy chunk of the dialogue was successfully ad-libbed. Peter Wolfs’ two story set design is detailed and effective. The hotel lobby occupies the first floor, while the second floor bedrooms provide a setting for personal scenes between couples seeking truth and redemption. Supporting performances by David Mann as Mr. Brown and Chandra Young as Emma are two hi... Free Essays on Tyler Perry Free Essays on Tyler Perry You may not know Tyler Perry yet, but you will soon. He is a man who can do it all. The writer, actor and producer of urban gospel plays has just signed a deal with CBS to develop and star in a comedy series targeted for this fall. His trademark role is Madea, who totes a pistol full of blanks, smokes her glaucoma medicine, and can’t imagine how her daughter "got saved growing up in my house." Perry’s hybrid format mixes hilarious street comedy with spiritual messages and exuberant gospel songs. It’s a winning combination. This is Perry’s fourth play featuring Madea, a widowed grandma with a trouble seeking mouth and a bosom so enormous it grazes her chin when she jumps around excitedly, which she does a lot. Madea’s class reunion of 1953 is just an excuse for an outrageous cast of characters to share stories that are rich with opportunities for forgiveness. Christian themes and biblical phrases are a definitive part of the production. But the preaching is kept in balance by high quality acting, raucous dialogue, and voices that can steal your heart and make you dare to dream. Before he makes his appearance as Madea in Act 2, Perry plays Doctor Willie Leroy, who works as a bellboy who won’t carry bags, and a bartender who can only make rum and cokes, at a fancy hotel where all the action takes place. Leroy isn’t a real doctor. "My mama just named me that because she knew I was never going to amount to nothing." Leroy is a character who can’t get over how funny he is, and neither can the audience. I suspect a healthy chunk of the dialogue was successfully ad-libbed. Peter Wolfs’ two story set design is detailed and effective. The hotel lobby occupies the first floor, while the second floor bedrooms provide a setting for personal scenes between couples seeking truth and redemption. Supporting performances by David Mann as Mr. Brown and Chandra Young as Emma are two hi...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

4 tips for talking work-life balance with your boss

4 tips for talking work-life balance with your boss From time to time, almost every working adult will struggle with work-life balance. But what does work-life balance even mean? Simply put, work-life balance is how your obligations at work and home are prioritized. It boils down to how many hours a week you spend focusing on your career  ­Ã¢â‚¬â€œ completing projects, turning in assignments, responding to emails – versus the time in a week you spend engaging in activities in your personal life, like spending time with friends and family, running personal errands, exercising, or even just relaxing.Americans work a lot. In fact, a 2015 Gallup poll found that Americans who are employed full-time work 47 hours a week on average, or the equivalent of nearly six days a week. And, nearly four in 10 workers reported logging more than 50 hours a week working.With this amount of time being devoted to our professional lives, when the scales tip in work-life balance, it’s usually towards more work and less play. That can be fine for short periods but long term it can be problematic.When the delicate balance between your career and personal life are out of whack – and stay out of whack – it can leave you feeling off-kilter, frustrated, and resentful. But, since a demanding work life often stems from a demanding boss, it can be difficult to know how to broach the topic.We’ve compiled 4 tips for having a productive conversation with your boss or manager about work-life balance. Read on to learn how to find the balance you seek.Do some soul searchingBefore you discuss the issue with your manager, do your best to get to the root of the problem. Is your personal life suffering because of unrealistic expectations from your superiors at work, or is it possible that these expectations are self-imposed and that you are â€Å"overworking† your job?How do you judge? One way to gauge whether the problem lies with you or whether it lies with your boss is to work a normal 40-hour week and see w hat happens. Skip staying late for one week. Forbid yourself from logging work time over the weekends and then just wait.If your boss doesn’t notice that you haven’t worked longer hours or completed extra work, the demand might be self-inflicted. If your boss does notice and mentions it, make a note. This will become important in later discussions.Identify the problemIf you’ve determined that the pressure you feel at work is, in fact, coming from your manager, next you must identify the exact problem.Ask yourself: Is your work-life imbalance stemming from an unreasonable workload that is impossible to complete within the confines of a 40-hour work week? If so, you aren’t alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-third of employed people in the U.S. spend some part of their weekends doing work.For others, the problem of balancing life and career lies in a rigid schedule that doesn’t offer the flexibility to duck out of work for, say, a n annual doctor’s appointment or important errand. Both scenarios can be frustrating and confining.Identify the source of the problem before you meet with your boss. This will allow you to come to the meeting armed with suggestions on how to handle the situation at hand.Arrange a meeting and come prepared with ideasOnce you have identified the problem, ask for a meeting and come equipped with solutions. This will look different for everyone but here are some possibilities:Suggest ways to delegate tasks to spread the workload more evenly across your team to lighten your workload.Request flexible hours that work better with your schedule. For example, if you are a parent and want more time with your children, you might suggest a schedule that allows you to work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of the normal 9-to-5.Suggest an amended schedule. Instead of working five days a week, ask to work four 10-hour shifts. This will enable you to have three days off each week instead of the t ypical two-day weekend.Request a longer lunch break. This will allow you to run errands or attend appointments without taking time off work.Suggest one work-from-home day each week. Cutting your commute out of your day even one day a week can free up additional hours.While not ideal, asking for unpaid time off can be a solution in a pinch.Know when to move onA severe work-life balance can wreak havoc on your well-being. If you’ve exhausted all these possibilities and still can’t make headway in achieving a reasonable work-life balance, it may be time to move on. This means you’ll have to dust off your job application skills, and get ready to build a resume and cover letter for each new opportunity you discover. Put aside some time each week to begin looking for a new job. Finding this time will likely be tough, given that your work-life balance is already out of whack, but it’s critical that you find it. You’ll never move on to a better work-life b alance situation if you don’t.The best way to ensure a rational work-life balance next time around? Ask about it during the interview process, or do some research on the company you land an interview with to see what its employees (or past employees) have to say about work-life balance.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Nationals infrastructure accident Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nationals infrastructure accident - Essay Example This paper aims at highlighting the various actions that are necessary for the U.S. government to consider in order to mitigate occurrence of similar events in future. For those who watched the media news about the New Orleans landfall made by the Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, highly remember how water flooded over the numerous levees, which were built to prevent an occurrence of such accidents as well as protecting the city. Several factors contributed to the failure of New Orleans levees ranging from poor engineering designs to the storm’s sheer ferocity (Reilly, 2009). All these factors were into consideration during the reconstruction of the levee after the wake of the Hurricane Katrina. The other low-lying cities in America learned a lot from the failure of New Orleans levees and considered such factors when making evaluation on their preparedness prevent occurrence of such storms. New Orleans is an American city that is located in a unique site, because it is completely below the sea level. Residents of this city cope with the surroundings of large water bodies such as Lake Pontchartrain, Mississippi River, and Mexico Gulf with array of levees designed to prevent flooding water from entering the city (United States, 2006). When conditions caused the breakage of the constructed levees during the Hurricane Katrina in the year 2005, the effect was highly harming and flooding water pooled out covering the entire city. With the initial 24 hours after the storm started, 28 levees had already failed. The total number of failed or broken levees increased to over 55 within the first week. The U.S. USACE (United States Army Corps of Engineers), the core constructor of the levees issued out a public explanation on why the levees failed after several days. According USACE’s account, the design of the levees was only to protect the city from Category Three storms, and the Hurricane

Friday, November 1, 2019

Report on recruitment and selection processes Assignment - 1

Report on recruitment and selection processes - Assignment Example A company then selects successful applicants from any of these recruitments methods and takes them through interviews. The company often updates recruitment and selection processes in order to set acceptable standards that meet the demands of the company (Hobson, et al 2010). Like any other company or organisation, Healthcare United has had it recruitment, and selection processes changed. Its recruitment and selection process of 2000 is not the same to that of 2010. There are certain changes introduced to the selection of 2010. Some of the changes affected the timeframes, personnel involved, documentation, training, and monitoring and evaluation. There are some news features that the organisation introduced to its selection and recruitment process of 2010, which were not in that of 2000. Again, there are those, which it exempted on its recruitment and selection process of 2010 and were in that of 2000. In the recruitment and selection policy of 2000, the manager had two to three days to analyse the necessity of a vacant position and then notify and request the Human Resource department for a from allowing recruitment. After receiving the form that permits recruitment, a manager had to complete his/her section of the form in the same period of two to three days. After that, the senior management validates the form permitting recruitment, and then the HR department uses three to five days to fill the description of the position. After description, advertisement of the position took 20 to 25 days whereby internal advertisement used the first ten days and while external advertisement took the remaining ten days. Short-listing of applicants took a minimum of five days while preparation of interviews took one to two days just as the interviews, which the organisation also allocated one to two days. Reference checks consumed a period of one to two days. Job offer took a time of one to fi ve days while feedback to failed applicants