Service, Solidarity and social justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Service, Solidarity and social justice - Essay Example In the author’s view, social injustices and suffering do have an exact form of measure thereby making it difficult to quantify or minimize. The three personalities showed solidarity with the poor, fought for their rights and stood by them. However, the culprits oppressing the disadvantage take every measure to ensure they continue with their oppression; a good example being the killings of Romero and Gustavo when they were campaigning against the oppression of the poor. The author proposes that the best way to deal with suffering and violence is to lay down fundamentals such as schools and hospitals. Additionally, many other allies to join the fight against oppression the way Martin Luther and the predecessors have done in the past. In summary, the author views accompaniments as the best way of dealing with grief and loss. One of the author’s main point of argument is that fields such as medicine and public health are neglecting the issue of grief and loss. I think this is not true because one of the fundamental principles taught to medicine students is how to console their patients and make them feel at home even when they are facing the toughest challenges such as cancer. In my opinion, doctors and public health officials offer much consolation the same way the liberation fighters provide solidarity to the poor. On the other hand, I strongly concur with the author that indeed it is quite challenging to quantify the amount of suffering one experience. Suffering that causes grief and loss are subjective in that what I view as suffering may not be misery to another person. The controversial view of suffering makes it hard to dealing with it. Respecting and acknowledging the efforts that activists such as Romero, Gustavo, and Martin did put in liberating the poor from oppression is not inevitable as they impacted on the lives of the helpless at a time of

Original writing assignment Essay Example for Free

Original writing assignment Essay It was a beautiful sight, picturesque even, all around were fields of lush green grass with steep hills, deep valleys and evergreen trees. In front of him there was a lake with beautiful sparkling blue water, with beavers going about their daily business, fishes swimming and birds singing. However, as he glanced across to the other side of the lake the boy laid eyes upon an almighty cave. The water on this side of the lake was brown with dead fish floating on the surface. The banks surrounding this part of the lake were simply bare rocks threatening to crush anything with the misfortune of touching them. There were no birds singing or beavers playing. Not a single living thing dwelled on those premises and it was obvious why. Who in there right minds would rather live there than on the stunning view that was just meters from the grim scene? The boy drew his gaze away from the lake and noticed many little buildings with thatched roofs and only one floor. In front of these unusual and certainly old-fashioned buildings stood small families of people all dressed in pretty much the same way. The women wore long brown and white frilly dresses. They all looked like servants. The men also wore brown and white but these were brown tattered trousers and a white V-necked shirt. At a glance down at his attire, the boy noticed he was wearing exactly the same as the other boys that he had seen. He was tired and decided that he should get some rest; a fall from the sky into unfamiliar territory can really take it out of you. The young boy slowly advanced towards the nearest house. He was walking straight towards the 3 people stood in front of it, but the didnt even seem to have noticed him. The boy was only 20 metres from them now but their gaze was still fixed to where he had first landed. He was now only 10 metres from them and could clearly see every single crevice on their skin. That was then he noticed the boy in front was not only dressed identically to him he was also exactly the same height and build with the same blonde hair blue eyes. He even had exactly the same horseshoe shaped birthmark on his neck. The young boy looked extremely confused and turned to the women in a desperate search for an explanation. To his horror, the woman was looking straight through him. This feeling of horror rapidly swapped itself with a feeling of utter disbelief, he recognised this women but where from. He opened is mouth to ask if she too recognised him. However, as soon as the first letter rolled of his tongue and dissipated into the air the almighty rumbling started again. This was much worse then the soft rumbling he had become accustomed to during his dreams. This was a full-blown earthquake style rumbling. The whole ground was shaking. The voices started again. He could finally make sense of the voices Help David, the cave, help it started of with just the women but very quickly the rest of the people joined in. He finally realised where he recognised that woman from. It was his mum, but it wasnt. It couldnt be it had to be a bad dream. The voices were unbelievably loud now. He could not take much more of this. David dropped to his knees willing himself to wake up. He didnt. Of course, he didnt: He couldnt. There was only one thing he could do. The young boy sprinted to the cave, as soon as his size 7 shoes made contact with the cold grey stone the voices stopped, and the rumbling subsided. The inside of the cave was massive. David was standing in what seemed to be an ally. It had a grey floor and red-stone wall. In this alley of a cave ran a small, dirty brown stream. David decided to follow the stream. The silence was deafening. He was right in the centre of his worst nightmares yet the scene he was now living resembled his dreams in no way what so ever. He was expecting an increasingly loud rumble as he became ever closer to the source of all his sleepless nights. However, it was in no way at all like this. All David could hear was the splat as his feet slapped against the wet floor. All he could do was walk straight into the caves belly, he could not go back outside, he couldnt face the screaming. He had to sort this, now, once and for all. The relatively small walk was taking forever, a whole hour seemed to have passed as David walked through the cave however in reality it was closer to a minute. At last, the young boy had reached his destination. It certainly was not what he had expected. He was standing on a floor of grey stone. In front of him was a ring of water. Inside this ring was a small island containing one thing and one thing only; a white, round crystal. A rickety rope bridge hung loosely over the deep murky water. This was the end; he had reached the end of the cave, the end of the nightmares. It had to be something to do with that crystal, but what? David had obviously made his mind up as he cautiously walked to the bridge. He checked the ropes, it seemed secure enough but there was only one way to find out. He raised his foot and slowly but surely placed his foot on to the bridge. As soon as his foot connected with the nearly rotten wood an almightily high-pitched scream pierced through the silence, the rumbling once again shook Davids brain, and a short stab of bright light temporarily illuminated the area before subsiding into a low shimmer. The rumbling didnt stop, it got considerably worse. The bridge was shaking; water was spraying from the stream in huge waves. He had to keep going, this torture had to end. David lunged and grabbed the crystal. A searing pain swarmed through Davids entire body. A brilliant light blinded him. Everything went white. David could no longer hear the high-pitched screams; he did not feel the ice-cold water flooding over the top of him. The rumbling stopped, so did the screaming and the crystal returned to the dull colourless state in which it started. David was nowhere to be seen.   All this happened 14 years ago. I have been all alone here ever since, still experiencing the same horrific dreams. Although now its all changed. You are here. The man thrust his hands forwards, palms out. There was writing burnt into the skin. Help David Our Saviour. Harry Litchfield Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Activities for Sc1 and Sc4 Skills Development

Activities for Sc1 and Sc4 Skills Development Primary Science Task Introduction It is important that assessment in primary science is linked to learning outcomes if it is to be successful (Hudson, 2005). It is therefore important that all primary teachers in science understand the learning outcomes which are appropriate to their year, and that learning activities and assessments are based on that. Most children in year 4 at school would be expected to be working between levels 2 and 5, although most children would only be expected to reach level 4 by the age of 11 (DirectGov, 2008). Here a set of activities based around circuits are discussed in terms of how they allow for development in Sc1 Scientific Enquiry and Sc4 Physical Processes skills. Assessment of Sc1 and Sc4 Skills In order to ensure appropriate development through both Sc1 and Sc4, it would be considered preferential to change the order of the learning activities. The first activity which would be approached would be that of the safety session. This would be approached first due to the importance of approaching safety considerations before approaching any practical activities utilising electricity. This activity is not only considered crucial to safety, but presents a good introduction to circuits, as the learning objectives would be considered to be at level 2 (L2) of Sc4. For example discussion of the differences between mains and battery electricity corresponds to pupils being able to compare the way in which devices work in different electrical circuits (QCA, n.d.). The learning outcomes of this activity, being able to record the characteristics of the devices using mains electricity, would also be at L2 of Sc1, which states that pupils should be able to describe observations using simple scientific vocabulary. The second activity approached would be that of looking at drawings of circuits. This is an important step before practical work with circuits as it may address some of the gaps in knowledge of circuits which may be present in children of this age (Glauret, 2008). The learning objectives and the activity itself allow for development from L2 of Sc 4 to L3. For example while knowing that a circuit needs a power source means that pupils are able to compare the way in which devices work in different electrical circuits (L2), it could also be developed so that pupils are able to discuss cause and effect (L3). The same could be said of the knowledge that a complete circuit is needed for a device to work. The actual activity itself, in which children look at drawings of circuits and decide and explain which will work and which will not could be performed at L2 of Sc1, where pupils are able to observe and compare objects and events, and say what is expected. It could however allow for develo pment to L3, where pupils are able to use their knowledge and understanding of physical phenomena to link cause and effect in simple explanations. By asking children to design a circuit which will work, record it, and annotate it, this is however only tackling L1 of Sc1 in terms of notation, where pupils are able to communicate their findings in simple ways (QCA, n.d.). Although not specifically addressed in this learning activity, it may also be useful to include some discussion in pairs or small groups. This is due to evidence that vocalisation of scientific concepts may help with development of scientific vocabulary (Mercer et al., 2004). This may then assist in developing from being able to communicate findings in simple ways (Sc1 L1) to using simple scientific vocabulary (Sc1 L2) and beyond. Using the third activity, in which pupils test their ideas about what make good conductors would allow for further development of Sc1 and Sc4. For example the learning objective about how to find out which materials allow electricity to pass through them could be approached from L1 if suggestions are actively offered to the pupils (Sc1 L1), or could be developed through the L4 if pupils are given freedom to design their own approach with lower levels of guidance. The learning objective relating to the development of the knowledge that some materials are better conductors of electricity than others relates to both L3 and 4 of Sc4. This involves development from being able to use knowledge to link cause and effect to being able to use knowledge to create generalisations. This development is also addressed by the objective that pupils are able to use results to draw conclusions about which materials conduct electricity. This objective also addresses development of L3 to L4 in Sc1 in tha t pupils develop from being able to provide explanations for their observations (L3) to pupils being able to relate their conclusions to patterns in their data and scientific knowledge. The specific learning outcomes of this activity would be that pupils would be able to use equipment to make observations, by being able to construct a circuit to test which materials let electricity pass through (Sc1 L2) and that they would be able to provide explanations for their observations by explaining that with some materials the bulb did not light because the circuit was not complete (Sc1 L3). This may even be developed through to Sc1 L4, where pupils begin to relate their conclusions to patterns in their data and scientific knowledge, if pupils are able to relate their findings to other sources of information. Rather than approach it as a separate activity, it would be better to incorporate the activity of making simple switches here, as it too relates to conductors and complete circuits. As such, it does not particularly offer further development of any of the learning targets, so does not warrant investigation as a separate session. As a development of the third activity, it then makes logical sense to proceed to discuss the uses of metals and plastics as conductors and insulators. This would lead to the development of Sc1 L4 if pupils were not previously able to relate their own work to outside information. This also includes exploring secondary sources, which can also be developed from L2 of Sc1 to L4, depending on the sophistication of sources used and what is done with the information. For example using the information to explain why metals are used for some purposes and plastics for others indicates being able to link cause and effect in simple explanations (Sc4 L3), although if pupils are also able to make generalisations about physical phenomena and use physical ideas to explain, then this may indicate development to L4. The final activity in the paper would be included last, as this is generally a culmination of the information gathered to this point, and offers development of Sc1 and Sc4 to L4. For example making predictions about what will happen indicates that pupils are able to make generalisations and use physical ideas to explain simple phenomena (Sc4 L4). Deciding how to change the brightness of bulbs and speed of a motor in a circuit also shows that pupils are able to decide on an appropriate approach towards answering a question and also able to vary one factor while keeping the others the same (Sc1 L4). Designing their own experiment also indicates that pupils are able to describe physical phenomena, for example how a particular device may be connected to work in a circuit (Sc4 L4). This type of self-directed activity may also be essential for some young children in developing scientific confidence (Glauert, 2005). Finally, a self-directed activity at the end of the series of sessions also allows for a better assessment of progress through the levels, as it allows for complete flexibility as to how much assistance is given in the task, thereby allowing for a better assessment of competency. Conclusions By utilising the appropriate activities from those given, it is possible to allow for development of both Sc1 and Sc4 right through from level 2 to level 4, which is appropriate for this age group. There is also some degree of flexibility in the levels which the selected activities could be approached from to allow for individual achievement levels within the class. The sessions lend themselves to culmination in a self-directed session, which allows for more accurate assessment of levels within Sc1 and Sc4. References DirectGov (2008) National curriculum teacher assessments and key stage tests. DirectGov. Available [online] from: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/ExamsTestsAndTheCurriculum/DG_10013041 [Accessed 22/08/2008]. Glauert, E.B. (2005) Making sense of science in the reception class. International Journal of Early Years Education, 13(3), 215-233. Glauert, E.B. (2008) How young children understand electric circuits: Prediction, explanation and exploration. International Journal of Science Education, DOI: 10.1080/09500690802101950. Hudson, P.B. (2005) Analysing preservice teachers’ rubrics for assessing students’ learning in primary science education. Proceedings Australian Curriculum Studies Association. Available [online] from: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00002102/ [Accessed 22/08/2008]. Mercer, N., Dawes, L., Wegerif, R. Sams, C. (2004) Reasoning as a scientist: Ways of helping children to use language to learn science. British Educational Research Journal, 30(3), 359-377. QCA (No date) Attainment targets for science. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Available [online] from: http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/science/attainmenttargets/index.aspx?return=/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/science/keystage2/index.aspx%3Freturn%3D/key-stages-1-and-2/subjects/index.aspx [Accessed 22/08/2008].

The Jfk Assassination: Conspiracy Or Single-gunman? Essay -- essays re

The JFK Assassination: Conspiracy or Single-Gunman? Adolf Hitler, the Nazi dictator of Germany during World War II, once said, "The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it." Although this may sound ludicrous, we can see many example of this in the world's history. One example would have to be the John Fitzgerald Kennedy assassination. For over thirty years the people of the United States were led to believe that a single gunman shot and killed Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m... However, in this paper, I will dispute the ancient analization of the facts that show a single gunman was involved, and try to show that a conspiracy must have been present. According to the old facts regarding the case of the JFK assassination, Kennedy was killed by a single gunman. On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST (Central Standard Time), Kennedy was riding in an open limousine through Dallas, Texas. At this time, Kennedy was shot in the head and neck by a sniper. He was then taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Later, police arrested Lee Harvey Oswald, a former U.S. Marine, at a nearby theater. By the next morning, Oswald was booked for the murder of President John F. Kennedy. Two days later, Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby, a Dallas nightclub owner, while he was being moved from the city to the county jail. At a glance, the above story sounds as if this should be an open-and-shut case. After all, according to the facts above, Oswald must have killed Kennedy. However, you must take a deeper look into this case. Many people who witnessed the murder of John F. Kennedy dispute the facts above, saying that they heard shots from places besides the book depository, and other things that may contradict what is stated above. One of these witnesses, Abraham Zapruder, captured the entire assassination on his Bell and Howell eight millimeter movie camera. This movie, cleverly called the Zapruder Film, is the single best piece of visual evidence in this case. In order to more clearly understand the Zapruder Film, it is necessary to break it down into frames. The particular Bell and Howell movie camera that Zapruder was using ran at eighteen and three-hundredths (18.3) frames per second. When using this frame system, you must remember that all shots were actually fired several frames before the number that is assign... ...ives to kill the President. As you can see, the killing of John F. Kennedy was a conspiracy. There is no way a single gunman could have fired all the bullets that hit Kennedy and Connnally in that short period of time. Also, since Kennedy's head went back and to the left, the bullet must have been fired from the front and right of Kennedy. This shows that there was another gunman, which makes this a conspiracy. Someday, it would be nice if the truth is revealed about who fired the bullets, and how many gunmen there actually were. Bibliography 1. Harris, Robert. "The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: A Reassessment of Original Testimony and Evidence." 2. Harris, Robert. "The Single Bullet Theory: A Question of Probability." 3. Newman, John. "Oswald and the CIA." Carroll and Graf Publishers, Inc. New York: 1995. 4. Summers, Anthony. "Conspiracy." McGraw-Hill Book Company. New York: 1981. 5. "JFK" Directed by Oliver Stone. Warner Bros., Inc. 1991.

A Golden Age: 1960s

The 1960s era, commonly referred to as the â€Å"Golden Age†, represents a fascinating turning point for economic and post war policies world over. It was a decade stretch that lasted soon after the Second World War to initial oil crisis that began in 1973.Recognized economists, politicians and senior government officials have deliberated upon the socio-economic policies and their consequences during that period.There has been much speculation concerning whether there were errors in the 1960s economic policies that could have contributed to the great inflation of the 1970s. Key players’ roles in that era’s major economic decisions are scrutinized to establish their positive and negative contributions to the great economic boom and the negatively perceived inflation.Some of these figures included Lord O’Brien who was the Bank of England’s Governor between 1966 and 1973. The considerations were both from an official or a political position held by the individuals.However, even with the inflation, the 1960s decade seem to be an economic golden age as viewed from the 1990s perspective due to the major economic reformations and inventions that took place during the period. It is in this respect regarded as an economic apogee whose high/crest preceded the tribulations decent that followed. National income’s growth rate was faster than ever in history (Jason, 2001, p.45).The unemployment level in Britain for example remained below 2.5% of the total labour. In many instances, it remained below 2%, far much below the proceeding two decades. For most of this golden decade, the inflation averaged below 4% even though it was a reason for major concern especially as it rose to between 5-6% in and within the last 2 years of the decade.The 1967 balance of payments devaluation particularly led to surplus that was very healthy after it was affected to abide to post war years problems.Generally, 1960s is regarded as a social and economic policy experimental period where major innovations took place and resulted to admirably noteworthy economic revolutions. In Britain for example the endless departures successions in the countries fiscal policies including gains in capital tax, regulatory tax, selective employment and corporation tax were major economic factors on the one side of the ledger whereas grants on investments and regional employment premiums comprised the other (Diller, 1995, p.23).The National Plan and the National Economic Development Council were the major economic organs of the government that attempted to accelerate the economic growth rate especially through the use of long successive experimentation of income policies to control inflation.Industrial restructuring was done through the industrial reconstruction corporation as a concerted effort to have an overhaul of the industrial. The 25% premium surrender on investment currency on temporary surcharged imports played a vital role in the balance of payments operations as efforts were made to join the European Community.Other methods included opening of new universities as well as relaxation of procedures of Open University Learning system. This was facilitated by relaxations in the â€Å"permissiveness† law.However, the golden age survivors usually do not see back to it with any particular individual resounding success. Most of them don’t have the feeling that they had singularly been carried or blessed for the successes but are sometimes retrospective on the fact that this period was also characterized by crises especially the balance of payments crisis.Notably, the long uncertainties of currency, the 1968 catastrophic prediction of the following years and the long deferred 1967 devaluation to reduce difficulties in the balance of payments were some of these crises. And several years later, a number of the 1960s experiments were abandoned (Caircross, 1992, p.13).Furthermore, the 1990s reappearances of difficulti es in the balance of payments may perhaps revive the experiments and crises of the 1960s.Considering for example the narrowly fixed exchange rate limits within the European monetary system, and the external deficit that is enormously increasing, the temptation to revert to the golden age policies and innovations is quite strong. Britain’s dilemma comes from an inclination of great magnitude of restoring her competitive power.Other countries of the world have also experienced these difficulties as well although different world industrial economies experience substantiated differential effects.This is especially considering the fact that continental countries had a faster growth rate as compared to the UK but in the 1950s they grew less fast than the UK did. All countries therefore had their unique problems.Paris experienced riots and a strike that almost brought the government down early in 1968, between 1969-70 Germany suffered a great inflation than at any other time after t he war whereas French franc devalued within one year after the sterling pound and again towards the end of the golden decade (Stuart, 1999, p.32).

Counseling the Dying Patient Essays

Counseling the Dying Patient Essays Counseling the Dying Patient Paper Counseling the Dying Patient Paper Death is certain to come. It is only a matter of time and how we face it. Ironically, it is part of life. There is no fearful human experience than going through the anguish of dying. Attitudes toward death are not completely positive or negative; rather, they are on a continuum. At one end of the continuum is the perception of death as humanitys mortal enemy†¦ at the other end is accepting and even welcoming death as a passage to a more blissful state of being. (Aiken, 2001, p. 5). Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her years of caring for the dying patients, described death as a wonderful experience. In her book On Death and Dying, she cited five stages wherein terminally ill patients undergo during their final moments. The First Stage is Denial and Isolation. Due to the terrifying as well as stressful effects of dying both physically and emotionally, the patient usually refuses to accept the reality that his life will end soon. He thinks that there must have been some mistakes and that this is not happening to him. The patient still thinks that life is normal recalling more often happy memories with his loved ones. The Second Stage is Anger. Realizing that the situation is no longer controllable and that he is helpless, the patient demonstrates emotional outburst of anger with himself and his surroundings. Feeling that there is no choice but to die, the patient experiences a sense of loss that is unbearable to him. The Third Stage is Bargaining. Realizing that death is imminent after all the medical measures have been done, the patient now tries to make a compromise in order to make his remaining days fruitful and memorable like making peace with God or settle grudges with the family, friends and other people he has hurt before. If given more time, he promises to do good deeds and attend an important family event like his children’s graduations or birthdays. The Fourth Stage is Depression. Knowing that you are dying adds up to your misery after battling the deadly disease that ends up for nothing. The patient feels that all his efforts and struggles are all useless. Angry and incapable knowing that death is near, the patient develops these guilt feelings he thinks causing so much pain to him and his loved ones. The Fifth Stage is Acceptance. This comes after the patient has explored all possibilities available and dealt with all the struggles and conflicts in his final moments that he now realized this is really happening. With less emotions, tired and weak, he comes to terms with reality that it is okay to die. The battle is over and he is ready. With these thoughts, he accepts death as part of life and that the world will continue even without him. Counseling the Dying Patient. A number of health institutions are now integrating care for the dying patients. From the foregoing it is evident that the terminally ill patient has very special needs which can be fulfilled if we take the time to sit and listen and find out what they are. The most important communication, perhaps, is the fact that we let him know that we are ready and willing to share some of his concerns. (Ross, 1989, p. 240). This special therapy is known as Hospice that focuses mainly on caring rather than curing. Specifically, it pays attention to the patient’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects trying to ease pain and suffering that will prepare him and his family for death. This is provided wherever the dying patients are mostly in their homes but it is also available in nursing homes and hospitals for long-term inpatient care. Hospice care is a comprehensive interdisciplinary program of care designed to provide hope, care and comfort to terminally ill people and their families or loved ones in the familiarity of their own communities. (Hospice Hawaii, 2004,  ¶2). In home settings, two family members are assigned shared responsibilities of care giving. Hospice staff visits the home on a regular schedule to assess the patient and provide support for the whole family. They are on call 24 hours a day seven days a week. However, if there is some difficulty or symptoms that would require continued professional care a short-term inpatient solution could be provided. The team composing the hospice care includes doctors, registered nurses, social workers, chaplains/clergies, home health aides, and trained volunteers. The team’s major responsibilities are: manages the patient’s pain and symptoms; assists the patient with the emotional and psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying; provides needed medications, medical supplies, and equipment; coaches the family on how to care for the patient; delivers special services like speech and physical therapy when needed; makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time; and provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends. (Caring Connections, 2006,  ¶4). The patient’s physician continues to be in-charge of his medical care. The team formulates care plan designed to suit the needs of the patient for pain management and to control symptoms. Counseling the dying patient and his loved ones is an important service of hospice care. Bereavement support is offered to families for at least a year after death by way of visits, support groups, telephone calls, and literature on grieving. This approach is covered by health insurance and is given to those who are only willing to undergo. Dr. Kubler-Ross in her own experiences with dying patients came to realize that death is simply a shedding of the physical body like the butterfly shedding its cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh, and to be able to grow. (EKR, 2006,  ¶15). Reference Aiken, L. R. (2001). Dying, Death and Bereavement. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. ; 4th edition. Mahwah, NJ. ISBN: 0805835040 Ross, E. K. (1989). On Death and Dying. Routledge; Reprint edition. London. ISBN 0-415-04015-9 Hospice Hawaii, AssistGuide, Inc. (2004). Creating Comfort Giving Hope Connecting Lives. Retrieved October 20, 2006, from hospicehawaii. org/home/default. asp? PF= Caring Connections. ((2006). How Does Hospice Work? Home Advance Care Planning. National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Retrieved October 20, 2006, from caringinfo. org/i4a/pages/index. cfm? pageid=3467 EKR (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross) Foundation. (2006). Selected Quotes. Life, Death, Compassion. Retrieved October 20, 2006, from http://dying. about. com/gi/dynamic/offsite. htm? zi=1/XJsdn=dyingzu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. ekrfoundation. org

How to Learn the Russian Alphabet

How to Learn the Russian Alphabet The Russian alphabet is based on Cyrillic and Glagolitic scripts, which were developed from Byzantine Greek in order to facilitate the spread of Christianity during the 9th and 10th centuries. Some letters in the modern Russian alphabet look familiar to English speakers - Е, Ð £, К, Ð  - while other letters do not resemble any characters in the English alphabet. Russian Alphabet Sounds The Russian alphabet is relatively easy to learn thanks to its principle of one letter per sound. This principle means that most phonemes (sounds that convey meaning) are represented by their own letters. The spelling of Russian words typically reflects all of the sounds that are part of that word. (This will get more complicated when we move onto allophones- variations of possible pronunciations.) Get to know the Russian alphabet by studying all three columns below. The first column provides the Russian letter, the second column provides an approximate pronunciation (using English characters), and the third column gives an idea of what the letter sounds like, using an example from an English word. Russian Letter Pronunciation Closest English Sound , a Ah or aah Far, lamb , B Boy , V Vest , Gh Guest , D Door E, e Yeh Yes , Yoh York , Zh pleasure, beige , Z Zoo , E Meet , Y Toy , K Kilo , L Love , M Mop , N No , O Morning , P Pony , R (rolled) , S Song , T Train , Ooh Boo , F Fun , H Loch , Ts Ditzy , Ch Cherish , Sch Shhh , Sh (softer than ) Shoe , hard sign (non-vocalized) n/a , Uhee no equivalent sound , soft sign (non-vocalized) n/a , Aeh Aerobics , Yu You , Ya Yard Once you have learned the Russian alphabet, you should be able to read most Russian words, even if you don’t know their meaning. Stressed and Unstressed Vowels The next step is to learn how Russian words are stressed, which simply means which vowel in the word is emphasized.  Russian letters behave differently under stress and are pronounced more distinctly  according to their alphabet sound. Unstressed vowels are reduced or merged. This difference is not reflected in the spelling of Russian words, which can be confusing to beginner learners. While there are several rules governing the way unstressed letters are pronounced, the easiest way to learn is to expand your vocabulary as much as possible, naturally acquiring a sense of stressed vowels along the way.

Antigone Essays (457 words) - Antigone, Civil Disobedience, Creon

Antigone Essays (457 words) - Antigone, Civil Disobedience, Creon Antigone Sophocles' trilogy of Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone is a powerful, tragic tale that examines the nature of human guilt, fate and punishment. Creon, Oedipus' uncle and brother-in-law, is the story's most dynamic character. His character experiences a drastic metamorphosis through the span of the three dramas. Creon's vision of a monarch's proper role, his concept of and respect for justice, as well as his respect for the design evolve considerably by the trilogy's tragic conclusion. In Oedipus the King (OK) , the audience is introduced to a Creon who seems to put loyalty to the king above all. He sympathizes with the tragic plight of King Oedipus and asserts no apparent ambition himself. His attitude toward the king is one of yielding and fulfilling reverence. Creon's notion of justice in OK stems directly from the divine. That which the gods have decreed must become law. It pains Creon to have Oedipus exiled, but he must do so as the gods have willed it. Creon's respect for divinity and prophecy seems to be his defining trait in OK. His attitude is one of unquestioning reverence. In Oedipus at Colonus (OC), one sees the beginning of Creon's decline. Creon has now come to occupy the throne that once belonged to Oedipus. It soon becomes apparent that his vision of the proper role of a king has changed to accommodate his new-found position. The emphasis shifts from that of a king who must rule wisely to one who must rule unyieldingly. The kingship becomes a selfserving instrument for Creon in his attempt to secure the return of Oedipus and the good fortune prophesied to accompany him. Creon's notion of justice is severely distorted in OC. He becomes monomaniacal - conducting his affairs with tyranny and belligerence. For example, he threatens to harm Oedipus' daughters if the blind beggar does not return to Thebes. His view of rightness and fairness is no longer in line with that of his subjects. In OC, Creon still retains some respect for divine prophecies. These have after all motivated his desire to return Oedipus to Thebes. Antigone reveals the ultimate extent to which Creon's character deteriorates. His transformation completes itself; he has become an unreasonable tyrant. Creon can no longer be called a king. He has become a despot. There is absolutely no justice to be found. Violence and threats of violence are the tools by which he rules. For example, his senseless threats to an innocent sentry reveal the true extent of his loss of reason. Creon has distorted the proclamation against Polyneices' burial, which was originally intended to foster Theban unity, into a display of rashness and incompetence. There is no mention of the gods and their intentions on Creon's behalf in Antigone. He has been so far destroyed by his own power as to dismiss the divine will that he originally thrived on.

Where are you going,where have you been Bob Dylan Who is the main Essay

Where are you going,where have you been Bob Dylan Who is the main character ,Connie or Arnold Friend - Essay Example The story revolves around Connie who is the main character. She is a beautiful young girl aged fifteen but self-absorbed. She ends up at odds with her mother and leaves the house without her parents’ knowledge. Arnold is a friend to Connie and works at a nearby restaurant. He is a darker version of somehow otherworldly figure type. While Connie’s parents are at a barbecue dinner elsewhere, Arnold heads to her home to take her out for dinner. Connie is powerless and ultimately cannot defy Arnold’s compulsion. The story took place in 1960s and describes a lot about American life back in those days. Even though at one point, Connie discovers that Arnold is much older than he claims to be, she cannot do anything since there was no one at her rescue. In addition, he scares her to give into her demands by threatening to harm her and her family in case she does otherwise (35). This shows absence of law enforcing bodies that could protect all citizens of the United State s of America. In the story, Carol Oates brings about evocation of Bob Dylan with a meaningful purpose. The presence of richness within the setting of the story creates an improvement towards realizing a stabilized life. Furthermore, Oates brings out wealth in view of depicting a period where Americans were going somewhere, ‘where are you going?’ towards social revolution (54). Connie is also the main character because she is representing all the women in America. It was during this period when the American women were at the forefront of asserting about their rights and their impeding need to end their domination from men. Oates uses Connie as the main character to portray the status of women in America during that period and their concerted efforts of claiming their sexuality in a manner that was never visible in the history of America. The story is at the center of Connie and all what revolves around her life. Oates used

Process Analysis Essay on the Language of Mordovia

Process Analysis on the Language of Mordovia - Essay Example This paper was also able to explain important aspects and developments which now seem to impact on the preservation and use of the Mordovian language. These details formulate part of this paper’s critical analysis. Such details provide links between societal changes and their impact on the language. The explanation of the writer is orderly and detailed. The essay was able to present a structured paper as it discusses the Mordovian language based on the contribution of their society and the Russian historical developments. The paper is highly substantive. In evaluating the content and substance of this paper, it has been noted that the author has concentrated his analysis on a historical context. Although this analysis process is helpful in evaluating the development of the language, it does not provide details in relation to development milestones which would also have impacted on the growth or the decline of the language. The content of the paper is also lacking in more speci fic details in terms of the Russian influence and in terms of the people’s acceptance of their language and changes in such language. The materials, as well as the discussions of the references chosen to support this study, are very much relevant and appropriate for this paper. They help provide support for the contents and for the substance of this topic, as well as provide clarity for some vague aspects of the subject matter. In effect, the topic for this essay is very much relevant because there are various changes being seen in the development of this language – changes which are contributing to the decline of this language’s usage in Mordovian society. The essay is highly informative in terms of presenting important aspects of the Mordovian language, its people, and its history. The discussion is not based on a unidimensional discussion, it is based on a dynamic and diverse perspective on the Mordovian language. The essay even made a clear pitch towards its discussion on the future of the language and its current prospects based on the contemporary global situation. The author tried to ensure that the paper was plagiarism free, however, there are gaps in the paper which seem to indicate that the statement being made are of the author’s own words, when in fact they come from a resource material. The paper needs to be improved in terms of summarization and paraphrasing in order to avoid plagiarism and to ensure that the author’s own words are not used as personal words for this paper. It would have been more appropriate for the student to use more words like â€Å"according to,† â€Å"in the book by,† â€Å"based on,† and similar words which indicate that the statement is not of the student’s own opinion or analysis. This essay is based on the APA format and the student made use of proper APA formatting. The reference page however is not properly formatted. The APA format is not supposed to be n umbered and the references must be placed on a hanging indent. The indents for each paragraph are also not based on the APA format. The flow of ideas from one paragraph to the other is mostly logical. For the most part, the links for the different paragraphs are based on the logical movement of ideas. However, there are some gaps in the flow with some of the paragraphs failing to provide links to the next paragraph.

Class Size And The Improvement Of Academic Performance Essay

Class Size And The Improvement Of Academic Performance - Essay Example Data availed from the National Assessment of Educational Progress proves that evidence is to the contrary. To illustrate, it was found that there was no significant improvement in the knowledge of students in reading, mathematics, and science through the class size fell by 27% between 1969 and 1997 (cited in The influence of class size on academic achievement). In addition, there was a decline in certain subject areas like science. However, it is not possible to totally believe these results. This is so because, in small classes, the dropout rate will be much lower as compared to big classes (ibid). In fact, dropout often results in higher class-average test scores as the dropouts are often the low-scoring pupils. When small classes are formed, teachers and school authorities take care to avoid student dropout. Thus, the low-scoring ones take the test along with other students and result in reduced class-average test scores. However, though rational, this claim is limited by the fact that there is no empirical evidence to prove the case. In fact, it becomes difficult to gather accurate data in this connection because the academic performance of students is influenced by a large number of factors other than class size. Some such factors are family background, language, and financial status. In order to make an effective analysis of the impact of class size on academic performance, all other factors need to be kept static. The only study that tried to do so was the STAR study (Ehrenberg, R.G. et al 2001). The study took efforts to keep other factors like the quality of teaching static throughout the study. Then, it was found that there was an improvement of 0.2 standard deviations or more (ibid). Other studies like the California study and the SAGE study too provided similar results.

Ethical Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Decisions - Essay Example Transparency is necessary in a business decision making process. It is obvious that most decisions made have undesirable effects on some workers. However, transparency helps reduce instances of employees being treated unfairly by their bosses. Therefore, transparency is a core ethical aspect in the decision making process. In addition, there are consequences resulting from various decisions made in a business. These decisions may affect various workers negatively. Therefore, it is wise and ethical for managers to identify the effects, which are likely to occur from various decisions made. The effects of these decisions should be clear before the decision is made. This helps the employees prepare for the repercussions which are likely to occur. Further, every business decision should be achieved fairly. Fairness is tremendously vital in decision making because it creates confidence among workers. Each employee working for a particular firm should be treated equally and fairly. Fairness creates a business environment where employees believe every decision made in the company is targeted for a common good. Transparency and fairness are a vital business code of ethics that enable the company to build a strong employer-worker relationship. For instance, I was working as the head secretary for a local restaurant where I would make most of the decisions. The restaurant had many dedicated workers who made it easy to work with them. However, the company faced tough economic times, and I was ordered to fire some of the workers. It was hard to choose the best workers. Therefore, I called a meeting, and I discussed the matter with the employees (Dubbink, Liederkerke, & Luijk, 2010). We decided to use facts in order to reach an agreement on which workers I would fire and which ones I would keep. After examining the role played by each worker, I finally fired those who played minor roles. In

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 49

Discussion - Assignment Example ("Northern Highlands") The types of balance can be different, but the main idea behind all is to provide structure and stability. Moreover, alignment holds that nothing on a page should have an arbitrary position. It is advised to visually connect every item to other elements of the composition in order to create a cohesive and strong unit. Apart from that, the principle of grouping requires placing related items together as far as it adds to the creation of visual cues and reduces clutter. As a result, information looks organized and is better to remember. The next principle is consistency that stays for the adherence to the uniform characteristics of the elements used in order to make them fully belong to a single document. The similar design is expected to be applied to icons, colors, font, spatial relationships and other components in order to unify them under specific â€Å"theme.† Furthermore, the principle of contrast states, â€Å"if the two objects are not exactly the same, they should be made really different.† (msu) Adding contrast to a page results in fueling the visual interest in a page as well as helps to highlight and emphasize the most important elements. The review of the given principles helped me to arrive at the conclusion that, in my opinion, all of them are of the great value for creating a vivid and finite image. Therefore, none of the principles should be considered more important since all of them deal with different aspects of the

Inclusionary Practices in Science Classrooms Research Paper

Inclusionary Practices in Science Classrooms - Research Paper Example There they are given additional help and special instruction in the classroom. Full inclusion is one where there is no segregation between general and special students, and they work together (Hub Pages). Richard Lange, is a gifted expert, and he talks about his experience and about the international gifted programs. He talks about his visit to Taipei, Taiwan, where he saw that these students had to take extensive rigorous placement tests in order to get them admitted in these schools. These schools have large focus on science and laboratory experiments at an early age. When inclusive practices are cultivated in schools, the school academics must make sure that the teachers they hire have a focus on disabled students beyond that they have on normal students. The way instructions are given is an important factor, as it can serve as solid foundation for inclusive classroom (Dukes & Dukes) However, there are a lot of challenges that comes across in inclusive classrooms. The teacher has to be more inclusive and identify challenges by providing practical activities, ideas and approaches (Inclusive Science). One obstacle which everyone comes across is the common attitude of teachers. It has been observed that the attitude of general student teachers is different towards the disabled students. Their idea of inclusion and acceptability differs in respect to the two types. This eventually leads to a creation of ‘yours not mine’ sort of an hostile environment between both the students and the staff. A second obstacle is that most of the time the leaders are unable to recognize the needs of the inclusive classrooms, and therefore, due to this lack of support from the staff and administrators, success is unlikely (Green). Science has been considered as the most valuable subject to be taught to the disabled students. Mostly general student teachers have training pertaining to teaching students with disabilities. Special student teachers

Ethical Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Decisions - Essay Example Transparency is necessary in a business decision making process. It is obvious that most decisions made have undesirable effects on some workers. However, transparency helps reduce instances of employees being treated unfairly by their bosses. Therefore, transparency is a core ethical aspect in the decision making process. In addition, there are consequences resulting from various decisions made in a business. These decisions may affect various workers negatively. Therefore, it is wise and ethical for managers to identify the effects, which are likely to occur from various decisions made. The effects of these decisions should be clear before the decision is made. This helps the employees prepare for the repercussions which are likely to occur. Further, every business decision should be achieved fairly. Fairness is tremendously vital in decision making because it creates confidence among workers. Each employee working for a particular firm should be treated equally and fairly. Fairness creates a business environment where employees believe every decision made in the company is targeted for a common good. Transparency and fairness are a vital business code of ethics that enable the company to build a strong employer-worker relationship. For instance, I was working as the head secretary for a local restaurant where I would make most of the decisions. The restaurant had many dedicated workers who made it easy to work with them. However, the company faced tough economic times, and I was ordered to fire some of the workers. It was hard to choose the best workers. Therefore, I called a meeting, and I discussed the matter with the employees (Dubbink, Liederkerke, & Luijk, 2010). We decided to use facts in order to reach an agreement on which workers I would fire and which ones I would keep. After examining the role played by each worker, I finally fired those who played minor roles. In

Inclusionary Practices in Science Classrooms Research Paper

Inclusionary Practices in Science Classrooms - Research Paper Example There they are given additional help and special instruction in the classroom. Full inclusion is one where there is no segregation between general and special students, and they work together (Hub Pages). Richard Lange, is a gifted expert, and he talks about his experience and about the international gifted programs. He talks about his visit to Taipei, Taiwan, where he saw that these students had to take extensive rigorous placement tests in order to get them admitted in these schools. These schools have large focus on science and laboratory experiments at an early age. When inclusive practices are cultivated in schools, the school academics must make sure that the teachers they hire have a focus on disabled students beyond that they have on normal students. The way instructions are given is an important factor, as it can serve as solid foundation for inclusive classroom (Dukes & Dukes) However, there are a lot of challenges that comes across in inclusive classrooms. The teacher has to be more inclusive and identify challenges by providing practical activities, ideas and approaches (Inclusive Science). One obstacle which everyone comes across is the common attitude of teachers. It has been observed that the attitude of general student teachers is different towards the disabled students. Their idea of inclusion and acceptability differs in respect to the two types. This eventually leads to a creation of ‘yours not mine’ sort of an hostile environment between both the students and the staff. A second obstacle is that most of the time the leaders are unable to recognize the needs of the inclusive classrooms, and therefore, due to this lack of support from the staff and administrators, success is unlikely (Green). Science has been considered as the most valuable subject to be taught to the disabled students. Mostly general student teachers have training pertaining to teaching students with disabilities. Special student teachers

Ap Biology Notes Cellular Communication Essay Example for Free

Ap Biology Notes Cellular Communication Essay Cell-to-cell communication is essential in multicellular organisms. They must communicate to coordinate activities such as growth and development, and reproduction. In addition unicellular organisms communicate with each other. Signals may use light, or touch but we will focus on chemical signals. 1. External signals are converted to responses within the cell a. Evolution of cell signaling i. In yeast a cells and ÃŽ ±cells both secrete chemicals, which can only be received by the alternate type yeast. This signals the two cells to join via fusion 1. The process by which the signal on the surface of the cell is converted to a series of steps by the cell in response is called a signal transduction pathway ii. Signal transduction pathways are very similar in yeast and in complex multicellular organisms 2. This leads scientists to believe that this pathway evolved first in ancient prokaryotes b. Local and long distance signaling iii. Local signaling 3. Adjacent cells of plants and animals may communicate through cell junctions a. Signaling substances dissolved in the cytoplasm travel between cells i. Plants = plasmodesmata ii. Animals = gap junctions 4. Animal cells may use the following b. Cell-to-cell recognition iii. Direct contact between membrane-bound cell-surface molecules iv. Important in embryonic development and immune response c. Paracrine signaling v. Uses local regulators which are released and travel only a short distance to nearby cells vi. Ex. Growth factors target nearby cells to grow and divide d. Synaptic signaling vii. Electrical signal along a nerve cell triggers a chemical release across a synapse to trigger response in target cell viii. Ex. Nerve cells iv. Long- distance signaling 5. Both plants and animals use hormones e. Animals (endocrine signaling) cells release hormones which travel in the circulatory system to target cells f. Plants hormones travel in vessels or by diffusion through the air as gas g. Hormones vary in size and shape 6. Nervous system signals can also be long distance c. The three stages of cell signaling: A preview v. Reception: when the target cell detects a signaling molecule. The signaling molecule binds to a receptor protein on the target cell’s surface vi. Transduction: After binding the receptor protein is changed in some way, this converts the signal to a form that will bring about a specific cellular response 7. May occur in a single step or a series of changes vii. Response: The transduced signal triggers a specific cellular response. 8. Catalysis of an enzyme, rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, activation of a specific gene 2. Reception: A signaling molecule binds to a receptor protein, causing it to change shape d. To ensure signals are sent to the correct cell signaling molecules act as a ligand. viii. Ligand- molecule that specifically binds to another (usually larger) molecule ix. The receptor protein then usually changes shape x. May be located on the membrane or inside the cell e. Receptors in the plasma membrane xi. Water-soluble signaling molecule binds to receptor on the membrane causing it to change shape or aggregate. f. Intracellular Receptors xii. Found in cytoplasm or nucleus of target cells 9. Signaling molecule must be hydrophobic enough or small enough to pass through the plasma membrane h. Steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, nitric oxide | Examples| Pathway| Other| G-Protein Coupled Receptors| Yeast mating factors, epinephrine, hormones, neurotransmitters| 1. signaling molecule binds to the g-protein receptor 2. receptor changes shape and the cytoplasmic side binds to the inactive G protein 3. GTP then displaces to form GDP and activates the protein 4. Activated G protein diffuses along the membrane to an enzyme altering the enzyme to trigger the next step| Bacteria such as whooping cough, botulism and cholera disrupt this pathway| Receptor Tyrosine Kinases| Enzymes that catalyze the transfer of phosphate groups| 1. binding of two signaling molecules to two tyrosine chains causes the two to associate with each other forming a dimer 2. dimerization activates the tyrosine kinase region to add a phosphate from and ATP to each tyrosine in the polypeptide 3. each tail can now bind to and activate a different specific relay protein within the cell| One receptor may activate ten+ pathways. Absence can result in cancer| Ion Channel Receptors| Nervous system| 1. signaling molecule binds to the ion channel in the membrane 2. protein changes shape creating a channel through the membrane 3. specific ions can now flow through the membrane which may cause a change in the cell or trigger another pathway| Some ion gated channels are controlled by change in voltage rather than binding of a ligand| g. Intracellular Receptors xiii. Ex. Testosterone 10. Hormone passes through the plasma membrane 11. Testosterone binds to a receptor protein in the cytoplasm activating it 12. The hormone-receptor complex enters the nucleus and binds to a specific gene 13. The bound protein acts as a transcription factor, stimulating the transcription of the gene into mRNA 14. The mRNA is translated into a specific protein 3. Transduction: cascades of molecular interactions relay signals from receptor to target molecules in the cell h. Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation xiv. Proteins can be activated by the addition of a phosphate group (often broken off of ATP or GTP) 15. Phosphates are transferred from ATP to a protein by a general group of enzymes known as protein kinases i. Phosphorylation often causes the protein to change shape j. This happens because the added phosphate group interacts with polar or charged amino acids within the protein xv. Protein phosphatases are enzymes that remove phosphate groups from a protein 16. Mechanism for turning off signal transduction 17. These also allow for turning off and reusing pathways i. Small molecules and ions as second messengers xvi. Molecules other than proteins act as second messengers 18. Small and water soluble such as ions k. This allows them to rapidly spread throughout the cell via diffusion 19. Second messenger refers to anything after the first messenger which is the extracellular signaling molecule that binds to the membrane 20. Most common second messengers are cyclic AMP and Ca+2 xvii. Cyclic AMP as a second messenger in response to the hormone epinephrine 21. Epinephrine binds to receptor molecule protein activates adenylyl cyclase which can catalyze the synthesis of many molecules of cAMP l. Adenylyl cyclase catalyzes the conversion of ATP into cAMP ix. cAMP usually activates a serine/threonine kinase known as protein kinase A which phosphorylates many other proteins m. cAMP is converted back to AMP by phosphodiesterase xviii. Calcium ions and inositol tripohosphate 22. Increasing calcium concentration causes responses such as muscle contraction, secretion of substances, and cell division in animals, and greening in response to light in plants 23. Calcium is usually in high concentrations outside of the cell and in the ER but in low concentrations in the cytosol 24. Pathway n. Signaling molecule binds to receptor   o. Phospholipid pinches off membrane IP3 is released as second messenger p. IP3 binds to receptor on ER causing protein channel to open q. Ca+2 is released into cytosol 4. Response: Cell signaling leads to regulation of transcription or cytoplasmic activities j. Nuclear and cytoplasmic responses xix. Pathways lead to the regulation of one or more cellular activities 25. Regulate protein synthesis r. Turning specific genes on or off (calls for the synthesis of mRNA from DNA) 26. Regulate protein activity s. Cause a shape change to turn a protein on or off 27. Regulate overall shape change of cell 28. Release of mating factors 29. Cell division k. Fine-tuning of the response xx. Signal amplification 30. Enzyme cascades amplify effects by increasing the product at each step t. Enzymes stay active long enough to work on multiple products before becoming inactive xxi. The specificity of cell signaling and coordination of the response 31. Different types of cells are programmed to respond to only certain types of signals u. Some cells will respond to the same signals but in different ways v. This is because different cells have different collections of proteins xxii. Signaling efficiency: scaffolding proteins and signaling complexes 32. Scaffolding proteins increase the efficiency of the response w. A large protein with multiple protein kinases attached x. Decreases the time of the response because diffusion between proteins is not needed 33. Pathways are not linear, in fact the same protein may act in multiple pathways 34. Relay proteins serve as branch points where the signal may go in one of two directions xxiii. Termination of the signal 35. Each step in the pathway lasts only a short time, this makes the proteins ready for a new signal 36. When the signaling molecule leaves leave the receptor it reverts to its inactive form and the relay molecules follow

Context Based Approaches in Teaching of Primary Science

Context Based Approaches in Teaching of Primary Science This chapter provides a theoretical rationale for creating technology-rich, constructivist learning environments that use context-based teaching strategies in classrooms and engage students in student-centered, personally meaningful, authentic, and collaborative learning. It also provides examples of schools that have experimented context-based teaching in science in classrooms, and a curricular example that teachers can modify to increase student understanding of any curricular area. Finally, it provides online resources and a podcast that provide teachers with additional ideas for making their lessons more interesting and engaging, empowering, and enlightening classrooms. There have been many studies that indicate context-based approach is essential in order for student learning to take place. Research reveals that teaching Strategies are necessary in schools for teachers to effectively increase student achievement. The focus of this research study is to examine effects of context-based approaches in teaching science in Classroom. The review of literature will look at several factors related to teaching strategies. Those factors include the Traditional view of teaching science, problematic questions that arise in this research, importance of context-based teaching, in classroom. The review of literature will also include a discussion about how teachers can encourage character and social development of students, and the current brain-based research, which suggests and encourages context-based teaching, which promotes success of students, teachers, and improves communication standard among them. Context-based approaches to teaching science in primary school have become widely used over the past two decades. They aspire to foster more positive attitudes to science while, at the same time, provide a sound basis of scientific understanding for further study. One of the most distinct trends of the last two decades in science curriculum development across a number of countries has been to use contexts and applications of science as a means of developing scientific understanding. Teaching in this way is often described as adopting a context-based approach. The trend toward the use of context-based approaches is apparent across the whole age spectrum from primary through to university level, but is most noticeable in materials developed for use in the secondary age range. Traditional Teaching Style of Science Over the last two decades reports have traced students increasingly negative attitudes to Science in Australia over the primary years of schooling, and the associated decrease in student participation in post-compulsory science (Goodrum, Hackling, Rennie, 2001; Tytler, 2007). This decline in interest in Science in the early years of primary education is of particular concern, since it is in these years that attitudes to the pursuit of science subjects and careers are formed (Speering Rennie, 1996). A number of studies have explicitly linked this decline in student interest with the nature of the traditional science curriculum and its inability to make science meaningful and interesting to students (Fensham, 2004; Lyons, 2006). By making Science more relevant to a broader audience we can prepare prospective science degree students and professionals, as well as contribute to improved scientific literacy for all students. Context-Based Approach Context-based approaches are approaches adopted in science teaching where contexts and applications of science are used as the starting point for the development of scientific ideas. This contrasts with more traditional approaches that cover scientific ideas first, before looking at applications. But literature has a different meaning for context-based teaching. Whitelegg and Perry (1999) say that context-based learning can have several meanings, at its broadest, it means the social and cultural environment in which the student, teacher and institution are situatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a narrow view of context might focus on an application of a physics theory for the purposes of illumination and reinforcement. (p. 68) In the classroom, the use of context-based approaches might mean, for example, that students study medical diagnostic techniques in order to develop their understanding of electromagnetic radiation and atomic structure, or look at a range of different fabrics and their uses to introduce ideas about materials and their properties. A further feature of context-based approach is that, due to the nature of the material being studied, they tend to employ wider range of teaching strategies (e.g. small-group discussions, role-play, student presentations) than is normally associated with conventional science courses. How do you and your friend get to school this morning? You probably used various forms of transport between you Speed is the rate of change of distance moved with time. (Judith Bennett, 2003) These two pieces came from the opening lines of chapters on forces and motion in two different books of secondary level course, one written in 1970s and the other in 1990s. They provide good enough example to illustrate a major turn over in approaches to teaching science in that period. This turn over sheds light on the use of context-based teaching and applications as the beginning for developing scientific knowledge, understanding and comprehending it. The question arises that where this concept of context-based writing does came into being? The term context-based appeared to have been applied to some of the scientific activities in classroom for around fifteen years ago when such activities were described as an attempt to make science relevant and understandable to the young ones. They were used for young students to links between science and their daily life. So this is how context-based approaches in teaching science were originated, to make students understand, create relevance with their everyday life, and comprehend the meaning more easily. So the origin of context-based approaches was desired by teachers to make the lessons they were teaching interesting and easily understood by their students. But the research reveals that the strongest factor was the active engagement they desired from their children. Context-based approaches have also emerged in response to the concern of many countries over the teaching of physical scien ce subject. One of the characteristics of curriculum development in recent years has been an increased emphasis on using contexts and applications as a means of developing scientific understanding. Nationally and internationally, context-based programs have been implemented in an attempt to engage students in science through connecting the canonical science with the real world. The study found that by providing students with the opportunity to write, fluid transitions between concepts and context were an outcome of context-based learning. Many schools using context-based approach report positive effect on students. The context-based approach in teaching science is gaining popularity day by day. Holman and Pilling concludes that such a method seems to be successful in enhancing students interest in science, and understanding of science though they expressed some doubts over how successful it is in developing students abilities in problem-solving (Holman and Pilling, 2004). Examples of Context-Based Teaching New approaches to the teaching of Science have been tried in the last ten years and research has been undertaken to look at ways of improving the way in which we teach school Science (Millar, Leach, Osborne, 2000; Roth, 1995; Tobin McRobbie, 1995). Examples of Context-based teaching can be found everywhere now. In particular, chemistry teaching is one area that has undergone significant reform in an attempt to make Science more relevant for all students (Barber, 2000; Beasley Butler, 2002; De Vos, Bulte Pilot, 2002; Gabel Bunce, 1994; Gutwill-Wise, 2001; Ramsden, 1992, 1997; Tobin McRobbie, 1995). Context-based Science has been implemented in international Science programmes (e.g. Chemistry in Context in the USA, Salters in the UK, Industrial Science in Israel, Chemie im Kontext in Germany and Chemistry in Practice in The Netherlands) throughout the last decade and has been trialed more recently in Victorian and Queensland classrooms in Australia. This new context-based approac h to teaching science was designed to address issues such as students lack of engagement in science and decreasing participation rates. In Queensland, the new Chemistry syllabus using the context-based approach has been on trial in schools since 2002, and the trial-pilot syllabuses in chemistry and physics were published in September 2004 by the Queensland Board of Senior primary School Studies. Despite recent changes, with the current syllabus mandating the inclusion of only one context (or one Extended Experimental Investigation (EEI)) in the Queensland chemistry syllabus, teachers may choose to continue to teach all science units in context. Context-based approaches represent a significant change in the teaching of chemistry. Problem Questions Many people involved in curriculum development and teaching believe that there are considerable benefits associated with context-based approaches. However, it raises a number of interesting questions: Does teaching science through the use of everyday contexts help school students understand science any better? Does teaching science in context improve school students attitudes to science? Are there differences in the effects on girls and boys, or on students of different ability? This chapter examines in detail the research evidence on the effects of context-based approaches to the teaching of science. In particular, it looks at the effects on students understanding of science and on their attitudes to science. Positive and Negative Effects of Context-Based Teaching Primary Science teaching around the world has been undergoing radical changes over the past decade. As most states move towards a context-based secondary syllabus, there is a danger that tertiary science teaching will be left behind. Although there are drawbacks to contextual teaching in the tertiary environment (such as lack of preparation time, the breadth of physics concepts covered, and stretching the boundaries of ones own understanding as a teacher), the benefits for students interest and motivation, as well as their learning outcomes are significant. Over the last decade, the syllabi for primary school science around Australia have been evolving from an approach based around set conceptual content to one in which the concepts are taught using a contextual approach. The advantages of contextual teaching are that students can link science to their lives in the real world, and are usually more motivated. In the US, school students taking a context-based course outperformed those students studying more traditional courses. This success was attributed, at least in part, to higher levels of interest and motivation amongst the students, together with their perception of the relevance of the topics (Sutman and Bruce, 1992; Gutwill-Wise, 2001). However, there can be an apparent mismatch between the teaching styles that school students experience (and their prior knowledge) with expectations of tutors in universities, and this has been identified as a possible cause of students difficulties in understanding thermodynamics (Carson and Watso n, 1999). Whitelegg and Parry (1999) discuss the advantages of teaching physics in context, both by applying previous knowledge to real life situations, and by initially learning physics through analyzing these situations. Although the latter option has obvious advantages for student perceptions of the relevance of a course, it is pointed out that there is an inherent danger that students will be unable to generalize their knowledge outside the context in which it was initially learned. Conclusion Teachers can create technology-rich, constructivist learning environments that engage students in student-centered, personally meaningful, authentic, and collaborative learning that is inquiry-based, requires informed decision-making, views mistakes as opportunities for growth, and values information exchange among all learners. One plausible way to achieve this goal is to use context-based teaching in classrooms. This article provided a theoretical rationale for such an approach. It also provided specific examples of context-based approaches being used in different schools these days, specific steps a teacher should take to create similar curricular lessons, as well as examples a student could use in understanding of any curricular area. Finally, it provided numerous positive and negative effects it has on pupils and teachers as well and online resources that provide teachers with additional ideas for making context-based teaching studies usable in their engaging, empowering and enl ightening classrooms. It is also claimed that the approach can enhance or, at least, not adversely affect students understanding of science ideas. Work Cited Abell, S. K., Bryan, L. A. (1999). Development of professional knowledge in learning to teach elementary science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(2), 121- 139 Angus, M., Olney, H. Ainley, J. (2007). In the balance: The future of Australias primary schools. Canberra: Australian Primary Principals Association. Biggs, J. (1999) What the student does: teaching for enhanced learning. Higher Education Research and Development 18(1), 57-75. Carson Watson, (1999). Chemical education: Towards Research-Based Practice. Accessed: April 16, 2010. From: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=- 23VbCeM17QCpg=PA350lpg=PA350dq=Carson+and+Watson,+1999source=bl ots=Bd051tQtOrsig=JWZeYuupeInjdaIze5aUysoHRYIhl=enei=2o_IS92lMpWjO LjI7LgNsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=10ved=0CCQQ6AEwCQ#v=one pageq=Carson%20and%20Watson%2C%201999f=false Fensham, 2004; Lyons, (2006). Context-based chemistry: creating opportunities for fluid transitions between concepts and context. Accessed: April 16, 2010.From: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6957/is_4_55/ai_n45557673/ Gutwill-Wise J.P., (2001), The impact of active and context-based learning in introductory chemistry courses: an early evaluation of the modular approach, Journal of Chemical Education, 78, 684- 690 Goodrum, D Rennie, L 2007, Australian School Science Education: National Action Plan 2008-2012, Volume 1, The National Action Plan, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra. Goodrum, D, Hackling, M Rennie, L 2001, The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools: A research report, Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra. Accessed: April 15, 2010. From: http://cmslive.curriculum.edu.au/leader/default.asp?id=25011issueID=11579 Holman J. and Pilling G., (2004), Thermodynamics in context: a case study of contextualised teaching for undergraduates, J. Chem. Educ., 81, 373-375. Hackling, M. W. (2006a). Research Report 1: Case study teachers experience of Primary Connections. Canberra: Australian Academy of Science. Judith Bennett. Teaching and Learning Science. Context-based Approaches to the Teaching of Science. Accessed: April 17, 2010. From: http://books.google.com.pk/books?id=CiaFobS- Cn0Cpg=PA99lpg=PA99dq=context- based+approaches+in+teaching+primary+sciencesource=blots=eZSJG0iC7csig=z3 Ml8P_Hdvo4_fg4s1KdotSE518hl=enei=aqnIS- 75HoevOKqWgNcMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=4ved=0CBoQ6AEw Aw#v=onepageq=context- based%20approaches%20in%20teaching%20primary%20sciencef=false Lubben F, Campbell B, Dlamini B (1997) Achievement of Swazi students learning science through everyday technology. Journal of the Southern African Association for Research in Mathematics and Science Education 1: 26-40. Ramsden JM (1997) How does a contextbased approach influence understanding of key chemical ideas at 16+? International Journal of Science Education 19: 697-710. Speering Rennie, (1996). Deakin Research Online. Primary students perceptions of mathematics and science. Charles University Education Faculty. Prague, Czech Republic. Accessed: April 15, 2010. From: http://www.deakin.edu.au/dro/view/DU:30008215 Whitelegg, E., and Parry, M. (1999) Real-life contexts for learning physics: meanings, issues and practice. Physics Education 34(2), 68-72.

Alexis de Tocqueville?s Influence Essay -- essays research papers

Alexis de Tocqueville’s Influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation of the American prison system brought out several interesting facts about America and how it governs itself. He talks of the danger of greed for money, the importance of forming associations, and the power of influence in town government. Although many of his observations have since changed, many of them bring about legitimate points about American government and society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In de Tocqueville’s book Democracy in America, he is quoted as saying, â€Å"†¦I know of no other country where love of money has such a grip on men’s hearts or where stronger scorn is expressed for the theory of permanent equality of property.† In my opinion, he is pointing out that man’s greed for money is what will possibly tear our society apart. This point has somewhat proven itself in the way that so many men, and now women, are willing to do almost anything to gain a dollar, even if it means using immoral and hurtful ways to do so.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In talking about the importance of forming associations in America, de Tocqueville says, â€Å"Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations...In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others.† My belief is that he is saying that although f... Alexis de Tocqueville?s Influence Essay -- essays research papers Alexis de Tocqueville’s Influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alexis de Tocqueville’s observation of the American prison system brought out several interesting facts about America and how it governs itself. He talks of the danger of greed for money, the importance of forming associations, and the power of influence in town government. Although many of his observations have since changed, many of them bring about legitimate points about American government and society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In de Tocqueville’s book Democracy in America, he is quoted as saying, â€Å"†¦I know of no other country where love of money has such a grip on men’s hearts or where stronger scorn is expressed for the theory of permanent equality of property.† In my opinion, he is pointing out that man’s greed for money is what will possibly tear our society apart. This point has somewhat proven itself in the way that so many men, and now women, are willing to do almost anything to gain a dollar, even if it means using immoral and hurtful ways to do so.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In talking about the importance of forming associations in America, de Tocqueville says, â€Å"Americans of all ages, all stations of life, and all types of disposition are forever forming associations...In democratic countries knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others.† My belief is that he is saying that although f...

Good Vs. Evil - Analytical Sentence Outline Essay -- essays research p

Theme: Good and Evil Create a SocietyParagraph 1:CENTRAL IDEA: Conflicts heavily arise between the two topics of good and evil. THESIS SENTENCE: Through common stories good and evil are portrayed through both protagonist and antagonist view, creating morals and opinions, and how societies views have changed over time. Paragraph 2:TOPIC SENTENCE: Common stories portray good and evil through both a protagonist and antagonist view.Paragraph 3: TOPIC SENTENCE: Significant morals and opinions are shown in stories made up of good and evil.Paragraph 4: TOPIC SENTENCE: Societies views have changes over time by the reality brought out in good and evil.Paragraph 5: CONCLUSION: Good and evil represented the two different thoughts that occur through the mind of people during their extensive lifetime.Conflicts heavily arise between the two topics of good and evil. These conflicts can be extremely realistic or notably exaggerated. They both represent two powers that involve different emotions wit hin your heart. Through common stories, good and evil are portrayed through protagonist and antagonist view, creating morals and opinions, and how society's views have changed over time. Common stories portray good and evil through a protagonist and antagonist view. The first thing I think of when I hear â€Å"good vs. evil† would be a fairy tale. As in most fairy tales, there is always a good guy and a bad guy. An example of this kind of story would be Beowulf, where as Beowulf is the protagonist ...

Hitler Rose to Power Because of the Wall Street Crash in 1929. Do You Agree

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Qualities of a teacher Essay

The first thing that a good teacher needs is knowledge. You will need to be able to provide students with what they need and want to know. I will learn a lot of the knowledge I need from the college classes I am taking but I will also learn a lot if not more from the student teacher hours I will gain my last year of school. Also, a good teacher must be a person who is open to change. There is a place not only for tradition but also for new ways, new ideas and new methods. To be a good teacher, you must be willing to learn from other peers and from students. I have learned a lot just from observing my teachers in high school, as well as the teachers I help out in the elementary. I have learned that they all help each other out; they all have creative ways of teaching the classroom. I am excited to be able to have a classroom of my own and share methods that I have learned to the teacher at the school I will be teaching at someday Creation perhaps is the second quality a good teacher should have. To me is it equally as important. A teacher must be able to motivate students by using creative and inspirational methods of teaching. They should always seek to find new ideas, ideas that will motivate kids to want to learn. Lessons need entertaining just as much informational. Being a creative teacher will make students enjoy classes because they know there are many new and interesting things in your lessons.

Long distance relationship in international student Research Paper

Long distance relationship in international student - Research Paper Example For three to four years, the established relationships with other people outside the university will tend to change. Some of the changes may be even harder to control. Additionally, maintaining a romantic relationship for international students may pose numerous challenges. Most of the students can enjoy reliable, fruitful and happy relationships regardless of the long distances though it is not easy either. Long distance relationships are qualitatively distinct from relationships that are close geographically. One feature of a long distance relationship is that there are raised financial burdens to sustain the relationship. Another important feature of a long distance relationship is difficulties in maintaining a geographically friendship. In non-romantic relationships, international students have been able to use the new technology to maintain strong social ties between family members and friends. It is quite hard for an international student to judge the state of their relationship with friends, family members and their romantic partners from a distance. Research investigating the factors that are linked with long-distance relationships has reported that intimacy, relationship satisfaction and level of consensus are positively interrelated with relationship stability. The more effort made by students to maintain the relationship, the longer a relationship stays (Gulder, 1996). New communications technologies make communication among persons at a distance easier than in the past. Before the introduction of the internet, long distance relationships were rare as primary communication between lovers commonly involved telephone conversation or emails. Students had a fear for schooling abroad so they could not be parted from their friends, families, and their romantic lovers. Nowadays, students do not worry too much about schooling abroad as they can communicate with their loved ones as much as they would

African Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

African Americans - Essay Example In the short story â€Å"Drinking Coffee Elsewhere†, Dina is an African American student admitted to the Yale University, which by itself is a great achievement considering her neglected upbringing. Her metamorphosis is evident from the way she is portrayed in the beginning of the story as a somewhat timid character, while towards the end of the story, she is characterized as an independent minded person who is willing to speak her mind freely. Initially, even though life seems to be going well for her, she is battling to cope with her white elitist environment as a young African American. The story is able to highlight Dina’s ongoing struggles and her self-discovery process. It is seen how throughout the story, Dina has to put up a fight to maintain her integrity in the face of racial discrimination and finding a name for herself. In a world where racial equality is unheard of, she still manages to admit herself into Yale. Additionally, towards the end, she even befrie nds Heidi, who is a white lesbian young woman. This is proof of her growth. The short story â€Å"Every Tongue Shall Confess†, also highlights the metamorphosis of another young African American woman known as Sister Clareese. Just like Dina, she is struggling with her own life experiences which eventually shape the way that she perceives herself and others. Sister Clareese is not only a devout member of her Pentecostal Church, but she is also a nurse which makes her stand out above the ordinary women in her community.

Discrimination, or Not Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discrimination, or Not - Assignment Example Soon after, she filed charge against Hosanna-Tabor with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) appealing against the discrimination of employment along with violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (Supreme Court of the United States, 2011). In this regard, it is justifiable for Perich to file legal case as she was being called and selected as a ‘commissioned minister’ in Hosanna-Tabor. Moreover, rescinding Perich’s call and sending termination letter on the ground of â€Å"threating to take legal action† due to the discrimination can also be considered as a major factor, which can lead Perich to take adequate lawful steps against Hosanna-Tabor (Cornell University Law School, 2012). With reference to the scenario of the case, the suit made by Perich was barred with respect to the legal policies of the First Amendment as it defines that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances† (Cornell University Law School, n.d.). In this context, the district court has barred the allegation of Perich against Hosanna-Tabor. Moreover, the Establishments and Free Exercise Clauses underneath the First Amendments also confer the ability of the church to choose its own ministers from the perspective of disputes associated with the church’s possessions. Correspondingly, Hosanna-Tabor can also bring in relevant legal claims against EEOC in the ground of the provisions considered by the constitutional law (Pew Research Center, 2014). With reference to the case scenario, it has been recognized that the rescinding of call along with terminating Perich on the ground of ‘threatening to take legal action’ duly ascertain an unjustifiable decision of Hosanna-Tabor. The decision of the school in this

Interpretation of koan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interpretation of koan - Essay Example We must realize that every being that exists has come to be, because the Universal Power willed it to. So every living being is unique and important. The power that created it will also provide for it and nurture it. Therefore, there is no need to be overly anxious about the future, and our sustenance. Our Creator will provide for us. There are many among us who are overanxious about unimportant things like how we should clothe ourselves, in order perhaps to create a favorable impression on others. We forget that being natural and simple has a greater appeal to the esthetic sense than being ostentatious. The flowers in nature in their natural simplicity are as attractive-or even more-than a king decked out in all his finery. If we are mindful of our own true natures, and remain as close to them as our Creator willed us to be, then we need no embellishment. All we need is trust and faith in the Lord that we shall be provided for. If we seek the Lord with sincerity we shall find him. Think of this-if we seek anything in life and seek it with single mindedness and in humility, we shall have what we seek. And remember the virtue of sharing. What we have is to be shared with others. We need not be greedy and crave more than our due. And if we share, so will others share with us, and our needs will be met. In Buddhism the value of poverty should not be underesti