A Pictorial Representation of Unit 3 Professor Ramos Blog

A Pictorial Representation of Unit 3 Who fell on their knees in hopeless cathedrals praying for each other’s salvation and light and breasts, until the soul illuminated its hair for a second.-Allen Ginsberg; Howl Billy left his room, went down the slow elevator, walked over to Times Square, looked into the window of a tawdry bookstore. In the window were hundreds of books about fucking and buggery and murder, and a street guide to New York City, and a model of the Statue of Liberty with a thermometer on it. Kurt Vonnegut; Slaughterhouse-five â€Å"The road looked as if no one had traveled on it in months.-Flannery O’Connor My home tongues are the languages I speak with my sister and brothers, with my friends.-Gloria Anzaldua; How to Tame a Wild Tongue But a parent’s love for a child, a child’s for its parents, is another thing entirely.†-Cleà ³filas, Woman Hollering Creek â€Å". . . with the sun sliding out of the sky like spit off a wall . . .† ― Junot Dà ­az, Drown

Lapses and Collapses

Lapses and Collapses Lapses and Collapses Lapses and Collapses By Mark Nichol This post lists and defines lapse and its family of related words that pertain to a passage of time or to falling. The words discussed below all derive ultimately from the Latin verb labi, meaning â€Å"fall,† â€Å"sink,† and â€Å"slip,† in addition to other related actions, by way of lapsus, meaning â€Å"falling† or â€Å"slipping† (figuratively or literally) or â€Å"passage of time† (from the sense of â€Å"gliding†). Lapse, as a verb, originally pertained merely to that last sense, but it later applied as well to something becoming invalid or void and acquired the additional meanings of â€Å"commit a sin† or â€Å"fail to retain religious faith.† As a noun, lapse means â€Å"decline† or â€Å"fall,† or â€Å"interval,† â€Å"interruption,† or â€Å"termination,† or it may refer to a mistake due to forgetfulness or inattention, or to abandoning one’s faith. The adjectival form is lapsed; the adjective labile once meant â€Å"prone to fail or fall,† but now it pertains to instability or propensity to change. (The adjective labial and other words pertaining to lips are unrelated.) Labefaction, meanwhile, is a rarely used word meaning â€Å"downfall† or â€Å"overthrow† in the sense of a weakening of civil order or moral principles. When time goes by, it is said to elapse. That word was at one time also a noun, but lapse has superseded it. In theology, several words with the root lapsarian pertain to various beliefs about the biblical account of the fall of humankind as told in the story of the Garden of Eden: postlapsarian (â€Å"after the fall†), prelapsarian (â€Å"before the fall†), sublapsarian (â€Å"under the fall,† which is also the translation of the synonym infralapsarian), and superlapsarian (â€Å"above the fall†). The verb collapse (literally, â€Å"fall together†) means â€Å"fall† or â€Å"fall apart,† â€Å"break down† or â€Å"lose effectiveness or significance,† or â€Å"fold down† or â€Å"give way† and as a noun refers to any of these actions. Something that can be collapsed, generally limited to the sense of â€Å"fold down,† is collapsible, and that quality is called collapsibility. When a body part falls or slips, it is said to prolapse (â€Å"fall forward†), and such an occurrence is a prolapse. A relapse (â€Å"fall again†), meanwhile, is an instance in which symptoms of a disease that had abated recur, and the word also serves as a verb. Lava is an unexpected cognate; the word describing magma, or molten rock, after it has surfaced from underground (in its molten state or after it has cooled and hardened) stems from lapsus by way of Italian. The adjective lavalike refers to something resembling the molten state. Lapidary, referring to cutting of gems and stones, is an unrelated word derived from lapis, the Latin word for â€Å"stone.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Hang, Hung, Hanged13 Theatrical Terms in Popular Usage

Articles Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Articles Review - Essay Example Given these trends in the past (with respect to the transportation of items), the articles raises doubts through the questions of a number of researchers whether a similar trend would influence the working of the super information highway of modern times, which is popularly known as the Internet. The article says that one of the most prominent reasons for the growth of the internet has been the 'openness' and 'uniform' feature of the net that has made no distinction between the type of information being transferred. In order to support this claim, the article cites a paper published by Andrew odlyzko that talks about the willingness of telecom companies towards introducing a pricing system for different types of information that would be transferred through their networks. The article also discusses about how deviations in the earlier pricing and tariff systems were used indiscriminately, which caused an outburst among the people. The government and the regulatory bodies of those times then had to step in so as to bring about the requisite changes that ensured smooth transport of goods thereafter. While the article says that such price discrimination has in the past worked towards reversing the fortunes of some places such as Beverly beck, it also raises questions as to whether changes to the uniform pricing of internet based services would have similar effects. In view of this argument, the article ultimately concludes that the given the enormous size of the Internet, a flat based system would work much better and encourage users to utilize the services in an extended manner. In my opinion, price discrimination has been there all along in the modern times and it has been the trend with telecom companies that happen to be the core providers of the Internet infrastructure. one is not surprised to see the different kinds of services provided and the differing price tags that each one is attached with. Subscribers are charged different tariffs for services such as phone calls, SMS, MMS, email, multimedia etc. moreover; some companies also discriminate on the basis of the subscriber being new or a regular one, wherein the former is charged higher rates than the latter. The reason service providers have not been able to implement such a policy over the internet has been predominantly due to the fact that the providers of such services over the internet are other companies different from these providers and the mode of information transmission is bits in any case. As such, service providers as of now do not have any software or hardware applications in place th at is capable of distinguishing between the types of information by simply examining the bits being transmitted. Therefore, any possible solution towards implementing any tariff based structure on the internet by these service providers can only be possible in the current time by forging alliance with the providers of these internet based services such as chat, VoIP, entertainment etc. given the facts that the number of such software providers runs into millions and that a mighty proportion of such services are for free would make it impossible to implement a service based pricing system in absolute totality. In fact, it can be compared to the marketing strategy of Apple inc.

Global strategy unit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global strategy unit - Essay Example The analysis ends which a brief understanding regarding what measures the company is require to undertake so as to enhance their market presence. Aldi is a global supermarkets chain, with their headquarters located in Essen, Germany. The company has approximately 8000 stores located in different nations of the world. Aldi’s stores were first opened in the year 1990 in the U.K. There are currently 512 Aldi stores located in the U.K. Aldi mainly sells food items and beverages. Majority of the products of the company are the less expensive household items and most of these products are Aldi’s own brand. In order to sustain competition, enhance sales and attract a larger target market, the company incorporates selling a number of branded items. The number or brands sold by Aldi in their electronics and kitchen appliance category have also enhanced in the recent times. The company also provides weekly and seasonal discounts on it more expensive category of products. Such discount items also includes clothes, flowers, toys and stationeries. Internationally the stores of Aldi are subdivided into two groups, Aldi Nord a nd Aldi Sud. The U.K chain of Aldi stores fall in the Aldi Sud Category. Over the years, successful business operation and suitable market strategies have facilitated Aldi into becoming one of the valuable retail chains globally. In the U.K the operations of the company are mainly based upon the limited assortment technique. According to this concept, high quality products are restricted to a small number of brands and categories, to be purchased in bulk and sold at competitive prices. Every business activity of the company is undertaken with the motive of creating savings. Discounts are usually seen to be passed on to the consumers through the end selling prices (Barney, 1991). The current project aims to analyse the corporate and business strategies of Aldi in the U.K and accordingly understand the viability of firm’s

Setting Up A Moral System Essay Example for Free

Setting Up A Moral System Essay The installation of a moral system is vital in every society. Yet, every moral system must deal with the major conflicting general moral issues: Consequentialism versus Non-consequentialism; Self versus Other-Interestedness; Act Utilitarianism versus Rule Utilitarianism; and Emotion versus reason. When all four areas are combined and examined there are conflicting views that must be resolved. First of all, there is the issue of Consequentialism and Non-consequentialism. Consequentialism is best described by utilitarianism, where decisions are based on the consequences of the outcome of the decision made. On the other hand, non-consequentialism is best described as an ethical theory that is based not on the consequences of the action, but on some higher moral standard that is placed upon them. Examples of non-consequentialism are Kants Duty Ethics and Divine Command Theory. The conflict between the two is whether to do what is best according to the outcome or follow what one feels as the higher moral standard would require them to adhere to. Personally, I would resolve this area by choosing the consequentialist belief as my tool for judgement because I feel that people need to think about the consequences of their actions because if they dont then it will cause havoc in the society. Thus, I feel that consequentialism is the proper solution in this area. Secondly, there is the conflict between Self versus Other-Interestedness. The concept of self is best described as being selfish and only caring about oneself without worrying about what might happen to others. While the concept of other-interestedness is basically putting the needs of everyone else over your own (this is similar to utilitarianism). The big conflict is that most people are going to choose themselves first, but if this were a perfect society the people would worry about everyone first. If people would think about it, then they figure it out that they are included in everyone. Therefore, in this area I would solve the problem by choosing the theory of other-interestedness. Next, there is the issue of the act utilitarianism versus the rule utilitarianism. The act approach to utilitarianism is that a person should perform acts that will bring about the greatest good for the greatest number. On the other hand, the rule approach to utilitarianism is that people establish and follow rules which will bring about the greatest good for the greatest number. The major conflicting moral issue is whether or not there is freedom involved in the decision making process. Act utilitarianism gives unlimited freedom, while rule utilitarianism gives virtually no freedom, but rule utilitarianism gives structure and stability to the society. The best way to solve this area would be to have rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism combined so that you have rules to give some structure to society but have the ability for the people to be allowed to express their individual freedoms in the society. Thus, I feel that a combination of the two is the best way solve this area of the moral system. Finally, there is the issue between reason and emotion. Reason is described as thinking about what the outcome of the decision would be, then making the decision. The theory of emotion is reacting to ones emotions without thinking about the possible outcome of the situation. In this situation one has to side with reason because if not the society would have people reacting to their emotions all the time which could chaos and would not fit into a utopian society. All of these four areas combined would help in establish an upright and proper moral system when applied correctly. I feel that the decisions that I made earlier in this essay are the proper ones needed for a good moral system.

Expert Systems In Health Care :: essays research papers

A case referring to the beneficial use of the expert systems in the health sector was the attempt of the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake city,Utah to build “ the most complex artificial intelligence system ever created'; according to the words of DR David Classen.Its name was AIC or “Antibiotic Computer Consultant'; and it was part of HELP(Health Evaluation through Logical Processing), which was LDS’s hospital information system. The latter was existed, before the implementation of the Expert System. The role of AIC was to help doctors determine proper antibiotic treatment for specific patients.Achieving the specific purpose,the Expert System followed the above stages: 1) The doctor turned to the system with information on the infection type and site, and also identified the patient to the computer. 2) The system determined the pathogens, which are likely to have caused the infection. 3) The software examined the patient’s medical records( through the HELP information system) and searched for similar cases nationwide. 4) Finally, it displayed the five most likely antibiotic regimens to be effective and the cost of the prescription for each one. Altough,the system was extremely rewarding and expanded to include other cases involving antibiotics, some criticisms were made against it. It was stated that the system was unwieldy and that physicians had to enter much information, which was useless. Of course, the best answer came straightly from the physicians, who highlighted many important benefits of the AIC. The 88% of them believed that the use of AIC was very simple and they would recommend it to other colleagues. Another 85% stated that the program improved their selection of antibiotics, and 81% agreed that it enhanced patient care. Concerning its usability, doctors access into the system 3 times a day.

Classism †institutional, cultural, and individual set Essay

Class is a relative social rank in terms of income, wealth, education, occupational status, and power. However, classism is the prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. Classism is the institutional, cultural, and individual set of practices and beliefs that assign differential value to people according to their socioeconomic class and an economic system that creates excessive inequalities and causes basic human needs to go unmet. I would define myself as being a member of the upper middle class. Upper middle class is a part of the middle class. Middle class is broken into three different parts consisting of the lower-middle class, middle class, and upper-middle class. The reason I would classify my family as upper middle class as opposed to other parts of the middle class is that both of my parents are accountants, which makes them have higher incomes due to professional jobs. In claiming this identity, I feel very lucky that I was able to grow up in a very comfortable lifestyle for myself. Coming into this class, I would have classified myself as middle class as I wasn’t even aware there where three different parts in middle class. One memory as a child that I can recall pretty vividly is while I was cleaning out my room every couple years as a child. I remember my parents helping me and I was trying on clothes and the stuff that didn’t fit, we folded and put into a big bag. I was very confused why we weren’t throwing them away and my parents told me that because I was very lucky I could have these clothes so we are going to give them to people less fortunate so they could have them too. At a young age, I just agreed and never really knew what that meant but as years passed, even without knowing, I could tell the differences in wealth in people that I saw. The high school I went to has three different towns that go to the same school and the amount of wealth in each town is different for the most part. You can tell for the most part in the types of clothing, and ways people acted in where they came from and how much money they had compared to you. This was interesting for me to learn about class at a young age without even knowing I was doing so. In the panel in this class, I didn’t relate to many of the stories, however I did find it very interesting in that people of such different backgrounds are capable of  achieving some of the same cultural capital. In my family, talks about money have never occurred. I remember asking my father how much money he made one day, and he said don’t worry about it and told me to not ask again. To this day, I am still unsure how much money my father and mother make. I am not positive about this, but the reason I think that they didn’t want me to know is so I didn’t talk about it with my friends. I know now as I get older more and more even without them telling me but I know my parents budget their money in a very smart way. When they moved to Suffern, where I live now, a suburb of New York City, they chose this town as the school district was vey good and they wouldn’t need to send me to public school to get a â€Å"better† education. Also, although they could have afforded it, they chose to live in a development of houses instead of getting a freestanding house, which would have been more money and more money in taxes. These were a couple examples of how my parents budgeted their money in order to give the whole family a better lifestyle in my opinion. This is because if I wanted something on the more expensive side, or needed something, they wouldn’t need to think about how they could afford it or pay for it. Personally, I think this is very smart of them and will definitely look to do the same in my future. Although my parents are upper middle class, I have still had a couple jobs. They knew that having experience would help me in the long run when I apply for a real job coming out of college. I have talked about how much money I made in these jobs with my friends but I feel as if these jobs that I have had, such as a camp counselor, and then the difference in starting my career job are totally different. I don’t see myself talking about my starting salary with my friends even though I am sure other people will. I think that this is something personal. My guess would be that this is because this is the way my parents feel and without knowing it, this is what they told me is normal. I don’t feel uncomfortable talking about money but through personal experiences, it is not something that I do very often. Class is only one aspect of ones identity. When someone asks me who I am, class is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind. I would say I  am a white male before I say that I am a member of the upper middle class. This being said that a person can have more than one identity, they do intersect with one another. Stereotypes have been made about the intersection of identities. For example, Jewish people are supposed to be rich. Maybe it is true that Jewish people will be wealthy and live a comfortable life, but this isn’t necessarily true. Jewish people are no different than anyone else, besides the fact that they practice that religion, in the sense that they are human and they don’t have to be wealthy just because they are Jewish. Personally, I believe that class does play a role in education. Back when my grandfather was eighteen, and thinking about college, he did not have a choice in where he was going to go to school. He did not have that much money at all in his family, so if he didn’t go to City College, which at that time was free, he was not going to go anywhere. He would have had to start working in order to help the family pay their bills. This wasn’t just the case for my grandfather either. My mother and father where told what schools they were going to go to strictly based on what their parents can afford. They both were able to go to college, and luckily for me they ended up being very successful people and didn’t have to put to many limitations on where I was able to go. The college process is very complicated nowadays. Some people get into schools because they are athletes, donate money, and other such acts even though they may not be academically meet the requirements for the school as Peter Schmit says in his article â€Å"At the Elite Colleges†. I was told since a young age that I was going to college and didn’t really have a choice about it. This is does not mean that I didn’t work to get to where I am today. Karen Pittelman and Resource Generation say in the article â€Å"Deep Thoughts About Class Privilege†, â€Å"Acknowledging how class privilege impacts our lives doesn’t have to mean abandoning pride in ourselves. Our hard work is still hard work.† This means that just because we have some sort of privilege in our lives, doesn’t mean it was handed to us on a silver platter. I, for one, still work extremely hard to do well in school. However, this is what I want anyway cause I know with this education I am receiving, I will hopefully become ve ry successful in the future and will be able to give my kids the same  opportunity as my parents did. When I get my bachelors degree in business administration, I will try and find a job, but if that isn’t the case, I will look to get my masters. I am lucky enough where I do not need to worry about debt coming out of school so my options are wide open and will make that decision when the time comes. I do not think that a world without classism is possible. There will always be different classes and for that matter, people will have the prejudice that people who do not have as much money as them are inferior. I think one huge step would be admitting you have oppressed people because of class, and realizing it is wrong is the first step you can take before trying to fix this ongoing problem such that Betsy Leondar-Wright does in her article, â€Å"Classism From Our Mouths† and â€Å"Tips from Working-Cass Activists†. I think that there can be actions, such as teaching this oppression so people understand it better, that can lead to less classism in the future but realistically speaking, I do not think there will ever be a time without classism. APA Citation Quotations: â€Å"Acknowledging how class privilege impacts our lives doesn’t have to mean abandoning pride in ourselves. Our hard work is still hard work.† Karen Pittleman and Resource Generation, Deep Thoughts About Class Privilege. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. (pg 219) Sections in a book: Schmidt (2010) At the Elite Colleges. Readings for Social Diversity and Social Justice (pg 173-174) Leondar (2010) â€Å"Classism From Our Mouths† and â€Å"Tips from Working-Cass Activists†. Readings for Social Diversity and Social Justice (pg 214-218) Collins, Yeskel (2010) The Dangerous Consequences of Growing Inequality. Readigs for Social Diversity and Social Justice (pg 155-169)

Effectiveness of Working Individually Essay

Abstract This purpose of this mathematics classroom-based research study is to answer the following question: Will allowing students to work in groups improve their understanding, or will working individually lead to greater understanding? I have been at a crossroads trying to determine if and when to allow students to work together or to make them work alone because students do not always manage the social aspects of group work so that it will be advantageous to them. Half of the class was instructed that they would complete their work by working in groups; the other half of the class would complete their work by themselves. I compared students’ pretest results to their post-test results. In both categories there was not much change in understanding from the beginning of the unit to the end of the unit, making it difficult to conclude which student category showed better improvements in understanding. Finally, conclusions about further research are discussed. Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 3 Background This study investigates students’ understandings about mathematics. The purpose of the research is to answer the following question: Will allowing students to work in groups improve their understanding, or will working individually lead to greater understanding? This idea of group dynamics has been studied and researched, but in my experience, I have had mixed results. In some situations, students help each other, their time is spent on task and they benefit from peer interactions. At other times, students spend their time chatting about  things that are not relevant to the topic at hand, and do not get much work done at all. When students in my class do their work independently, most students tend to complete their work, or they will come ask for help if they cannot continue. I have been at a crossroads trying to determine if and when to allow students to work together or to make them work alone because students do not always manage the social aspects of group work so that it will be advantageous to them. I know why group work is not always a positive experience in my classroom. A major element that must be considered is the difficulty of the work that students are expected to complete. Often times, it may be too difficult for students to complete without guidance from the teacher, leading to group and individual frustration. This is a realistic concern despite the fact this mathematics program is mandated by our district for all students at this grade level. Students are expected to complete the coursework with a certain level of independence and success, however, this issue is debatable, as many educators who teach this mathematics program readily express that they dislike it and/or that their students have difficulty doing the work alone. Another valid concern that can affect group work is management of student behavior. Making students stay focused can be better maintained in my classroom if there was more structure and guidelines about the norms and expectations of group work from the onset of the school year as well as continuous monitoring of group dynamics and progress. The participants in this study are from one of the 7th grade math class that I teach. The study was conducted during the 75-minute math periods. There are 28 students, and I am the only teacher in the class. The classroom has 5 large tables where up to six students can sit. Most often, there are usually four or five people at a table and the other students will sit at other places around the perimeter of the room. For example, students will sit at the computer table, two smaller tables, and on a rug. The seating arrangement is important to this study since they were Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 4 assigned to work independently, and would need to sit alone, and others worked in groups and sat at the large tables. All classes in the school are organized by our school’s principal with the intention to have the students as equally balanced as possible,  considering race, gender, academic achievement, and behavior as the criterion. The socio-economic status of the school is mainly middle class; about 30% of the school qualifies for a free or reduced lunch. The tables and graphs below show the number and percentage of students in each category. Literature Review There is an abundance of research regarding grouping of students as an educational practice. Grouping can be classified into two major types: homogenous- or heterogeneous-ability groups. In either situation, students can work independently or cooperatively. There have been many studies regarding each of these areas that favor heterogeneous-ability groups and cooperative learning groups. Homogenous grouping, or â€Å"tracking†, has been widely used in America’s educational history, and continues to be used today, but studies show that this type of grouping does not benefit students any more than heterogeneous groups (Esposito, 1973; Mills, 1999; Slavin, 1993; Slavin & Karweit, 1985). Kulik’s (1992) analysis of the research noted that when positive gains are made, they should be attributed to adjustments in instruction and curriculum, not because of the grouping arrangement. When the top, middle and bottom groups use the same curriculum, Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 6 despite their differing ability, there are no academic gains. When students are placed in homogenous classes, the â€Å"top† students show a slight drop in their confidence levels, while the â€Å"bottom† students show a slight increase. When classes used different curricula, there were some positive changes in achievement. The greatest increase noted is when students are put into enrichment or accelerated classes, mainly because of the additional resources and change in curricula offered. A variation of homogenous grouping by class is homogeneous semi-groups within a heterogeneous class. Slavin & Karweit (1985) cited that many researchers found that the latter has more positive academic results than traditional whole-class instruction. Cooperative learning has been a popular alternative method of grouping students instead of tracking. There is empirical evidence that cooperative learning is effective for students (Gokhale, 1995; Slavin, 1995; Yackel, Cobb & Wood, 1991) but Johnson and Johnson (as cited in Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005) find that, â€Å"the successful application of cooperative grouping in classrooms still eludes many educators.† Therefore, researchers continue to investigate this topic, specifically trying to identify the different variables that  make cooperative learning successful and effective (Cohen, 1994; Slavin, 1995; Yackel, Cobb & Wood, 1991). Without certain elements, cooperative learning is no more effective than traditional methods of instruction and learning (Cohen, 1994; Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005). One element that has been under research is the effectiveness of cooperative learning based on the type of task the group has to complete (C ohen, 1994). Many tasks can be done individually and do not really require cooperation for understanding. Other tasks, like those that are â€Å"ill-structured† and those where process is more important than outcome, should be used as cooperative learning tasks. Another element that can affect how beneficial cooperative learning can be is the type of interactions that occur between the group members. Cohen (1994) cited many studies that conclude that students’ discussions in groups are good indicators of the achievement that the group will have. In addition, the groups that ask specific questions while working proved to show more gains. Slavin (1995) identified other elements that make cooperative learning beneficial, and those elements are present because of certain theoretical perspectives. The â€Å"motivational perspective† includes group goals and awards as a cornerstone of cooperative learning. This  Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 7 theory acknowledges that th e objective of group work is for individuals to achieve as a result of being a part of a group. Therefore, in practice, the group can only benefit when the individuals of the group are successful. External rewards are given to groups when the individuals in the group are successful. This is a key element in this theory, and empirical evidence shows that this is a key factor in the effectiveness of all group work. Cohen (1994) acknowledges a compromise of sorts, stating that extrinsic motivational tactics should be used under certain circumstances where group interaction is not enough, for example, when group work is not challenging and could be completed without the group. Other evidence shows that when carefully structured interactions are implemented then cooperative learning can be effective even if there are no extrinsic rewards (Slavin, 1995). Another perspective of cooperative learning labeled â€Å"social cohesion† is more rooted in the interpersonal influence that cooperative learning entails (Slavin, 1995). Under this lens,  an extrinsic reward for the group’s achievement is not necessary because it is believed that the interactions that occur within the group are rewarding enough. This theory is strong in establishing group norms and roles for the members of the group as to enhance group interactions. Slavin’s studies did not find any evidence to support that this perspective on group work produces higher academic gains than traditional instruction, unless it was combined with extrinsic rewards. Other perspectives are also identified that account for mental processing of information that takes place in a cooperative learning setting. The â€Å"developmental perspective† is based on Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s work (as cited in Slavin, 1995) believing that students learn when they interact with others, as long as they are within each other’s zone of proximal development. Large gaps in students’ ability within a group did not yield academic growth. These beliefs alone have not been shown to increase learning, but they do provide the rational behind why cooperative learning is effective. An extension of this belief is the â€Å"cognitive elaboration perspective† which is based on students either providing or listening to detailed explanations of content. O’Donnell & Dansereau and Webb (as cited in Slavin, 1995) found that students who provide elaborate explanations increase the most academically. Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 8 Methodology The purpose of my research was to determine whether my students gain a better understanding of the mathematics content when they work in groups or when they work individually. I used pretests and posttests as the instrument to determine which situation would be more productive (see Appendix). Questions on the tests were selected from the Mathematics in Context series, which is the mathematics series that my school district has mandated that we use, and from the Philadelphia Math Benchmark, a bi-monthly citywide test. The assessment questions chosen aligned to the objectives and goals of the topic taught during the time frame of this study. They are open-ended questions in which students are told to provide an answer as well as an explanation. I normally use the assessments at the end of a section or unit of study. All participants had to give written parental consent to participate in the study. All students were requested to parti cipate in this study, therefore, before the research was conducted, forms were distributed to the students  (see Appendix). I verbally explained to them that I was a student at a university, and needed to use their work in a project that I had to complete for my courses. Their work would be used to help me determine what teaching strategies worked well. I informed them that their names and other personal information would not be used, just their answers from regular classroom tests and assignments. I went on to say that I needed their and their parents’ permission to use their work in my reports, and it was fine if they did not want to give their permission. If I did not have their permission to use their results, they still had to do all the assignments and assessments, except their answers would not be used in my reports. I asked the students to let their parents know what my intentions were, and for them to return their consent forms promptly. The study began at the same time as a new mathematics topic. I had never taught the math content before, but students had been exposed to the content in previous grades. Before I did any instruction, I administered a pretest with two open-ended questions (see Appendix). The students were advised that this was a test to see what they were able to do before I taught them anything, and that this would not count toward their grade. I also told them that at the end of the lessons, they would take another test to see if they had progressed (the post-test, see Appendix). Over the course of the lessons (which lasted about 2 weeks), I followed the Madeline Hunter model of lesson design. Each day the lesson was structured to include: standards, Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 9 objectives, anticipatory set, teaching, guided practice, closure, and independent practice (Allen, 1998). It was during the â€Å"guided practice† portion of the lesson that half of the students either worked independently or in random groups (explained below). Half of the class was instructed that they would complete their work for this unit by working in groups; the other half of the class would complete their work by themselves. The students were randomly assigned to work either individually or in groups using Random Sequence Figure 1 – Random Sequence Generator Generator, a program that allows you to generate a random list of a sequence of numbers without repeating any numbers (Haahr, 1998). At the beginning of  the school year, each of my students was given a number (the number has no academic correlation) from 1 to 28 since there are 28 students in the class. The images show how the program lets you choose your sequence of numbers (Figures 1), and will then put those numbers in a random order (Figure 2); I chose from 1 to 28 to represent the 28 students in my class. The first 13 students to appear on the list were assigned to work individually; the other 15 students would work in groups of 3 Figure 2 – Random Sequence Generator List  for the duration of the unit. In cases of absence, groups would work as dyads. To eliminate any concerns about ability, gender,  social grouping, which are variables that were not included in this study, students who worked in groups were shifted daily into different groups throughout the duratio n of the lessons. I managed that by putting each of the 15 students’ numbers on slips of paper and pulling three students at a time to form groups for that day. Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 10 At the end of the unit, students were given a post-test as a means to measure their progress. The post-test included the same two questions that were on the pretest and one additional open-ended question (see Appendix). All questions were chosen from the Mathematics in Context series and the Philadelphia Math Benchmark, as explained above. The objective was to determine what students could do before instruction on the pretest, and compare the results to those on the post-test. Findings Investigating if there is a difference in understanding when students work alone or if they work in groups naturally led to comparing students’ work. There were several comparisons that are made below, for example, pretest to post-tests, and individuals’ grades to groups’ grades. My expectations before I conducted any research were that most of the students would show some type of growth from the pretest to the post-test whether they worked individually or in groups. I anticipated that those students who worked in groups would be better able to explain their answers than students who worked alone. My conclusions about the cause of change in student understanding from the beginning of the unit to the end is  based on analyzing the change from the pre-test results to the post-test Figure 3 – Averages Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 11 results (see Figure 3). The pretest had two questions, while the post-test repeated those same two questions plus one additional question. I compared the pretest results to the post-test results according to the averages for each question. It is difficult to conclude which student category showed better improvements in understanding because everyone started out with such high pretest averages. I expected much lower pretest scores so this was surprising and very much unexpected. In both categories, the students’ results for the first two questions show that there was not much change in understanding from the beginning of the unit to the end of the unit, although, those who worked in groups did show a slight increase in their understanding for question 1. Question #3 of the post-test reveals the most interesting and perhaps confusing results. This question was not included on the pretest. The average grade for those who worked individually is higher than those who worked in groups (see Figure 3), but neither category of students showed a proficient level of understanding. Again, this was surprising and unexpected. A closer look at this question reveals that students’ results varied whether they worked in groups or individually (see Figure 4). Neither group showed a strong tendency to score in any specific grading category. However, the students who worked individually did have a greater  Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 12 percentage that got the question correct by showing and/or explaining their work, and therefore received an â€Å"advanced† grade. Furthermore, those who worked in groups had a higher percentage that got the question wrong, receiving a â€Å"below basic† grade. Based on this data, the st udents who worked individually did have a better understanding of how to solve this problem than those who worked in groups. Conclusions Based on the results of my research, it is difficult for me to  conclude whether having students work in groups or individually helped improve students’ understanding in my classroom. The data I collected did not show that there was a strong improvement in understanding for either group dynamic. One question did favor those who worked individually, but that conclusion cannot be extended to the other questions. There are a few statistical factors that caused my results to be inconclusive. The students’ pretest scores were high, showing that they understood those particular objectives before any instruction took place. In order for the data to show some type of conclusions, one or both of the following things would have had to happen. There would have to be growth from the pretest to the post-test, or the post-test results would have to consistently favor the group workers or the individual workers. My data did not do this. In retrospect there are several things that I would do differently. The first thing would be to vary the pretest and post-test questions. Gokhale (1995) did a similar research study and used different questions in order to prevent students from becoming â€Å"test-wise†. I would also extend the length of the study so that I could repeat the study over several units. I do not think that I had enough data to draw sound conclusions. Both of these changes would make me feel more comfortable and more confident about the results of this study; however they would not necessarily alter my findings. The research about cooperative learning offers suggestions that might yield different results. Research shows that my question about the effectiveness of cooperative learning needs to be modified to investigate whether certain factors of cooperative learning are effective. The research shows that certain elements can or cannot exist which will probably affect whether cooperative learning is working. Certain things like external rewards, group interactions, ability  Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 13 levels within the group, group tasks, group structure and norms, and elaboration/explanation are influential variables that can be studied. Based on the research about cooperative learning and on my results from my study, I conclude that group work in my classroom is not beneficial to my students’ achievement. I am one of those educators that was eluded as to how to make cooperative learning work. My class falls into the category where group work is no more effective than traditional methods. I am not satisfied with this position, and many  teachers may be in this same situation. To further my practice, and perhaps other teachers’ as well, I would make adjustments to the way I structure cooperative learning in my classroom to include elements suggested from the current research. A good place to begin would be to analyze the theoretical perspectives suggested by Slavin (1995) to see what perspectives best match my own philosophy of teaching. I would then apply some of the fundamental elements that are associated with that belief and repeat my study. Instead of comparing individuals to students that worked in groups, I would investigate which elements of cooperative learning were more effective in my classroom. References Allen, T. (1998). Some basic lesson presentation elements. Retrieved January 2007, from Humboldt State University http://www.humboldt.edu/~tha1/hunter-eei.html Cohen, E. G. (1994). Restructuring the classroom: Conditions for productive small groups. Review of Educational Research. 64, 1-35. Retrieved January, 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00346543(198723)57%3A3%3C293%3AAGASAI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 Davidson, N., & Kroll, D.L. (1991). An overview of research on cooperative learning related to mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 22, 362-365. Retrieved January, 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00218251%28199111%2922%3A5%3C362%3AAOOROC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P Esposito, D. (1973). Homogeneous and heterogeneous ability grouping: Principal findings and implications for evaluating and designing more effective educational environments. Review of Educational Research. 43, 163-179. Retrieved January, 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00346543(197321)43%3A2%3C163%3AHAHAGP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 Gokhale, A.A. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7, No.1, Retrieved January 2007, from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/pdf/gokhale.pdf Haahr, M. (1998). Randomized sequences. Retrieved February 2007 from http://www.random.org/sform.html Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 15 Kulik, J. A. (1992). An analysis of the research on ability grouping: Historical and contemporary perspectives. National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, CT. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED350777). Retrieved January 2007, from http://edres.org/eric/ED350777.htm Mills, R. (1997). Grouping Students for Instruction in Middle Schools. ERIC Digest, Retrieved January 2007, from http://www.ericdigests.org/1999-1/grouping.html Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, Oregon., (2005). Research based strategies: Cooperative grouping. Retrieved January 20, 2007, from Focus on Effectiveness Web site: http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/coop.php Slavin, R. E. (1993). Ability grouping in the middle grades: Achievement effects and alternatives. The Elementary School Journal. 93, No. 5, 535-552. Retrieved January, 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00135984%28199305%2993%3A5%3C535%3AAGITMG%3E2.0.CO%3B2-O Slavin, R.E. (1995). Research on cooperative learning and achievement: What we know, what we need to know. Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk, Retrieved January 2007, from http://www.aegean.gr/culturaltec/c_karagiannidis/20032004/collaborative/slavin1996.pdf Slavin, R. E. , & Karweit, N. L. (1985). Effects of whole class, ability grouped, and individualized instruction on mathematics achievement. American Educational Research Journal. 22, No. 3, 351-367. Retrieved January, 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00028312%281985232%2922%3A3%3C351%3AEOWCAG%3E2.0.CO%3B2-K Wood, T. (1993). Chapter 2: Creating an Environment for learning mathematics: Social interaction perspective. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 6, 15-20. Retrieved January, Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning 16 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=08839530%281993%296%3C15%3AC2CAEF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-A Yackel, E., Cobb, P., & Wood, T. (1991). Small-group interactions as a source of learning opportunities in second-grade mathematics. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education. 22, 390-408. Retrieved January, 2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=00218251%28199111%2922%3A5%3C390%3ASIAASO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-6&origin=JSTORpdf

Detergents and Soaps essays

Detergents and Soaps essays The chemical reaction that produces soap is called saponification. It occurs when a hot caustic alkali solution, such as caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), acts on natural fats or oils to produce a smooth, semisolid, fatty acid salt (soap) and glycerin, or glycerol. There are many different procedures and techniques of making soap. Three main ones include the boiling process, the continuous process and the cold procedure, The boiling process is one specific procedure in which soap can easily be made at home by boiling water with animal fat or vegetable oils and wood ash. As the water boils, the fat molecules are broken down into fatty acids. Saponification occurs when these fatty acids react with potassium carbonate from the ash to form soap. Continuous soap making process is another common process in which the fat is split into fatty acids and glycerin in a tall column called a hydrolyser. Molten fat is continuously pumped in at the bottom of the hydrolyser and is split into fatty acids by water that is continuously pumped in at the top at high temperature and pressure. The fatty acids are taken from the top of the hydrolyser and the glycerin is drawn off at the bottom. The fatty acids are then purified in a still and neutralized with an alkali to yield neat soap. Cold process is anther process, which is used by small factories. In the cold method, a fat and oil mixture is agitated with an alkali solution in an open pan until the mixture thickens. It is then poured into frames and left to saponify and solidify. This is a diagram illustrating how milled bar soap is commercially produced in industries to form the final product that is sold. Milled bar soap is produced by means of several mixing, blending, and milling stages. Hot water and fats are mixed in a hydrolyser and the fatty acids are distilled. The mixture is then condensed and enters metering pumps where alkali is added. After the solution is mixed and blended, b...

10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing

10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing 10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing 10 Tips for Clean, Clear Writing By Mark Nichol Adhering to the following guidance about usage, syntax, punctuation, style, and form will perceptibly improve the quality of your writing. 1. Use vivid verbs. Monitor your writing for excessive use of forms of â€Å"to be†- is, be, and their variants- and other helping verbs such as has, as well as other weak verbs like do and go, and replace with active verbs. Also, avoid baseline action words when possible. For example, people don’t just walk: They lumber, march, or stroll. Don’t strive to eliminate every instance, but do minimize vague verbs. 2. Reword or delete clichà ©s. Think outside the box. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. All (fill in the blank) are not created equal. These. Are. So. Lame. (YMMV.*) 3. Always use the serial comma. When listing more than two things, include a comma before the conjunction preceding the final item. Omitting the comma can prompt ambiguity about the list’s organization, but inserting it never contributes to confusion. Related article: The Rationale for the Serial Comma. 4. Avoid scare quotes. Generally, use â€Å"scare quotes† only to signal that the writer is calling out the quoted content as being dubious or ironic, not to introduce an unfamiliar term. Related article: 3 Erroneous Uses of Scare Quotes. 5. Hyphenate phrasal adjectives. If a two-word phrase doesn’t appear in the dictionary as a standing open compound, it is not exempt from hyphenation. Exceptions can be made for terms of art (vocabulary specific to a topic or discipline and well known among one’s readership), but use this privilege sparingly, and double-check that open phrasal adjectives aren’t ambiguous or confusing. Related article: 5 Types of Phrasal Adjectives That Require Hyphens. 6. When in doubt, don’t capitalize. If you’re not certain that a word or phrase should be capitalized, look the term up in authoritative sources. Writers often Capitalize Important Concepts that don’t deserve such emphasis, but careful writers don’t. (Also, for example, job titles are capitalized before a name but not after it, and generic terms that are abbreviated references to proper names- such as act when referring to a specific piece of legislation- are just that: generic.) Related article: Avoid Gratuitous Capitalization 7. Refrain from using all-caps. Employ italics to emphasize a word or phrase. Reserve use of all capital letters for humorous indication of shouting or panic, and avoid in formal writing. 8. Be consistent in formatting treatment. If a caption is boldfaced or italicized or appears in a different font, all captions should be formatted that way. If top-level headings are capitalized headline style (Capitalized Like This) rather than sentence style (Capitalized like this), treat subheadings the same way. 9. Vary sentence length. A healthy mix of sentence length and syntactical forms (simple declarative statements, sentences with lists, sentences with subordinate clauses and parenthetical phrases, and so on) keeps the reader engaged. Lockstep sentence construction and consistently short or long sentences are distracting. 10. Manage paragraph length. The traditional five-sentence paragraph form is fatiguing. Strive to craft paragraphs that will, in published form, be about ten to fifteen lines in narrow columns or five to ten lines in full-width display, and, as with sentence length, avoid paragraphs of consistent length. Related article: How Long Should a Paragraph Be? If you decide to ignore or break a rule for effect, take care with the rest of your content, or your attempt at deviation may seem like simply the most egregious of your errors. * Your mileage may vary. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Wether, Weather, Whether"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?Writing a Thank You Note

Business Management -----motivation and leadership for one of the Essay

Business Management -----motivation and leadership for one of the campany - Essay Example But McDonald’s sustained itself because of its willingness to innovate and its efforts to attain consistency in the operations of its many outlets. McDonalds business model has been largely responsible for its success. But there is no doubt that its leadership style and its endeavor to identify and develop leadership competencies has equally helped it to achieve success around the world. At McDonald’s maximizing business performance, coaching and communication, improving the performance of teams are the key leadership competencies. The leadership style is a mix of leadership styles with a mix of components of hard skills such as maximizing business performance and soft skills such as coaching and communication that are soft skills. The company is aware that leadership skills must change with changing business circumstances. Hence the management is constantly surveying the external and internal business environment to ensure that the company’s leadership style reflects the current business needs and environment. The philosophy practiced at McDonald’s is to select the most successful features of established leadership and management styles and incorporate them into their business model. This approach seems to have worked when you consider McDonald’s success around the world. The management style has aspects of various management and leadership styles amalgamated into one approach for leading and motivating the organisation. Its approach has features taken from management styles outlined by Maslow, Taylor and Herzberg and the Democratic style of leadership. McDonald’s business model is represented by the â€Å"three-legged stool†. The success of the company is because of the strong alignment forged between the Company, its employees and its franchisees that own and operate the majority of the Company’s restaurants and suppliers who provide the food and packaging. This model focuses on open relationships between the three. The company

Cave Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cave - Essay Example The cave reveals that such people are trapped in the cave of confusion and misunderstanding. The Shadows symbolize the perceptions of people who believe that what we see in the world increases knowledge. When one believes that what he sees should be justified as truth then this happens to be the shadow of truth. The game illustrates how people believe that one individual can be a master. The escape prisoner symbolizes the philosopher who finds knowledge outside his senses and the cave. His intellectual journey revolves finding wisdom and truth. The return represents a different prisoner who desires to find philosophical truth. This essay seeks to discuss how we can use Plato’s allegory to understand what Ishmael Beah went through in his experiences in Sierra Leone’s war. In brief, the story of Ishmael Beah reveals a child’s journey through tribulations. At a tender age, Ishmael life was affected by the outbreak of the civil war. His parents and siblings died and left him in the world that was cruel and brutal. Soon after his family’s death, the young boy was recruited as a child soldier. In his assigned duties, Ishmael ensured that many people understood the devastating impacts of war on young children in his country Iran. Ishmael won a competition in his country for creating insights on the effects of war in Iran. In his life, the young boy spoke confidently about his experiences that eventually captivated many people’s attention on the aspect of child soldiering and the effect of war on children (Plato10). Ishmael spoke on different occasions on behalf of the Human Rights Watch and UNICEF. He created a strong ground for many people to promote children rights and end war since its effect cannot be underestimated. The story of Ishmael is of hope and redemption in that it revealed his passion in humanity. Now that we have discussed the meaning of the Allegory cave, let us now discuss how the Plato’s allegory helps us und erstand what Ishmael Beah went through in his experiences in Sierra Leone’s war. Ishmael Beah is like the prisoner described in the allegory in that he represents the dreamer who seeks knowledge outside of the senses and the cave (Beah 19). As previously mentioned, Ishmael’s journey represented a philosopher's journey of finding wisdom and truth. In a Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah narrates a riveting story that reveals his different realities before, during, and after his time as a soldier. Before being a soldier, the government army accused Ishmael of being capable of committing terrible acts. At this point, one would argue that the boy was in the cave of misunderstanding. The world around him was dark and filled with torments and pain. As argued by Plato (10), the people in the cave cannot air their thoughts since they can only see life as illusion. However, in the outer world there is light that makes an individual to identify everything that is happening around him. Based on this argument, one would argue that the young boy was inside the cave after the death of his parents and siblings. He could not comprehend why the world was so much cruel to the extent of killing his family members. During his time as a soldier, the young boy was in the outer world of the cave where everything was visible. He gradually began to identify everything that was happening around him and he realized that he was living in the real world. He