Free Essays on Rainforest

The battle for the Amazon rainforest is a daunting task. It’s a long battle between miners, loggers, and developers against those who see the need to protect and save this crutial enviornment. The destruction affects lives, families, the economy, politics, and the environment amongst other things. The effects of the Amazon affects the entire world. Possible vaccines, medicine, animals and beautiful wildlife are all at risk. The environmental problems of today started a long time ago, before automobiles, electricity, and the Industrial Revolution. As population increased along with technology advances, more significant and widespread problems arose. The Amazon rainforest was not spared from this growth. The Amazon region has long been seen as a land of great riches. â€Å"Early Europeans and others have long been fascinated by the Amazon, with early visions of a land of gold, the legend of ‘El Dorado’† (Faminow 32). The European invasion bought with it the increased population and new technologies that had a drastic effect to the Amazonian region, which was once considered safe from exploitation. This problem has continued to the present, with higher consequences. Ehrlich explains, â€Å"today, unprecedented demands on the environment from a rapidly expanding human population and from advancing technology are causing a continuing and accelerated decline in the quality of the en vironment and it’s ability to sustain life† (98). As a result, the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed at an alarming rate, affecting all those that live in the region, and around the world. To help in the understanding of the vast changes in the rainforest, Howard Facklam has come up with some staggering statistics. He states, â€Å"it was estimated at one point in the 1980’s that the Amazon basin was being cleared at the rate of 50 acres a minute; another estimate put the rate at 78,000 square miles per year† (53). These are astronomical ... Free Essays on Rainforest Free Essays on Rainforest The battle for the Amazon rainforest is a daunting task. It’s a long battle between miners, loggers, and developers against those who see the need to protect and save this crutial enviornment. The destruction affects lives, families, the economy, politics, and the environment amongst other things. The effects of the Amazon affects the entire world. Possible vaccines, medicine, animals and beautiful wildlife are all at risk. The environmental problems of today started a long time ago, before automobiles, electricity, and the Industrial Revolution. As population increased along with technology advances, more significant and widespread problems arose. The Amazon rainforest was not spared from this growth. The Amazon region has long been seen as a land of great riches. â€Å"Early Europeans and others have long been fascinated by the Amazon, with early visions of a land of gold, the legend of ‘El Dorado’† (Faminow 32). The European invasion bought with it the increased population and new technologies that had a drastic effect to the Amazonian region, which was once considered safe from exploitation. This problem has continued to the present, with higher consequences. Ehrlich explains, â€Å"today, unprecedented demands on the environment from a rapidly expanding human population and from advancing technology are causing a continuing and accelerated decline in the quality of the en vironment and it’s ability to sustain life† (98). As a result, the Amazon rainforest is being destroyed at an alarming rate, affecting all those that live in the region, and around the world. To help in the understanding of the vast changes in the rainforest, Howard Facklam has come up with some staggering statistics. He states, â€Å"it was estimated at one point in the 1980’s that the Amazon basin was being cleared at the rate of 50 acres a minute; another estimate put the rate at 78,000 square miles per year† (53). These are astronomical ...

Adequate is Adequate

Adequate is Adequate Adequate is Adequate Adequate is Adequate By Maeve Maddox From a reader: let me ask if the following usage is correct: The food is adequate enough. Like unique, the adjective adequate says it all. adequate: equal to, or fully sufficient for a specified or implied requirement; often: narrowly or barely sufficient The addition of enough in the following examples is redundant: If you work at it, you can do an adequate-enough job. There are no words that seem adequate enough to describe the thanks and appreciation The Allen test is not adequate enough for the screening of hand circulation I don’t think she did too well on saying I love America. That wasn’t adequate enough †¦ The unnecessary enough seems to be especially common in questions: Are most good freeride bikes adequate enough to race downhill Are there any words adequate enough to describe peace? Photoshop adequate enough for Screen-Print Designs? Is PC gaming desirably adequate enough to give up on console When apologizing is saying my bad adequate enough? If something is adequate, thats all there is to say: Now is the time to make an adequate income a reality for all of Gods children†¦ Do tinfoil helmets provide adequate protection against mind control rays? 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 Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1When to Form a Plural with an ApostropheSupervise vs. Monitor

Aboriginal history in north america-the circle of life with mention of Essay

Aboriginal history in north america-the circle of life with mention of the medicine wheel - Essay Example There were numerous ways in which the circle of life is interpreted, all of which illustrate the need for harmonious existence with others and nature. The medicine wheel is a physical manifestation of spiritual energy, through which one can visualize surrounding events, which allowed the Aboriginals to be in harmony with the self and nature by creating notions of new life and renewal (Liebmann 69). The circle illustrates continuity of nature and in human beings, while the four points bear different meanings, for instance, nature’s four elements that are: fire, earth, air and water are all part of the same physical world and should be respected (The Sacred Foundation of Aboriginal Education 5). In addition, it is indicative of human development stages as well as the human potentialities, which include mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. The circle of life also teaches that the symbolic races are part of the same human family, and should live in harmony as brothers and sisters. In this regard, as the Europeans explored the new territory, they would be compelled to respect nature and other races present before them. Thus, the Aboriginal people continued with their beliefs regardless of the prevailing new influence and culture (Bramadat and Seljak 266). Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cultural & Spiritual Values The Sacred Foundation of Aboriginal Education 2012, Sustaining our Ways: Educating for Sustainability. 2012. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

Stakeholder management and risk management Essay

Stakeholder management and risk management - Essay Example The stakeholder identification includes listing of the external and internal stakeholders who are associated with the mega project and then categorizing the stakeholders according to their roles, influence and impact on the large project. After analyzing the group of stakeholders, a stakeholder matrix is formed in which the stakeholders are positioned based on their relative importance for the large project that they are associated with. Followed by the formation of stakeholder matrix, stakeholder engagement is crucial in order to discuss the objectives and goals of the organization. The expectations of the stakeholders are also discussed in the meeting and a common goal is arrived to which all the stakeholders need to abide. The expectations of the stakeholders are discussed and the nature of communication to be maintained with the stakeholders is also agreed upon during the process (Kerzner and  Belack, 2010, p.47). The approach of stakeholder management maintains all the protoco ls of the large scale project in terms of security, confidentiality, etc. ... The synthesis approach to stakeholder management considers the ethical responsibilities to the stakeholders apart from the fiduciary responsibilities. Risk management is a process of identification, assessment, categorization and prioritization of risks and then adopt suitable strategies for allocation of resources in order to monitor, control and mitigate the impacts of risk exposures. Risk management approaches are adopted in order to minimize the impacts of uncertain events which could interrupt or cause stoppage or considerable loss in the operations of large scale projects. Risk management takes into account the exposures to the financial markets, credit policies, legal risk, operational risk and any other event that is unpredictable or uncertain in the course of large projects. The various approaches to risk management in large scale projects include avoiding the risk, reducing the impact of risk exposure, transferring the risk to another party or even accepting some or all of the probable impacts of a certain risk exposure (Handlechner, 2008, p.37). In case of avoidance of the risk, some of the resources or objectives of the large scale project may need to be compromises. The risk avoidance approach is taken when the impact of such risk on the large scale project nullifies the value of the project. In most large scale projects, the risk mitigation approach is followed with a view that there is a risk return trade off for the project. Lowering the amount of risk to the tolerable limit of the project would help large projects to be executed with a profitable balance between the associated risks and the potential returns (Conrow, 2003, p.58). The third approach for the management of risk is the method of transferring the risk to another party. By transferring

21st Century Technologies and Their Relationship to Student Achievement Essay Example for Free

21st Century Technologies and Their Relationship to Student Achievement Essay The Holy Grail in education today is to link an educational strategy, program, initiative or technology to student achievement. There are numerous organizations advocating for Technology Literacy, Information Literacy, 21st Century Learning Skills, and any number of other titles for literacy in a modern context. In all sectors of human society, the technology of the 21st Century has revolutionized and enhanced our way of life. From medicine to the military and from business to the arts, the technologies of today have made our lives better. It is not surprising then, that the public expects technology to have a similar revolutionary effect on education. After all, the biggest advancements of the last 20 years have been in the realm of information and the tools of human knowledge; this is Education’s back-yard. Yet, when people look at our schools they see many classrooms that seem to have been immune to these advances. There are obstacles that education faces in implementing a 21st Century approach to education not the least of which is finding a definition and a clear picture of what it really looks like and whether it will be more effective for students. Costs to implement technology-rich programs quickly seem prohibitive when scaling to an entire school system, particularly so in a state that lags the nation in educational funding. Teachers are our biggest asset and are known to be the single largest influence on student achievement the district can provide, so professional development is crucial and fundamental. The measure of success, the CSAP, is a paper and pencil test which will be unable to measure all the positive effects technology can have for student learning. Indeed, a 20th Century test method will be unable to properly assess (and may even inhibit) the skills development of a 21st Century learner. And then, are we just about the content and helping students master it, or is education about something more as well? Therefore, making the case that investment in technology will increase student achievement can be fraught with pitfalls and obstacles. To attempt to tackle this issue, the authors of this paper will review quality research and commentary in an array of areas where technology-related tools and strategies have been implemented with positive effects for students. A strict filter of studies that produce higher test results will not be used because of the limitations current paper and pencil tests have in assessment of 21st Century skills. In addition to improved assessment performances, the reader is encouraged to consider the context of a global workplace and education’s duty to prepare students to thrive in a highly digital, interactive knowledge workforce. Research that shows increased student achievement on assessments, studies that point to ways education can successfully prepare students for a modern workforce and our own experiences in Littleton Public Schools shall all be considered positive correlations between technology and student achievement in this paper. The Challenge Inherent in Determining the Effectiveness of Technologies via Research The following is an excerpt that addresses a gestalt view of technology and its correlation to student achievement: When we try to determine the effectiveness of educational technologies, we are confronted by a number of methodological and practical issues. First, we need to remember that technology is only one component of an instructional activity. Assessments of the impact of technology are really assessments of instruction enabled by technology, and the outcomes are highly dependent on the quality of the implementation of the instructional design. According to Roy Pea, director of SRI Center for Technology in Learning in Menlo Park, California, the social contexts of how technology is used are crucial to understanding how technology might influence teaching and learning. Educational technologies cannot be effective by themselves. The social contexts are all-important. This means more attention should be paid to the teaching strategies used both in the software and around it in the classroom, and to the classroom environment itself. It is a recurrent finding that the effects of the best software can be neutralized through improper use, and that even poorly designed software can be creatively extended to serve important learning goals. There are also a host of methodological issues to confront. First, standardized achievement tests might not measure the types of changes in students that educational technology reformers are looking for. New measures, some of which are currently under development, would assess areas, such as higher order thinking skills, that many believe can be particularly affected by using new technologies. There is also a need to include outcome measures that go beyond student achievement, because student achievement might be affected by students attitudes about themselves, their schools, the types of interactions that go on in schools, and the very idea of learning. Another consideration is pointed out by the U. S. Office of Technology Assessments Teachers and Technology: Making the Connection: Technological changes are likely to be nonlinear, and might show effects not only on student learning, but also on the curriculum, the nature of instruction, the school culture, and the fundamental ways that teachers do their jobs. Coley, 1997). Instant Response Systems Data-driven decision making is an educational approach that requires educators to decide on instructional strategies and activities based on what they know about how well students have grasped a concept. Whereas before, this might be done with mini quizzes, homework or performances at the chalk board, today’s technologies provide another avenue. Using handheld devices in Modesto City Schools classrooms, teachers can pose questions to students who use wireless remotes for real-time responses. Such engagement enables the teachers to immediately determine if students are grasping concepts and decide whether more time is needed on a topic or whether the group can move on. Item banks of standards-aligned questions make teacher’s jobs easier in developing such review materials (Hines, 2005). Another similar technology is the graphing calculator which can be used in math and science classrooms to enable every student to participate and have the power of a modern computing tool. Classrooms that make use of the graphing calculator exhibit better questioning and feedback behaviors; goal-oriented instruction becomes more attainable and more common; activities result in better student engagement and students tend to demonstrate more collaborative learning behaviors (Whitehurst, 2003). In Littleton Public Schools, a definitive interest is rising for these technologies as several classroom sets are deployed in schools across the district. Results are largely anecdotal and preliminary, but math coordinators are seeing the Texas Instruments graphing calculator as a valuable tool that will reach beyond just math class. Technology Education Littleton Public Schools has a strong tradition in the realm of technology education. Our Middle and High Schools are all equipped with curricula that introduce a wide array of technologies to students. LPS technology education students and teachers have won national recognition for their work. A relatively small amount of research has been done on students’ understandings of design and technology concepts, or technical knowledge. This limited research sometimes makes it difficult to capitalize on such an ever evolving subject as Technology Education. The findings from the Australian study state that an increasing awareness of students’ understandings of design and technology concepts can have an impact on the teaching and learning of design and technology in elementary schools similar to that experienced in elementary science education (Davis, Ginns, McRobbie, 2002). Called Career and Technical Education in Virginia, CTE correlations to curricular areas have been documented on a state web site (http://www. valinkages. net/) and are considered a key component to preparing students for End-Of-Course tests. A study was conducted in 2002–2003 on Illustration and Design Technology coursework, an example of CTE student performance on Standards of Learning (SOL), the Virginia equivalent of CSAP tests. The results showed that 78 percent of CTE students passed the mathematics SOL test while only 72 percent of non-CTE enrolled students pass the test (Dyer, Reed, Berry, 2006). Authors on the subject advocate for providing students with opportunities to synthesize their learning in other subjects in technology-related programs. The opportunity to apply and reinforce learning from content areas in technology programs is essential if learning is to be meaningful to students (Lewis, 1999). In our own experiences in LPS, we find that the Technology Education courses generate excitement and interest for learning among both male and female students which must have an impact on their learning. Recent research has shown that Technology Education courses appeal to both genders equally (McCarthy Moss, 1994). Although girls appeared to enjoy required technology education courses, they were less likely to continue taking such courses as electives(Silverman Pritchard, 1996). Certainly motivation and application of knowledge help to improve student achievement. And while recent results do not conclusively prove that these courses impact student achievement at a higher level than other programs we implement in schools, it would be imprudent to think that these programs do not have a very positive effect. This is one of the limitations of research on students: it is almost impossible to create a true control group. When asked, students currently enrolled in LPS Technology Education courses reported their thoughts of technology to include: computers, iPods, video games, music media, email, and tools in general. Recent legislation supports the concept that education’s technology initiatives need to go beyond thinking about computers. Rather, Technology Education is about teaching innovation; providing opportunity for practical application of knowledge gained in school; mastery of abstraction and problem solving. Technology Education programs at LPS include a broad scope of tools that human beings use to master their environment including manufacturing, construction, power and energy, communication, transportation, and biotechnology. While research that clearly correlates higher student achievement on standardized tests is lacking, the skills that students learn in such courses clearly match what employers, from engineering firms to manufacturing companies, indicate they seek in their applicant pools. Simulations and Video Games â€Å"Dad, did you know that a Prefect in ancient Rome was both a firefighter AND a policeman? † was a question that arose from the back of my (Dan Maas) car during a long road trip with my son, Calvin. He described, in quite accurate detail, the pantheon of Roman gods, the basic elements of Roman society and then abruptly ended the question and answer period that arose from his initial question so he could fend off the Carthaginians. How did he know they were Carthaginians? â€Å"Hannibal always attacks with elephants† was his reply. The boy had learned all this about Rome playing a video game at age five. Video games have long been the bane of the parent and teacher’s existence, but there’s something here that may be of some use to us. Some have picked up on the possibilities. A multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) is a kind of video game. Schools like Harvard University are creating MUVEs that are patterned after video games with a few critical differences. Video games typically have goals like collecting points, defeating enemies or gathering gold. On the other hand, MUVEs have the goal of learning. By creating virtual environments, problems can be posed, research can be collected, theories tested and outcomes achieved. One MUVE example begins with an outbreak of a disease in a small town that players must investigate, determine the pathogens involved, develop theories on how o treat the illness and test methods to resolve the crisis. The simulation is highly visual, interactive, and highly engaging to the students. See   Studies show that children whose teachers use technology for simulations and application of knowledge tend to develop higher order thinking skills and tend to score higher on tests like the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Conversely, technology use that focuses on drill-and-practice tends to correlate to lower performance (Archer, 1998). In another pilot, students who participated in computer-assisted literacy instruction earned higher scores on a Stanford Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory and on a Test of Written Spelling (Bottege, Daley, Goin, Hasselbring, Taylor, 1997). In a 2005 study on a gaming system called an Intelligent Tutoring System, results showed increased educational interest and motivation among students. Students showed statistically significant gains educationally, but of particular note was the very significant effect on students who had performed poorly previous to the pilot (Virvou, Katsionis, Manos, 2005). When one thinks about games, it seems as if there is a clear opportunity for using this tool for advancing educational skills. Students solve problems, learn languages and master virtual world rules while playing video games for entertainment. This pattern was examined in a Newark, New Jersey study using Lightspan educational video games where 47 pre-school age children played 40 minutes per day for 11 weeks and demonstrated significant gains over the control group on the Wide Range Achievement Test R-3. The scores for spelling and decoding were significantly improved for the experimental group over the control while no significant difference was detected in math (Calao Din, 2001). The Pokemon video game is also interesting to consider. By the time the first draft of this document is completed for the Board of Education, the country will celebrate Dr. Suess’ birthday. His children’s books help young people to learn to read by creating simple, repetitive language constructs that reveal patterns to students and help them improve their decoding and phonic awareness. He even made up nonsense words to press the student’s phonetic ability. Pokemon has many similar traits. Text on the handheld game appears in small, five word chunks that only proceed when the reader is done. The reading is meaningful in that comprehension is required to solve the puzzles of the game. And the story line is filled with imaginary creatures with made-up names†¦ each phonetically accurate. Did the makers of Pokemon intend to create a game that might help children learn to read or did the creators use phonics to create the English language equivalents of their native Japanese? Who knows, but perhaps this game, or something like it, could be helpful. In speaking informally at several buildings in LPS, students at the middle level indicated that they would check out educational video games to play on their home gaming systems. Could video games, tuned to education by eliminating violence and other objectionable themes, become a new tool educators can use to engage students both during and after school? More research is certainly warranted but the existing results and intuitive logic leads one to think that there is promise here. At-Risk/Intervention An ever present emphasis in education is how to intervene for students with at-risk characteristics. We see educational and economic gaps forming for students at-risk and our public system is always focused on closing gaps and providing bridges for students. Can technology-integrated interventions be part of the answer? In a recent study published by North Carolina State University’s Meridian, journal on middle school technology, students repeating eighth grade were isolated into a focused 27-week program that used hypermedia, online resources and Power Point as integrated technologies. Students demonstrated statistically significant gains (29 percentile points) in reading and language arts. Additionally students demonstrated marked improvements (23 percentile points) in writing performances (Little, 2006). Within LPS, the Center for Online Studies is a partnership with Arapahoe Community College (ACC). Students come to ACC to take online coursework supplied by Class. com and supervised by a certified teacher. The students enrolled have had difficulty succeeding in their traditional high schools and reported to the Board of Education in January, 2007 that the program has made a difference in their academic pursuits. The principles in use here that are making this first year program a success are having a quality content source, a certified teacher and a supportive learning environment. 1:1 Initiatives One-to-one computing is an industry term of one computing device allocated to one person. This essentially is an initiative to end shared computing resources based on the idea that such learning tools are so essential that every student needs one all the time. This view is something akin to the status that textbooks have enjoyed for some time. When the public hears about classroom textbooks, meaning students can’t take their own book home, there is usually concern or even outcry to increase the resource. Proponents of 1:1 computing believe that the 21st Century represents a time when that status held by textbooks transfers to the computer. Indeed, if we are to shift from paper-based learning materials to electronic sources, a 1:1 initiative of some sort of computing device will be a pre-requisite. Some school districts and even states have begun to explore this concept. In Maine, a state-wide initiative began nine years ago to provide every seventh grade student with a laptop. The program is called the Main Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) and it is having an impact on teaching and learning in their public schools. After five years, researchers reported that teachers were more effective at helping students meet state standards. Also students were more motivated, learned more, and mastered concepts to deeper levels. Finally, students appeared to be learning new skills for the 21st Century (Lane, 2003). Further research into the MLTI project showed that students who had used laptops in 7th and 8th grade, but no longer had school supplied laptops in 9th grade reported that the quantity and quality of their school work had dropped since losing access to school-provided laptops (Pitler, Flynn, Gaddy, 2004). A 1:1 project is the initiative in Henrico County, Virginia which began in 2001. Prior to the project, 78 percent of the district schools were accredited based on the student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning test. By the end of the school year in 2003, all schools had earned accreditation meaning that a satisfactory percentage of students passed the state test (Pitler, Flynn, Gaddy, 2004). In Canada, a 1:1 effort entitled the Wireless Writing Project begun in 2002 started in Peace River North with 6th and 7th grade students. In pre and post-test results on writing assessments, researchers found that the percentage of students who met or exceeded the performance standards of the test increased from 70 percent to 92 percent (Pitler, Flynn, Gaddy, 2004). Another 1:1 initiative is underway in New Hampshire where initial results reflect other studies of similar efforts. Students and teachers are demonstrating increased technology use across the curricular areas. Student engagement and motivation is improving and student-teacher interactions are on the rise. Initial reports of teacher judgment of student achievement (that is, basing achievement on grades rather than standardized tests) indicate that students are doing better than before (Bebell, 2004). In our own experiences in LPS, we see classrooms with laptop access achieving a 1:1 ratio for the class period exhibiting much improved academic behaviors. Working in this manner, students demonstrate a tendency to return to previous homework and revise, edit and reuse to far greater degrees than the classroom teacher was accustomed to seeing. Students more often compare their writing samples with peers and seem more likely to collaborate. Using blogs, wikis and other online tools, students expand on the usefulness of word processors by working collaboratively and ubiquitously. Collaboration through Technology A strong theme through the research and observations in this paper is how technologies are used to improve student achievement and general practices. This section is dedicated to the art of collaboration and how various tools allow people to reach across distances and through time like never before. iPods and other MP3 playing devices have opened up a very convenient and powerful pathway for information to be produced, accessed and archived. San Diego State University is leveraging this technology in science teacher preparation. Podcasting is a method of recording digital audio and video files and posting them online for others to access. This method can be used to bring distant experts to students, provide opportunities to review material at leisure, grant unprecedented access to students to research material and extend the learning opportunities for students well beyond the classroom. Surveys of pre-service science teachers who used iPods and podcasting in their preparation reported time savings, increased interest in subject matter, and declared that they would use podcasting in their own teaching methods in the future (Yerrick, 2006). The presence of global networks, the affordability of a wide array of information technology and the reality that connected people create an integrated whole have drastically impacted how we work, and learn today. Learning theories of the previous century including behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism were developed, prior to the current way our lives are organized, as a result of technology. Siemens proposes a new theory of learning based on the new human condition: Connectivism. In this view, knowledge resides in people and on devices. Learning and knowing rest on diverse opinions from a wide array of sources. Learning becomes a process of connecting nodes of information. Continual learning is maintained by nurturing connections. Learners find connections between different ideas, fields of study, and basic concepts. Being current is of paramount importance. And decision-making is actually a learning process, meaning choosing what to learn and being able to deal with the shifting nature of information. Learners must become comfortable with the reality that what is considered correct today might be proven wrong tomorrow. This theory of learning represents a massive shift in thinking: that learning is not an individual pursuit, but is a collaborative, dynamic and never-ending activity (Siemens, 2005). In LPS, the blog and the wiki has become a fascinating collaborative learning tool. In a Language Arts classroom, students no longer just check out a book, write some sticky-note annotations, and have one-at-a-time discussions prompted by the teacher. Rather, students copy Macbeth from a web resource into a word processor and annotate electronically, keeping their work on personally owned USB memory keys. While some students discuss a scene with the teacher, others are free to blog commentary on the topic of verbal discussion or other interests in the subject-matter at hand. Suddenly, a dozen conversation threads are happening all at once and the teacher only has control of one. The participation rate of students has risen and students return to the blog after school to continue their dialog. Students report that the conversation via blog makes them more reflective and yet more confident because of the lack of a public speaking component to the classroom discussion. In one discussion, the number of postings became so frequent over a short period of time that the free blogging service shut down the account because the activity resembled a malicious electronic attack on the blog server. A wiki supporting another Language Arts class is being used to connect students to young people in other countries like South Korea. Students reading Arabian Nights have opportunities to share their insights with others from around the United States and even in foreign countries. Other opportunities include the use of SKYPE for toll-free calls around the globe to other connected classrooms and instant messages allowing free-form, high speed conversation on topics of study. And in a Foreign Language classroom, chat and Voice Over IP systems allow students to practice their second language acquisition with their teacher, with each other, and even with students outside the classroom. The lesson is that the art of collaboration has no boundaries today. Time and space are no longer the limiters they once were and the list of technologies in this section only scratches the surface of what is available. And like the learning theory of Connectivism points out, this too will change. Education must take note and prepare students to succeed in an environment that thrives on collaboration while constantly changing and improving the tools that support it. Word Processing and Writing For decades now, research has been conducted on the effect word processing has on writing skills for students. In a 1997 study, Owston and Wideman cite a considerable body of work on this topic as part of their research project that studied 3rd grade students using word processors for writing. They concluded in their own study that use of word processors that were readily available to students and were an integrated part of their daily activities resulted in considerably higher quality and quantity of writing as compared to a similar student group without access and support for such tools (1997). In a more recent qualitative study, the use of word processors with seven 3rd grade students over a six week period led to significantly more creative, more comprehensive and improved style. This study of five girls and two boys also reported higher motivation to work with the writing process as compared to paper and pencil methods (Beck Fetherston, 2003). In LPS, Anne Smith reports that students are more engaged when using classroom laptops. The students take advantage of the ease of use to manipulate text to show various sentence structures. While these studies definitely point to improved writing volume and quality from young students, research also suggests that young students need to be exposed to handwritten learning as well, which has been a point of discussion for some time. An article by Balajthy et al points out that students need a diverse writing experience and that word processors should be part of the experience rather than replacing handwritten work (Balajthy, McKeveny, Lacitignola, 1986). At this developmental level, the various tools for writing are most effective for learners when they are used in an integrated approach with the overall instructional program rather than taught separately (MacArthur, 1988). There are studies that show little or no impact of word processors on the quality of student writing, however, a meta-analysis in 1993 showed that these studies tend to have a number of limitations not the least of which is the use of text-based word processors rather than the Graphical User Interface (GUI) systems in use today. Additionally, the analysis revealed that such studies often involve students who have sporadic access to the technology and were not accomplished with the tool (Bangert-Drowns, 1993). The process of mastering writing is very important and there is research that shows how emphasis on writing skills positively improves student achievement across the curriculum. Writing Across the Curriculum initiatives have over twenty years of professional practice and anecdotal evidence to support this claim. Strong research has been hard to come by, however, to truly evidence the effects. One of the biggest obstacles is the ability to truly have a strong control group for any study as such would require a population of students who did not use writing as part of their learning process (Railsback, 2004). Some studies have been able to document positive effects. In a 1992 study, Van Allen was able to conclude that school-wide efforts in Writing Across the Curriculum in five middle schools over a five year period resulted in better writing and better overall student achievement on assessments (1991). What we have found essential in LPS is to have students write frequently and in a variety of forms including wikis and blogs as well as word processors. We wish to note here that we must be careful about using research that is old, even though some of it is unavoidable. The technology tools of today are very different than when computers first entered schools. As an example, the word processing research from the 1980s may not be completely irrelevant, but the software of today bears so little resemblance to the software of the late 1980s. In addition, increased student (and teacher) familiarity with these tools will also have an effect on the impact these tools have on achievement. A key question is How do we measure the impact of tools that change so quickly that by the time you measure their impact, the tools have changed? In other words, by the time most research is done (and published in reputable sources), the technology has changed so much that the research loses at least some of its relevance. This will be a significant hurdle to overcome. In a comprehensive peer-reviewed report, Bangert-Drowns conducted another meta-analysis with Hurley and Wilkinson on the impact of writing across the curriculum in 2004. This analysis, which reviewed 48 studies, produced three major findings. First, writing for learning produced positive effects on school achievement in the studies reviewed. The second finding was that grade levels, minutes per task, and writing prompts had significant impact on results. The study found that programs implemented in Grades 6–8 actually had reduced performances, possibly due to the loss of time on the more differentiated content covered at the secondary level. Longer tasks also depressed results perhaps for similar time constraint issues and motivational issues among students. The use of writing prompts concerning students’ current understandings and confusion were very effective while prompts for personal writing showed no effect. The third finding concerned the length of treatment. The analysis revealed the intuitive conclusion that students who have longer exposure to writing for learning strategies experience a cumulative effect that is very positive (2004). The research continues today and can be seen in an article published in Education Week on February 14, 2007, where the National Assessment of Educational Progress has been piloting a computerized test for assessing writing. This move recognizes the research that is showing how students write more often, of better quality, and with more consistency (between both genders) when using these writing tools. And preliminary results are showing that students tend to write better on the tests when using the word processor (Cavanagh, 2007). What can be drawn from these studies is that writing, being an active learning process, has been shown to positively impact student achievement in all subject areas. It can also be stated that students who have ample access to word processing in conjunction with skillful instruction in a school that is emphasizing Writing Across the Curriculum can be reasonably expected to produce higher achievement results. Streaming Video In four Los Angeles public schools, a study was conducted on the effectiveness of United Streaming video in supporting 6th through 8th grade mathematics achievement. Students were pre and post-tested to provide the source data for the study which revealed that the experimental group using streaming video outperformed the control group by 4. 7 percent among sixth grade students. This differential was shown to be statistically significant. Eighth grade students showed a more modest 2. 2 percent advantage which still registered as significant (Boster et al. , 2004). In LPS, the same United Streaming resources were secured for all schools at the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year. Additional digital projection and speaker equipment was provided to schools along with a concerted orientation effort to help teachers access and use the material. Prior to the introduction of United Streaming video, the Internet connection for the district was peaking at 26 megabits of demand. Within two months of the introduction of United Streaming, the peak demand had reached 100 megabits which represented the maximum throughput the connection was able to sustain. This 400 percent increase in Internet demand was traced directly to streaming video services requested by the schools demonstrating the value teachers immediately saw in this technology. Today, LPS is deploying a locally hosted server to present the streaming video to meet the growing demand for both quantity and quality of the content. Laptops for Teachers The following is an observation of technology use at Lenski Elementary School by Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Boni Hamilton. As part of the Technology Grants from Plan for Social Excellence (www. pfse. org). schools provided laptops for teachers in the first year of the three year grants. PFSE didnt collect hard data about the impact, but at Lenski Elementary School, I saw firsthand the effects on teachers and instruction. Some observations: 1. Teachers who had been least confident about their technology skills increased their confidence and competence with technology skills to equal that of the more tech-savvy staff members within four months. While the classroom teachers had regular access to technology skills when they co-taught in the lab and so were fairly confident with technology skills, the non-classroom staff such as specialists received training only when it was scheduled for the staff. This was too infrequent to give them the level of competence they needed. The portability of the laptops allowed the specialists to get help from peers, family members, and friends. A couple of teachers even signed up for computer classes outside the school because they finally had computers they could take home and practice on. One teacher who had been only moderately comfortable with technology learned how to make tables in MSWord and began showing everyone on staff she became the staff expert. 2. Teachers improved in their trouble-shooting skills. Trouble-shooting is difficult to teach because problems happen at inconvenient times and are hard to reproduce during a training session. However, when teachers were carting their laptops home and had problems, they had to solve the problems themselves. They either used family members to help or they fooled around until it did what they wanted. Because they knew the computers could be restored, they no longer worried about what would happen if they took a risk and pushed a button. 3. Teachers grew more relaxed about problems. Before laptops, teachers often got stressed when some technology failed. As they learned to problem-solve laptop problems, they had less tendency to get up-tight when something went wrong. They were then able to think about problem-solving strategies, consult a peer, or cart the laptop to a computer coach for help. 4. Teachers increased the level of student use of technology. As teachers gained confidence, they became more willing to risk using computers in the classroom. It wasnt as scary to let kids try projects on classroom computers because they trusted that either they or their students could solve problems. 5. The demand for student computers in classrooms has increased dramatically annually. Even though teachers felt their classrooms were too small to handle clusters of computers, six months after they received laptops, they made room for computer clusters because they began to depend on computers to enable students to continue projects, collaborate on learning, and practice skills. The number of desktop computers in classrooms went from an average of three per room to an average of five to six per room. Lenski also bought two 15-computer laptop carts, but demand was so heavy that the school added two more carts in the following year. Then the librarys demand for computers increased so dramatically that the school had to buy a fifth cart. In the third year of having laptop carts, teachers are now complaining that there are too few carts available for the library and 16 classrooms (Grades 2-5). 6. After three years of having laptops, most teachers opted to return to desktop computers. There seemed to be several causes for this: 1) They purchased home computers and found they could use USB drives to cart files; 2) The school had enough wireless laptops for student use that teachers could get on a laptop; or even borrow one overnight, if they needed; 3) They preferred larger screens, faster processors, and standard mice. Based on these observations, I advocate strongly for giving teachers experience with laptops before buying laptops for students. Concluding Remarks The following is a summative commentary from Karl Fisch, Edublog Nominee and Finalist for the Best Blog of 2006: Were not going to find a whole lot of really good research to support this at this time. I can summarize what the research generally says. The use of technology in appropriate ways has a small, positive effect on student achievement. It also has a larger, but still small, positive effect on student and teacher motivation, engagement and satisfaction. Thats about it. But I would strongly argue that to a certain extent this is missing the point. I would also suggest that many of our current practices are in direct contradiction to what the research says we should do, but we do them anyway because its convenient for the adults. How come nobody is demanding to see the research to support those practices? But I digress. ) I do not think that if we infuse technology into our schools, even putting in a 1:1 program at the high schools, that we will see student achievement as we currently measure it skyrocket. I think we may see a small positive effect, with possibly a slightly larger effect among those students who typically have not done very well in our schools. But the basic problem with looking for research that supports growth in student achievement is that by necessity research has to look at fixed, testable content to try to determine growth. Now Im not saying that content knowledge isnt valuable, it is. But I think the skills and abilities and habits of mind that ubiquitous access to technology would help us develop in our students are ones that are really hard to measure. How do you measure creativity? Or the ability to collaborate with others, both in the same room or across the planet (or beyond)? Or the ability to take in information from an almost inexhaustible supply, synthesizes it, remix it, and then produce something that is of value to others? How do you measure imagination? How do you measure the ability to function in a flat, globally interconnected, technology-enabled, rapidly changing world? How do we measure the ability to learn how to learn? To know how to adapt, to reinvent yourself over and over again to meet the needs of a world that is changing at an exponential pace. How do you measure the ability to function in a world where all of human factual knowledge will be available practically instantaneously? Knowledge is good. Having content knowledge is necessary, but not sufficient, to be successful in the 21st century. The research at best is only going to tell us about content knowledge. The power of the technology is to transform teaching and learning as we know it. To make it more student-centered, more individualized (yet also more community-based), more relevant, more meaningful. It allows each student to connect to each other, to the world, to knowledge, to learning, in the way(s) that works best for that student. I guess I fear we are asking the wrong questions . . . Where does all this leave us? And what use does this document provide? Clearly, more research is needed, but our efforts can no longer await the coming of comprehensive research studies. Not having solid research behind us will not be an adequate excuse for failing to prepare our students for the 21st Century. Therefore, we must be on the constant look-out for research that will help us light the way while we move ahead in the modernization of our public schools and our methods. We must become students of our own society and allow our own observations and action-research to influence our decisions. We must model for our students the creativity and risk-taking that will be defining characteristics of the next age. In short, educators must come out of the comfort zone, release some control and join the wave of seemingly chaotic global empowerment. Daniel Pink describes the next age of society which might give us some clues. He defines an age by the type of worker that is most commonly found among the population. During the Agricultural Age, the common person was some sort of farmer. During the Industrial Age, it was the factory worker. And during the Information Age, which he describes as beginning in the 1960’s, it was the Knowledge Worker. But the end of each age is preceded by an out-sourcing and off-shoring of the common worker prompting the rise of the next age. So what does Daniel Pink suggest is next? The Conceptual Age. This economy maintains the necessity of strong left-brain skills (reading, writing, math and science) while adding the right brain skills (aesthetics, intuition, value and play). Daniel Pink would advise us to continue our left-brain pursuits, but introduce the richness of meaning and value. It is no longer sufficient to create a well engineered product; now the product must be appealing as well (2005). References: http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/PDF/NH1to1_2004.pdf

Brain-Behavior and Nature-Nurture: Two Interacting Scientific Debates E

Brain-Behavior and Nature-Nurture: Two Interacting Scientific Debates Whether there is more behind human behavior than can be explained solely by neural phenomena has been the subject of much time-worn scientific and philosophical debate. In regards to this question, two primary classes of alternative explanations come to mind: the human soul and the environment. The former of these involves a possible internal, individualistic force guiding behavior beyond the guides provided by the brain; many feel that the topic of the human soul is best left in the realm of the philosophical. Environmental influences on behavior, however, are quite pertinent to scientific investigations into the brain/behavior dichotomy. Whether and to what extent one’s environment effects one’s behavior, personality, even destiny is embodied by the widely publicized and highly politicized nature-nurture debate. Generally, those factors thought to come from nature are those that are inherited, and those thought to be nurture-bred are inculturated. It seems, then, that a discussion of neural control of behavior necessarily involves this nature-nurture question; the interplay between inherited brain structure and inculturated experience offers insight into the roots of behavior. Vitalists and reductionists, empiricists and situationists, geneticists and sociologists all have something different to say about the degree to which the human genome specifies human traits. Many of these traits are behavioral, thus, these people also have much to say about the role of the brain in guiding behavior. It is estimated that sixty percent of human genes are dedicated to neurological development (5). This is an immense amount of genetic material, and, particularly du... ... still be subject to biased interpretations of which we are capable as human-mammals. â€Å"Our concepts of reality will always be shaped by our genetically-inherited mental models† (3). Subjecting myself to biased interpretations, though, I feel that an individual drawing breath each day in the context of many, nestled environments much akin to the Bronfenbrenner ecological systems theory **, behaves ultimately because of the brain and the genes from which it originates. WWW Sources 1) Compton’s Encyclopedia http://comptons2.aol.com/encyclopedia/ARTICLES/03888_html 2) The Eye of the Frog http://www.objana.com/frog/home.html 3) Sociobiology page http://res3.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/3976/socio.html 4) Of Mice and Men http://www.informinc.co.uk/LM/LM73/LM73_Futures.html 5)Pro-nurture http://www.michiganinbrief.org/text/issues/issue-23.htm

A Guide to Health

The choices I voluntarily make are ones that impact how I feel in my awareness of being robust, and how those factors define my outlook of what health is. Every second of simply being alive in a way is almost a tribute to one's health. How we feel physically throughout the day, mentally from stress, and even emotionally from social interaction are all aspects of our health. One way these ideals came to prominence is from a quote the World Health Organization (WHO) used to define health in 1948, which follows as â€Å"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or Infirmity'.I find myself agreeing very strongly with the WHO because we experience health solely on these three major Influences of physical, mental and social. The outermost part of the human body comprises of the nervous system and how we react to different stimulus. To many people physical attributes are considered an inferior part of health in comparison to mental; however the sensations experienced from it are how we feel major determinants such as pain that influence our overall mood and perception of life.Any activity simply done by using our bodies is physical, and as such we affect this form of health by our choices of whether to exercise or not, maintain balance or even by putting strain on the body. We also experience health from a mental perspective which many people arguably say is the most Important component of all. The mind is what naturally makes a person him or herself, and any alteration or absence of It could greatly change a life. All humans experience mental health more than any other health because every conscious second we have makes use of It and how It corresponds to the other aspects of health.Lastly we experience health as well through a social or emotional proportion. Social health can be a double edged sword because statistically speaking people that interact and have support from others are more likely to be resistant to illness and overall more healthy from the influences peers. However, the choices we make as to who we choose to surround ourselves with can have negative effects, as well as leads to high stress and emotional outbursts which in some cases can allow some diseases to develop.Due to this, we experience health based upon our actions and decisions in everyday life that will mount overtime to our current state of health and how It will continue to grow in the future to come. Health Is greatly affected by the choices we all make in how we all wish to live our lives In a way that provides satisfaction and pleasure. However, what Is It that determines how we make these choices? Well because health Is such a diverse and Immense topic, there really Is not an answer or rather a correct one because health is entirely personal.Everyone has their own interpretations and how much and what they eat, hygiene, maintain required sleep and other activities ND so on. There are many different reasons why people do the things they do, and one of the most notably characteristics is one an individual has no control over; genetics. The genes a person inherits is from their family's history and dominant traits that persist. Whether good or bad, genetics to a degree play a major role in how a person thinks and how they are susceptible to not only certain diseases and illnesses but also personality types and attitudes.For instance, in many scientific studies there are experiments that support the fact of alcoholism being dominant in n offspring if the parent is shown to have a history with it, and results have shown a positive correlation so far. However as health is a very complex topic, there are also other factors to consider such as one's environment. The places we all grew up, the people we meet, and so on also play a role in who we become as people and how we think the way we do. Childhood is often considered the most crucial time of development for humans, and as such w e can be greatly affected by it.Our housing environments and surroundings raise the question of are our physical, mental, social ND security needs met as a child? We receive influence from how we are brought up from our families and our peers as well as the media as everyone offers different ideals and perspectives on any issue in life. Depending on the reality and influences we experience in our life time affect how we process information and decide how to interpret it. The people we become from our development and experiences as a child are how we evaluate and have our beliefs on matters such as health.Just as anyone else I am no exception to this principle and have my own background in health throughout my life. In my own personal opinion I agree strongly agree with many people that the most important aspect of health is mental. I feel that it is what drives us to have motivation and compassion to pursue what one desires whether it is good health or something else. With a strong and clear mind even people that are physically disabled inspire so many others by their determination to overcome their weakness and inability.Even without being physically healthy, as long as one has their mind they can still be happy and satisfied in their life which to some people is considered healthy since everyone has their own definition. Because of this I also think health cannot be measured on a scale or specifically to determine what is essentially â€Å"healthy'. Many reliable institutions such as the government put forth their ideals in what being healthy is, such as the Canadian food guide. However not every person eats the required amounts of servings listed in the Canadian food guide. And does that make them unhealthy?I do not believe so because as I have stated earlier health is a personal and very complex topic as there is no correct answer entirely. However I think that with regards to guides on health as the Canadian good guide and Body Mass Index (IBM) should ra ther be used as references or scales for one to model their life after. No one needs to follow these guides exactly, but should incorporate the knowledge they give into their lifestyle as way to improve health and keep it within a reasonable standard of being healthy as long as some of the criteria to a degree is met.I myself use this as my own interpretation of these public forms of information to better my health, however it is up to me use my own Judgment and exactly aligned with these paradigms, and that is perfectly alright. At times we usually want to be like everyone else or follow the standard, but occasionally you need to stick your head out the clouds and form your own opinions with the information given.Health is no exception as a concept we design and personalize ourselves to fit our own perceptions of what a healthy lifestyle involves. The components of physical, mental and social as well as the factors that influence are all tools we use to create our own definition of health and we apply it to our everyday lives. Being healthy to some may simply include Just being and feeling happy with one's self by having pride and inspiration to continue or change their options to improve and encourage health habits.

A Woman In Berlin

It seems obvious that a civilian population would experience and have a perspective on warfare than members of the military, but for those who perpetrate warfare – mainly the multi-national moneyed corporate interests, the bankers and stockbrokers, and the politicians who ultimately give the orders while rarely – if –ever – suffering the direct consequences, it seems to matter little. It has been this way throughout human history, but up until the advent of mechanized warfare, it was primarily soldiers, whose job it is to carry out orders, who experienced the consequences first-hand. Civilian populations have suffered these consequences periodically throughout history as well, but it was after the development of mechanized slaughter that civilians became regular first-hand victims of the horrors of war. The American Civil War and the First World War had brought this to civilian populations on a wide-scale basis to some extent, but it was really the Second World War in which mechanized warfare had been perfected to the point that virtually any civilian population could be affected – including that of Germany. The Germans had been subject to humiliation and hunger following the First World War as well as major economic upheavals – conditions that allowed Hitler to come to power in the first place. Nonetheless, German villages, cities and infrastructure had survived the 1914-1918 conflict nearly intact. This was not the case during the Second World War. Germany, for a brief time had been the world’s great superpower, which seemed only fitting to its people – particularly after the country’s spectacular rise prior to hostilities, and the apparent ease with which German forces had secured lebensraum for the deutsches leute. The anonymous author of A Woman In Berlin, a day-by-day account of Berlin’s fall and subsequent occupation by Soviet military, gives us a vivid account of the subsequent disbelief, the initial clinging to hope in the face, the changed perspective on everyday life, and the various survival tactics employed. Mainly however, it is a story of the transition from feelings of power over one’s fate to powerlessness, and what issues, formerly trivial, take on monumental importance in the face of a struggle simply to survive: â€Å"Heart, hurt, love, desire – how foreign, how distant those words sound now. Evidently a sophisticated, discriminating love life requires three square meals a day. † 1 It is also an experience of life stripped to its bare essentials: â€Å"Once again, we see what a dubious blessing technology is. Machines with no intrinsic value, worthless if you can’t plug them in somewhere. Bread however is absolute. †2 In light of this, it is fascinating to see how people – at least in the beginning – grasp on to any semblance of order as civilization collapses about them. On page 13 is a stark example of the unique cultural traits of the German people of that time; cultural traits that had allowed Hitler and the Nazi party to seize the power that eventually led to the downfall: despite the lack of enforcement, despite the fact that the tram is nearly empty, the narrator walks alongside it in a pouring simply because she does not have the Class III ticket that would entitle her to ride. â€Å"Order. It’s rooted deep inside us; we do what we are told. 3 As the Russians enter the city, suddenly, they are no longer a distant, faceless enemy; they are humans like the German civilians, but unlike the Germans, they are predominantly young, male, relatively well-fed – and enraged. It is not always acknowledged that the Russians suffered far greater casualties than the U. S. , Great Britain and the free garrisons from countries such as France and Poland combined. According to the official Nazi party line, Slavs, i. . Russians, were little better than Jews, Gypsies and homosexuals. Despite ukaz Stalina (Stalin’s decree), repeated acts of rape and assault occur. As one Russian insists: â€Å"What did the Germans do to our women? †4 revealing that these are not acts of lust or sexual hunger; these are acts of vengeance. Ultimately, and perhaps inevitably, hunger and safety needs – the lowest needs on Maslow’s hierarchy – take priority as the vanquished adapt in order to survive. The narrator is willing to submit to â€Å"Only one† in order to avoid being gang-raped. Even during the act itself, she’s â€Å"only half present, and that half is no longer resisting. †5 Eventually, she must find â€Å"a single wolf to keep away the pack. †6 Ultimately, even the men â€Å"adapt,† surrendering and serving the conquerors; despite orders not to surrender, the desire to live wins out. One difference between Soviet combat troops and that of every other combatant is the presence of women: â€Å"We’re amazed to see so many woman soldiers, with field tunics, skirts, berets and insignia†7 It is unclear from the narrative if the presence of Russian women prevented the brutish behavior from being worse than it was, but it is noteworthy that eventually, victor and vanquished are on first-name basis, actually interacting on a human level. One stark difference between the civilian and the military perspective stands out in bold relief: in the military, there is usually a bond of brotherhood among the soldiers of a given unit. In the heat of battle, a soldier isn’t fighting for his flag, for geo-political advantage or territory; they’re fighting for their comrades. On the other hand, among the civilians, it seems to come down for every man or woman for his/herself: â€Å"I couldn’t care about the lot of them†¦all my feelings seem dead, except for the drive to live. †8 This story is a history of a little-known chapter of World War II, but it is more importantly a testament to the overwhelming power of the survival instinct.

A 10-Point Comma Quiz

A 10-Point Comma Quiz A 10-Point Comma Quiz A 10-Point Comma Quiz By Mark Nichol Here’s a quiz: Do the following sentences require an additional comma (or perhaps two), the omission of an existing one (or two), or both? Answers and explanations follow. 1. The word breakfast literally means to break the fasting period of your night’s sleep, so you can refuel for the day. 2. The first scene takes place in a dimly lit, tactical command center on an aircraft carrier. 3. The finishing stage is a series of asphalt â€Å"ski jumps,† only the â€Å"skiers† are skiing the wrong way. 4. One of their biggest challenges was coming up with a story that would resonate on a deep, emotional level. 5. Another English writer named Richard Browne used scientific reasoning to confirm the theory. 6. Among slaves, other popular instruments included drums made from hollowed logs covered with animal hides or kitchen pots and pans. 7. They continued to run the establishment, and took great pride in the accomplishments of their sons who kept in regular contact. 8. The storm inspired the title of Zora Neale Hurston’s novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. 9. As slaves were moved around, they encountered other tribes and dance forms such as the Calenda gained widespread intertribal appeal. 10. â€Å"Newspapers and polling organizations predicted that Republican candidate, Thomas E. Dewey, would be America’s next president.† Answers and Explanations 1. Delete. Inclusion of the comma in this sentence incorrectly implies that thanks to the meaning of the word breakfast, you can refuel for the day. 2. Delete. The reference is not to a command center that is dimly lit and tactical; it’s to a tactical command center that is dimly lit. (Don’t let technical jargon deter you from making sense of a compound noun.) 3. Both. Only here is not a qualifier that suggests â€Å"the ‘skiers’ and nobody else†; it’s a synonym for however, so punctuate as you would were that word used instead. Also, the first comma should be not just deleted but also replaced by an em dash that sets off the unusual circumstance described in the final phrase. (References to skiing are enclosed in scare quotes because the participants are not actually skiers but are engaging in an analogous activity.) 4. Delete. As with sentence #2, the appositive structure is confused. The reference is to an emotional level that is deep, not a level that is deep and emotional, so deep and emotional are noncoordinate adjectives and therefore require no intervening comma. 5. Add. Unless a previous sentence referenced a different English writer by that name, the phrase â€Å"named Richard Browne† should be set off by two commas to demonstrate that it’s an appositive to â€Å"another English writer† and is therefore parenthetical. (In other words, it’s nonessential; the sentence would make sense without it.) 6. Add. The drums were not made from logs covered with hides or with kitchenware; they could be hide-covered logs, or they could be pots and pans. That fact needs to be clarified with a comma following hides, plus a second from, inserted before kitchen to complete the parallel structure. 7. Both. The comma is neither necessary nor incorrect, but if it’s retained, a second they, after and, would smooth the sentence somewhat. But the definite error is this: Unless there are two groups of progeny sons who kept in regular contact, and sons who didn’t, an appositive comma must be added after sons. 8. Delete. A quick online search will inform you that Hurston wrote more than one novel, so the nonrestrictive comma, which incorrectly implies that she published just one novel, should be jettisoned. 9. Add. The lack of a comma after tribes suggests that the slaves encountered other tribes and other dance forms, but then another verb crops up after that and creates a cognitive logjam. What the sentence means is that slaves’ encounters with slaves from other tribes led to increased exposure to new dance forms. The inserted comma will clarify that a new clause begins with and. 10. Delete. This error of apposition is one of the most annoying, relentlessly viral mistakes in English today. (Think of it this way: A comma implies a pause. Does the reader pause at all, much less twice, during this sentence?) Evidently, the misunderstanding stems from a confusion with the appositive structure of the phrase form exemplified in â€Å"Thomas E. Dewey, the Republican candidate.† The sentence would be correct if the were inserted before the epithet â€Å"Republican candidate,† but it is alternatively rendered proper by the omission of the two commas. The appropriate correction depends on the context (that is, whether a previous reference to a Republican candidate has been made). 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 Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:16 Substitutes for â€Å"Because† or â€Å"Because Of†Work of Art TitlesThe Difference Between "Phonics" and "Phonetics"

Simon Bolivars Crossing of the Andes

Simon Bolivar's Crossing of the Andes In 1819, the War of Independence in Northern South America was locked in a stalemate. Venezuela was exhausted from a decade of war, and patriot and royalist warlords had fought each other to a standstill. Simà ³n Bolà ­var, the dashing Liberator, conceived of a brilliant yet seemingly suicidal plan: he would take his 2,000 man army, cross the mighty Andes, and hit the Spanish where they were least expecting it: in neighboring New Granada (Colombia), where a small Spanish army held the region unopposed. His epic crossing of the frozen Andes would prove to be the most genius of his many daring actions during the war. Venezuela in 1819 Venezuela had borne the brunt of the War of Independence. Home of the failed First and Second Venezuelan Republics, the nation had suffered greatly from Spanish reprisals. By 1819 Venezuela was in ruins from the constant warring. Simà ³n Bolà ­var, the Great Liberator, had an army of some 2,000 men, and other patriots like Josà © Antonio Pez also had small armies, but they were scattered and even together lacked the strength to deliver a knockout blow to Spanish General Morillo and his royalist armies. In May, Bolà ­vars army was camped near the llanos or great plains, and he decided to do what the royalists least expected. New Granada (Colombia) in 1819 Unlike war-weary Venezuela, New Granada was ready for revolution. The Spanish were in control but deeply resented by the people. For years, they had been forcing the men into armies, extracting â€Å"loans† from the wealthy and oppressing the Creoles, afraid they might revolt. Most of the royalist forces were in Venezuela under the command of General Morillo: in New Granada, there were some 10,000, but they were spread out from the Caribbean to Ecuador. The largest single force was an army of some 3,000 commanded by General Josà © Marà ­a Barreiro. If Bolà ­var could get his army there, he could deal the Spanish a mortal blow. The Council of Setenta On May 23, Bolà ­var called his officers to meet in a ruined hut in the abandoned village of Setenta. Many of his most trusted captains were there, including James Rooke, Carlos Soublette and Josà © Antonio Anzotegui. There were no seats: the men sat on the bleached skulls of dead cattle. At this meeting, Bolà ­var told them of his daring plan to attack New Granada, but he lied to them about the route he would take, fearing they would not follow if they knew the truth. Bolà ­var intended to cross the flooded plains and then cross the Andes at the Pramo de Pisba pass: the highest of three possible entries into New Granada. Crossing the Flooded Plains Bolà ­var’s army then numbered some 2,400 men, with less than one thousand women and followers. The first obstacle was the Arauca River, upon which they traveled for eight days by raft and canoe, mostly in the pouring rain. Then they reached the plains of Casanare, which were flooded by the rains. Men waded in water up to their waists, as thick fog obscured their vision: torrential rains drenched them daily. Where there was no water there was mud: the men were plagued by parasites and leeches. The only highlight during this time was meeting up with a patriot army of some 1,200 men led by Francisco de Paula Santander. Crossing the Andes As the plains gave way to the hilly jungle, Bolà ­var’s intentions became clear: the army, drenched, battered and hungry, would have to cross the frigid Andes Mountains. Bolà ­var had selected the pass at Pramo de Pisba for the simple reason that the Spanish did not have defenders or scouts there: no one thought an army could possibly cross it. The pass peaks at 13,000 feet (almost 4,000 meters). Some deserted: Josà © Antonio Pez, one of Bolà ­vars top commanders, tried to mutiny and eventually left with most of the cavalry. Bolà ­vars leadership held, however, because many of his captains swore they would follow him anywhere. Untold Suffering The crossing was brutal. Some of Bolà ­var’s soldiers were barely-dressed Indians who quickly succumbed to exposure. The Albion Legion, a unit of foreign (mostly British and Irish) mercenaries, suffered greatly from altitude sickness and many even died from it. There was no wood in the barren highlands: they were fed raw meat. Before long, all of the horses and pack animals had been slaughtered for food. The wind whipped them, and hail and snow were frequent. By the time they crossed the pass and descended into New Granada, some 2,000 men and women had perished. Arrival in New Granada On July 6, 1819, the withered survivors of the march entered the village of Socha, many of them half-naked and barefoot. They begged food and clothing from the locals. There was no time to waste: Bolà ­var had paid a high cost for the element of surprise and had no intention of wasting it. He swiftly refitted the army, recruited hundreds of new soldiers and made plans for an invasion of Bogota. His greatest obstacle was General Barreiro, stationed with his 3,000 men at Tunja, between Bolà ­var and Bogota. On July 25, the forces met at the Battle of Vargas Swamp, which resulted in an indecisive victory for Bolà ­var. The Battle of Boyac Bolà ­var knew that he had to destroy Barreiros army before it reached Bogota, where reinforcements could reach it. On August 7, the royalist army was divided as it crossed the Boyaca River: the advance guard was in front, across the bridge, and the artillery was far to the rear. Bolivar swiftly ordered an attack. Santanders cavalry cut off the advance guard (which were the best soldiers in the royalist army), trapping them on the other side of the river, while Bolà ­var and Anzotegui decimated the main body of the Spanish force. Legacy of Bolà ­var’s Crossing of the Andes The battle lasted only two hours: at least two hundred royalists were killed and another 1,600 were captured, including Barreiro and his senior officers. On the patriot side, there were only 13 killed and 53 wounded. The Battle of Boyac was a tremendous, one-sided victory for Bolà ­var who marched unopposed into Bogota: the Viceroy had fled so swiftly that he left money in the treasury. New Granada was free, and with money, weapons, and recruits, Venezuela soon followed, allowing Bolà ­var to eventually move south and attack Spanish forces in Ecuador and Peru. The epic crossing of the Andes is Simà ³n Bolà ­var in a nutshell: he was a brilliant, dedicated, ruthless man who would do whatever it took to free his homeland. Crossing flooded plains and rivers before going over a frigid mountain pass over some of the bleakest terrain on earth was absolute madness. No one thought Bolà ­var could pull off such a thing, which made it all the more unexpected. Still, it cost him 2,000 loyal lives: many commanders would not have paid that price for victory. Sources Harvey, Robert. Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence Woodstock: The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John. The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826 New York: W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Lynch, John. Simon Bolivar: A Life. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2006.Scheina, Robert L. Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899 Washington, D.C.: Brasseys Inc., 2003.

Managing Human Resources (Reflecting on the issue raised by the Sales Essay

Managing Human Resources (Reflecting on the issue raised by the Sales Manager) - Essay Example These are important in order to build a successful manufacturer - sales agent relationship". Sales representatives also give importance to product package, quality product lines that are competitive in terms of effectiveness and affordability. They are particular in the quality and delivery of the products and most importantly, sales people seek to represent organization that has proven integrity and are supportive of agents (Spiegel 2006). While looking at the factors mentioned, sales management can conduct teambuilding for the sales representatives. Sales people are so vital to the organization that it is important to invest in them. Management should make the sales people feel they are important. Bonding and trust in each other are created during team building and sales people always look forward to this kind of activity. Feeling a sense of belonging make them stay long in the organization. Sales planning should also be conducted in a venue outside the company. In this particular activity, people give their sales commitment with the corresponding action plan that they would take to insure the achievement of the sales target. Improvement in the sales performance is observed after a sales planning. A medium-size streamer is displayed conspicuously at the lobby on the way to the conference room where orientation for new employees takes place. The text on the streamer says, "At NL&C, you're in good hands. We insure your future through the 401 (k) Retirement Plans". At this stage when new employees have just begun an episode of their lives with NL&C, they will know that obviously the streamer is exclusively for their curious eyes and questioning mind. The streamer was placed along their path for them to see and feel the caring hands of NL&C from the start and through their stay with their newfound company. Apparently, as in-charge of employees' benefits, I think I was able to effectively put the message across. My purpose of putting 401 (k) retirement plans in the text is to stir the curiosity of the new employees. Many of them, especially the first timer or those who come from another company which does not offer the same privilege, would ask what 401 (k) is. I understand that although 401(k) will benefit them, there will be a lot of questions and some opposition. I have to give them advance information of what will be discussed during the orientation. I want them to be excited so that the appetite to listen attentively will prevail as soon as they enter the conference room. After some explanation of the company rules and regulations, its time for the new employees to hear why it is worth partnering with NL&C. 401(k) along with other benefits will be explained this way: First of all, there are protections and benefits that go with the new workers everyday while they work with the company. On top of them there is the 401(k) retirement plans which afford them of a long term benefit. A portion of their salary will be put aside for their

Advertisement Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Advertisement Analysis - Essay Example This paper argues that the differences in ad composition and approach as discussed above reflects underlying fundamental differences in the corporate and design cultures at Motorola/Google and Apple (Apple; Motorola Mobility) There is a need for Apple and for Motorola to persuade consumers that they have a need for a smart watch. Therefore there is room for their persuasive pieces of advertising, basically introducing the idea of the smart watch and arguing for the need for modern time pieces that are in line with the advances in technology and in line with the evolved needs of modern men. The watches are groundbreaking, thus the need for proper Introductions. Apple focuses on design, the beauty of the pieces, and the premium materials in sapphire and stainless steel, and the references to premium construction reflected in the close-up view of the watch. For the Moto 360 the reference is the need to upgrade the consumer’s notion of what a timepiece is, by showing the Moto 360’s touch capabilities and voice search capabilities provided by Google. In the Moto 360 ad the speaker is a representative of presumably the design and engineering team at Motorola, or else is a representative of Google from either the marketing or the general business side, even as the emphasis of the ads is on the premium nature of the materials and the design. The intended audiences are arguably early adopters in the case of Google, because of the way the message is pitched to those who are to be persuaded that the time for a smart watch has come. On the other hand, the reference to excellent design and materials and the close-up views of the Apple Watch, as well as the way the ad itself seems crafted for a mass audience, hints at the final audience of the ad and the pitch to be the mainstream consumers, who are being sold to the overall aesthetics of the Apple Watch