Learning Outcome Essay

Be able to conduct and record assessments in accordance with internal and external processes and requirements 2.1 Review the assessment requirements and related procedures of learning programmes (AQA. 2012).Assessment is the process by which a learner’s skills and knowledge are reviewed in order to evaluate what they have learnt or in the case of NVQs, how they are performing against the competencies they are required to demonstrate. I see classroom assessment as having four main purposes. The first three include: Diagnostic or needs assessment purpose: To determine what students already know so teachers can decide the topics and approaches to use. Formative purpose for teacher: To assess student knowledge or performance on some key topic or dimension to inform instructional plans. Summative purpose: To judge or evaluate student performance (i.e., give a grade). In addition, research is increasingly clear that the quality of the feedback teachers give students relative to how to improve is an absolutely critical aspect of classroom assessment.(Serve, 2006) This leads to the fourth purpose: Formative purpose for students: To help students develop the skills to reflect critically on their own work. By asking students to assess themselves, teachers encourage students to engage in the type of higher-order thinking necessary for life today. The aim of assessment therefore is primarily to educate and improve student performance, not merely audit it. Assessment will ensure that learners are fairly, accurately and regularly assessed in a consistent manner, provide diagnostic information that assists both staff and learners/ candidates to provide, appropriate support to enable achievement of the learning outcomes (initial assessment), allow learners/ candidates to monitor their own progress, enable tutors to review and develop their learning programmes to achieve their intended learning outcomes, provide evidence of progress and achievement to enable accreditation and progression to take place, enable a dialogue between the learners/ candidates and tutor / assessors to ensure progression within the provision (tracking) and provide a measure of the learner’s achievement on qualification based courses (grades). (Barnet College Assessment Policy, Jan 11, 2010) FIG.1 Scheme of Assessment It is imperative that internal assessments are conducted by staff that have the appropriate knowledge, understanding and skills, that assessment evidence provided by candidates has been produced and authenticated according to the requirements of the specification and also that the consistency of the internal assessment is secured through internal standardisation as necessary. (www.llantarnamschool.net/). In recent years, assessment of student achievement has been receiving the attention of teachers, parents, researchers and education systems. This attention has highlighted assessment as integral to the teaching and learning process. Current assessment practices need to reflect changes based on new understandings of learning theories, new curricula that are being developed, new knowledge and skills that are necessary for the 21st Century and the accountability requirements of systems and governments. In this respect assessment of student achievement is changing as today’s stude nts face a world that demands new knowledge, skills and behaviours that have not yet been defined (Segers et al 2003). Students, in this fast and ever changing context, need not only develop deep understandings of disciplines but also develop the ability to analyse, synthesise and make inferences as well as think critically and problem solve. Assisting students to develop these knowledge, skills and behaviours and become life-long learners requires changes in the assessment processes at the school and classroom level. Assessment may be initial, formative or summative. (Hampshire Learning Policy and Procedures for Assessment and Internal Verification, Nov, 2012) As a history teacher I use different types of assessments to assess whether teaching has taken place in my lessons. When teachers’ classroom assessments become an integral part of the instructional process and a central tenet in their efforts to help students learn, the benefits of assessment for both students and teachers will be boundless. The purpose of these assessments is to ascertain the student’s levels of understanding and see if there is any room for improvement and whether there are any weaknesses so as to be able to correct them. My focus is to improve my assessments to make them motivating and to enhance student learning. Assessment challenges that have been identified are as follows: Figuring out what really is important  for students to know and be able to do in history. Teaching the skills of â€Å"doing history† in a world of testing that often seems to value only factual knowledge. Identifying and using assessments that provide teachers with better information than only multiple-choice exams. Getting students motivated to do a good job on essays and other written work. Helping students learn to improve their own work and produce quality products. Holding students accountable for quality work, as opposed to them just turning in something. The assessments have to be conducted and recorded in accordance with internal and external processes and requirements. I use these assessments to evaluate my practice and to identify any opportunities for improvement. FIG. 2 Assessment objectives Good assessments should follow these basic principles or the acronym AVRFI. Authenticity: All assessment activity must have in place processes to ensure that the achievement is the learner’s/ candidate’s own work. Learners/ candidates must sign a statement to this effect. Awarding Bodies boards have their own rules and regulations about authenticity and tutors/ assessors must make themselves familiar with them and abide by them. Validity: The method of assessment and the evidence provided must be appropriate and capable of demonstrating the achievement of learning outcomes/ competencies and related assessment criteria of the provision at the appropriate level. Reliability and consistency: The assessment results should be standardised across levels and provision. Moderation and standardisation must follow the College and Awarding Bodies board procedures. Fitness for purpose: Assessment must be fit for the learners/ candidates and the learning. The assessment strategy must be clearly appropriate for the target group of learners/ candidates in the correct context in which they are learning e.g. homework must be supportive, or initial diagnostic must not be intimidating. The criteria and methods which are being used to judge the work must be clear to the learner, staff and internal and external moderators /verifiers and meet and exceed the requirements of QCA/QAA, the awarding bodies and our learner/ candidate charter. Inclusiveness: Assessment should be based on learners’/ candidates’ needs. It must allow all learners/ candidates to demonstrate their achievements regardless of individual circumstances. Students, in this fast and ever changing context, need not only develop deep understandings of disciplines but also develop the ability to analyse, synthesise and make inferences as well as think critically and problem solve. Assisting students to develop these knowledge, skills and behaviours and become life-long learners requires changes in the assessment processes at the school and classroom level. Current learning theories attempt to capture all the parameters of human learning and provide information on how people learn. Common threads through learning theories indicate directions that have important implications for the educative process. (www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk/ ) My assessments are divided into three distinct classes, which are: initial/diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. Initial/diagnostic Assessments: This is a crucial part of the learning process that provides the information needed to decide a learner’s starting point. These assessments take place prior to the course commencement and it helps teachers to know and recognize about learners needs or aspects. Practically it helps me to identify the learners prior knowledge, such as learner needs or difficulties for which I may plan an additional support for them (Reece, I. and Charlton, M. 2007). This can also help me to check if they have any evidence based recognition of prior learning (RPL). Initial assessments can assist me check their literacy, numeracy and ICT levels and are considered to evaluate student skills, knowledge, strength and areas for developments. Formative Assessments: These are on-going assessments that take place throughout the course process. Formative assessment is focused on improving student motivation and learning with the goal of producing higher–quality work or thinking. There are two different audiences for formative assessment. One audience is the teacher. That is many teachers might check student understanding by asking questions or by observing students as they discuss a topic in small groups. These teachers are informally collecting data that will help them determine what needs to happen next in instruction. So the teacher is therefore the data user. The second audience for formative assessment is the student. Students need to know what will move their essay answer on a particular question from a C to an A. They need to know what it means to read content deeply for understanding and how their strategies for studying content can be improved. Research shows that providing students with effective feedback can increase  student achievement significantly (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). Feedback is most effective when it is timely, occurring within one to two days of the work; when it provides feedback specific to the student’s work; and when it is relative to a criterion or standard. Formative assessment can therefore be said to assess learners’ performance and understanding levels during the course and learning session. In my classes I use different methods to assess my learners. They can be questions and answers (Why, When, How, What), multiple choice questions (A, B, C, D), Practical tests, Assignments, and the final project (Reece, I. and Charlton, M. 2007). These assessments can be set as an internal assessment, for example before I start my lesson, I can do a ten minutes quiz test on my pervious lesson in order to find out and monitor my students learning process (How much they understand), highlight any areas which need further development, and lastly to see if they are able and ready for the last assessment on the course or what’s so called summative assessments. Types of Formative Assessment There is a large range of formative assessment methods available. This includes, Question and Answer in the Lesson This is perhaps the most commonly used method and is almost instinctive for teachers. It gives instant feedback, can be used to develop motivation but is largely ephemeral – that is to say that it is momentary and difficult to record. Short Tests and Quizzes These are either from textbooks or devised by the teacher. These are informal, can be fun and marks can be simply recorded. Used with care they can become part of everyday teaching and learning. Homework Exercises These vary in purpose, design and complexity. ‘Purpose’ is the key word here. Students will make good use of homework if they feel it is useful, for example, preparation of material for a class discussion, seeing how a piece of writing ends, developing a skill, are all appealing tasks. Skills Assessment using Formal Assessment Criteria These may be the foundation for many skills-based courses. This method  requires experience in ‘on the hoof’ assessment and systematic recording. Observation of Performance This is often used in the arts such as music and skill assessment such as team and leadership exercises. It needs expert and experienced assessors. Assignments This term spans a vast range of tasks but an example might be individual research assignments say for a group project. A very useful and increasingly used method, especially in conjunction with homework. May involve library and internet investigations, visits and interviews. However it is difficult to manage and assess. Projects Increasingly used in modern education as it is felt that developing your own learning material/methods gives you an ‘ownership’ of your own learning experience. The assessment methods of the various project components need careful design and clear communication to the students. Written Questions / Exercises with Short, Extended or Multiple-choice Answers Very widely used. Easy to design, mark and assess. Simulations, Business Games Almost guaranteed to produce lively learning sessions. Can teach a number of skills imaginatively and effectively. The better ones contain useful directions to possible methods of assessment. May well be time-consuming. Conferencing / Reviews / Audit This involves sitting down with learners and reviewing their written work/homework/progress in general. A very useful and beneficial process for teachers and students. Can be used to introduce care, involvement and motivation into the teacher-learner relationship. Three points to watch when operating it as a method. 1. It can be time consuming as you have to give all students a review session. (If you do not – those who are omitted will feel rejected!) 2. If you do it in class you must ensure that those not involved have something useful to be getting on with. 3. Make notes on student performance immediately after the review, not during it. Summative Assessments: Summative assessment looks at whether a student has achieved the desired learning goals or met standards. In the classroom, summative assessments usually occur at the end of instruction and document what  students have learned. Looking at the grades in a teacher’s grade book should give an idea of what the ke y instructional goals or outcomes were for a grading period. These grades most likely represent summative assessments (tests, quizzes, projects, reports, written assignments etc) that tell the teacher whether the student has mastered the skills or learned the content. A key aspect of summative assessment is determining which level students need to master the content or thinking. Tests that define mastering content at the level of memorizing events, names and facts are less likely to building students’ thinking skills than tests that ask students to write about big conflicts or themes that recur over time. Therefore good summative assessments are useful. The assessment must provide you with useful information about student achievement in the course. The assessment must be tied to the learning goals you have and those learning goals must be important. If you assess unimportant or trivial concepts or just use chapter tests without really looking at the items critically in terms of whether they reflect your teaching, what have you learned a bout what your students know? Valid for your purposes, the assessment must measure what it is supposed to measure. For example, if you ask students to draw a map reflecting the change in U.S. borders from 1789-1820, you will need to ensure that the assessment is scored based on students’ understanding of the concepts not based on their ability to draw. Sometimes, the way the test is presented (e.g., small print with lots of complicated or confusing directions or too many items) can make it a less valid measure of the content being tested. It may be more a measure of student persistence than a measure of their knowledge of the content. As a teacher, taking a test yourself before giving it to your students will help ensure that the items reflect content you actually taught. It will also help you to decide if there are some aspects of the questions or layout that are content irrelevant, representing extraneous hurdles for students that could be simplified. Reliable, reliability has to do with the extent to which the score you give a student on a particular assessment is influenced by unsystem atic factors. These factors are things that can fluctuate from one testing or grading situation to the next or from one student to the next in ways that are unrelated to students’ actual achievement level (e.g., luck in guessing the right answer, lack of time to complete the assessment on a  particular day, teacher bias or inconsistency in scoring of essays across students or from one test to the next). Thinking about how to reduce these factors such that the scores given are likely to be the most accurate reflection of students’ true achievement levels on the task or test should be an on-going process for teachers. Fair. The assessment must give the same chance of success to all students. For example, a large project that is done at home can be biased against low-income students, favouring students whose parents have extra time to help them over those whose parents need to work. In this type of assessment I can participate in forming and marking final examinations, selection type questions (Explanations, Definition and Diagrams), nature type questions (Alternative, Multiple choice, or Compulsory), and dissertation assessments (Reece, I. and Charlton, M. 2007). Whether learning can be called the process of human change and transformation or the acquisition of knowledge and expertise, it â€Å"always entails participation in relationship and community transformation both of the person and of the social world† (Packer & Goicoechea, 2000). Summative Assessment Methods currently in use include: Unseen Examination in controlled conditions (e.g. 3 questions in 3 hours) Seen exam paper in controlled conditions (as above, but you know the question(s) in advance) Open Book or Take-Away exam Multiple Choice Test in controlled conditions (paper-based) In-class test Essay or Report (e.g. on an individual or group project) Portfolio Dissertation Presentation (may be peer-assessed and/or tutor-assessed) Performance (e.g. musical or dramatic) Oral examination (e.g. foreign language speaking skills) Attendance Participation in lectures and/or seminars/online discussion boards, or group work (may be peer-assessed and/or tutor-assessed) Creation of a web page Learning theory emphasises learning with understanding. This means that teaching approaches should emphasise understanding rather than memorisation and teachers should assess for understanding rather than surface knowledge  and recall of facts. Current learning theory emphasises the importance of earning with understanding (Bransford et al, 2000). Bruner (1915-) supports this with his discovery learning theory. This is an inquiry- based, constructivist learning theory that takes place in problem solving situations where the learner draws on his or her past learning experience or and existing knowledge to discover facts and relationships and new truths to be learned. He states that children are better off discovering facts and relationships for themselves. This means that curriculum and teaching approaches should emphasise understanding rather than memorisation, should provide opportunities for in-depth study to allow for firm foundation of knowledge and conceptual development and should enhance student abilities to recognise and use meaningful patterns of information. Assessment processes, then, demonstrate deep understanding of concepts rather than surface knowledge and recall of facts. Learning Outcome 3 Understand expectations in relation to the minimum core in assessing learners in lifelong learning 3.1 Review ways in which minimum core elements can be demonstrated in assessing learners in lifelong learning. Key skills have become established as an integral part of the vocational curriculum. They are also becoming an increasingly important part of many academic programmes. There has been a longstanding concern in this country with the standards of literacy and numeracy of the population. The 1992 DES discussion paper on Curriculum Organization and Classroom Practice in Primary Schools stated that to function effectively in the 21st Century, our children will need higher standards of literacy and numeracy than ever before’ (DES, 1992:11) and led to the introduction of the literacy hour in schools in 1998 and the establishment of the teaching assistant role in an attempt to raise the standards of literacy and numeracy. Functional skills now form a core part of all four of the different qualification routes open to young people such as GCSE/ A Level, Foundation, Diploma and Apprenticeship as well as being a stand-alone qualification in their own right at Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2. The minimum core identifies two requirements placed on teachers working within the sector. The first of these requires teachers to recognise the ways in which low levels of  literacy, numeracy and ICT skills might constitute a barrier to the learning of their students. This means that within the teaching of their own particular subject specialism, teachers should be able to support learners in these areas, which then leads to the second requirement that they themselves should possess a minimum level of personal skills in these areas, currently set at level 2. FIG.3 Functional Elements In my practice, I formally and informally assess the learners’ literacy skill by demonstrating the ability to read, write clearly and improve on their vocabulary during the lesson with their self / peer / group work through talking with, listening to and observing them, and after the lesson; through reading and marking learner work, then give a positive feedback as emphasized by Lewis and Wray (2001, P51). For example, during one of the history classes titled important dates with the LO: To be able to read and write big numbers in words. Using Q & A, I listened to each learners as they try to call out the number (1910) written on the smart board, and observe their work as they try to write it down in words (one thousand, nine hundred and ten) in their individual notebooks. I checked their work for the spelling, correct placing the comma, before ticking in front of the sides of each correct work with a red pen to encourage and praise the learners efforts, and commenting positiv ely with well done, good effort feedback (Ellis. 2011). Learners that made mistakes got a dot at the side of the error to help them visualize and adjust their work accordingly. FIG.5: STIRRING LEARNING (2013) Diagnostic assessment for learners as required by the national curriculum can be used to identify and improve their minimum core skills, and knowledge through observation and questioning as they show competency and understanding towards the subject. The proposal for reform in the 14-19 sectors suggest that the teaching and learning of functional skills can be achieved through a number of different approaches ranging from discrete lessons through to fully embedding them within subject delivery. The Excellent Gateway defines embedding as teaching and learning which combines the development of literacy, language and numeracy with vocational and other  skills and suggests that the skills acquired should provide the learners with the confidence, competence and motivation necessary for them to succeed in life, at work and in life. Embedding therefore seeks to integrate the teaching of subject matter and functional skills, taking advantage of naturally occurring circumstances in which the two come together. This type of approach is quiet resource –intensive but it is expected that in the long term functional skills will remain the responsibility of specialists in this area but will be reinforced in the rest of the curriculum in all the other sessions.(DCSF: 2009:6). The issue was felt to be so important that the LLUK suggested in 2007, that all initial teacher training courses must equip all the trainees so that they are able to teach their own learning programmes in ways that take account of the language, literacy, numeracy and ICT needs of their learners. They also added that all the teachers need to be confident in working with colleagues to ensure that the development and needs of language, literacy, numeracy and ICT of their learners are met. The three skills of communication, application of number and information technology are now normally an integral part of all GNVQ qualifications. Teachers have to demonstrate through assessment and verification how they are including th ese skills in their assignments for the course. The Dearing Review of 16-19 qualifications (Dearing, 1996) highlighted the importance of students developing these skills on each of the main routes into the National Qualifications Framework. Accordingly QCA in conjunction with the main awarding bodies has developed key skills units from level one to level three which can be incorporated into different courses. â€Å"Coverage of the minimum core is intended to provide a teacher with the minimum level of skills in language, literacy, numeracy and ICT (LLN & I) that are essential to teachers who work in the lifelong learning sector.† City and Guilds (2008:3) Learners’ particular literacy, language, numeracy and ICT needs can be established through initial assessment, talking to learners, observing them completing activities or using simple self- assessment tests. â€Å"Recognizing and using a variety of different teaching styles is particularly important to support literacy, language and number skills development. Learn ers working towards literacy, language, and numeracy goals will benefit from teaching which work to their strengths. The teaching styles which you adopt will have an impact on the type of language skills  your learners will need to acquire. A didactic approach for example, may require listening and note taking skills predominantly, whereas a more learner – centred approach may require higher level reading skills as learners are asked to interpret information for them. Even when we are trying to adapt to individual learning styles, the variety of activity used will have an impact on the language skills required within a particular programme of study. The language demands placed on learners are a direct result of teacher led mediation of learning.† [Skills for Life Quality Initiative Training Materials] Teachers of all areas of specialism in the lifelong learning sector increasingly work with learners whose literacy, language, numeracy and ICT skills are below Level 2 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). Learners’ difficulties in these areas can be a barrier to achievement of their goals. Teachers and trainee teachers will have high levels of skill in their own area of specialism. They are not expected to be specialist teachers of literacy, language, numeracy or ICT. However, there will be many naturally occurring activities for developing these skills within all areas of learning. The minimum core provides a foundation upon which all teachers can develop their own skills as well as their ability to identify when it is appropriate to work with subject specialists. (Minimum Core of Teachers’ Knowledge, Understanding and Personal Skills Pg. 3, LLUK 2007, updated LSIS 2013). Therefore they also need the knowledge and skills to identify opportunities for their learners to develop the increasingly higher levels of skills in literacy, language, numeracy and ICT required when taking other qualifications and in the workplace. Work done by teachers who specialise in teaching literacy, language, numeracy and ICT forms part of the solution, but there is also much that teachers of other areas of specialism can do to ensure the success of their learners. Functional skills are focused on the practical skills that allow individuals to engage confidently, effectively and independently in life, further learning and work. The intended added value of functional skills was that they equip people to apply English, ICT and mathematics in practical situations, choosing appropriate skills and techniques to solve problems. So functional skills should be integrated into the curriculum and allow learners to apply these skills in real life. The knowledge within the subject has to be linked with the practical skills, helping them to think  creatively. Wilson (2009) In the context of the Skills for Life strategy, embedded teaching and learning combines the development of literacy, language and numeracy with vocational and ot her skills. The skills acquired provide learners with the confidence, competence and motivation necessary for them to progress, gain qualifications and to succeed in life and at work. Individuals at any age who possess these skills will be able to participate and progress in education, training and employment as well as develop and secure the broader range of aptitudes, attitudes and behaviours that will enable them to make a positive contribution to the communities in which they live and work. (National Numeracy, For Everyone for life, 2013) Literacy skills help build the confidence of an individual while reading, writing, speaking and listening. It helps effective communication where information can be passed clearly through either speaking or writing. It helps understand information and act appropriately. It helps to make presentations, write reports, take part in group discussions and analyse ideas and information. It helps present information in a logical sequence, in the correct format usi ng correct grammar. I used the question and answer as well as the brainstorming method to assess the literacy skills of my learners. In groups learners also constructed sentences from jumbled up words, making sure that the sentences were grammatically correct. It is important that learners master literacy skills so they can converse and communicate adequately in a globalised community. I found that some people would struggle in their chosen work as they lack the requisite literacy skills to communicate and be understood. Numeracy skills help to understand various mathematical concepts, and also how to apply them. It helps increase analytical, problem solving and reasoning skills, identify errors and validate results. It helps use numbers and calculations to process data, solve complex problems and helps with logical working, interpretation and comparison of results in various forms like tables, graphs, charts and diagrams. These skills are the cornerstone of an increasingly computerised and scientific world and it is vital that learners are proficient in them. Although my lesson was history I used numeracy skills by asking different dates of major historical events like the start of the Second World War. Learners were able to state how long the conflict took by subtracting the start date from the end. ICT skills help an individual to confidently use  ICT systems for various purposes. Individuals can use ICT to interpret information and can also enhance their learning and improve the quality of their work. They can find information from a variety of sources. It also helps with digital or electronic communication, interpretation, storage and retrieval of information. Learners will also use ICT to look for more information regarding their work on the web, and gain ideas from different sources and also be able to compare, review or evaluate their results or conclusion with the results of the other various sources available, thereby improving their ICT skills. They can also be motivated to use spread sheets to draw tables and graphs, and use word processor to edit the literature. I used an interactive board and a web based presentation to illustrate the use of ICT in my lesson. Most educational research on literature and numeracy development is based on children. Key educational theories tied to child development provide a useful starting point for a description and contrast with some of the available models of adult learning that can be drawn on by vocational and academic tutors. ( Hickely, J. 2013 ) I am going to reflect on the strategies that can be used to support learners as they develop their literacy skills within an embedded setting. I am also going to use this opportunity to reflect upon the rationale for embedding functional literacy skills into vocational and academic settings. There are a number of theories relating to how language is acquired but in general terms it is accepted that language development is innate but must be developed through exposure to language. In effect this means that language is developed through nature and nurture. Behaviourist learning was made popular by Skinner, (1973) and is based on what can be seen and described. He suggested that children acquire language skills through imitation and reinforcement through positive reinforcement by those around them. The main basis for this belief is that children who do not hear language spoken do not speak and that children who are exposed to language acquire language skills gradually. In this instance it is therefore important for the learners to be totally immersed in language skills as they learn. This will help them master literacy skills as they learn other subjects. Learning Outcome 4 Be able to evaluate own assessment practice Review the effectiveness of own assessment practice, taking account of the views of learners As well as assessing the learners, self-evaluation is a mark of professionalism in teaching. Hounsell (2009:20) calls it â€Å"an integral part of good professional practice†. Self- assessment involves learners taking responsibility for monitoring and making judgements about their own learning. This is a process that does always not come easily to all learners as they do not always value or trust their own judgements, or have the necessary skills to make a judgement. As a result self-assessment often requires a strong structure in the initial stages until learners or teachers feel more comfortable with it as a process and have acquired the skills required to make it a worthwhile activity. Just as many of us, consciously or unconsciously, tend to use those teaching strategies we experienced as learners, so our own experience of being assessed plays a key role in the development of our r epertoire as a teacher. (Armitage et al, 2003:154) The nature and impact of assessment depends on the uses to which the results of that assessment are put. A system whose main priority is to generate information for internal use by teachers on the next steps in pupils’ learning may have different characteristics and effects from one where the drive is to produce a qualification which will provide a grade on which an employer or a university admissions tutor might rely in order to judge the suitability of a candidate for employment or further study. (Mansell et al 2009:5) Novice teachers often have intrinsic motives for evaluation. They want to know whether they are doing well or as expected. They might wish to discover their own strengths and weaknesses and compare their performance with that of experienced colleagues whom they respect Hounsell, (2009:23). However, once the novice has achieved a desired comfort level with the teaching role, continued self-evaluation guards against complacency and enables on-going improvement and freshness, helping to maintain job satisfaction. Assessment and instruction are often conceived as curiously separate in both time and purpose†. The measurement approach to classroom assessment, â€Å"exemplified by standardized tests and teacher-made emulations of those tests,† presents a barrier to the implementation of more constructivist approaches to instruction. (Educational Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 4) The central ideas of social efficiency and scientific management in the curriculum circle were closely linked, respectively, to  hereditarianism theories of individual differences and to associationist and behaviourist learning theories. These psychological theories were, in turn, served by scientific measurement of ability and achievement. For John Franklin Bobbitt, a leader in the social efficiency movement, a primary goal of curriculum design was the elimination of waste (1912), and it was wasteful to teach people things they would never use. Bobbitt’s most telling principle was that each individ ual should be educated â€Å"according to his capabilities.† These views led to a highly differentiated curriculum and a largely utilitarian one that disdained academic subjects for any but college preparatory students. Alongside these curriculum theories, Edward Thomdike’s (1922) associationism and the behaviourism of Hull (1943), Skinner (1938, 1954) and Gagne (1965) conceived of learning as the accumulation of stimulus-response associations. (Educational Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 5) Thorndike was both the originator of associationist learning theory and the â€Å"father† of â€Å"scientific measurement. The cognitive revolution reintroduced the concept of mind. In contrast to past, mechanistic theories of knowledge acquisition, we now understand that learning is an active process of mental construction and sense making. From cognitive theory we have also learned that existing knowledge structures and beliefs work to enable or impede new learning, that intelligent thought involves self-monitoring and awareness about when and how to use skills, and that â€Å"expertise† develops in a field of study as a principled and coherent way of thinking and representing problems, not just as an accumulation of information. (Educational Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 5) In my experience I have found out that the data you collect for yourself can be formative and forward looking, whereas other available feedback data tends to be more summative and backward looking. Extrinsic motivations for evaluation cannot be ignored. There may be requirements connected with your formal status as to probation and ‘tenure’, monitoring by external bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency, and you may wish to seek personal recognition of your teaching expertise through schemes such as that of the Higher Education Academy. In the context of my own teaching practice I would begin initial assessment within the classroom using an ice breaker. This not only allows the group to get to know each other, but also identifies participants existing knowledge or skills and gives further  indications of preferred learning styles and tendencies. Based on the key questions within the CIF (The Common Inspection Framework used by Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI) as the basis for inspecting post-16 education and training focuses on the learner and learning. is : How well do learners learn, progress and ultimately achieve ?(Jones 2005:20) Alternatively other forms of assessment such as questions and answers or a quiz could be used. This gives a good starting point for work on students Individual Learning Plan (ILP) which will constantly evolve with the use of feedback and communication between student and tutor giving a clear picture of progress a and revised goals. I would endeavour to use all of the above assessment activities particularly focusing on those that provide an active learning experience, where learning is more enjoyable, better understood and recalled more effectively, teaching by doing. All activities would be supported by hand outs given at the start of the session. Assessment makes teaching effective teaching. Mere presentation, without assessment of what the learners have made of what you have offered them—is not teaching. So assessment is not a discrete process, but integral to every stage of teaching. So, that at the end, learning is believed, with evidence to have taken place (Jones 2005) In conclusion recording provides the platform from which teachers can base their reporting to others and is a mechanism for evaluating learning and teaching. A succinct account of teaching and learning aims as in a scheme of work. This usually follows the curriculum and is a brief indication of the teaching methods REFERENCES (1) Wilson 2009, Synthesising Affect and Cognition in Teaching and Learning, Social Psychology of Education: an International Journal 12 (2) (2) Shepard, L.A, The Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture, Educational Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 4-14 (3) Segers et al 2003, the role of scaffolding and motivation in CSCL, Computers & Education, November 2012 (4) Reece, I. Walker, S. 2007, Teaching, Training and Learning: A Practical Guide, 6th Edition. Sunderland Business Education Publishers Ltd (5) National Numeracy, For Everyone for life, 2013 (6) Edward-Gray, D, Griffin, C, Nasta, T. 2000, Training to Teach in Further and Adult Education, Nelson Thornes. (7) Burhuss Fredrick, Skinner, 1976, About Behaviorism, Vintage Books Edition (8) Julia Hickely, 2013, Literacy for QTLS: Achieving the Minimum Core, Routledge (9) Bransford et al 2000, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition, Brain matter (10) Packer & Goicoechea, 2000, Sociocultural and Constructivist Theories of Learn.pdf (11) Hounsell, D. Enhancing Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, NU2010, Dialog for Là ¤rande, University of Stockholm, 13-15 October 2010 (12) Barnet College, Assessment Policy, www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk/ (13) Inclusive learning approaches for literacy, language, numeracy and ICT, Companion guide to the minimum core, November 2007 (14) Minimum core of teachers’ knowledge, understanding and personal skills, LLUK 2007, updated LSIS 2013 (15) Hampshire Learning Policy and Procedures for Assessment and Internal Verification, 2012 (16) Bruner, J.S. On Knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge, Mass: Havard University Press, 1967 (17) www.llantarnamschool.net/ (18) Armitage, A. et al ,2003, Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education, 2nd Edition, OUP (19) Gould, J and Roffe-Barentsen, J. 2014. Achieving your Diploma in Education and Training, SAGE (20) Mansell et al., 2009, Nfer, Evidence for Excellence in Education, and Assessment Reform Group. Assessment in Schools: Fit for Purpose? A Commentary by the Teaching and Learning Research Programme. London: Teaching and Learning Research Programme [online]. Available: www.tlrp.org/pub/documents/assessment.pdf[18 September 2014]. (21) Jones C. A. (Dr) 2005: 13-25), Assessment for learning, Published by the Learning and Skills Development Agency. www.LSDA.org.uk (22) AQA. 2012:23. GCSE Specification, Mathematics For exams June 2014 onwards for certification June 2014 onwards, A (3 units, terminally assessed) 4 3 6 0 (23) Barnett. C. A 2012 How to create assessment opportunities that meet the need of learner H34. Cited in SCCD Hand Notes: 2012 Developing Differentiation and Lesson Panning skills. ‘‘Teaching and Learning Styles – Lesson Plans† (24) Coffield, F, Moseley, D.,Hall, E., & Ecclest Celestine 2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. (25) Ellis, V. (2011: 1-34), Learning and Teaching in Secondary Schools, 4th Edition.115. (26) Gravels, A (2012:96-112). (2nd Edn) Passing PTLLS Assessments Chapter 10, 11, 12 Sage Publications, UK. BIBLIOGRAPH 1) Bagnall, G. et al (2004) the effectiveness of self-assessment on the identification of learner needs, learner activity, and impact on clinical practice. 2) Biggs J. Teaching for quality learning at university. Buckingham: Open University Press, 1999 3) Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc. 4) Brown, S., Rust, C., Gibbs, G. (1994) Strategies for Diversifying Assessment Oxford Centre for Staff Development, UK 5) Hatfield, Susan. (1992) Department Level Assessment: Promoting Continuous Improvement 6) Nightingale, P., Te Wiata, I.T., Toohey, S., Ryan, G., Hughes, C., Magin, D. (1996) Assessing Learning in Universities Professional Development Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia. 7) Shepherd, Lorrie, (2000) the Role of Assessment in a Learning Culture, Educational Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 7, (Oct., 2000), American Educational Research Association Educational Researcher, Vol. 29, No. 7 8) Tummons J, (2007) Becoming a Professional Tutor in the Lifelong Learning Sector Learning Matters, Exeter. 9) University of Hull, (2014), The UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.pdf WEBSITES Assessment, Recording & Reporting for Learning http://www.charterhousesquareschool.co.uk/assessment-recording-reportingfor learning.html ASSESSMENT, RECORDING AND REPORTING POLICY (2012) http://www.qehbristol.co.uk/media/PDFs/Policies/assessment%20policy %20juniors%20-%20dec%202012.pdf Assessing learners in lifelong learning – http://qualifications.vtct.org.uk/ unit pdf/UV40815.pdf Difference between Assessment and Evaluation? – http://Uk.ask.com/ question/difference-between-assessment-and-evaluation Engage in assessment; Different ways to assess your students http://www.reading.ac.uk/engageinassessment/different-ways-toassess/ Formative Teaching Methods – http://geoffpetty.com/wp-content uploads/2012/12/FormativeTeachingMethods2.doc How to create assessment opportunities that meet the need of learner H3 – http://charlottepttls.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/how-to-createassessment- opportunities. htmlScheme of Assessment – http:// filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-4365-W-SP-14.PDF The Data Protection Act 2003- httl.www.regulatorylaw.co.uk/data protection.html

Yeast Fermentation Rates

IB Biology Internal Assessment: Yeast Fermentation Rates Planning(a) Question- Growth: What is the effect on Yeast Growth/Expansion during fermentation when mixed in water of varying temperatures? Hypothesis- Temperatures above or below the recommended fermentation temperatures will contain less, or be void of growth, either due to inactivation or to yeast death. Variables- | | | | | | |Dependent Variables |Temp|Degrees F | |90 Degrees F-130 Degrees F | | | |erat| | | | | | |ure | | | | | | |of | | | | | | |wate| | | | | | |r. | | | | |Fermentation | |Hours | |Level of |Digital Timer| |time | | | |expansion | | | | | | |after other | | | | | | |variables | | |90 |75mL |75mL |75mL |N/A |N/A | |100 |105mL |75mL |N/A |N/A |N/A | |110 |85mL |75mL |75mL |N/A |N/A | |120 |125mL |75mL |N/A |N/A |N/A | |130 |75mL |75mL |N/A |N/A |N/A | Data Processing and Presentation- Overview- Yeast is a living substance. It is commonly used to rise bread, or to make alcohol, in a process known as Alcoholi c Fermentation in which it releases oxygen. Through my research, I learned that during fermentation, the temperature is a very important factor in yeast expansion, as under 100 degrees, the yeast may not activate, while high temperatures will effectively kill your yeast, rendering it useless. My Lab Experiment served to test the effect of temperature on yeast expansion during fermentation. Presentation- Temperature |Repeat | |Volume Change | |90 | |1 | |0mL | | | | |2 | |0mL | | | | |3 | |0mL | | | | |4 | |N/A | | | | |5 | |N/A | | |100 | |1 | |30mL | | | | |2 | |0mL | | | | |3 | |N/A | | | | |4 | |N/A | | | | |5 | |N/A | | |110 | |1 | |10mL | | | | |2 | |0mL | | | | |3 | |N/A | | | | |4 | |N/A | | | | |5 | |N/A | | |120 | |1 | |50mL | | | | |2 | |0mL | | | | |3 | |N/A | | | | |4 | |N/A | | | |5 | |N/A | | |130 | |1 | |0mL | | | | |2 | |0mL | | | | |3 | |N/A | | | | |4 | |N/A | | | | |5 | |N/A | | | | | | | | | Yeast Expansion Conclusion and Evaluation- Conclusion- As is shown by my data, after the first trial at each temperature, the yeast refused to rise. This is due to temperatures effect on yeast, as a living thing. After completing the first five trials and ending my experiment for the day, I placed the jar of active dry yeast in the fridge where, due to prolonged exposure to such low temperatures, the whole jar died. After frustratingly watching the next seven trials yield no rise in the yeast, I came to the realization that the cold of the fridge killed my yeast. This was just as much a surprise (as the jar said â€Å"refrigerate after opening†), as it was an interesting basis for my lab. Because my Lab was about Temperature’s effect on yeast expansion and growth, this death provides a good conclusion, as it shows that prolonged exposure to extreme cold(around 58 Degrees F in my fridge), effectively kills the yeast, just as exposure to extreme heat does. At the 90 Degrees of trial 1, the yeast simply was not activated, but at 130 degrees, it also didn’t activate. Because temperatures below 130(save 90) activated it, I assumed that this was the temperature that kills yeast, just as 58 Degrees does. Limitations of experimental design- Many aspects of my project did not work very well and could have been improved in order to make for a better experimental design. For instance, instead of simply placing the yeast in water, I could have made dough, and placed it in the oven at different temperatures, making for a much more stable environment and temperature. Also, completing all 25 trials would have yielded better results as to what temperature truly leads to the greatest expansion by the yeast during fermentation. ———————– [pic]

Buyers Behaviour Virgin Atlantic Essay Example for Free

Buyers Behaviour Virgin Atlantic Essay Originally it was called British Atlantic Airways, later changed to Virgin Atlantic Airways. The first flight was from Gatwick to Netwark on the 22nd of June 1984 (Virgin Atlantic, 2012). The company launched a ? 6 m advertising campaign in 2010, which was James Bond themed (Guardian, 2010). The new advertisement helped the company recover from the recession. Now I will examine how exactly it was achieved and what methods were used to obtain the best performance of the advertisement. 2) Target Market. Market segmentation is a way of separating the consumers into different sections by their shared needs and personalities (Leon. G, 2010, p. 28). The needs and values depend from person to person according to his culture (Leon. G, 2010, p. 366). The VALS (values and lifestyles) segmentation system clearly shows the type of audience this commercial is aiming at (Leon. G, pp. 84). This system divides consumers into eight distinctive subcategories, which consist of: thinkers, achievers, experiencers, believers, strivers and makers. The subcategories this advertisement will appeal to are: innovators because they are receptive to new technologies and who can experience the innovated technologies at a Virgin Atlantic flight; achievers because they are goal oriented consumers who like to display success to their piers, which they can display by flying Virgin Atlantic as it is high class airlines; experiencers because they like to spend their income on fashion, socializing and entertainment which Virgin Atlantic offers through great service, food, entertainment and their flights are considered as ‘trendy’. The social comparison theory states that the consumer with higher purchase ability tends to have a higher status; this is a proof why achievers like to spend on luxurious products and services (Leon. G, 2010, p. 338). This commercial appeals to all the five effective target-marketing segments (Leon. G, 2010, p. 73). It is identifiable as it clearly distinguishes the shared needs, age and gender of the consumer. The consumer is a businessman or career orientated workingwoman who prefers high-class service. The age would appeal to Generation Y that is born from 1980 and on wards (Leon. G, 2010, p. 410). The Generation Y spends 150 billion annually and is into innovation and luxury while Generation X is considered as ‘sophisticated’ group. Virgin Atlantic Airways allows children ages 5 and above to travel or should be accompanied by an adult (16+). Pets are accepted if they accompany a disabled person (Virgin Atlantic, 2012). 3) Service offered. The marketing mix shows what kind of service/product is offered by dividing the elements to: product, price, place and promotion (Leon. G, 2010, p. 58). The service being offered is not just a flight from one destination to another; it is an experience at a high-class level of the Virgin Atlantic flight where the costumer will be served at a high class, with security, entertainment and with maximum comfort. It is a high-involvement purchase, which requires considerate thought and cognitive process, as the price is high (Leon. G, 2010, p. 231). The flight can be purchased online or at a flight ticket office. The company offers promotion such as: flying club card, ticket sales and discount codes/vouchers (Virgin Atlantic, 2012). The price and quality relationship the company has is low- price tickets in comparison with their competitors and with a high-class service. 4) Seasonality. The time of placing the advertisement is very important, as there are competing companies to take into consideration. The order effect research has shown that the advertisements presented first (primacy effect) and last (regency effect) has a greater effect on the consumer (Leon. G, 2010, p. 302). The release date was 26 October 2010, which was a great push to recovery from recession. British Airways and American Airlines are the biggest competitors. American Airlines released their commercial in May 2010, which had a primacy effect where as Virgin Atlantic Airlines gained a regency effect. The James Bond 007 Blood Stone video game was released on 5th of November 2010(IMDB, 2010). This shows that the commercial was released 10 days before the release date of the game. This strategy used by Virgin Atlantic is a very clever marketing move, as their advertisement is James Bond themed and during that period of time all sorts of media (TV, newspapers, online, word of mouth and billboards) had James Bond game advertisements. Virgin Airlines got increased attention to their advertisement by publishing their advertisement at time coinciding with Blood Stone’s release. 5) Positioning the commercial. The advertisement is transmitting through mass media as well as through new (non traditional) media (Leon. G, 2010, pp. 294-296). The commercial is played on TV where it addresses wide range of consumers (i. e. via mass media) and through YouTube where it is addressable and interactive, while response – measurable. It was also played during the flights on the Virgin Atlantic TV channel where it exclusively targets its audience (i. e. via target media). 6) Reason for the commercial. The consumer behavior consists of searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating, disposing of products and services that in their belief will fulfill their wants (Leon. G, 2010, p. 23). The commercial was created in order to persuade and make aware the audience of the fact that the service being offered by the airlines is luxurious, entertaining and high-class, to convince that this kind of service will satisfy there needs. ) Perception. â€Å"Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes, and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world. †(Leon. G, 2010, p. 175) This advertisement appeals to emotional motives, which are affection, status and pride in this case (Leon. G, 2010, p. 110). The advertisements mood is sexually charged and is putting the buyer into a state of excitement by: James Bond themed music and graphics, illustrations of high-class adventure and good-looking actors in the commercial. Abraham Maslow created the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which identifies the five basic levels of human needs (Maslow, 1987). The advert is aiming to satisfy all the five needs of the potential consumer. Egoistic needs will be satisfied during the flight on these airlines, as it is illustrated as a prestigious flight. Egoistic needs include the need of good reputation, status and recognition from others, which advert convinces that the consumer will have, if he/she chooses Virgin Atlantic Airways. Need of Self-Actualization will be satisfies as shown in the advert, by flying on this flight the customer will feel self-actualized by getting high-class service which he/she deserved or earned themselves. Social Needs are to be satisfied by communication with good-looking staff. The Virgin Atlantic cabin crew was voted as the most attractive staff in the whole world by the surveys of travelers (Daily mail, 2011). Richard Branson has always stated that the appearance of the flight crew must be important in order make the customers enjoy a memorable flight. Cabin staff of Virgin Atlantic Airlines are told that: ‘You’ll be the face of the airline. As such, your grooming should always be immaculate – even after a long, tiring flight’ (Daily mail, 2011). As flying on an airplane has a small risk of security, the advert is aiming to convince that their flight is safe and is a pleasant experience where there is nothing to worry about. Physiological needs will be satisfied by the high-class food and beverage service that would be offered during the flight by good-looking staff. Air and shelter will also be present, as the designed with up to date technology. This commercial is aimed at visual consumers that prefer and take information better through visual images or messages as sources of information (Leon. G, 2010, p. 147). While watching the Virgin Atlantic advertisement repetitively on TV or Online passive learning is occurring and it changes the consumer’s attitude regarding the product (Leon. G, 2010, p. 232). The theme message delivered through this advert is: ‘Your airline’s either got it or it hasn’t’. There is a message resonance in the wording, which adds a bit of humor to it and will make the viewer remember the commercial (Leon. G, 2010, p. 301). The theme message has comparative advertising technique to it where Virgin makes the viewer compare their airlines to Virgin Atlantic (Leon. G, 2010, p. 303). The sexiness in advertising is present in order to grab the attention of the viewer (Leon. G, 2010, p. 308). The hostesses are wearing short dresses in red color and the man who is passing the security check hasn’t got underwear on. Virgin is trying to show that their flights are ‘sexy’. This technique tries to show the security the airlines provide (angel like). The flight team is very good looking and is walking with self-assurance, which adds confidence to the image of the company. The runway lines and the red carpet represents the luxurious service. | | Transition from the safety demonstration to the airplane saloon is done without editing cuts, which is very eye-catching. | | The shot of people sitting around of a pool of martini and playing with the olive, which represents entertainment, beverage and luxury the airlines offer to their customers. 9) Buying process. â€Å"The consumer decision making can be viewed as three distinct but interlocking stages: the input stage, the process stage and the output stage†(Leon. G, 2010, p. 36). This advertisement is designed in order to influence the input and process stage in order to make the consumer come to the output stage. This advert influences and increases the consumer’s recognition of the service ne ed. The information is delivered to the consumers through the marketing efforts of the commercial, which will influence not only media but also word of mouth marketing. The Psychoanalytical Theory of Personality created by Sigmund Freud explains the drivers of the output stage (Leon. G, 2010, pp. 137-139). According to Freud’s theory this commercial will affect superego and id to make the purchase. The superego will be gratified when purchasing this service because he/she will become socially and fashionably acceptable, as Virgin Atlantic flight is ‘trendy’. Id will be gratified if the consumer will make the purchase because the airlines offer the basic requirements such as food, shelter and security. The consumer will make a trial or a repeat purchase when buying this service (Leon. G, 2010, p. 497). The consumer might be new to the company or be a frequent loyal customer. 10) Involvement levels and risk perception. Involvement is a very important factor in how much attention is paid to the message sent to the viewer and how it is understood. There are different ways to measure the involvement of the viewer. There are two ways of involvement, high-risk and low-risk purchases. The higher the risk, the higher the involvement and research will be. The flight purchase is a low-involvement product and consumers prefer congruent context of the message delivered (Leon. G, 2010, p. 293). The mood of the consumer is very important, if he/she is in a bad mood, the content of the commercial might cause a bad reaction of the viewer. Psychological noise may be distracting the viewer from the commercial and the advertisement has contrast in the imagery in order to keep the viewers attention. 11) Conclusion. The advertisement created by the Virgin Atlantic airlines in my opinion was successful . The James Bond theme imageries and soundtrack had a great impact on the effectiveness of the commercial. Every time the consumer will watch James Bond movie or play a James Bond game, the commercial will subconsciously come to their mind and the other way around. The time it was released was perfect, as they needed a push to get out from the recession. The commercial had a bit too much sex advertisement in it, which may led to worse effect tan could have achieved and made the competitors (American Airlines) stand out more, as they had a touching TV commercial that gave gratitude to the men in uniform, veterans and their families. Sexual advertising may distract the consumer’s attention from the message content being sent. This technique may have a little influence on the buyers purchasing intentions and a risk of spoiling the image of the company. This advert is targeting businessman, but there is the family audience with children and generation X, which they are risking of loosing. The commercial is based mostly on emotions and only in one short scene the viewer can see the seats with the monitors. The saloons, seats and the exact food of Virgin Atlantic Airlines are not shown, but they are very important to be shown, as the consumer wants to see the comfort he/she will have during the flight. The fact that the advertisement shows a man being tucked into a cloud and not airplane seat could make an impression that the airlines are hiding something and their seats are not good enough to be shown in the advertisement. This advertisement could have been improved by focusing the viewer’s attention much more on the design of the saloon, comfortable seats and delicious food. Nonetheless, overall this was a very well executed and effective advertisement with successfully reached hearts and minds of customer. Buyers Behaviour Virgin Atlantic. (2018, Oct 18).

Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Drugs - Essay Example In addition, there is the focus on the population and trends of drug use. The trend is commonly established from students as the vulnerable population. The data gained is said to help in determining the prevalence and associated risk. The chapter also highlights various surveys done on trends in drug use. One credible source is shown to be National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The chapter also highlights factors related to drug use. These factors are shown as gender, race and ethnicity, level of education, personality, and genetics. Moreover, the chapter highlights factors that may motivate an individual to use the drug. Chapter 2 largely focuses on problems related to drug use and few issue of law in relation to drugs. The section shows how laws have changed in the United States concerning issues related to drugs. The main concerns for law were the danger posed by drugs, habit from drug use, and increasing levels of crime in the country. The chapter also highlights toxicity related to drugs. There is also focus on networks involved in collecting information on drug related emergency. One of such network is said to be Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). The chapter also highlights problems related to drugs. Such problems are listed as addiction, disorders, dependence, and involvement in crime. There is also justification on reasons for drugs

Inventory Management for Green Valley Bakers Research Paper - 1

Inventory Management for Green Valley Bakers - Research Paper Example This essay explores the processes of baking bread. Bread making is a relatively simple process but it takes some time to master. Grain, water and baker’s yeast remain the basic ingredients. Bran, germ, and endosperm are ground together to bake the coarser variety of bread, while the bran and wheat germ are removed to make softer bread of the industrial variety. Although nutrition experts advise that brand and wheat germ bread are better for health, their lack of palatability is a factor that prevents widespread demand and use. White flour bread may be enriched with minerals and vitamins and fortified with calcium and fiber to improve its nutritional value. All in all, it is a staple part of the American diet and is a good source of low fat, complex carbohydrates. Salt, sugar, raisins, honey or nuts can be included in the mixture to produce bread of different varieties and tastes. Bread is today seen not only as a breakfast item but also serves for making sandwiches or eating w ith salads or curries at lunch. It also goes well with tea and jams and can supplement biscuits and pastries at tea. As for dinner, bread is an indispensable part of the meal unless rice or cooked meats are available. For making industrial bread on a large scale as Green Valley Bakers envisage, flour that has been sifted is poured into a mixer of the industrial variety; then it is filled with tempered water. A certain amount of yeast is added.

Emergency & Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Emergency & Disaster - Essay Example Training of the authorities to help in disaster management will make them well prepared to handle the affected population in case of disaster. Authorities taking care of emergency plans should have to liaison with the community. This will ensure that they take their advice when they are informed of imminent danger. Mistrust has been seen to cause fatalities like the case of hurricane Katrina where the residents refuse to vacate after being told to move because of hurricane which was due to occur (Cordasco, 2007) The Hurricane Katrina posed a number of threats to the general population as it caused a lot of destruction to property and infrastructure. The Hurricane Katrina caused massive destruction of property, inclusive of residential homes, schools, hospital, roads, power lines, communication equipment and other property. In order to avert destruction from a disaster like this, vital infrastructure like hospitals and homes should have strong buildings which can survive hurricane. People should also be well informed of procedures to follow in the event that such a disaster occurs, and this will see to it that property and lives are saved. Callaghan, M. W., Rasmussen, S. A., Jamieson, D. J., Ventura, S. J., Farr, S. L., Sutton, P. D., †¦ Posner, S. F. (2007), Health Concerns of Women and Infants in Times of Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina, Matern Child Health J, 11:307–311 Cordasco, M., Eisenman, P., Deborah C. Glik, C.,Golden, F. & Asch M. (2007) â€Å"They Blew the Levee": Distrust of Authorities Among Hurricane Katrina Evacuees, Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 18(2) ,

Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks Research Paper

Soil strengthening of age-old-designed railway tracks - Research Paper Example Superstructure consists of rails, fastening, and sleepers, and sub-structure consists of ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade. This research assignment studies the functions of substructure in track operation. Railroad substructure receives dynamic load from train movement and behaves according to the principles and laws of soil mechanics. Soil performance under loading in soil mechanics is governed by two characteristics: strength and deformation (STRATIGRAPHICS n.d.). Strength refers to the shear strength properties, and deformation refers to settlement. The proper functioning of substructure is characterized by the bearing capacity which implies that shear stresses caused by the cyclic loading has to be lower than the soil’s undrained shear strength value, and at the same time settlement will not develop plastic behavior in the soil. After a number of years of operation, instability of both super and sub structures is caused by the shear failure and plastic settlement of sub -grade. There are many factors that may contribute to the loss of soil-strength. Among them, poor drainage, and trapped water in ballast pockets play significant roles. According to Harry Cedergreen, drainage represents a significant issue for railroad construction and maintenance; stability and low maintenance cost can only exist when adequate drainage is provided (Cedergren 1989, p. 364). Sub-grade failure in railroad jargon is called â€Å"soft track† (Australian Rail Track Corporation a 2001). Soft track includes ballast failure, top formation failure, shallow sub-grade failure, embankment failure, and landslide failure. Water is one of the several contributors that cause these failures. The scope of this assignment is to study methods... The response to the cyclic loading of rail track is an interaction of superstructure and substructure. Ballast, sub-ballast, and sub-grade relates to substructure. Decades of operation bring structural changes of substructures. The sub-grades of the old existing rail tracks require rehabilitation to satisfy proper functioning and meet current technical operational standards. The scope of this assignment is to find the rehabilitation approach for the existing tracks of Australia. The solution must account that improvement of substructure by dismantling the railways is not an option due to the transport collapse, which is accompanied by financial losses. Rehabilitation of the existing railway is not a sheer issue that relates to Australia only; it is also a significant issue for the European countries, Canada, and USA. CSX Rail Line in Milstead, Alabama, USA faced excessive ballast settlement and soil pumping problems due to the poor sub-grade conditions. Moreover, Tallapoosa River run s parallel to the rail line. The rehabilitation of the track included raising the track, undercutting and removing the existing ballast, and use of filter fabric over the exposed sub-ballast, which was followed by a layer of Geogrid

Math Portifolio Matrix binomials Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Portifolio Matrix binomials - Math Problem Example Based on these computations, we derive the general expression for An: An = (2n-1)(an)(X) We must check for the validity of this equation by applying it to solve for A2 with a=3. A2 = 22-1321111 = 18181818 , same as the previous answer. Hence, the expression is valid. Now, take b=2; B = 2-2-22: B2 = 2-2-222-2-22 = 8-8-88 B3 = 2-2-222-2-222-2-22 = 8-8-882-2-22= 32-32-3232 B4 = 2-2-222-2-222-2-222-2-22 = 128-128-128128 Hence, we arrive at the general expression Bn = (2n-1)(bn)(Y). Note that the procedure we used is consistent with that used for matrix A, even up to the checking for validity. For the final task, we are given a new matrix M = a+ba-ba-ba+b. We must show that M = A + B and M2 = A2 + B2 using the algebraic method. Again, define A and B: A=a1111=aaaa B=b1-1-11=b-b-bb A+B= aaaa+b-b-bb=a+ba-ba-ba+b M= a+ba-ba-ba+b M=A+B equation 1 We have proven the first relationship to be true. Now we must proceed to showing M2 = A2 + B2. From equation 1, M = A + B, therefore, by substitution, this is the same as saying M2 = (A + B)2. Previously we have shown that and expression of this form X+Yn= Xn+ Yn. Hence: M2=a+ba-ba-ba+ba+ba-ba-ba+b M2=a+ba+ba-ba-ba-ba+ba-ba+ba-ba+ba-ba+ba-ba-ba+ba+b M2=2a2+2b22a2-2b22a2-2b22a2+2b2 A2=2a22a22a22a2 and B2=2b2-2b2-2b2-2b2 A2+ B2=2a2+2b22a2-2b22a2-2b22a2+2b2 M2 = A2 + B2 equation 2 Recall that A = aX and B = bY. We now produce a general statement for Mn in terms of aX and bY: Mn = An + Bn or by substitution, Mn= (aX)n + (bY)n furthermore, Mn = anXn + bnYn Verifying this equation, we try using a=2, b=3, and n=2: A=2222 and B=3-3-33 If we use, (A+B)2=5-1-155-1-15=25+1-5-5-5-525+1=26-10-1026 Now, using the general statement: M2=22X2+ 32Y2=222222222222+232-232-232232=8+188-188-188+18... Also given were matrices A and B, defined as aX and bY, respectively. Note that a and b are constants. First, recall that when multiplying constants to any matrix, we simply multiply the constant with every element of the matrix. To illustrate: Once again, the general expression is shown valid. It is also important to note that this general statement will only yield results for values of n>0. Matrices can not be raised to negative exponents.

Australias Marine Pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Australias Marine Pollution - Essay Example A lot of dangerous illnesses can spread because of waste that entry the ocean. The issue is worth-researching that is why the given paper will discuss marine pollution in Australia, mainly its causes, seriousness and the reaction of the Australian government. There are many ways of marine pollution: pollution from ships, from land, as a result of deliberate discharge of the waste from manufacturing and unintentional entry of waste from people’s activity. More than 75% of all marine contamination is caused by waste that appears in the water from land. It influences environmental processes, people’s wellbeing and oceanic resources’ application. The most serious problem is that very often the pollution of water remains undiscovered for a long time (Letter: Coastal Pollution). While oil and garbage represent well-detectable contaminants – they can be noticed swimming in the water, venomous and radioactive substances can’t be detected without special analysis. The problem is that marine environment could be damaged before the cause is found and eliminated. The water can be contaminated through intentional discharge as well as unintentionally through unplanned entry of materials into the water as a result of people’s activities (Henrickson 2001). A lot of venomous substances cleave to small elements, which appear in water in different ways. These substances then become integrated into the  oceanic system and imbibed into oceanic  seaweeds and other organisms, some of which are consumed by animals and fish. This can cause different illnesses and even mutations. Venomous metals  also appear in oceanic system. As different animals from land consume fish, venomous substances can be brought to land and then to humans through meet and other products. Oil pollution spoils the quality of the water we drink significantly: Acid sulfate soils (ASS) is the term usually given to soils or sand that contain iron

The History of circumcision in Jewish religion Research Paper

The History of circumcision in Jewish religion - Research Paper Example Hypotheses explain: to mark the beginning of adulthood, to demonstrate higher social status, to extend sexual pleasure, for personal hygiene. Nonetheless, no one can truly explain the reasons behind emergence of this culture and why it spread. Male circumcision consists of the surgical removal of some, or all, of the foreskin (or prepuce) from the penis. It is one of the most common procedures in the world. For followers of Islamic and Jewish religion it is religious ritual. In the United States, it is practiced mainly for hygienic reasons (3). Judaism adopted circumcision thru Moses who left Egypt with Hebrew Slaves. Moses is considered to be the Father of Jewish laws, traditions, and administrative authority. Commandant of circumcision plays significant role in Jewish religion, as some rabbis believed that Mosses was not admitted into Heaven, as he was not circumcised. Circumcision is an outward physical sign for Jewish people that show the eternal covenant between God and Jewish people. It also depicts that Jewish people will be perpetuated through the circumcised man. Because of fulfillment of commandant of circumcision, God in return ensures fertility to the Jewish people. Circumcision is applied to all male Jewish and it is a religious ritual. Circumcision, according to the Jewish custom is typically being performed on the eighth day after birth. Since the time of Mosses, it has been the symbolic confirmation the male infant spiritually belongs to Jewish community. Judaism teaches that GOD gave the Jews 613 commandants, and one out them is called Brit Millah, which literally translates to Covenant of Circumcision. The commandant of circumcision is given at Genesis 17:10-14 and Lev. 12:3 (4). This covenant was originally made with Abraham. This ritual ever since the time of Abraham has been practiced for close to 4,000 years (6) . In the Torah, God says to Abraham that circumcision is a part man’s

Botton Classical Argument Essay Example for Free

Botton Classical Argument Essay Humorists are people who are skillful in using humor for writing, talking, or acting. Their works bring laughter and elation to people. In Botton’s book, Status Anxiety, he believes that humorists not only entertain audience, but also convey important messages that cannot be said directly. Thus, he argues that humorists play a vital role in the society. In most cases, Botton’s claim is justified in that since the early nineteenth century, humorists express their thoughts about the society through humor. Some of these humorists do play important roles in the society by revealing crisis or events happening during that time period to bring awareness from the society. Humorists, such as cartoonists and satirical writers, use their own methods to tell about issues happening in the society while putting humor into their work. One of the famous political cartoonists in the nineteen-century, Thomas Nast, draws political cartoons about the corrupted government and notorious business leaders during his time period. Some of his famous works, such as the drawings of Boss Tweed and Tammy Hall, bring insight to the American people, especially the middle class, of how weak the central government is. As Nast works on these cartoons, he put humor into the work with captions or quotes that sarcastically explain what the drawings are for. As an advocate of abolishment of slavery and anti racial segregation, he uses political cartoons to freely express his views and manages to send important messages to the people. Thus, humorists play an important role in the society to let people aware of their surroundings. Some people use humor to express their feelings about what they thought of themselves, other people, or the society. In poetry slam, some people use humor and irony that have messages that they want the audience to know. One of the participants, Katie Makkai presents her poem, Pretty, which has deep meaning behind it. She does brings laughter from the crowd as she begins her poetry about her childhood and brings out a naà ¯ve persona. As the poem goes on, she slowly implies to the audience that nobody can be call â€Å"pretty†, by reasoning that everyone has flaws since he or she is born. She uses herself as one of the example and tells that one can be â€Å"pretty intelligent, pretty creative† , but not â€Å"pretty†. Thus, Makkau is able to get audience attention through her humorous beginning of the poem and also bring some important life messages to her audience. On the other hand, some humorists might not be implying any important messages to their audiences, but simply just doing their jobs by making people laugh. Mr. Bean can be an actor who act in funny movies or series that bring joy to the viewers. Cartoon or real life version, in most of his movies, he does many unique things that brings laughter’s from the people. One can say that there are not important messages that he is trying to show to the audience through his acting. Though, still audience can learn from his actions and careless mistakes that he makes in the movies, which are the main key of bringing humor, and understand that people can make silly mistakes. Humorists are able to show their true feelings about society without any restraints and have the advantages that their works can be taken seriously or lightly. Thus, they can simply tell anything without hurting anyone’s feeling. As they leave important messages by presenting their views through humorous and comical works, they plays an vital role in the society.

Of Mice and Men and the American Dream Essay Example for Free

Of Mice and Men and the American Dream Essay John Stienbeck’s novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is about the death of the American dream. George, Lennie and Candy’s dream is to own their own piece of land to work and live independently on. This dream is destroyed by Lennie’s ignorance and Lennie’s strength, which he cannot control. Curley’s wife’s dream is to be a famous Hollywood actress. Her dream is destroyed by her marriage to Curley and the Hollywood director who promised to contact her about her acting career but never has. Crook’s dream is for equality. Racism and the attitudes of others destroy this dream. Lennie and George’s dream is to own a piece of land to work and live where they can have cows, pigs, chicken a vegetable patch with alfalfa and rabbits. â€Å"O. K Someday – we’re going to get the jack together and we’re going to have a little house and a couple of acres and a cow and some pigs and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  ‘An’ live off the fatal the land’ â€Å"We’ll have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hunch and chickens. And when it rains in the winter we’ll just say the hell with going’ to work, and we’ll build up the fire in the stove and set around it an’ listen to the rain coming’ down on the roof. (Steinbeck 1937:18) This quote illustrates the dream have about owning their own land and living independently on it, growing and harvesting their own crops in the vegetable patch, farming cows and goats for milk, pigs for ham and bacon and chickens for eggs. When Candy hears about this dream, he wants to become part of it by offering his saved money to fund the purchase of the piece of land and be able to work and live on the land with George and Lennie. George, Lennie and candy’s dream is destroyed by Lennie’s ignorance and Lennie’s ignorance of his own strength. When Lennie is in a stressful situation, like when he wanted to pat the girl’s dress and she screamed, Lennie panics and doesn’t know what to do. Lennie’s strength and ignorance ruins their dream when Lennie and Curley’s wife are talking in the barn. Curley’s wife invites Lennie to feel how soft her hair is. Lennie patted her hair very hard. Curley’s wife, not wanting her hair to be messed up, jerks her head away. Because Lennie is confused he grabs her hair and tries to make her stop yelling. But because Lennie does not know how to control his own strength, he squeezes Curley’s wife’s neck too hard and crushes her spine. Lennie then flees the ranch because Curley wants to kill him for what he did to his wife. So Lennie is not brutally murdered by Curley, George finds Lennie and, because he cannot get him out of trouble, shoots Lennie. Lennie’s uncontrollable strength and ignorance destroyed his, George and Candy’s dream Curley’s wife’s dream is to become a famous Hollywood actress. She dreams of fame, fortune, fancy clothes and large, expensive hotels. Curley’s wife is waiting for a Hollywood director to mail her about becoming an actress. This dream is destroyed by her marriage to Curley because once she is married she is not allowed to pursue an acting career because she has to look after the house, because Curley will not allow her to leave the ranch to become an actress. Her dream is also destroyed by a Hollywood director who believed she had the potential to become a film actress. Curley’s wife meets this director at a dance and he promises he would send her a letter about acting in one of his films, but she never gets the letter so she does not become an actress which is her dream. Her marriage to Curley and the Hollywood director who has not mailed her about her acting career destroys her dream. Crooks dream is to be equal. Because he is black, he is treated differently than others because of their racist attitudes. Crooks must not go in the bunkhouse so he has to sleep in the harness room. He is also abused by the boss of the ranch whenever the boss gets angry. Crooks dreams that he can be treated the same as everyone else, so he does not have to sleep in the harness room instead of the bunkhouse or by abused by another man. â€Å"And he gave the stable buck hell, too† â€Å"Give the stable buck hell? ’ he asked ‘Sure. Yak see the stable buck’s a nigger. † (Steinbeck 1937:22)This quote shows how Crooks is mistreated by the farm boss because he is a black man. The ranch boss thinks he can ill-treat and discriminate against Crooks because he is black. Crooks dream of becoming equal is destroyed by the racist attitudes of others The novel â€Å"Of Mice and Men† by John Steinbeck is about the death of the American dream. The dream of George, Lennie and Candy is to own their own piece of land to work and live on. Lennie’s ignorance and Lennie’s uncontrollable strength destroy this dream. Curley’s wife’s dream is to be a famous Hollywood actress. Her dream is destroyed by her marriage to Curley and the Hollywood director who promised to write to her about her acting career but never has. Crook’s dream is for equality. This dream is destroyed by racism and the attitudes of others.

Objectives Of Criminology

Objectives Of Criminology A key aspect of criminology is the study of criminals and individuals who partake in criminal activities. However, what has remained extraordinary is the lack of interest that has been placed upon studying crime in relation to social demographic profiles, especially those regarding gender within traditional criminology. It was not until the 1970s that such issues were addressed as Feminist criminology sought to challenge traditional theoretical approaches to an understanding of the relationship and nature of women, crime and criminality. As Smart (1976; 2) explains; Our knowledge of the nature of female criminality is still in its infancy. In comparison to the massive documentation on all aspects of male delinquency and criminality, the amount of work carried out in the area of women and crime is extremely limited. Why has such a situation occurred? What has been regarded as the general relationship between taking precedence of studying male criminality over female criminality? Firstly, official statistics, such as the British Crime Survey and the Criminal Statistics for England and Wales, have consistently concluded that men are the disproportionate majority of criminal offenders, and that women only represent a very small majority. Although this does not signify that criminal offences are only subjected to men; when women do commit crimes, they are likely to be less serious in nature than those committed by men (Jones 2001). Such views are open to debate and scrutiny, as shall be explored later on, however it is generally the social view on how men and women fit into such statistics analysis. For example, of all criminals that were sentenced in 2006; 1.42 million, approximately 80% of these were men (National Statistics 2008). Secondly, most criminologists over the years almost exclusively be fore Feminism came into mainstream criminology, were in fact men who wrote extensively about male criminality (Cullen and Agnew 2006). Consequently, this has illustrated criminology as a male orientated and patriarchal discipline, as Britton (2000; 58) notes; criminology remains one of the most thoroughly masculinised of all social science fields. These have led to stereotypical views of criminals whereby the man is often portrayed as being the offender, what is usually referred to as hegemonic masculinity (Newburn 2007; 315), while the woman fits the image of being the victim of crime. These alone are enough reasons to ponder and contemplate the status and position of women within criminology. Have women been neglected from traditional criminology then? Or have their studies merely been overshadowed the sheer dominance of men? Is this to assert that traditional criminology has failed to make a single contribution to an understanding of the nature of female criminality? What has been done in an attempt to alleviate such marginalisation and disregard for women? What implications has the emergence of Feminism had, not only on the discipline, but also in areas relating to policy making and the criminal justice system? This assignment aims to offer a critical discussion regarding traditional criminologys contribution towards an understanding of female criminality, the means in which women are presented, Feminisms attempt to challenge such perspectives, and their attempt to rationalise women and the issue of gender equality within mainstream criminology. Great scientific advancement during the 19th century had a profound impact on the means in which crime and criminality was to be studied (Jones 2001). This new approach came to be known as Positivism a term coined by Auguste Comte to mean the scientific study of society, with the objective of establishing the relationship of causes and effects (Walliman 2006; 15). It held the principle that it was possible to study the nature of all phenomena on the basis that a scientific method was to be applied as its methodology. It is from this discipline that traditional criminology emerged, often referred to as Positivist criminology the scientific study of crime. This perspective claims that criminal behaviour is deterministic; that there are factors beyond and external to the control of the individuals, be it biological, psychological or sociological factors, that influences individuals, and are thus responsible for their engagement in criminal behaviour (Newburn 2007). As a result, there are explicit and clear differences between those who commit crime, usually pathological, and those who do not (Smart 1976). Rather than the criminal act itself, Positivist criminology is concerned with the very nature of individuals, predicating that this would eventually lead to a treatment of those engaging in criminal acts (White and Haines 1996). One of the very first studies on female criminality was proposed by Lombroso and Ferrero in their 1895 work entitled The Female Offender. They were greatly influenced by Darwins theory of evolution and applied a biological framework in their attempt to explain the relationship between women and crime (Jones 2001), arguing that it was biology that was the key determining factor that led women to engage in criminal offences (Newburn 2007). This was done through their concept of biological atavism (Klien 1973; 183), claiming that all criminals were characterised by a lack of advanced human development, and thus were more primitive in nature than non-criminals. It was this that differentiated deviants from the ordinary citizens (Heidensohn 1996). Their study of female criminals and prostitutions through detailed examinations of their photographs, brains and bones as done with the aim of discovering characteristics which were more in common with the criminal type. However, there seemed to be an inconsistency between the claim that all criminals are biological throwbacks from an earlier evolutionary stage (Smart 1976; 31), and their attempt to find such atavistic traits within the population of their research. How could they explain such a discrepancy? Lombroso and Ferrero argued that there were significantly fewer born female criminals than males and that they displayed fewer signs of degeneration (Newburn 2007; 301) because of their lack of evolution as opposed to men. In this sense, white men were regarded the being the most advanced form of evolution, and non-white women comprised the least advanced; women are big childrenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦their moral sense is deficient (Lombroso and Ferrero; 151 cited in Heidensohn 1996; 114) . Consequently, due to their more primitive nature than men, women had greater capacity to diverge in devious and criminal behaviour without being obviously visible or noticeable, while attempting to discover criminals within the male population was deemed as a very much easier task (Smart 1976), They observed it incontestable that female offenders seem almost normal when compared to the male criminal, with his wealth of anomalous features (Lombroso and Ferrero 1895; 107 cited in Heidensohn 1996; 113). Both had claimed that women were biologically inferior to men (Klien 1973; 185) to men. Having argued that women were naturally passive and had been culturally evolved for the duty of childrearing, this was seen as a reflection of their conservatism and were regarded as being generally much more law-abiding citizens than men. Thus they were deemed highly unlikely to enter the realms of criminality (Smart 1976; 32). Female offenders were thus labelled rare, an occasional rather than a born criminal. There existed greater stigma and shame on the criminal woman than on the criminal man, due merely to the fact that she was female. She was perceived as being unnatural, masculine and potent who lacked her passive role and maternal instinct; female offenders where going against conventional and traditional norms and values of society; an inversion of all the qualities which specially distinguish the normal woman; namely, reserve, docility and sexual apathy (Lombroso and Ferrero 1895; 297 ci ted in Heidensohn 1996; 114). Lombroso and Ferrero concludes by arguing it is not only the biology of women that fundamentally forbids them to engage in crime, but social expectation of women and their perceived social roles, are it seems, lies as an antithesis for criminal involvement (Smart 1976). Otto Pollak, in The Criminality of Women (1961), argued that what seems to be relatively low crime rates for women are in fact a misrepresentation of the relationship between gender and crime, claiming that female crime has been vastly under-estimated (Pollak 1961; 153 cited in Heidensohn 1996; 118). After studying crime rates across European countries, he argued that for both men and women, their crime rates were actually very similar, despite against such an assumption. Subsequently such statistical data concealed the true extent of female criminality and was deemed be unreliable, to which Pollak argued was the result of hidden female crimes that generally went unreported and undetected because of the nature of their physiology (Klien 1973).

college info Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Though, as of this point in my life, I do not yet know what career I would like to pursue, or even what general field I would like to study or work in. I do have certain goals that I know I shall work to attain. These goals are fairly common among most people. Such as the goal of financial security, and financial ability to support a family; the goal of continuous intellectual and physical competitiveness; as well as a goal of general well being, and happiness. In America, many people with these goals go to a college or university in order to achieve them. Their path has been proven to be effective, and so I too have chosen to go to college.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have learned that unfortunately colleges vary to great degrees, and that some will not satisfy me in achieving my goals. Because I must choose one college above another, I have compiled a set of requirements that I would like the college that I attend to fufill. My primary requirement for a college is that it have a broad program base, so that I may best discover and choose a career path that I would enjoy following. As well as a schools course selection, their actual facilities and physical resources are also important to me (such as library, computer rooms, workout facilities and other buildings). Ideally I would like to go to a medium or large sized college, because they generally best fufill this requirement, as well as they often have many career resources and connections. However a well equipped smaller college may also appeal to me. In regards of location, I would like to stay in the Northeast. I enjoy the cooler climate, and winter sports, and I would al so like to be within six hours of home. Not to mention (actually I am mentioning, but whatever) the fact that my girlfriend is probably going to attend a SUNY school, and I would like to have the opportunity to continue our relationship.Though these requirements are rather broad, they are certainly not concrete. The college that I go to may indeed fufill all of these requirements, or may very well fufill none. As of right now these are only ideas of what I am looking for in a college, however a very different college may just find me, and I am very open to that possibility.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One school that I have been seriously considering is Alfred University of upstate New York. The re... ... band shirts and plays his guitar all the time. Despite this striking difference between him and the average rich white polo loving guy, who only dates snobbish supermodel girls who are noted for being extremely prevalent in the school, my brother has found many good friends, and is basically friendly with everyone. I know this because I went to visit him for a long weekend, and saw how he unites his three floor dorm of jocks-1st floor(his floor), hot girls-2nd floor and the more nerdy or individual guys on the 3rd floor. This situation was probably mostly because of the unique person that my brother is, but it shows that the divisions that are prevalent in the school between the â€Å"cool kids† and the â€Å"individuals† can be overcome. I do believe that if I were to attend I would in fact be able to make friends in both categories, and have an all around good time. Oh yeah, and here is a list for the outline: In conclusion, I would like to go to an academically challenging and fulfilling school, which will aid me in selecting and succeeding in a future career. At the same time I want to have a good time in college, which is what many people believe the most important aspect of college.

Amistad :: essays research papers

Amistad is about a mutiny in 1839 aboard a slave ship, La Amistad, which eventually comes to port in New England. The West Africans who have commandeered the ship are taken into custody and the plot revolves around who "owns" them or if, indeed, they should be freed. This sets up the main event of the film, a courtroom drama about rights and origins, with the required flashbacks to the voyage and the gruesome conditions aboard the ship. The problem with this approach is that we learn less about the real conditions of slavery and instead focus on the more sanitized conditions surrounding the courtroom. In addition, we get a film which is largely about the efforts of the whites battling the case and much less about the struggles of the Africans themselves. There are too many strands in the film which lead to no-where. At one point Cinque makes an interesting point of international law that might help the case. While the legal minds are inspired by his insight and initiative, the idea is quickly dismissed as unworkable and he plays almost no role in designing the case which might lead to his freedom. The events on the slave ship are even more scattered. Cinque is involved in a brief eye-contact relationship with a young woman but there is no development to give it emotional power. The women's ensuing death is as shocking as it is unexpected and while it works as a good visual, her undeveloped role as a real person results in the loss of any deeper meaning. Furthermore, the Amistad case is portrayed as a spark that helped ignite the Civil War, but the movie does not go into greater detail. It simply flashes ahead and shows that the Civil War had begun. Also, the fact that few strong personal bonds develop between the principal characters to give the story the emotional force that it needs hurts the dramatic level of the film. There is an obvious connection between the Africans' leader, Cinque, and the young lawyer working for his release. However, the strength of this budding relationship is unconvincing. Moreover, it is seriously disrupted when control of the defense team is taken over by the aging ex-president, John Quincy Adams. Furthermore, the movie lacked depth in the Supreme Courtroom. In Washington, only one side of the case is presented: that of the Amistad captives. Amistad :: essays research papers Amistad is about a mutiny in 1839 aboard a slave ship, La Amistad, which eventually comes to port in New England. The West Africans who have commandeered the ship are taken into custody and the plot revolves around who "owns" them or if, indeed, they should be freed. This sets up the main event of the film, a courtroom drama about rights and origins, with the required flashbacks to the voyage and the gruesome conditions aboard the ship. The problem with this approach is that we learn less about the real conditions of slavery and instead focus on the more sanitized conditions surrounding the courtroom. In addition, we get a film which is largely about the efforts of the whites battling the case and much less about the struggles of the Africans themselves. There are too many strands in the film which lead to no-where. At one point Cinque makes an interesting point of international law that might help the case. While the legal minds are inspired by his insight and initiative, the idea is quickly dismissed as unworkable and he plays almost no role in designing the case which might lead to his freedom. The events on the slave ship are even more scattered. Cinque is involved in a brief eye-contact relationship with a young woman but there is no development to give it emotional power. The women's ensuing death is as shocking as it is unexpected and while it works as a good visual, her undeveloped role as a real person results in the loss of any deeper meaning. Furthermore, the Amistad case is portrayed as a spark that helped ignite the Civil War, but the movie does not go into greater detail. It simply flashes ahead and shows that the Civil War had begun. Also, the fact that few strong personal bonds develop between the principal characters to give the story the emotional force that it needs hurts the dramatic level of the film. There is an obvious connection between the Africans' leader, Cinque, and the young lawyer working for his release. However, the strength of this budding relationship is unconvincing. Moreover, it is seriously disrupted when control of the defense team is taken over by the aging ex-president, John Quincy Adams. Furthermore, the movie lacked depth in the Supreme Courtroom. In Washington, only one side of the case is presented: that of the Amistad captives.