Retention Process Essay

The reason for this document to be written is to show how a business employees new people. For each one of these I will describe what they mean and which one is taken step by step: 1. Business approval: this is when a business is approves of having a staff member that is needed for the company in that department and they feel it is needed in this situation, They go through the board of directors to get the answer. 2. Job analysis: this is when a employee goes to a company finds out what their job is and follows what a different person is doing in the job and writes down what they are doing in their job they have applied for. 3. Job description: this is what the job is offering to the person what they will need to do in their time at the company i.e. working hours, pay, frequency and etc. This also describes the job you are applying for and what you will have to do if you get the job this is used to explain to potential employees to see what they are offering to them and to let them know whether they are able to do the job that is being given to them. 4. Person Specification: matching the job description to the qualifications of the person applying for the job, it is used for explaining that to apply for this job you need to have certain skills to do this job efficiently. 5. Advertising: this is when a business needs a replacement or a new staff member to fill for the space left so what the business has to do is to either post the job on the internet to look for replacement to even increase their chances of getting some to do the job than they could put a advert in the local newspaper. There are two ways you can advertise a job by putting it on the paper which is a non electronic way of advertising the job or they could put it on the internet as this is a electronic way a of advertising a job. 6. Candidate short listing: this is when the business is reducing the number of candidates to the final three or so on. 7. Interview/Testing: this when a business ask the person who has applied for the job has to come in for a interview to say whether they are capable of getting the job done and they could try and find a person that can do the job more efficiently than the previous person. But if they feel they can bring good quality to the company they may do a test on them to see how they cope under pressure and what they will give back to the company. 8. Selection: this were the company starts to select its candidates for the job in certain situations you may be asked to perform certain task to see how well you cope with the task or situation. They may even rate you on how good you perform in that. 9. Reference: This is when a company is about to accept you and they need a person to agree with them that they deserve the job this can not be a relative it has to be a non family member so it can either be a banker, doctor, teacher 10. Employee Induction: this is the first day for the employee if he/she has passed all of the task so far set by the company then this will be his/her first induction in which they will show you were you are working what you are going to do in the company and for the company.

Freakonomics Crime and Abortion Essay

Mohammed 2 egalized abortion would have been 50% more likely than average to live in poverty. † This statistic that researchers discovered reinforced the belief that if a woman did not want to have a child because of personal reasons or because she was not ready and if there was an abortion ban, the child would most likely grow up in a poor household and have a higher risk of engaging in criminal activity once they reached adulthood. It is reasoned that because abortion was legalized twenty years before, an entire generation of children with a higher risk of becoming criminals were not born and that’s why the crime rate dropped. The fallacy that is apparent when attempting to explain a crime drop with an abortion increase is that the two are simply correlated and not necessarily causal. The authors refute that claim by providing evidence that there is a link between abortion and crime. â€Å"Sure enough, the states with the highest abortion rates in the 1970s experienced the greatest crime drops in the 1990s, while states with lower abortion rates experienced smaller crime drops† (4). The evidence regarding state data is pretty compelling especially when put in the framework of post-Roe v. Wade and the generational gap that follows the Supreme Court decision. Although there seems to be a link between abortion and the crime rate, it all comes down to how a person’s own beliefs will influence them to interpret the data. Conclusions can be drawn to support different viewpoints and once the moral implications of abortion are taken into consideration, then it no longer becomes a logical argument. Works Cited Levitt, Steven D. Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics. New York, Harper Collins, 2005.

Black Experience Essay Research Paper WEB DuBois

Black Experience Essay, Research Paper W.E.B DuBois criticized Washington greatly because of his political and educational doctrines. DuBois was an advocator of higher instruction and gifted black leaders. He felt that Washington s advocation for industrial larning finally hindered the black person and placed them in a place to accept a position of a 2nd category citizen. DuBois felt that inkinesss should endeavor for their rights and non put them aside for economic addition. Due to increasing battle to get the better of racial barriers, Washington s thoughts began to free influence by the 1910. DuBois along with Marcus Garvey brought in new, more extremist thoughts. Despite the fact that Garvey and Dubois presented more extremist thoughts than those of Washington, they were still political antagonists. DuBois believed that one could work within the model of American society to make alteration. Garvey believed that inkinesss could neer obtain justness in a state where the bulk of the population was white. He advocated that inkinesss should see Africa as their fatherland and they should settle at that place. Garvey founded his Back-to-Africa, upon this doctrine. Washington, DuBois, and Garvey have extremely different point of views, but his can be attributed to the fact that they came from really different backgrounds. Booker T. Washington was born a slave in Virginia. After emancipation he worked in what would be considered comparatively unskilled labour places. He subsequently went on to analyze at Hampton University where he would subsequently learn. The experiences in his life fused with his experience with instruction would take him to establish Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. In Washington s life he found that difficult industrial work and basic instruction assisted in his success. He used his ain life experiences as the greatest theoretical account for his thoughts on the black race. DuBois had a really contrasting background to that of Washington. DuBois came from a more privileged background. His life work centered around the betterment of African Americans, but he wanted to make so with the concerted attempt of inkinesss every bit good as broad white. DuBois attracted largely upper category and rational inkinesss in the beginning of his calling. He subsequently shifted his idea to appeal to everyone through emotion. Despite his attempts in the ulterior part of his calling to appeal to everyone, DuBois tended to estrange poorer inkinesss, who turned to Marcus Garvey s school of idea. Garvey grew up in impoverished Jamaica where he received minimum schooling. He relocated to Latin America and so E ngland where he was exposed to the Pan-African Movement. These thoughts were the foundation for his Back to Africa motion in the United States. The thought of a dissentious African American community did non merely manifest itself in the opposing sentiments of Washington, DuBois and Garvey. It surfaced in the motions and leaders that were the replacement of these three work forces. Martin L. King represented different ideals than those of Malcolm X. Malcolm X had really different position points than those of the likes of Eldridge Cleaver, Stokley Carmichael and Huey Newton. Basically these other three opposing position points stem from a different clip period, but the same type of splits in the schools of thought arise. These leaders basically represented and appealed to different groups of black people. The black community has neer obtained a triumph for all the sectors of its community. Yes, the civil rights motion made great headrooms for the black community politically, but it did non win at turn toing the economic conditions of the hapless black individual. It besides did non appeal to the black person who was concerne d about advancing the complete political and economic control of the black community. The civil rights motion was chiefly a triumph that has led to the prosperity of the in-between category inkinesss of the 1960 s. In the interim groups like the black under category have been left to drop or swim in America s capitalistic economic system which thrives of the really fact that there is an lower class. Washington s, DuBois and Garvey s point of views are clearly representative of positions that can be taken on by modern-day Afro-american in the new millenary. There is no cosmopolitan black American experience, the exclusive consolidative commonalty possibly that all inkinesss to some degree experience the effects of bondage. Soon in the United States the black community can be divided in to many subdivisions such as upper category, in-between category, working category, under category. With in all of these classs, there are farther divisions of the Afro-american that has recent West-Indian, African, Latin and European roots. All of these subsets of the black community have wholly different life positions. The black jobs of the 1920 s remain unreciprocated and the continue to resurface continually in the millenary. Black America must recognize that it is merely through he corporate digest of different schemes like those of Washington, DuBois and Garvey can black America present the blow that will be necessary to truly undertake the jobs of most of black America.

CHILDREN WITH ADHD Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CHILDREN WITH ADHD - Term Paper Example sists in treating Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); it stimulates brain cells, and adjusts hyperactivity, helps in concentrating and modifies motor skills also. But these medications are usually adjusted for every child with trial and error and the precise medication and dosage is determined per child as per his bodily reactions towards it. Some of the side effects related with these medications are; anxiety, sleeping disorders, stomach aches etc. Certain dietary supplements are reported to have positive effects on an Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affected child. A child consuming healthy diets has an edge on combating the disease; this includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat protein diets. Where as a child with ADHD will have negative effects on his health if he is taking food additives and excessive sugar (AACAP, 2013). The most common drug prescribed for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is Ritalin, it is readily available and generally it is given to children six years and above, but in a special cases it can be prescribed for younger children. Ritalin is the brand name for methylphenidate, and it reacts with the chemicals of brain and nerves which controls impulses. It is an addictive drug and it is not prescribed for pre-schoolers for a long period. Parents who are dealing with a child having Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have to be much more vigilant, not only on the child in question, but on his older siblings as well. Since Ritalin is the readily available drug for ADHD, its abuse is very common too. Adult siblings of ADHD affected kids often caught of abusing this drug, because it causes alertness, gives a boost of energy and attention which helps them in performing better in tests. However the longer intake of this drug can be extremely harmful, even fatal (CESAR, 2013). Virginia is the second largest state which prescribes Ritalin for the treatment of ADHD in children. It

Hospital's Organization Process Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hospital's Organization Process - Assignment Example It is in this regard that the basic principle of hospital functionality is to offer the best to the demanders of health. A process-based hospital is efficient in reducing costs of operation and in offering health care to the masses. A hospital’s organization process is diverse and dynamic over time. Hospitals do not retain the same process-based procedures over the years. Changes in the health industry necessitate changes in the organizational processes in hospitals. Innovations and advancement of health-related technology characterizes the health sector, thus the need to keep pace with such changes. A number of typical processes in the context of hospital operations and organization can be identified. To start with, the primary role of hospitals is to provide health care to patients. In this regard, the first organization process can be identified as that of providing and managing care for inpatients. Hospitals address all health issues that characterize inpatients. Different units of the variant health complications are established, where each unit is specifically charged with a duty to address a specific health complication. Ambulatory care is another crucial aspect of a hospital’s organizational process. ... Another observed organization process is that of revenue cycle processes. As much as hospitals strive to provide quality health care to patients, it is important to outline the cost-revenue aspect of the hospital. Hospitals should remain functional over a long period of time, given that the cost of hospital establishment is ultimately large (Nowinski & Mullner, 2006). Finally, another common process is that of providing support. The support process evaluates the current operation efficiency of the hospital, and makes future projections on the achievements of the hospital. This process brings together all the departments in the hospital and makes an analysis of the present situation. It then defines the relationship characteristic of these departments in assessing whether each department meets its purpose in the operations of the hospital. Quality assurance and the Legal department are crucial to any hospital setting. The quality assurance department is set in place in order to assess how well the hospital meets the expectations of the customers, who are in this case the patients. The department evaluates the design of service delivery, development of the hospital functionality, health care production efficiency and service delivery in the hospital. Prior to its pre-set goals and objectives, quality assurance department plans for the overall operations of the hospital. The hospital has objectives and goals to achieve. These results are realized through the activities of the quality assurance department. The department goes ahead and implements the plans, after which it consistently monitors the hospital performance in the context of the desired results. From time to time, the

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - CAM Therapies Assignment - 2

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) - CAM Therapies - Assignment Example The authors of the article document the profiles of most likely candidates for complimentary alternative medicine (CAM). This paper uses the authors’ context to discuss the reasons why some people opt for CAM, the demographic that is most susceptible to CAM, and how the article has contributed to the study of CAM practices in terms of benefits and distractions of its modality. Individuals select complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) for three major reasons when compared to the traditional allopathic methods of healing. Primarily, individuals who do not go for checkups or attend conventional medical facilities for medical care develop a tendency to seek alternative medicine. For instance, the study depicts that about 19.3% of the population did not seek conventional medical care in a 12-month period. Another reason why some people prefer complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) to conventional medicine is that such individuals have more health problems. The study reveals that 14.7 million people with more health problems could not seek conventional care due to cost and non-cost factors. Perhaps such individuals think that contemporary alternative medicine is more convenient and affordable when compared to the conventional medicine. In as much as education and gender appeared to be the key predisposing factors, enabling factors such as insurance coverage and poverty status did not directly associate individuals to complimentary alternative medicine (CAM). Huge disparities exist in the demographics and profile of the individuals who are prone to complimentary alternative medicine. Approximately 19% of people who did not seek conventional care over the past one years of the study were highly likely to opt for complimentary alternative medicine (CAM). Of these, 38.4% had some health needs with others harboring acute cases. Primarily, 25% of the people who did not use conventional care sought complimentary alternative care. It implies that most of the

The Concept of Wisdom in Judaism and Confucius Essay

The Concept of Wisdom in Judaism and Confucius - Essay Example For Aristotle the acts of the Gods had to be contemplative since they did not engage in acts of justice or bravery, where as Plato thought that imitating the Gods included both ethical and political values. In Judaism Imitatio Dei is centered on ethical values and striving to be the best that humans can be, not wise like God, because wisdom is what God used to create the world. Wisdom is the search for the knowledge of God (Shapiro 1971 pg 3). This idea is related in Genesis. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the Heavens. By His knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew. How manifold are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast thou made them all. According to the Pentateuch, the knowledge of God is the fruit of wisdom and a faithful path toward Imitatio Dei. Knowledge of God in Judaism is tied to the instructions God gave to Moses. The Israelites were captured because they had no knowledge of God, that is, they did not follow the rules Yahweh handed down to Moses. In Proverbs it states that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the All-Holy is understanding. True wisdom is the pursuit if the knowledge of God and all other goals serve only to be wise to other humans or oneself. Man can search for God's wisdom by reading Torah since Torah is the reflections of God's knowledge. David Shapiro makes an interesting observation when he points out that Israel avoids the pagan ideas of actually gaining the wisdom of a deity and becoming a God because the pagans subscribed to the belief. In Genesis 9:6 the Bible does say that man was created in the image of God, but that aspect is not mentioned again after that chapter and verse. While pagans strove to become Gods, Jews strove for the knowledge of God, a fundamental difference. This may also be a reaction to information in Genesis that wisdom is a quality of Satan. The snake talked Eve into eating from the Tree of Knowledge, thus becoming "wise" and knowing good and evil like God. In Judaism the limitations of man's knowledge contrasts with the pagan goal of actually gaining God's wisdom. In the pursuit of Imitatio Dei it was necessary to build God's dwelling place on earth. The Tabernacle, and later, the Temple served as the Imago Mundi, God's house on earth. This was the start of wisdom being incorporated into architecture, sacred geometry of a meta-physical nature. In the Jewish religion then God had a sacred book and a sacred house on earth. The Talmud as interpreted by Raba of Babylonia, states that wisdom is repentance combined with good deeds. One should not spend hours reading Torah then disrespect his parents and elders. This notion maintains the hierarchy sanctioned in the Torah where one's own wisdom is a reflection of superiors. Judaism began with humans having direct contact with God. Abraham founded the one God religion and Moses accepted the Covenant and the rules of following Yahweh. This one on one relationship is an on going central part of Judaism. Confucius lived around 550 to 480 B.C.E. in the Zhou Dynasty. The name is the Latinized version of Kong fu-zi or Master Kong (Nadeau pg 1). He is one of China's most important

Values and Personality Reflection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Values and Personality Reflection Paper - Essay Example Every day we do in our life requires funding that life would be unimaginable without it. To ensure that there is enough funding to be able to do the things I would like to do, a trust fund would be nice source of fund. And to sustain my everyday expenditures such as eating out, buying school supplies and other things, it would be very convenient to have a worry free charge. Trust fund without the means to spend it through a convenient charge would be pointless so a charge card should come with the trust fund. Finally, it is very important for me to have my own big house not only as a means of shelter but also to call it my home. These values made me strive to study harder to be able to get a good education. My parents were instrumental in the formation of these values by stressing that without a good education, I will not even have a chance of having financial stability because the world is based on knowledge and skills. These values will affect me in choosing a major in college or a career by ensuring that the course I will take must teach financial know how and that the career I will have must earn well to afford financial security. I took the ESTJ personality test to have an objective hypothesis on my personality type. My hypothesis on my personality type is that I am an Introvert-Sensor-Feeler-Judger. It means that I tend to be reflective, reserved and private. I draw my energy from my own thoughts and the time I spend alone and do not need people around me all the time. It also says I live for the present and rely on facts and handle practical matters pretty well which I think is very accurate assessment of me. I am also a feeler which is basically sensitive to the feelings of other people which I am. I am also a judger who prefer a lifestyle that decisive, planned and orderly. This personality type reflects well in my interaction with people as I am very considerate with

Cross-cultural practicum journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cross-cultural practicum journal - Essay Example Hardly did I know that the experience would be very enlightening. In fact, I do not remember attending any event in my life that was humbling, educating and enjoyable all at the same time. Volunteering at the shoe store and assisting children to choose and fit shoes helped me learn a few things about community service. To start with, I realized that serving others is emotionally fulfilling and rewarding. Watching the happy children try different shoes was the best part of the experience. I enjoyed watching them jump up and down shouting at the topmost of their voices when they got their favorite shoe that fit perfectly. Some Bible verses that discuss service to others became clearer during the experience. For example, Paul talks about talks about being good to all people (The Holy Bible: King James Version, Gal. 6:10). One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is goodness (Gal. 5:22). In as much as the store owners were not paying me for volunteering my services, the experience was nonetheless rewarding. Those who give receive even more than they have given (Luke 6:38). This verse is very true because every day I went back home feeling like a new person. Besides, God also loves a cheerful giver (2nd Cor. 9:7). Working with children also made me look at a few Bible verses from a different perspective. In the Bible, several verses quote that, salvation is for children. Jesus Christ states that the kingdom of Heaven belongs to the children (Mat. 19:16). The kids in the store were all innocent, smiled all the time, talked to everyone with no reservations. One child even invited me to their place to play with her toys. I compared them to adults who are always complaining to God about this and about that it. It is hard to make a child smile. That made me understand why the Bible says that the kingdom of heaven belongs to children. Working at Edmond required an individual with

Native Americans in the United States and Include In-text Citation Essay Example for Free

Native Americans in the United States and Include In-text Citation Essay TermDefinition Segregationâ€Å"The physical and social separation of categories of people. † (Macionis, 2012, p. 61) De jure segregationâ€Å"Children assigned to schools specifically to maintain racially separated schools. † (Schaefer, 2012, p. 414) Pluralismâ€Å"A state in which people of all racial and ethnic categories have about the same overall social standing. † (Macionis, 2012, p. 63) Assimilationâ€Å"The process by which minorities gradually adopt cultural patterns from the dominant majority population. † (Macionis, 2012, p. 63) Part II Write a 75- to 150-word response to each of the following questions. Format your work according to the class writing guide: †¢Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, racial, or national group, such as the Turkish killing of Armenians after WWI, the Nazis’ slaughter of 6 million European Jews during WWII, or the mass killings in Rwanda in 1994. Has genocide ever been practiced or condoned in North America? Explain your response. Yes, genocide has been both practiced and condoned in North America and the United States. The native inhabitants of North America, or Native Americans, were destroyed as a people. In the early 18th century, several states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey promoted the genocide of local native people by offering a scalp bounty on every dead native. In 1703 12 pounds was the price paid per scalp by the State of Massachusetts, by 1723 that price had soared to over 100 pounds per scalp. In that same period, George Washington compared Natives to wolves or beasts of prey, and called for their total destruction. By 1814, Andrew Jackson supervised the mutilation of more than 800 members of the Creek Tribe, which had been murdered by his troops. As time progresses to 1867, General William Tecumseh Sherman was saying, â€Å"We must act with vindictive earnestness against the Sioux [Lakota] even to their extermination; men, women, and children. † No one knows a precise number of Native Americans that were murdered at the behest of our United States Government, but some estimates make the number of European Jews murdered by German Nazis look small. (Religious Tolerance, 2011) †¢Consider the readings from this week as well as last week. What is the difference between Arab Americans and Muslim Americans? Why are the two often thought to be interchangeable? Explain your response. Arab Americans are Americans of Arabic heritage, which have either immigrated to the United States or have been born here and can trace their lineage back to the Middle East. (The Prejudice Institute , 2012) However not all people from the Middle East are Arab. Muslim Americans are people who practice the religion of Islam and live in the United States. (Muslim Americans, 2011) I think that often these two terms are thought to be interchangeable because there are a great deal of Muslims in the Middle East and those are the Muslim Extremist that we she on the news. Therefore, as we always do we go right to the stereotypes that have been played out in the headlines of the news. So if a person is of Arabic decent he or she must also be Muslim, which is why people tend to consider the two terms interchangeable. ? References Religious Tolerance. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. religioustolerance. org/genocide5. htm Macionis, J. J. (2012). Social Problems, Census Edition (4th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. The Prejudice Institute . (2012). Retrieved from http://www. prejudiceinstitute. org/Factsheets5-ArabAmericans. html Muslim Americans. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. people-press. org/files/2011/08/muslim-american-report. pdf.

Christianity and islam

Christianity and islam Reflection Paper: Both Christianity and Islam are very wide spread religions in the world which have a great impact on the lives of their believers especially spiritually. Their common originality, values and some believes has enabled most of their believers to respect and try to understand each others faith. In most nations of the world these two religions have formed the bases of the countries laws and are highly recognized by the governments. Though Christianity is widely spread compared to Islam, they impose the same challenge to each other Considering the similarities and the differences between Islam and Christianity, the two can be said to be very different since the main prophets and the holy books which form the basis and guidance of the respective religions are not acceptable to the other. Christian faith is based on birth, crucification, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who is the messiah which is contrary to the Muslims view of Christ being just a prophet among the many. Comparison between the two religions was much easier because theres a clear difference between the beliefs of the religions as well as practices in time of worship. This is because in day today life of the respective believers their religious views are aired. Getting the historic origin of the two religions was much easier especially that of Christianity which begun as a Jewish sect in the Mediterranean and Islam in the 7th century after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Getting the differences between the two both being Abrahamic religions and the holy books the Quran and the Bible referring to similar ancient people like Isaac and Ishmael in a related context. Introduction Christianity is a religious belief which begun as a Jewish belief and is seen as Abrahamic religion. Its followers are referred to as Christians. They believe in Jesus Christ the messiah as the prophet send by God to save mankind and the holy bible as the guide of their faith. They also believe that the messiah who came in the form of mankind suffered, died and resurrected to remiss them of their sins. It is also believed that he would return to reward those who have lived according to the doctrines taught by the holy bible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission and therefore Islam religion is believed to be an Abrahamic religion which believes in submission to the almighty God Allah and Muhammad as the prophet. Quran is the holy book believed to be the guideline of the Muslims who are the of the Islamic religion. It is believed that Allah repeatedly revealed it to Muhammad verbally through angel Jibril and the original Arabic version is the final revelation from God which is verbal. Historic background According to Stern(11-15) Christianity originates from the word kristos which is a Greek word meaning the anointed one and it is a monotheistic religion. It guided by the life and teachings of Christ Jesus as shown in the holy bible. It begun as a Jewish sect from the eastern Mediterranean in the first century and by the 4th century was already dominant in the Roman Empire. Most of Europe was Christianized by the Middle Ages but Middle East, North Africa and some regions in India remained with minority Christians. It spread to America, Australasia and all over the world through colonization, discovery work and missionary work hence became a major influence in Western civilization shaping. Thrower argued that It is the words largest religion and represents about a quarter of the entire population, also considered as a state religion in several countries (21-25) It is categorized into three groups: Catholics, Protestants and orthodox.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Islam began developing as from the 7th century with the reconstruction of Prophet Muhammads life after his death. It started spreading in Atlantic Ocean to Central Asia after Prophet Muhammads first recitation of the Quran. According to Williams (1994) The Great Mosque of Kairouan is considered as origin of the western Islamic world mosques and is preserved up to now. Reference to Abdul-Rahman Islamic dynasties like Ottomans and Mughals collapsed under the European imperial sway during 18th and 19th centuries (141-160). Muhammad started conveying Islam at Mecca and later moved to Medina where the tribes of Arabia were united to a polity of Arab Muslim religion.Umar succeeded him in 634 following his death. The other successors were Uthman ibn al-Affan and Ali ibn Talib; the four are referred to as al-khulafa ar-rashidun. Several conflicts followed over political and religious leadership which led to the rise of schism amongst the Muslims. Basically the origin of I slam is tied to the economic, political and military. Similarities between Islam and Christianity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Strachey (62-69) both Islam and Christianity are Abrahamic religions or in other words believe in the existence of one supreme God. They both share common values and origin which is found in Judaism when the people of Israel were given Torah. Islam was founded by Muhammad referring to the Quran while Christianity was started by the followers of Jesus of Nazareth but they both acknowledge a spiritual tradition related to Abraham. For the two religions, God rules, judges, forgives and hes the creator of the universe. Jerusalem is also of major importance to both religions. It was the city where Christ was brought up, crucified, buried as well as resurrected. He also healed, preached and cleansed the temple so its considered as a holy place. The Al-Aqsa mosque in Sura Al-Isra also called the ‘furthest mosque is located in Jerusalem the holy land. Abdul-Rahman (55-64) the first Muslims also prayed towards Jerusalem not Mecca and it was also the plac e where Muhammad ascended to heaven. The two religions also affirm that God sends angels and prophets to convey messages to his people and through inspired scriptures reveals his divine will. They also believe in the judgement day when God will intervene in the history of mankind and determine their eternal lives depending on personal beliefs and actions. Both religions believe in the power of prayer and fasting as taught by their earlier prophets. Differences between Islam and Christianity Thrower(30-58) argues that Islam disagrees with some of the Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ like him being the son of God and savior of mankind, also the holy trinity of there being God the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Christians reject Islams prophet and Quran while the Muslims support that God guides Christians but they perceive scriptures in their own interest. It is also different the way Muslims perceive the birth of Jesus compared to Christians. They believe that Jesus was created like Abraham while Christians believe that he was conceived by Virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. They also believe that Jesus was to be crucified but was miraculously saved while Christians believe he was crucified but resurrected. Christians believe that the bible is Gods holy book which was written by people inspired by God and it teaches the will of God on mankind while the Muslims accept but believe that it has been corrupted to fit peoples interests over the years. Conclusion Christianity and Islam are major worlds religions with the latter having a greater number of followers. They share common origin, values and some believes like God being supreme, prophets being Gods messengers and judgement of humanity based on personal actions and faith while on earth. The Quran and the Bible are considered as the two holy books written through Gods inspiration though the Quran is believed was verbally revealed to prophet. Muhammad through angel Jibril. The two religions have some major differences like the birth, crucification, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They also differ in the originality of the holy bible as compared to that of the holy Quran as well as its interpretation by the Christians. The similarities between the two outweigh the differences. Works Cited Abdul-Rahman, Muhammad, Saed. Islam questions and answers. Volume 22, MSA Publication Limited. Saudi Arabia. 1972 Lewis, Bernard Churchill, Buntzie, Ellis. In the religion and the people. Illustrated. Wharton School Publishing, U.S.A, 2008 Stern, Bernard, Joseph. Science society, Volume 12, 1-3, Concept Publishing Company, 1948. Strachey, Lytton Holroyd Michael. Eminent Victorians, Nile Penguin Classics, 1986. Thrower, James. Marxist-Leninist â€Å"scientific atheism† and the study of religion and atheism in the USSR. Volume 25. Vienna ; Walter de Gruyter, 1983. Willliams, John, Adel. The Word of Islam. University of Texas. Qayrawan. 1994

Man and Nature in Stephen Cranes The Blue Hotel and The Open Boat Essa

Man and Nature in The Blue Hotel and The Open Boat   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Stephen Crane uses a massive, ominous stove, sprawled out in a tiny room and burning with "god-like violence," as a principal metaphor to communicate his interpretation of the world. Full of nearly restrained energy, the torrid stove is a symbol of the burning, potentially eruptive earth to which humans "cling" and of which they are a part. As a literary naturalist, Crane interpreted reality from a Darwinian perspective, and saw the earth driven by adamant natural laws, violent and powerful laws which are often hostile to humans and their societies, and he conceived of humans as accidents, inhabiting a harsh, irrational, dangerous world. Crane's famous depiction of the world is this: It is "a whirling, fire-smote, ice-locked, disease-stricken, space-lost bulb" (Crane 783). With two of his short stories, "The Blue Hotel" and "The Open Boat," Crane explores how humans react when the stove bursts and natural flames blaze furiously; Crane sets two different groups of men into situations in which the laws of nature are against them. The natural laws that govern the weather and the ocean storm against a group of men who are trying, albeit in an exhausted dinghy, to make the coast of Florida in the story "The Open Boat." In "The Blue Hotel," the animalistic laws that determine human behavior birth chaos among a group of strangers. One can readily see both similarities and differences in the reactions of the two groups of men to the world. That, in both stories, both groups of men are shocked and yet charmed by the violence of nature is an essential similarity; that in one story the men work together to save one another and in the other story the men beat ... ...red A. Knopf Inc., 1992.   Crane, Stephen. "The Open Boat." The University of Virginia Edition of the Works of Stephen Crane: Volume V, Tales of Adventure. Ed. Fredson Bowers. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1970. Gerstenberger, Donna. "'The Open Boat': An Additional Perspective." Modern Fiction Studies 17 (1971-72):557-561. Gibson, William M., ed.   The Red Badge of Courage and Selected Prose and Poetry by Stephen Crane.   New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1950.   Halliburton, David.   The Color of the Sky: A Study of Stephen Crane.  Ã‚   New York:   Cambridge UP,   1989. Johnson, Paul. Modern Times, The World from the Twenties to the Eighties. New York: Harper Colophon Books, Harper and Row Publishers, 1983. Kent, Thomas L "The Problem of Knowledge in'The Open Boat'and 'The Blue Hotel." American Literary Realism 14 (1981): 262-268.   

Schizophrenia and the I-function: A Hypothesis Revised :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Schizophrenia and the I-function: A Hypothesis Revised In my second web paper, I tried to come up with arguments supporting the hypothesis that schizophrenia was caused by an overactive I-function. Information about positive schizophrenic symptoms (distorted perceptions of reality, hallucinations, illusions, delusions, paranoia...)(2) suggested to me that the I-function of the schizophrenic was aware of things that the I-function of the non-schizophrenic wasn't. I also felt that because reality is such a biased, individual experience, non-schizophrenics do not have the right to label the reality of the schizophrenic as false. This hypothesis is flawed. After doing more research and taking into consideration a suggestion from Professor Grobstein that maybe the problem is not an overactive I-function, but abnormal input to the I-function, I have reworked the hypothesis. One can still validly say that the reality of the schizophrenic is real. However, it is more accurate to emphasize that the reality of a schizophrenic is only real to the schizophrenic, just as each and every person's individual reality is actually only real to him or her. The difference between the realities of schizophrenics and the realities of non-schizophrenics is that for non-schizophrenics, information is processed in a more or less uniform way. That is, I interpret input pretty much the same way most people around me would. There are, of course, discrepancies in interpretations even between non-schizophrenics, hence the difficulty in relying on eye-witness accounts. For schizophrenics, though, the interpretation of input is completely different from everyone e lse around them due to the fact that the input is in some way wildly changed between the time it reaches the afferent nerve endings to the time that it ends up at the I-function. I found that an excellent way to begin to understand how schizophrenia works is by reading personal accounts. Most of the accounts I found were written by people who, with the help of medication, were in recovery from schizophrenia. They give detailed descriptions of their lives and their thoughts before they recovered. What follows is an excerpt from "Maurizio's Story." Maurizio was in law school, had an active social life, and was in the top quarter of his class when he developed schizophrenia: Within a few days in October 1976 all of this came to a crashing halt as I suddenly experienced my first psychosis. I can still remember those experiences vividly even now 18 years later. At first I thought I was coming down with the flu since the abnormal mental state I was experiencing was similar to the viral delirium of influenza but as I stayed in bed for a day my symptoms got even worse.

Edgar Allan Poe :: Essays Papers

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and lived in six Eastern cities. His father was David Poe, a Baltimore actor. His mother, Elizabeth, also in the acting business came to the United States as a kid. The parents were not that talented; they played small roles in rather third-rate theatrical companies. They both had small parts, and barely managed to make a living. Edgar was the second of three children. When the third child was born, the father died, or disappeared, and Mrs. Poe went to Richmond with the two youngest children. The oldest boy, William Henry, had already been left with relatives in Baltimore. Mrs. Poe was in the last stages of tuberculosis. Weakened by the disease and worn out with the struggle to support her children, she died. Edgar, two years old, and the infant, Rosalie, were left as orphans. It was pure luck that Mrs. Frances Allan, the wife of a merchant in Richmond learned about the Poe babies. She had no children of her own and liked handsome little Edgar a lot more than his sister. She took him home with her, and another family took his little sister Rosalie. Mrs. Allan would have liked to adopt Edgar, but her husband was unwilling to commit himself. At that time people thought acting was immoral. John Allan could not help regarding the little son of actor parents as a questionable person to inherit his name and the fortune he was busy accumulating. He was willing however, to support the child, and in time came to be proud of Edgar's good looks and intelligence. When Edgar was six years old, Mr. Allen's business took him to Scotland, the country from which he had come originally. The family stayed in Scotland and England for five years. Edgar was eleven when the Allans returned to Richmond. Richmond in back then in the 1820's was a good place for a boy to live. It was still a small enough town for the fields, swamps, and woods to be close by. Boys swam in the river and in the little creeks, they fished, they tramped through the thick woods, looking for wild muscadines and chinquapins.

Comparison Between Rousseau and Plato

I think Rousseau†s most effective criticism of Plato†s is on the importance of family. Both philosophers have opposing views on this issue; however I tend to agree with Rousseau†s view on family mostly because it is more reasonable than Plato†s. Rousseau also seemed more concerned that people enjoy life whereas Plato seemed too tied down with the idea of making the world just, that he forgot about individual happiness. According to Plato there should be no such thing as family. Instead we should all be men born of the earth. Everyone according to Plato should think themselves to be everyone else†s brother or sister. He thinks that children should be removed from the mother upon birth so no attachment is made between mother and child. In speaking of peoples â€Å"education and rearing† Plato writes: â€Å"If by being well educated they become sensible men, they†ll easily see to all this and everything else we are now leaving out-that the possession of women, marriage, and procreation of children must as far as possible be arranged according to the proverb that friends have all things in common. (423e) Again he reiterates the idea of having all things in common when he writes: â€Å"All these women are to belong to all these men in common, and no woman is to live privately with any man. And the children, in their turn, will be common, and neither will a parent know his own offspring, nor a child his parent. † (457d) Rousseau firmly disagrees with Plato†s view on family. He thinks that having strong family values is the key to becoming a good citizen. Since Rousseau is all about taking the natural approach to education, his view on family values make sense. Family is quite obviously in accordance with the laws of nature. A mother gives birth to her child and according to Rousseau it is only natural for the mother to nurse the child herself. That is the first natural bond that takes place within the family thus it is necessary in forming a close family unit. This is seen on page forty-six when he writes: â€Å"But let mothers deign to nurse their children, morals will reform themselves, nature†s sentiments will be awakened in every heart, the state will be repeopled. † If you stop here this goes completely against Plato†s belief that only certain women are made to be nurses and therefore only those women should nurse children. But Rousseau goes on to say: â€Å"Thus, from the correction of this single abuse would soon result a general reform; nature would soon have reclaimed all its rights. Let women once again become mothers, men will soon become fathers and husbands again. † Maybe Rousseau exaggerates this idea that by mothers nursing their children family values will be set in place. But to an extent I think this is true, because it is the first way a mother can care for her child, and by having someone else do it for her she is giving up this sacred bond a mother should have with her child. Rousseau says: â€Å"We are born weak, we need strength; we are born totally unprovided, we need aid; we are born stupid we need judgment. Everything we do not have at birth and which we need when we are grown is given us by education. † (pg. 38) This education no matter how you look at it starts in the home, and with the family. If a child is to grow someone needs to be there to guide them. And without a proper family a child will never be educated properly. Rousseau†s theory on family is much more realistic than Plato†s. Without having family values or even knowing who your real family is how is one supposed to learn to love and care for one another? If we lived as Plato would like we would not know what it means to have a close family because everyone would literally be considered your family. There is no way that you would develop the same feeling of love as you would by living in a family as most know it today. Or family in the sense that Rousseau writes about. Plato was more concerned with the city being just then the individual, so in that context his wanting to eradicate the natural family makes since. But his education follows that everyone be a professional at one trade. In my opinion that is no way to live life. To spend your whole life perfecting one thing, and never experiencing what it is to love. Rousseau took a much different approach believing that education was accomplished through centering on each person individually. The way a child is raised quite obviously affects who they are when they grow up. If they grow up in a family with strong values children learn if nothing else how to love and respect others. By learning these values ideally they will one day pass the lessons along to a family of their own.

Ernest Hemingway Essay

Ernest Hemingway is one of the writers that define American Literature. Although he accomplished much in reputation and status due to his novel, his most celebrated works have always been his short stories. His short stories, which are known for their simple language and artful prose, are often seen as a reflection of his life. It can indeed be seen through several of the plots he penned that he was drawing out his own life experiences such as his portrayal of himself as a macho man, his relationship with the women in his life, war and death and of course alcohol. Noting this Martin Scofield rightly states, â€Å"the personal experience on which he frequently drew directly in his writing was full of confusing tension and conflict – between masculine and feminine elements in his personality, between admiration for the physical courage and a growing disillusion with violence, and between the optimism of youth and physical energy, and the inevitable depredation of old age and death. In his short stories we see vividly developed snapshots of turmoil, precise delineations of individual fragments of disparate experience.† (Scofield 139). The kind of heroes that the author went to write about in his book were a direct reflection of the kind of man he wanted to be. The male protagonist has an aura of dignity and an unwavering integrity about them. Compromise is not known to these characters in most instances. In fact both male and female characters that were created by Hemingway are more often than not, defiant of the society that they exist in and continually go against the societal norms and expectations. Hemingway was by nature a macho man. His life has shown us his indulgences in great adventures. The time he spent in wars, hunting and sport is reflected in several of his works. The kind of heroes Hemingway wrote about will probably not suffice today; torn soldiers, and death defying hunters, adventurers and bullfighters made up his works, but that these characters exhibited a personal code of honesty and decency. Harvey Claflin Mansfield rightly categorized the author’s personality in his book ‘Maniliness’, â€Å"Hemingway was a macho fellow and a seeker of adventure when coupled with fun†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mansfield 52). An example of this can be taken from his short story ‘Indian Camp,’ where the physician is neither concerned with his lack of anesthetic and equipment nor the screaming patient. In true alpha male mode, he goes onto deliver a child with a jack-knife.   His complete lack of interest in the women’s pain, which normally affects people, and the way he goes onto admire his work as though it was a non-living thing gives off a very sadistic and stereotypical macho essence. At the same time we can compare the physician’s character to the American Indian man who slit his throat and died during his wife’s giving birth. That man did not have the courage and strength to face the ordeal that his wife was going through, unlike the physician who seemed to think nothing of it. And like that Hemingway continuously writes about men that could stand up to things and endure things. The strength which he at times referred to ‘grace under pressure’ was reflective of the kind of man that does not succumb to his problems. His story of the bull fighter can also be seen as an example of this very thing, where the protagonist ignores injuries to enter battle. Explaining the development of the characters through the developments in Hemingway’s life, John Campbell noted, â€Å"In the 1920s, Hemingway began to develop a public role for himself in an attempt to show people how a writer acts when not writing. He became comfortable with this role and wrote essays for Esquire Magazine that reflected a person, outdoorsman image of a very physical man; he made a safari to Africa in the 1930s, killed big game, and so on. His male characters began to resemble this image and became more â€Å"Active† in the 1930s and 1940s. Readers often associate this macho image with Hemingway, but it is difficult to generalize about men in his work, since the early male characters are vulnerable and the later ones – more independent – have a sense of â€Å"toughness† strength and masculinity.†Ã‚   (Campbell 251) Hemingway wrote extensively throughout his career. One of the main recurring themes that can be seen in his short stories is that of war and death. He participated in the First World War as an ambulance driver under the Red Cross. It was during his term in Italy that he had his first love affair and was also injured. As a part of the Italian infantry he was awarded two decorations by the Italian government as well. It was his time here that he witnessed first hand the ruthlessness and stoic attitude of soldiers around him. Much of his observations later became part of his works. His time as a war correspondent in span also influenced his work. The events of the civil war that took place in Spain greatly affected him. â€Å"The Spanish civil war stories have two characteristics in common. The first-person narrator in all of them is obviously Hemingway himself, correspond dent, film-maker, raconteur, and famous personage. The second characteristic is that the real subject of all these stories, as well as the play, is the political nature of the conflict. Philips Rawlings, the main character in the ‘Fifth Column’ is also substantially autobiographical and the ‘girl,’ Dorothy Bridges, is clearly based on Martha Gellhorn, as is the girl in the story ‘Landscapes with Figures† (Donaldson 236). The stories are his version of events and how he saw the war. Most of the material is based on first hand information and as he experienced it. His short stories poignantly portrayed soldiers that left behind and lived with legacies of combat. In ‘Soldier’s Home,’ Krebs is the disillusioned veteran that comes back to home to find himself without a spiritual home. He is out of place, alienated from his family, religion and society. Hemingway’s examination of the war torn characters can also bee seen through Nick Adams. Some critiques have linked the short stories to a potential autobiographical connection and their thematic treatment to the various stages the characters go through i.e. Nick’s stages of recovery from his physical and psychological war wounds which mirror the one’s Hemingway suffered himself. It is Hemingway who in the third-person story supports the fundamental idea of Nick’s physical and spiritual recovery and renewal. It can be taken in view that writing was a form of catharsis for the author and through writing about his ordeal he managed to work through his anxiety of war (to an extent). We can see through the stories, glimpses of Hemingway’s own pain and anguish. When he returned from war ridden areas he was deeply affected. The effects of his experiences were heavy influences on his work and gave them a new sense of life. Hemingway had extremely turbulent relationships with the women in his life. His love stories are ruled by conflict between men and women whose lives are always stuck in some momentum of great tension and problems, or an extremely vivid change. He was married to four different women and was infamous for his multiple affairs. If one was to look at Hemingway’s life, one would notice that he lacked the will to stick to one woman. At some point and time breaking things off and moving on stopped giving him the guilt it once did and women became just a habit for him. His relationships with women affected his work a great deal; Paul Reuban went onto prove this in his work when he wrote that, â€Å"His [Hemingway’s] writing also reflected his trouble with relating to women and his tendency to treat them as objects, as he had four marriages and countless affairs, highlighting his theme of alienation and disconnection [in his work].† It was his guilt over women that led him to the bottle and subsequently drenched him in depression. He could not move past his guilt quickly enough before he moved onto the next woman. In his entire life he repeatedly cheated on all the women he was   with; it was a vicious cycle of finding love, breaking love by finding someone else, getting depressed over his actions, finding someone else to get out of the depression. An example of the effect that his love life had on his work can be seen in ‘Hills like White Elephants,’ which was written after Hemingway had cheated on his wife Hadley with her own friend Pauline Pfeiffer. When Hemingway asked for a divorce, Hadley placed a condition of a separation between him and Pfeiffer for a certain period of time; if he remained in love even after that time he was to be granted the divorce. It was during this period that he wrote the story. The biggest similarity between his life and the short story is that in either a family member or loved one was being separated. The story which centers on a conversation between a man and a woman show that the man is the authority. The poor communication skills between the two also reflect that their relationship might end. Perhaps Hemingway himself saw this as Hadley and himself which poor communication was ending up in the death of something that connected them, in the case of the characters this would be the unborn child. When in Italy, Hemingway had a love affair while he was wounded in this duration. The effects of this can be seen in his works as well. In ‘A very short story,’ the injured solider who is found on the Italian front has a love affair with a nurse who tended to him. Just like Hemingway himself who fell in love with Agnes Von Kurowsky. As the story goes, the nurse later leaves the solider for an Italian officer. â€Å"‘A very short story’ ranks as one of Hemingway’s least effective stories. Behind a pretense of objectivity, it excoriates the faithless Agnes. Even four years after the jilting, he was too close to his subject matter to achieve the requisite artistic distance†¦ twice again he explored the subject of love between a wounded soldier and his nurse†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Beegal 105). Throughout his work it will be seen that he advocates the kind of courage in the world where men must survive without women, which goes against the work itself because it is based largely on this mother, sisters, wives, lovers etc. Hemingway’s works paved way for an entirely new genre of writing. He used plain simple language to give voice to his stories. Much of his work, when it comes to short stories, is greatly influenced by his life and it can be seen through the various example given herewith, how his life was a muse to him. His relationships with women and subsequently alcohol, his experiences at war and the death that he saw, and his ideas on masculinity and manhood were some of the basic ideas that he infused with his writings to form the basis of many of his stories. Hemingway may have been gifted but he very conflicts that he tried to work out through his writings, and the very tensions that he wrote about, subsequently became the reason he took his own life.

Education is not for sale! Essay

Let’s pretend you own a school. Let’s pretend the school you own is still functional, but   pretty old: wobbly chairs, uneven tables, equipment prone to breaking down. Prices are rising, so what will you do? Instead of taking care of the facilities with the students’ tuition (you still have enrolled students, believe it or not), let’s pretend you spend more time and money looking for new students who are willing to study in your dilapidated school.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We’re not pretending anymore: due to the financial crisis, California State University East Bay is spending more of the students’ money for recruitment of new students than the upgrading of our facilities. It has also decided to increase the tuition again.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Something is wrong when we pay for something we won’t be able to use. And it is unfair to pay more for something we are not supposed to be paying for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not a few Californians are suffering from rising utility costs, such as housing and transportation. Increasing the cost of education is another burden being forced unto them. For the last seven years, tuition has increased six times. What is happening to the taxes our parents pay to the State? Isn’t that the whole point of taxes, that it provide the needs of its citizens, especially education?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Students of caliber are the school’s best advertisement. And recruiting more students will not result in higher quality students. In our current situation, the average CSUEB student takes six years to graduate, instead of the usual four. This is due to the increase in class sizes and reduction in courses students need to take. Countless studies have proven that more students in a classroom do not translate into better grades or understanding.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Therefore, the school should not increase its tuition. First, because the State should be responsible for the school’s upkeep. Second, recruiting more students will only result in the deteriorating quality of students. Education is not a business, so it should not be thought of in terms of returns of investment or profit. Education is a democratic right, and therefore it should not be profited from, but asserted and protected. Education is not for sale!

Are Cell Phones Dangerous? Essay

Ninety-one percent of American adults and sixty percent of teens own this device that has revolutionized communication in the 21st century — the cellphone. While cell phones provide an efficient and easy way to communicate with friends, family, and co-workers, excessive use can take a toll on your health. Twenty-three percent of auto collisions involved cell phones last year, that’s a little more than one million crashes. Also, leading scientists are saying that cell phones can cause vision problems and can lead to headaches and unnecessary stresses. I’m not saying cell phones are bad, I just think the time used on cell phones should be moderated. Psychologists from the University of Utah have published a study showing that drivers who just operate a cell phone are as impaired as drunken drivers. Drunken drivers really aren’t as accident-prone as cell phone drivers, there are just more drivers talking on the phone rather than drinking alcohol. Cell phone use is far from the only distraction for motorists. The researchers cite talking to passengers, eating, drinking, lighting cigarettes, applying makeup and listening to the radio as the â€Å"old standards† of driver distraction. I don’t think we shouldn’t use cell phones, I just think that it’s important for people to know how much damage it’s causing. Driving isn’t the only problem that cell phones are tied to. Many adults have been complaining that their teenager is never looking up, and glued to their cell phone every hour of the day. In general, smartphone ownership is up, as well, with thirty-seven percent of American youth owning a smartphone compared to twenty-three percent in 2011. That doesn’t seem like a big deal honestly, but it has been proven that children with cell phone addiction have caused more parental concern. Parents want to be able to monitor and ensure safety for their kids, and cell phones make it much more difficult with the accessibility to almost anything or anybody. This issue really is up to the parent’s choices, whether or not they want to restrict their children’s access to the phones. Top doctors in the United States such as Dr. Oz have been raving about the increase in patients losing vision. This is called CVS symptom. The eye’s natural focal point is about 20 feet in front of the face. However, most people hold their cell phone 1-2 feet in front of their face. When this occurs, your eye is over-compensating to focus on the screen. The screen on your cell phone is not a normal object for your eyes to focus on, and this is causing loss of vision over time. The first symptoms of this are dry eyes and headaches. We all know that people can’t and shouldn’t just stop using cell phones all together, that’s just insane. What leading doctors recommend is to use your phone no longer than 10 minutes without taking a break for at least 30 seconds. Also, when in doubt, blink it out. If your head starts hurting, or eyes become dry, blink rapidly to try to create more lubrication in your eye, or if you have eyedrops that would be helpful too. As I mentioned before, I’m not against cell phones, I use my cell phone all the time for various tasks. I just think it’s important to know the side-effects and problems that relate to owning a cell phone. Every issue stated above can be resolved, it just takes moderation and responsibility when using these devices.

Reflection of Slingshot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Reflection of Slingshot - Essay Example Nonetheless, for long I have been holding to the believe that just like safari rally, strip racing was a concept that was developed to accommodate rally drivers who did not fancy the idea of driving through the countryside but just in an enclosed arena with spectators cheering them in every move that they make. That notion was indeed wrong; strip driving is a sport that was initiated by the thinking of two or so men who were interested in motorsport and adventure at the same time (Post, 2001). The competitive nature and high caliber competition display that we observe in the world’s major grand prix events is not what transpired was the idea of strip racing was developed. Initially the sport was not competitive it was just a means of recreation that people who had motor enthusiasm engaged in as it was not competitive in any nature since not even rules were in place to govern its practice. Today grand prix competitions are multi-billion sports investments that draw fanatics from all over the world with major car brand pitting competition against each other. One would wonder how the mega sporting arenas that these events happen came into being. For a moment, I tend to liken the sport to soccer since it is the most followed sport in the world that involves multi-billion investments (Post, 2001). On the other hand despite the high calibre that strip racing has set in the modern world the sport was a simple concept that did not attract spectators in the first place. It was a mere recreation activity that was conducted by a few individuals mainly in the deserts of California without many people noticing its existence. As many people begun being interested in the sport it moved from the wilderness to the streets though it was illegal by the law to race in the streets since engaging in the same would lead to breaking of

Peoples Services Inc. by Muhammad Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Peoples Services Inc. by Muhammad - Case Study Example Her supervisor Haleema realizes the changing attitude and decides to intervene. Â  According to Muhammad (2012), Qureshi starts taking longer lunch breaks meaning she was late to come back to the office for 15-20 minutes. Haleema noticed that after the lunch break, Qureshi was less productive, and spent some time dosing on the desk. She became too unproductive and sensitive to her colleagues who had to repeat her poor work. Later, Qureshi developed a habit of calling in sick with stomach flu. At one time, her daughter calls to say Qureshi is sick in bed. One afternoon, Haleema realized that Qureshi's breath smelt of strong mint and suspected she was drunk. Having given Qureshi many warnings, Haleema felt she needed to act because her attitude and performance affected everyone around her. Muhammad (2012) notes that Qureshi even asked for a departmental transfer arguing that she needed a less busy office. Haleema felt she needed to fire Qureshi because she never opened up her problems, and she seemed to deteriorate in her performance. However, they had to contact Employee Assistant Program (EAP) before firing her. Â  Haleema would land into legal problems for firing Qureshi without consulting EAP. Richard et al. (2009) argue that the EAP requires some alcohol or drug testing was done on any employee before terminating her from office. An alcoholic worker faces protection from Acts protecting people with disabilities and medical problems. Haleema should help Qureshi in seeking professional help before firing her. The law does not encourage alcohol abuse at a workplace. However, it encourages the employer to help the victim obtain treatment. Therefore, the Qureshi may sue Haleema first for not doing the alcohol test, and secondly for not intervening for a professional help. Although it may be expensive, the employer should seek legal help before taking action against Qureshi.

Jazz Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Jazz - Article Example Interestingly, even though most true jazz musicians seek to distance themselves from the understanding the jazz is ultimately a form of dance music, society’s perception of jazz continues to be concentric upon the belief that jazz is ultimately an early form of modern dance music. Some various jazz songs could be could be said to incorporate this element where the musicians thought it would be healthier to do something different instead of the ordinary music production (Ferreira, 2012). These songs are Triple Threat, The Crawl, Household of Saud, Prism, Uranus, It could Be, If it was - But it wasn't and Rahssan's Run. This paper will discuss both the intellectual and mental aspect of these songs as performed in a jazz concert. As a function of this level of understanding, it is the hope of this author that the reader will be able to integrate a more firm and complete understanding of jazz within the context of the way in which jazz can ultimately integrate within the musical e xperience and life of the listener. Triple Threat The intellectual aspect of jazz means that people can make connections between a jazz song and liberal arts or sciences (Ferreira, 2012). This song was magnificent in bringing out these elements. The song, accompanied with various instruments, could easily be understood by the audience. The song twisted my brain like an algebraic equation, which almost left me limp and lifeless. The trumpet was the lead instrument in this performance, which appeared to guide the artists. It carried the melody of every tune (Ferreira, 2012). This was an interesting dynamic to note due to the fact that regardless of the musical genre that one seeks to discuss, ultimately a single instrument or a group of instruments will seek to differentiate themselves from the others as a means of providing a firm and solid lead. Oftentimes within classical music this is realized within the lead violin or other instrument. Similarly, within rock ‘n roll this is oftentimes realized with regards to the lead guitar. Invariably, jazz exhibits the same constraints and allows different instruments to perform the lead even within the same song; thereby helping to set jazz apart from the other forms of music that a previously been listed by way of the fact that it is able to integrate and incorporate a number of instruments within any given piece that all can serve as the lead instrument. The saxophone section consisted of 5 players - one baritone sax, two tenors and two altos. Playing uniformly granted them the power to cut through harmony and punches played by the brass sector (Ferreira, 2012). The piano, on the other hand, acted as the rhythm outside the solos. The bass player in this performance did his work well by providing the rhythmic and harmonic foundations. It is of course at this juncture that the listener and/or reader should integrate with an understanding of the supreme importance of the bass player plays within understanding of ja zz music. Whereas the driving rhythm of jazz necessitates the drums and bass both work together in order to define complex beat and rhythm mechanics, the work of the

Developmental theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Developmental theories - Essay Example Each of the stages of development in Erikson's theory is a "sensitive phase" that represents the optimum time period within which to resolve a crisis (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Whether the resolution is positive or negative, the results function as the foundation of the next crisis period (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Middle childhood, was also termed the Latency stage by Erikson and occurred during the ages of 6-11 years (Slater & Bremner, 2003). The beginning of this period paralleled the concrete operational stage of cognitive development of Jean Piaget's (1952), where the child begins to conceptualise more systematically, can consider several factors of a situation at once (decentration), begins to classify and categorize, and can perform conservation (as cited in Austrian, 2002). The child must resolve the socio-emotional conflict of inferiority vs. accomplishment (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Children at this time are encouraged to work together on tasks and so the child compares their ability to create and achieve goals with the achievements met by their peers (Austrian, 2002). The significant others at this time, according to Erikson, will be peers at school and in their neighbourhood (Slater & Bremner, 2003). However, their social sphere in general is extending beyond their parents and famil y, to incorporate teachers and other members of the community with whom they are coming into more contact with (Slater & Bremner, 2003). As such, all these social beings contribute to the socio-emotional growth of the child (Slater & Bremner, 2003). Systematic instruction is required for the child during the latency stage, with the direct involvement of relevant role models critical to the child's development of a sense of industry (Coughlan & Welsh-Breetzke, 2002). Lev Vygotsky (1978) also emphasised the critical need for social interaction for development, although his theory focused on the social process of learning for cognitive development (as cited in Austrian, 2002). According to moral theory of Lawrence Kholberg (1970), middle childhood is a time of progressing from the stages of preconventional to conventional morality (as cited in Austrian, 2002). Hence, the opinions of social others become more important and the child's behaviour conforms to meet social norms (Austrian, 2 002).Erikson viewed the latency period as a developmental period where the child must learn to tame their imagination, and orient themselves towards learning the social norms of their culture, and of learning the educational requirements for their age (Slater & Bremner, 2003). The child continues to develop their sense of autonomy and independence as initiated in the

Ethical leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethical leadership - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that ethical leadership is more respected and leaders who implement ethical practices in their actions are known to be established as role models by the followers. But this definition has certain constraints because it looks at leadership from a relativist point of view. Other scholars argue that ethical leadership is a theoretical concept that is difficult to be implemented in the practical world. Some authors also indicate that ethical leadership is much dependant on the individual leader and his social and cultural background. Brown, Mitchel, and Trevino conceptualizes ethical leadership as a part of their social learning theory. The social learning theory establishes that the ethical leaders can influence the employees to display ethical behavior by implementing ethical practices in their own activities. Ethical behavior of the leaders helps to establish the visible and powerful position for the leaders in the organization and helps them to get the attention and interest of the employees. An ethical leadership involves different formal and personal instances. Though there are different views regarding ethical leadership, the most common consensus goes to the fact that ethical leadership is critical in improving the effectiveness of organizations in the current business environment. Ethical leadership is emerging as an important concept in the retail industry. The ethical leadership practices in a leading multinational retailer, Tesco Plc. can be sued as a suitable example to demonstrate the importance of ethical leadership in the current business world. The former CEO of Tesco, Tarry Leahy focused on building the business based on morally right values so as to attract conscious and morally like-minded employees and customers. Tarry Leahy demonstrated ethical leadership in his tenure as the CEO of Tesco Plc.

Environmental Science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Environmental Science - Research Paper Example According to all peer-reviewed scientific studies, if the quantity of greenhouse gasses being spewed into the air by automobiles, power plants and factories is not greatly reduced and quickly, the earth and its inhabitants will experience catastrophic consequences in the not too distant future. This paper will discuss the viability of various alternative fuels such as hydrogen, bio- fuels, solar, geothermal and nuclear sources which if put into practice on a wide scale would significantly reduce air pollution and perhaps circumvent the predicted effects. One solution to reducing automobile emissions may be found in vegetable fields. The conversion of corn or beets into ethanol is promoted by scientists as an environmentally and economically sound solution to global climate change concerns. However, this is hardly a new revelation. Rudolf Diesel, in 1897, fifteen years after the inventing the engine named after him said â€Å"The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insign ificant today. But such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal products of the present time† (Boles, 2005). ... Bio-fuels are derived from a readily accessible source and emit no pollutants. The most familiar kind, Ethanol, is a vegetable oil which is most often be mixed with gasoline and bio-diesel. It can be burned by diesel engines without altering the engine. Ethanol, a ‘green’ fuel, could be used as a bridge to the future of consumption and energy production because it can be used in existing engines unlike hydrogen. Another by-product of the bio-fuels industry is tit will ‘fuel’ the growth of agricultural businesses. Regrettably, it takes significantly more energy (from high-grade gasoline) to create ethanol than it produces. It takes approximately70 percent more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than is contained in a gallon of ethanol. In addition, â€Å"fossil fuel is used in the production of corn or any crop used for ethanol and by increasing ethanol production will increase degradation of vital agricultural and water resources and will seriously contr ibute to the pollution of the environment† (Pimentel, 1998, p. 5). European country’s both produce and consume close to 90 percent of the world’s bio-fuel. Brazil makes up most of the remaining 10 percent. Brazil produces more bio-fuel than it consumes and does not import crude oil. The South American nation is energy independent and among the lowest producers, by capita, of greenhouse gasses. The quantity of bio-fuels produced and consumed is predicted to grow significantly over the next decade. â€Å"It is possible that (bio-fuels) could represent as much as 20 percent of all on-road diesel used in Brazil, Europe, China and India by the year 2020† (â€Å"Biodiesel†, 2006). In the U.S., the production of bio-fuels grew six-times during a two year period

What is security Why network security is important Coursework

What is security Why network security is important - Coursework Example Although there are thousands of definition available on the Internet related to security.The definition available on ‘www.businessdictionary.com’ covers the basics and states it as â€Å"Prevention of and protection against assault, damage, fire, fraud, invasion of privacy, theft, unlawful entry, and other such occurrences caused by deliberate action†. In the context of network security definition, it consists of concerns related to network communication privacy, confidentiality of data over the network, accessing unauthorized classified data, access to prohibited network domains and utilizing Internet for concealed communication (Network Security. 2007) It is the twentieth century where improved communication technologies are inventing one after another. Internet has become a powerful and interactive carrier providing extensive activities and web services. Organizations expand their resources with the help of Internet. Websites are created, for informational purp oses, advertisement, online shopping etc. In the modernized countries, Internet is utilized for education, electronic shopping, blogs, social networking and information. Even today, where every technology interrelated to Information technology involves the dot com phenomenon; Internet is relatively an evolving field which is persistently changing. The widespread use of computing technology has facilitated small, medium and corporate organizations to achieve goals in an efficient way. The revolution of Information Technology has created new trends of doing business and communication. Moreover, the technology has provided a new approach of operating businesses during the past several years, and continues to provide many benefits as it spreads all over the globe. However, with its widespread adoption, threats and vulnerabilities are also rising. Organizations spent enormous funds to secure their data and network environment. Moreover, hardware security modules taken into consideration for securing highly classified data. However, these modules require frequent updates for virus definitions and new threats, which may affect the network anytime. Every now and then, new threats are designed and developed by hackers or cyber criminals. In spite of securing the networks and data centers, with the most updated and advanced security modules, there is still a probability of a new threat to intrude into the network. In addition, hackers and cyber criminals are exploring efficient codes day by day to improve the hacking software, in order to breach in to classified information, banks, online websites etc. As the threats and vulnerabilities are infinite, no one can memorize them in order to take a measured approach, the initial step is to identify the vulnerability type. An organization named as CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure) provides a database to search for a particular public known vulnerability. The sponsors for CVE are US-CERT and managed by MITRE Corporatio n. The goal is to provide common names for all publicly known security threats and exposures. In order to extract information from CVE, access of National Vulnerability Database is mandatory (NVD) (Cve. 2011). Why Network Security is Important This is an era of digital connectivity along with digitized attack of hackers, cyber criminals, electronic eaves dropping and online fraud. Moreover, there is no room for risk and threats in a computing network where thousands of online transactions are in process. The volatile expansion of computer systems and the interconnectivity of these devices via a network have significantly amplified the dependence of organizations on the information systems. Moreover, due to vast dependency of organization on information systems, security and protection of these systems has become a mandatory factor. Furthermore, by considering these factors, the network security is triggered, in terms of protecting data and resources from revelation to ensure the aut henticity of digital transmission. The functionality of the network depends on the

PESTEL analysis for landscaping industry of Nanaimo Essay

PESTEL analysis for landscaping industry of Nanaimo - Essay Example The government of Nanaimo seeks to reduce the level of pollution in its environment.Singling out the use of pesticides as the biggest contributing factor to the high level of pollution, the government banned the use of pesticides on the home lawns in the city. According to Pesticides Free BC (2013, web), not only do the pesticides affect the soil and air, they also affect water. Side effects of the use of pesticides are far more reaching than the just affecting the human population. Since they last for long time in the soil, they lead to the destruction of aquatic life, as rainwater washes them away into the water bodies. They also dissolve into the soil, affecting the underground water sources. The contamination of the water and soil affects wildlife and insects. Since the ban, resear4ch indicates that there was 80% decrease in the three major pesticide pollutants, 2, 4-D, Dicamba and Mecoprop (MCPP). The agency also hopes to create a sustainable soil for agricultural purposes in th e region. Over time, the government hopes to reduce the amount of contamination with the environment through such bans (pesticides free BC 2013, web). The law prohibits the use of and application of the pesticides for maintaining vegetation established for aesthetic or ornamental purposes. According to Bylaw Background (2013, web), ornamental vegetation include outdoor trees, shrubs, and lawns, and thus, the law too prevents the use of any form of pesticides on these types of vegetation (Bylaw Background, 2013, web). The landscaping industry has to use more pest-resistant plants for landscaping, and at the same time changes their plans on how to maintain people’s landscapes. Growing recommendation for the use of indigenous plants There is a growing appeal to the local people of Nanaimo to use indigenous plants. There are a number of reasons necessitating the use of native plants over the use of green lawns in the city of Nanaimo. With native plants being more draught free and disease resistant, they also require less fertilizers and lesser time (â€Å"GoNanaimo.com† 2013, web). Additionally, these plants offer food and shelter to the birds, bees and butterflies, this increasing natural environment. The growing concern for the use of the native trees for the nursery necessitates the teaching of the people on the methods of caring for the trees, especially due to the ban on the use of pesticides. Advice on the best way of caring for the native plants points out that the people should keep on watering the plants for a while in order to avoid drying or even attack by pests. There are however reasons why the government shows increased concern on the use of these native trees. According to www.nanaimo.ca (n.d., p. 5) foreign invasive plants contribute to the destruction of the parks in the city. Not only does this negatively affect the natural vegetation, it also contributes to the loss of the beauty of the region. The government also provides resident s with information on the best ways of dealing with invasive plants in the region (â€Å"www.nanaimo.ca† n.d., p. 6). By systematically removing them in the place throughout the year reduces their prevalence and spread. To increase the vegetation cover of the indigenous plants, people plant the indigenous plants in the area previously infested with the invading plants, thus making it impossible for the invading trees to thrive (â€Å"www.nanaimo.ca† n.d., p. 6). Subsequently, the landscaping industry has to change its strategy, and this adopts the use of the indigenous plants in the region to avoid government fines. With people obeying government directives, companies that fail to adopt these trees are likely to lose business to those that opt to comply. Climate of Nanaimo Landscaping in Nanaimo is an all year round business. Various firms take part in the landscaping business, which increases business

Reading Strategy Essay Example for Free

Reading Strategy Essay What Is It? To aid their comprehension, skillful readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after they read. You can help students become more proficient by modeling this process for them and encouraging them to use it when they read independently. Why Is It Important? Dolores Durkins research in 1979 showed that most teachers asked students questions after they had read, as opposed to questioning to improve comprehension before or while they read. In the late 1990s, further research (Pressley, et al. 1998) Revealed that despite the abundance of research supporting questioning before, during, and after reading to help comprehension, teachers still favored post-reading comprehension questions. Researchers have also found that when adult readers are asked to think aloud as they read, they employ a wide variety of comprehension strategies, including asking and answering questions before, during, and after reading (Pressley and Afflerbach 1995). Proficient adult readers: Are aware of why they are reading the text Preview and make predictions Read selectively Make connections and associations with the text based on what they already know. Refine predictions and expectations Use context to identify unfamiliar words Reread and make notes Evaluate the quality of the text Review important points in the text Consider how the information might be used in the future Successful reading is not simply the mechanical process of decoding text. Rather, it is a process of active inquiry. Good readers approach a text with questions and develop new questions as they read, for example: What is this story about? What does the main character want? Will she get it? If so, how? Even after reading, engaged readers still ask questions: What is the meaning of what I have read? Why did the author end the paragraph (or chapter, or book) in this way? What was the authors purpose in writing this? Good authors anticipate the readers questions and plant questions in the readers mind (think of a title such as, Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman). In this way, reading becomes a collaboration between the reader and the author. The authors job is to raise questions and then answer them – or provide several possible answers. Readers cooperate by asking the right questions, paying careful attention to the authors answers, and asking questions of their own. HOW CAN YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN? To help readers learn to ask questions before, during, and after reading, think aloud the next time you are reading a book, article, or set of directions. Write each question on a post-it note and stick it on the text you have the question about. You may be surprised at how many typically unspoken questions you ponder, ask, and answer as you read. You may wonder as you read or after you read at the authors choice of title, at a vocabulary word, or about how you will use this information in the future. You should begin to model these kinds of questions in the primary grades during read-aloud times, when you can say out loud what you are thinking and asking. Read a book or text to the class, and model your thinking and questioning. Emphasize that even though you are an adult reader, questions before, during, and after reading continue to help you gain an understanding of the text you are reading. Ask questions such as: What clues does the title give me about the story? Is this a real or imaginary story? Why am I reading this? What do I already know about___? What predictions can I make? Pre-select several stopping points within the text to ask and answer reading questions. Stopping points should not be so frequent that they hinder comprehension or fluid reading of a text. This is also an excellent time to model repair strategies to correct miscomprehension. Start reading the text, and ask yourself questions while reading: What do I understand from what I just read? What is the main idea? What picture is the author painting in my head? Do I need to reread so that I understand? Then reread the text, asking the following questions when you are finished: Which of my predictions were right? What information from the text tells me that I am correct? What were the main ideas? What connections can I make to the text? How do I feel about it? Encourage students to ask their own questions after you have modeled this strategy, and write all their questions on chart paper. Students can be grouped to answer one anothers questions and generate new ones based on discussions. Be sure the focus is not on finding the correct answers, because many questions may be subjective, but on curiosity, wondering, and asking thoughtful questions. After students become aware of the best times to ask questions during the reading process, be sure to ask them a variety of questions that: Can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the text Have answers that might be different for everyone Have answers that can be found in the text Clarify the authors intent Can help clarify meaning Help them make inferences Help them make predictions Help them make connections to other texts or prior knowledge As students begin to read text independently, you should continue to model the questioning process and encourage students to use it often. In the upper elementary and middle school grades, a framework for questions to ask before, during, and after reading can serve as a guide as students work with more challenging texts and begin to internalize comprehension strategies. You can use an overhead projector to jot notes on the framework as you think aloud while reading a text. As students become comfortable with the questioning strategy, they may use the guide independently while reading, with the goal of generating questions before, during, and after reading to increase comprehension. How Can You Stretch Students Thinking? The best way to stretch students thinking about a text is to help them ask increasingly challenging questions. Some of the most challenging questions are Why? questions about the authors intentions and the design of the text. For example: Why do you think the author chose this particular setting? Why do you think the author ended the story in this way? Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from the point of view of the daughter? What does the author seem to be assuming about the readers political beliefs? Another way to challenge readers is to ask them open-ended question that require evidence from the text to answer. For example: What does Huck think about girls? What is your evidence? Which character in the story is most unlike Anna? Explain your reasons, based on evidence from the novel? What is the authors opinion about affirmative action in higher education? How do you know? Be sure to explicitly model your own challenging questions while reading aloud a variety of texts, including novels, subject-area textbooks, articles, and nonfiction. Help students see that answering challenging questions can help them understand text at a deeper level, ultimately making reading a more enjoyable and valuable experience. As students become proficient in generating challenging questions, have them group the questions the time they were asked (before, during or after reading). Students can determine their own categories, justify their reasons for placing questions into the categories, and determine how this can help their reading comprehension. When Can You Use It? Reading/English Students who have similar interests can read the same text and meet to discuss their thoughts in a book club. Members can be given a set of sticky notes to mark questions they have before, during, and after reading the text. Members can then share their question with one another to clarify understanding within their group. Since students reading level may not necessarily determine which book club they choose to join, accommodations may need to be made, including buddy reading, audio recordings of the text, or the use of computer-aided reading systems. Writing  Good writers anticipate their readers questions. Have students jot down the questions they will attempt to answer in an essay or short story before they write it, in the order that they plan to answer them. Stress that this should not be a mechanical process – as students write they probably will think of additional questions to ask and answer. The key point is to have students think of themselves as having a conversation with the reader – and a big part of this is knowing what questions the reader is likely to ask. Math Students can ask questions before, during, and after solving a math problem. Have students think aloud or write in groups to generate questions to complete performance tasks related to mathematics. Social Studies Use before, during, and after questions when beginning a new chapter or unit of study in any social studies topic. Select a piece of text, and have students generate questions related to the topic. At the end of the unit of study, refer back to the questions and discuss how the questions helped students to understand the content. Science Use before, during, and after questions to review an article or science text. You can discuss articles related to a recent scientific discovery with students and then generate questions that would help them to focus their attention on important information. Lesson Plans Lesson Plan: Questioning, The Mitten This lesson is designed to introduce primary students to the importance of asking questions before, during, and after listening to a story. In this lesson, using the story The Mitten by Jan Brett, students learn how to become good readers by asking questions. This is the first lesson in a set of questioning lessons designed for primary grades. Lesson Plan: Questioning, Grandfathers Journey. This lesson is for intermediate students using the strategy with the book, Grandfathers Journey, by Allen Say. Lesson Plan: Questioning, Kokos Kitten This lesson is designed to establish primary students skills in asking questions before, during, and after they listen to a story. You can help students learn to become better readers by modeling how and when you ask questions while reading aloud the true story, Kokos Kitten, by Dr. Francine Patterson. This is the second lesson in a set of questioning lessons designed for primary grades. Lesson Plan: Asking Pre-Reading Questions This is a language arts lesson for students in grades 3-5. Students will learn about asking questions before reading and will make predictions based on the discussion of the questions. Lesson Plan: Asking Questions When Reading In this lesson, the teacher will read The Wall by Eve Bunting with the purpose of focusing on asking important questions. The students and the teacher will then categorize the questions according to the criteria for each.  © 2000-2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Original URL: http://www. teachervision. fen. com/lesson-plan/reading-comprehension/48698. html Asking Questions When Reading Grade Levels: 4 8 Lesson Summary. Generating questions plays a key role in the process of learning how to read, and then again in learning how to read better. There are so many question that students may have about the text that they encounter – questions about the authors style or purpose, questions about new vocabulary, questions about what might happen, etc. Students need to first begin to feel comfortable asking questions, then learn to ask the vital questions that will direct their focus and clear up confusion. In this lesson, the teacher will read The Wall by Eve Bunting with the purpose of focusing on asking important questions. The students and the teacher will then categorize the questions according to the criteria for each. Materials When you read the story ahead of time, write any questions that pop into your head on post-it notes and have them available. Provide large pieces of paper and post-its for students, and locate enough copies of the book The Wall for partners. Provide a piece of paper for each group of four students. Prepare a piece of chart paper titled QUESTIONS with different columns of categories: Questions that are answered in the text Questions that I have to make an inference to answer Questions that are not important to understanding the story. Questions that require research to answer Questions about the authors style Questions that clear up confusion Objectives: Students will ask questions before, during, and after reading. Students will categorize important vs. interesting questions with a focus on important questions. Procedure Explain that good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading to help them understand a story better. Today, were going to focus on asking questions. Present the book The Wall to the students and say, I will read the title, and the back cover and look at the illustrations and think of as many questions as I can. These are the questions that I have before reading. Read your prepared post-it notes to the students. Read the story to the children and think aloud, asking questions while reading. Stress that these are the questions you have during reading. Read your prepared post-it notes to the students. When you have finished reading the story, ask questions that pop into your head and stress that these are the questions that you have after reading. Read your prepared post-it notes to the students. Take your questions on post-its, think aloud, and categorize them in the appropriate column according to the type of question that you asked. The students partner-read and use post-its on pages where they have a question. Have partners narrow their questions down to two questions. Then have the partners share their questions with another paired group. The groups of four students choose one of their questions and write it on a larger piece of paper. Gather all students and have them share their questions. With help from the class, have students categorize their questions. Discuss the questions that are important vs. interesting, and have students focus on the important questions.  © 2000-2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Original URL: http://www. teachervision. fen. com/lesson-plan/reading-comprehension/48697. html Asking Pre-Reading Questions Grade Levels: 3 5 Lesson Summary This is a language arts lesson for students in grades 3-5. Students will learn about asking questions before reading and will make predictions based on the discussion of the questions. Students should be able to differentiate between a question and a statement, generate questions, and work in cooperative, heterogeneous groups. Objectives Students will brainstorm prior knowledge about the topic of a text Students will make predictions about the text by asking effective before reading questions in order to improve our reading comprehension. Key Understandings Asking and discussing questions will improve our comprehension of the text. Good readers ask questions before they read. Materials Two narrative texts Pre-reading Show Rubric Pledge Procedure Select two narrative texts, one will be used to demonstrate the before reading questioning strategy, the other will be used for guided practice. It may be easier to choose two texts by the same author or two texts of the same genre. Discuss the ways in which a pre-game show and asking questions before, during, and after reading are similar. Good readers are like sports casters. Just as sports casters discuss the sports event before, during, and after the game, good readers ask and discuss questions before, during, and after reading. This improves comprehension, or understanding, of the text. You may say something such as, Who has watched a football, basketball, or baseball game on television? Sports casters help us understand the game by discussing it. They discuss the game with us before the game, during the game and after the game. Before the game, there is a pre-game analysis. That means that the announcer gives us background information about the game, teams, players, and coaches. This information can be used to make predictions about the outcome of the game. During the game, the announcers provide play-by-play coverage. They discuss important or controversial plays to help us understand whats going on in the game and to explain how certain plays may affect the outcome of the game. They even provide replays of the most important events of the game to make sure we remember them. Finally, after the game, announcers interview the coaches and players to get different perspectives about how the game was played. They review the highlights of the game, confirm or disprove their predictions, and discuss the implications of the outcome of the game. Tell students they are going to focus on asking questions before they begin reading a text. If possible, show a video clip of a pre-game sports cast. Use the analogy of a pre-game show and before reading questions to help students ask effective before reading questions. As you generate questions for each topic. Spend some time wondering about the answers and making predictions about the book. Write your predictions about the book in a separate column. Identify a purpose for reading the text. Narrative = for literary experience/enjoyment Expository = for information Functional = to perform a task/follow directions. Examine the cover illustration and read the title, modeling how to ask questions. Write the questions on chart paper or on an overhead projector. Look at the author and model how to generate questions. Activate background knowledge by taking a picture walk with students. Cover the print with sticky notes, and think aloud as you model how to generate questions, make predictions, and build vocabulary by carefully examining and discussing the illustrations in the text. Ask questions about the setting, characters, events, and genre of the book. Pre-Game Show Questions Before Reading Predictions Team A vs. Team B What teams are playing? What do we know about these teams? Where are they from? Have we ever seen either team play? In your opinion, are they skilled? Is one team better than the other? Title of Story/Cover What topic might this story be about? What do we already know about this topic? Have we read any other books about this topic? Do we have any experience related to this topic? Where and when did we have the experience? Coach Who is the coach? What do we know about the coach? What teams has he/she coached in the past? What is his/her coaching style? Author Who is the author? Who is the illustrator? What books have he/she written or illustrated in the past? Can we describe the style of the author/illustrator? Have I ever read other texts by this author? If so, what do I remember about those texts? Stadium Where is the game being played? Who has the home field advantage? What are the current weather conditions? How will the weather conditions affect the game? Setting Where and when does the story take place? Is the place/time familiar or unfamiliar to us? Have we read any other stories with a similar setting? Players Who are the key players? What positions do they play? What are their skills? Characters Who are the main characters? What role might they play in the story? Can we predict some of their character traits by examining the illustrations? Plays What plays are the coaches likely to run? Events What events may take place in this story? Rules/Principles of Game What are the rules of the game? What are winning strategies? Genre of Text What genre of story is this? (fairytale, folktale) Have we read other stories of the same genre? What are the characteristics of this genre? Tell students that the class will read the story together tomorrow, and learn to ask new questions while they are reading to help understand the story. Guided practice Give students the opportunity to practice writing and discussing some before reading questions for a new story. Place students in 6 groups and have each group record or role play a pre-reading show for the new book, just as sports casters broadcast a pre-game show. 1. title/cover 2. author/illustrator 3. setting 4. characters 5. events 6. genre of literature Select student leaders to guide each groups through the process of examining the cover of the new story and taking a picture walk. Allow groups to discuss their topic. Students should generate two of their own before reading questions on their topic, and then share their questions and provide feedback to each other. Have groups include information from their prior knowledge and personal experience as they discuss the before reading questions, and have them discuss the possible answers and make predictions about the book. After each student has had the opportunity to formulate and write two questions, jigsaw the groups to form TV crews for a pre-reading show. Each TV crew should have six students, one student from each group, 1-6. Review the parts of the rubric. Provide a time limit for each TV show, and tell students that each show should include: an introduction of the members of the TV crew slogan, jingle, or music a discussion of their prior knowledge about the topic a discussion of each members questions predictions about the book from each member Give groups the opportunity to practice asking and discussing their questions before role playing or videotaping their show. If time permits, allow students to make larger visual aids to display during the discussion. Microphones can be made quickly from rolling paper into tubes. Sharing Ideas Distribute rubrics to the class. Allow students to score each TV crew as they present. Independent Practice Have students think of a younger child that they will spend time with this week. Have them think of a book that they can read to the child. Have students use some of the before reading questioning strategies they learned to help the younger child understand the story. Students can use this questions framework worksheet to help them with questions to ask before reading, and help the child make predictions. The worksheet reminds students to ask questions about the title and cover, author and illustrator, setting, characters, events and genre. Assessment Each group will be assessed using the scores from the presentation rubric, scored by their peers and teacher.  © 2000-2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Running Records Page Description: A running record is a way to assess a students reading progress by systematically evaluating a students oral reading and identifying error patterns. This template will help you track your students oral reading accuracy. Take advantages from kids that love harry potter Book Covers from Around the World: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Page Description: Enjoy comparing and contrasting colorful cover art for J. K. Rowlings Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with this printable handout. Discuss the differences in interpretations from around the world with your students. Grade Levels: 2 7 Analyzing a Book Character Page Description: This chart of questions will help students analyze the cover art of a book. Use this worksheet when talking about the different cover art on each international edition of the Harry Potter books. Grade Levels: 3 – 8 Literacy Glossary Page 1 of 2 Accuracy Rate: This is the rate, shown as a percent, at which students accurately read the text. Concept Map: A concept map is a type of graphic organizer which allows students to consider relationships among various concepts. Often students are encouraged to draw arrows between related concepts enclosed in oval or other shapes. Error Rate: This is a ratio of errors to words in the text. Fluency: The rate and accuracy with which a person reads. Fluency results from practicing reading skills often and with a high rate of success. Formative Assessment: These tests are ongoing and based on the curriculum, providing a way to monitor student progress. They can be used to place students in groups, based on instructional needs. Frustrational Level: This is the level at which students are unable to read with adequate comprehension. Genre: A genre is a particular type of literature, such as narratives, poetry, dramas, or fables. Independent Level: This is the level at which students can read without assistance. Materials at this level should be chosen for independent reading, or fluency practice. Independent Reading Inventories: An informal formative assessment that provides graded word lists and passages designed to assess the oral reading and listening comprehension. Insertion: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students add another word when reading printed text. For example, if the sentence is: The dog played, the student reads: The happy dog played. Instructional Level: This is the level at which students can read with assistance from the teacher. Materials at this level should be chosen for reading instruction. Metacognition: This is thinking about ones own thinking, or being aware of ones own learning. When students are aware of how they think and learn, they can be taught to regulate their thought and learning processes. Omission: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students do not read a word or words in the printed text. For example, if the sentence is: The sky was bright blue, the student reads: The sky was blue. Onset: The part of a syllable that comes before the vowel of a syllable. The onset of the word box is /b/. Phoneme: the smallest unit of sound. It distinguishes one word from another (e. g. , man and fan are distinguished by the initial phoneme). Phonemic Awareness: This is a type of phonological awareness that involves the awareness and manipulation of individual sounds. Phonological Awareness: The auditory awareness of sounds, words, and sentences. The understanding that speech is composed of sentences made up of words. Words are comprised of syllables, and syllables are comprised of phonemes. Qualitative Data: Qualitative data consist of verbal or graphic descriptions of behavior and experience resulting from processes of observation, interpretation, and analysis. It is often comprehensive, holistic, and expansive. Qualitative Tools: These are tools that produce qualitative data consisting of verbal or graphic descriptions of behavior and experience resulting from processes of observation, interpretation, and analysis. Quantitative Data: Quantitative data consist of information represented in the form of numbers that can be analyzed by means of descriptive or inferential statistics. It is often precise and narrow data. Reading Conferences: Conferences conducted by teachers during independent reading time provide an opportunity to meet with a student to assess progress, to note reading strategies that are being used, monitor books being read, and to provide guidance in developing reading strategies. Rime: The part of a syllable that consists of its vowel and any consonant sounds that come after it. The rime of the word box is /ox/. Scaffolding: A scaffold is a supporting framework. Scaffolded learning is a teaching strategy that helps support students in their learning when they may have difficulties. A goal of scaffolded learning is to have students use a particular strategy independently. Screening Tests: These tests provide information that serves as a baseline. They are usually given to determine the appropriate starting place for instruction. Self-Correction: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students do not read a word or words correctly, but return to the text and read the word or words correctly. Self-Correction Rate: This is the ratio of self-corrections to errors when reading the text. Sound-Print Connection: Understanding the relationship between print and sound. Substitution: In a running record or informal reading inventory, this is a miscue in which students replace the printed word with another word. For example, if the sentence is: She said, No,' the student reads: She shouted, No. Summative Assessment: These tests are usually given at the end of a unit or at the end of the year. They assess a students strengths and weaknesses over a period of time.