The Comparison of Montessori Education and a Regular Mathematics Program in Kindergarten Classroom

The Comparison of Montessori Education and a Regular Mathematics Program in Kindergarten Classroom Background According to Gardener’s theory of multiple intelligences, children can acquire knowledge through different ways because they have different capabilities and competences. It is apparent that every student has special skills and learning needs.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Comparison of Montessori Education and a Regular Mathematics Program in Kindergarten Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, teachers often fail to identify the capabilities of their students in part because of the conventional teaching methods that they use in kindergarten classrooms. The success of most education programs is attributed to the application of modern teaching methods. The teaching methods commonly used in well-organized education programs include project work, self-directed learning, literature-based reading, and problem-based curriculum. Montessori education system emphasizes the importan ce of a well-prepared learning environment since it enhances high performance among students.  Piaget (1970, p. 30) asserts that the development of intelligence and acquisition of knowledge is a continuous process. The facets of intelligence include analytical, creativity, and practical skills. The primary role of intelligence is to facilitate understanding and invention. Successful learning is correlated with the incessant development of primary sensory motor actions among children. Thus, the more â€Å"practice a child gets with sensorial activities the higher a child will perform abstract mental operations†. Young learners should be guided to generate ideas and to discover mathematical relations on their own rather than forcing them to accept other’s thoughts. Children should gain experience in using mathematical skills through regular practice. This helps them to develop deductive reasoning and neurological thinking, which is essential for their academic progress . According to Nicholl (1998, p. 37), teaching efforts should focus on knowledge acquisition. An effective teaching strategy should facilitate the development of the learner’s character, emotional maturity, and wisdom. Nonetheless, the teaching methodologies used in most schools are ineffective because majority of students lack essential skills such as analytical ability and creativity, as well as, flexibility in thought. In this regard, teachers should help their students to develop interpersonal intelligence. This will enable students to assess their weaknesses and strengths.  Montessori (1995, pp. 5-12) asserts that infancy is the most important stage in a child’s development and learning because their interest to learn is at its peak. Consequently, educators must utilize the appropriate methodologies to maximize learning at the infancy stage.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OF F Learn More It is against this backdrop that the Montessori teaching methodology focuses on developing young learner’s sensorial and motor skills during their early years. A Montessori teacher must focus on continuous improvement of their professional skills in order to facilitate better learning. Teachers who are responsible for teaching above average students are aware of the fact that different strategies help them to meet the diverse needs of their students. Nonetheless, the statistics on students’ performance in mathematics indicate that a lot of improvement is still needed in teaching the subject. The schools in the United States have been unable to improve the math skills of their students. Research indicates that the performance in math in K-12 classes in the US is lower than in other developed countries. Hence, there is a need to improve performance through improved teaching methods. The foregoing paragraphs highlight the weaknesses of the con ventional teaching methods that are used in most schools. Additionally, they highlight the importance of using the most appropriate teaching methodology in order to enhance learning, especially, in math classes. Most educators believe that the Montessori education system can help students to acquire advanced mathematical skills at the kindergarten level. Consequently, the goal of this study is to gather evidence concerning the positive and negative aspects of using the Montessori system to teach mathematics in kindergarten. Concisely, the study will compare the Montessori system with the conventional education system in order to identify the model that best suits learner’s needs. Research Question The main question in this study is: what are the advantages and disadvantages of adopting Montessori education as a method of teaching mathematics in a kindergarten? In answering this question, the study will attempt to explain how the Montessori system facilitates learning among ch ildren. Furthermore, it will compare the strengths and the weaknesses of the Montessori system with a regular mathematics program in order to determine the extent to which it benefits students. The Essence of this Action Research It is a well-known fact that students have varying learning needs, as well as, ability to learn. Students can differ significantly in terms of their approach to learning. The conventional teaching methods that are commonly used in kindergartens often mask teachers’ ability to identify their students’ unique learning needs and abilities.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Comparison of Montessori Education and a Regular Mathematics Program in Kindergarten Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, the needs of some students are hardly met in regular mathematics programs. In this regard, it is necessary to identify an improved teaching method that will en able teachers to meet the learning needs of all students in their classrooms. This can be achieved through action research that evaluates the merits and the demerits of existing teaching methodologies in order to identify the best. Thus, this study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the Montessori education system as an alternative method of teaching mathematics in kindergarten. This will involve comparing the strengths and the weaknesses of the Montessori system with those of regular mathematics programs. The Setting and the Participants The selected location for the study is a privately owned Catholic school in Campbell, California. The objective of the school is to model future leaders of the world. The school provides complete education that not only develops the mind of the learners, but also their character. It offers a comprehensive content of art-based curriculum that enables students to engage in critical thinking, discovery of their world, and to overcome the challenge s they face in life. The school’s teaching program develops the students’ character alongside their academic development. The objective of this strategy is to produce complete scholars who are able to seek the truth and to utilize it in their everyday lives. The learning program used in the school promotes intellectual, emotional, and physical development of students in all grades. In this regard, the program provides the best setting for implementing the Montessori education system, which is the focus of this study. The participants were drawn from a class that consists of 12-year-old students. The students are mainly from middle and upper-middle class families. Hence, most of them are from families with relatively stable financial backgrounds. However, nearly 5% of the families depend on financial aid. Procedure for Data Collection and Analysis Data will be collected from the following sources in order to answer the research question. First, I will analyze the result s of formative assessments and evaluations such as students’ homework. This is an important source of data because it can shed light on the performance of students. Second, I will use observations in order to monitor students’ progress with learning in class.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Observation is an important data collection method since Montessori education requires little interference with students’ learning activities. The data collected through observation will be used to compare the effectiveness of Montessori education with traditional mathematics programs. Third, I will implement scoring rubrics in order to measure students’ performance. Concisely, it will be used to evaluate students’ ability to acquire mathematical skills, and the effectiveness of the Montessori methodology.  Fourth, student focus group discussions will be used to collect data. These discussions will enable me to collect data concerning the students’ knowledge, opinions and learning experiences. Additionally, I will be able to identify the teaching methods that children are familiar with and the challenges that they face. This will help me to evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching interventions. I will also be able to get new teaching ideas from the te achers who will participate in the discussions. Finally, teaching journals will be used to collect data concerning my experiences in class in order to improve my instruction methods and strategies. I will be evaluating the strengths and weakness that will be identified in lessons and teaching techniques on a weekly basis. I will use videotaping to identify my weaknesses and strengths during lessons. Moreover, my notes will be peer-reviewed by other teachers in order to identify mistakes. References Gubbins, J., Emerick, L., Delcourt, M., Newman, J., Imbeau, M. (1995). Research Related to the Enrichment Triad Model. Storrs: University of Connecticut. Montessori, M. (1995). Absorbent Mind. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Nicholl, M. (1998). Accelerated Learning for the 21st Century. New York: Dell Publishing. Piaget, J. (1970). Science of Education and the Psychology of teh Child. New York: Orion Press. Sternberg, R., Grigorenko, E., Ferrari, M. (2004). Giftedness and Expertise. S torrs: University of Connecticut. Watters, J. (2010). Career Decision Making among Gifted Students: the Mediation of Teachers. Gifted Child Quarterly, 53(3), 222-238.

10 Fascinating Facts About Ants

10 Fascinating Facts About Ants In many ways, ants can outwit, outlast, and outnumber humans. Their complex, cooperative societies enable them to survive and thrive in conditions that would challenge any individual. Here are 10 fascinating facts about ants that just might convince you that while you wouldnt welcome them to your next picnic, theyre still pretty amazing creatures. 1. Ants Have Super-Human Strength Ants can carry objects 50 times their own body weight in their jaws. Relative to their size, their muscles are thicker than those of larger animals- even humans. This ratio enables them to produce more force and carry larger objects. If you  had muscles in the proportions of ants, youd be able to heave a Hyundai over your head! 2. Soldier Ants Use their Heads to Plug Holes In certain ant species, the soldier ants have modified heads, shaped to match the nest entrance. They block access to the nest by sitting just inside the entrance, with their heads functioning like a cork in a bottle to keep intruders at bay. When a worker ant returns to the nest, it touches the soldier ants head to let the guard know it belongs to the colony. 3. Ants Can Form Symbiotic Relationship with Plants Ant plants, or myrmecophytes, are plants that have naturally occurring hollows in which ants can take shelter or feed. These cavities may be hollow thorns, stems, or even leaf petioles. The ants live in the hollows, feeding on sugary plant secretions or the excretions of sap-sucking insects. What does a plant get for providing such luxurious accommodations? The ants defend the host plant from herbivorous mammals and insects and may even prune away parasitic plants that attempt to grow on it. 4. The Total Biomass of Ants The Biomass of People How can this be? After all, ants are so tiny, and were so much bigger. That said, scientists estimate there are at least 1.5 million ants on the planet for every human being. Over 12,000 species of ants are known to exist, on every continent except Antarctica. Most live in tropical regions. A single acre of Amazon rainforest may be home to 3.5 million ants. 5. Ants Sometimes Herd Insects of Other Species Ants will do just about anything to get the sugary secretions of sap-sucking insects, such as aphids or leafhoppers. To keep the honeydew in close supply, some ants herd aphids, carrying the soft-bodied pests from plant to plant. Leafhoppers sometimes take advantage of this nurturing tendency in ants and leave their young to be raised by the ants. This allows the leafhoppers to raise another brood. 6. Some Ants Enslave Other Ants Quite a few ant species take captives from other ant species, forcing them to do chores for their own colony. Honeypot ants even enslave ants of the same species, taking individuals from foreign colonies to do their bidding. Polyergus queens, also known as Amazon ants, raid the colonies of unsuspecting Formica ants. The Amazon queen finds and kills the Formica queen, then enslaves the Formica workers. The slave workers help the usurping queen rear her own brood. When her Polyergus offspring reach adulthood, their sole purpose is to raid other Formica colonies and bring back their pupae, ensuring a steady supply of slave workers. 7. Ants Lived Alongside Dinosaurs Ants evolved some 130 million years ago during the early Cretaceous period. Most fossil evidence of insects is found in lumps of ancient amber, or fossilized plant resin. The oldest known ant fossil, a primitive and now extinct ant species named Sphercomyrma freyi, was found in Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey. Though that fossil only dates back 92 million years, another fossil ant that proved nearly as old has a clear lineage to present-day ants, which suggests a much longer evolutionary line than previously assumed. 8. Ants Started Farming Long Before Humans Fungus-farming ants began their agricultural ventures about 50 million years before humans thought to raise their own crops. The earliest evidence suggests ants began farming as early as 70 million years ago, in the early Tertiary period. Even more amazing, these ants used sophisticated horticultural techniques to enhance their crop yields, including secreting chemicals with antibiotic properties to inhibit mold growth and devising fertilization protocols using manure. 9. Ant Supercolonies Can Stretch Thousands of Miles Argentine ants, native to South America, now inhabit every continent except Antarctica due to accidental introductions. Each ant colony has a distinctive chemical profile that enables members of the group to recognize one another and alerts the colony to the presence of strangers. Scientists recently discovered that massive supercolonies in Europe, North America, and Japan all share the same chemical profile, meaning they are, in essence, a global supercolony of ants. 10. Scout Ants Lay Scent Trails to Guide Others to Food By following pheromone trails laid by scout ants from their colony, foraging ants can gather and store food efficiently. A scout ant first leaves the nest in search of food, wandering somewhat randomly until it discovers something edible. It then consumes some of the food and returns to the nest in a direct line. It seems scout ants can observe and recall visual cues that enable them to navigate quickly back to the nest. Along the return route, the scout ants leave a trail of pheromones- which are special scents they secrete- that guide their nestmates to the food. The foraging ants then follow the path designated by the scout ant, each one adding more scent to the trail to reinforce it for others. Worker ants continue walking back and forth along the trail until the food source is depleted.

Marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing plan - Essay Example Akin to olive oil in terms of function, tea seed oil is very effective for hair care. Not only does it strengthen hair and protect it from damage, it also provides moisture to the hair. Shiseido now intends to sell Tsubaki in Australia as it sees tremendous potential for that product in that market. Competitive Landscape in Australia Procter & Gamble Australia Pty Ltd, Unilever Australia Ltd, L'Oreal Australia Pty Ltd, Hans Schwarzkopf & Henkel GmbH & Co KG, Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd and Alberto-Culver Pty Ltd. In addition to these there are many other, domestic as well as international players, vying for a chunk of the shampoo market in the country. Demographic Environment The total population of Australia stood at 22 million in 2010. The gender-wise break-up of the Australian population is depicted in table below: Population (Gender Wise)    2010 2020    in '000 % in '000 % Male 10998 49.76 12591 49.86 Female 11102 50.24 12663 50.14 Total 22100 100 25254 100 Source: Euromonitor International The table shows that the male female population is almost equal and is likely to remain so by 2020. The ethnic composition of the country includes 92 percent Whites, 7 percent Asians and 1 percent Aboriginal and others (Euromonitor 2011). Thus females of Asian origin residing in Australia are approx .7 million. The Tsubaki shampoo would be targeted at this section of the society. It is imperative that the age-wise break up of the female population is considered while developing/modifying the product for the Australian market.    Female Population Age-Wise ('000) Age 2009 2010 2015 (E) 2020 (E) % Growth 0-14 2033 2052 2173 2326 13.3 15-64 7327 7415 7763 8095 9.2 65+ 1591 1635 1925 2242 37.1 Total 10951 11102 11861 12663 15.6 Source: Euromonitor International The above table clearly demonstrates that a drastic shift in Australia‘s demographic profile is imminent as a considerable chunk of the population is set to grow old in the coming future. This growth in the number of older consumers is likely to propel the demand for products that make people feel and look younger (Data Monitor 2011). The life expectancy in the country is 81.81 years for the total population. While it is 79.40 years for men, the life expectancy for the average Australian woman is 84.35 years. Economic Environment The Australian economy has registered a steady growth in the GDP in the last few years. The economy is estimated to grow by 3.7 percent this year. The inflation rate has also been below the 3 percent mark since 2010. The unemployment rate which has been steady at a shade above 5 percent is the brightest spot. Compare this to the unemployment rates in other developed countries where the joblessness has reached double digits. Key Economic Indicators    2009 2010 2011 2012 (E) GDP Growth (%) 1.3 3 3.5 3.7 Inflation 1.8 2.9 2.8 2.9 Unemployment Rate 5.6 5.3 5.2 5.1 Source: Data Monitor 2011 Australia is primarily a middle-class society. Close to 5 million, or 6 1 percent of the households in the country had an annual disposable income of more than US $45,000 in 2009. During the same time period, 36 percent of the Australian households had an annual disposable income of more than US $75,000. At the same time, more than 95 percent of the country is above the poverty line (Data Monitor 2011). The table below depicts that the average annual gross income has steadily risen across income brackets. The growth is considerably higher than

Public affair class media material plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public affair class media material plan - Essay Example We believe the students bear the most responsibility since they make individual choices depending on their preferences. A committee member reckoned, â€Å"The international students form a huge part and we are conscious of their different problems and they should therefore feel encouraged and safe while applying for courses in the United States†. â€Å"The main reason for this press release is to address the problem of online courses that are increasing radically† said the Chairman. It is challenging for the department to control the number of colleges that are advertising for international courses online since we do not have control or access to the information that is released to people all over the world. In this regard we are therefore, looking for ways to control the number of these adverts over the internet and engage other government department to help in curbing the problem. The Department of International Students has received these complaints from citizens currently in the United States and in other parts of the world. We want to reiterate that although it is possible to control the problem within the country the same cannot be replicated in other parts of the world. This is because some of the messages the students receive are scams and they may originate from the home country. We are advising all students that although the terms and conditions for some and not all of these institutions may seem credible, it is advisable if they could contact us so that we can get the information and relay to them whether it’s credible or not. We are looking to engage other student bodies and organizations in other countries to get their view on the methods that they use to eradicate the problem and see what we as a department can use to help the students. â€Å"However, as aforementioned, the student bears the highest responsibility since they make the independent choices on the best courses that are in line

Animal abuse Essay Example for Free

Animal abuse Essay Animal abuse is when someone inflicts pain or harm upon an animal such as not giving them their basic needs (food and water) to beating them. In between 5 and 7 million animal companions enter an animal shelter nationwide, every year (www.aspca.org), and within 50 miles of Hayward, CA, there are 170 animal cruelty cases reported (www.pet-abuse.com). Imagine what these innocent beings that cannot speak out to let the human know they are in pain feel. Animals need us to speak out and help reduce their suffering instead of making their lives worse. Animal safety needs to be improved by creating more laws to protect animals from harm. Animal cruelty is shaped by two forms of abuse, different types of animal abuse, opinions on how animal cruelty happens, organizations that help fight for animal rights, and ways to report it. see more:animal abuse essay Everyday animals are being taken advantage of and being brutally abused. They are beaten, kept in cages, and enslaved just for a person’s own amusement (www.peta.org). Humans like to have freedom but yet they have no problem locking animals away because they don’t feel like dealing with them. The law sees passive and active abuse as illegal but they don’t have strict consequences that follow. Passive abuse is when the crime is less intentional and active is doing it intentionally to cause pain upon an animal (www.pet-abuse.com). Why should animals have to endure this cruel torture? What did they do to deserve this? I believe animals should be more protected under the law and not just thrown around like garbage. Furthermore, there are many three main categories of animal abuse which are slaughter houses, animal testing, and finally in-house abuse. When slaughter house workers cut the heads off of a chicken their hearts are still beating, so they are forced to suffer for to benefit humans and are not protected under the law to be slaughtered humanely. Two hundred and eighty-seven chickens, three point sixty-eight pigs, and one point two cow are  slaughtered per second (www.annimalsuffering.com). Should so many animals be put through this cruel and unusual torture? There should be a maximum number under the law that prevents them from slaughtering so many in a small amount of time. There are many forms of animal testing, but the two main animal tests are, the Eye Irritancy and Acute Toxicity. The Eye Irritancy test is also known as the Draize eye test which is performed on rabbits by inserting a fluid with a needle in one eye to see how it reacts to this fluid. The rabbits are put in a contraption that locks their heads and endure a lot of suffering such as ulcers, blindness, and usually death. Next, Acute Toxicity is a method where they determine how much of a chemical can be exposed to the mouth, skin, and inhaled with rats and mice. These rodents are poisoned and the experiment ends when at least half of the testing animals die from the trial. They suffer from excruciating pain, convulsions, loss of motor function and seizures (www.aavs.org). No laws state that animal testing cannot be performed; therefore, they can inflict pain upon the animals at any time without worry of being prosecuted. They are able to inject them with lethal chemicals but when it comes to humans everyone is against injecting humans such as in the death penalty because it is inhumane and unusual torture. Finally, in-house abuse, is abuse from human to pet. According to the U.S. Animal Abuse Classifications chart neglect/abandonment ranks 1st with 5, 365 cases, animal hoarding ranks 2nd with 2,061 cases, and shooting comes in 3rd with 1,888 cases. I believe there should be laws that require background checks on violence and brutality in order to own pets because there are connection between violence and abusing animals. Overall, the United States has a high rate of people mistreating innocent animals and it must be prevented in order to protect these voiceless beings. Since the law is not doing much to protect these animals from cruel humans, the people believe they can get away with this crime. They have insecurities and since animals are smaller than them and can’t speak out they take all their frustrations out on them. Animals are helpless creatures whom are assumed to have no feelings. Animals are put through pain and torture due to people’s anger and ignorance. When a human is murdered, the law gives consequences to the murderer, but when animals are end up dead because of being tortured, the law does not provide consequences for the crime. These  people need to take responsibility for their actions and get the same punishment that they would get if these inflictions were toward a human. Animals deserve to have the same rights and be protected under the law. Despite of all the ignorant people, there are those who believe in equality between animals and humans and choose to be up standers. If laws were created that protected animals, these organizations would have a better support system for their fight. Laws would make these groups easier to support, therefore they could make more of a difference. For example, animal shelters provide the basic necessities such as food, shelter, and water and a safe environment for them to recover from the harsh acts. Without these shelters, animals will lose hope, so in order to keep them running, donations need to be given. Besides animal shelter, there are specific organizations that help fight for animal rights and help prevent animal cruelty. Some examples of organizations are the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). These groups believe that animals are just as equal as humans and should not be treated the way they are. People need to take responsibility for their actions, take care of their pets properly, and encourage others to do the same. In order to provide sufficient ways of life for animals, the law must support these organizations. Although there are organizations that fight to make a difference, individuals can stop animal cruelty. The Karma Dog organization stated, â€Å"What come around goes around.† Furthermore, there are many strategies you can use to report any signs of abuse or neglect. They can call 911 if the animal is being forced to fight other animals, starved, tortured, and has heavy chains around the neck, open wounds, and mutilation. Another number you can call is 311. When calling 311 the conditions are deprivation of food, water, improper vet care and shelter, untreated skin conditions, has extreme flea infestation, and extremely long nails and matted hair. When seeing animal abuse posted through the internet you must immediately contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which is partnered with the FBI (http://www.belladogmagaizine.com). Finally, you can go onto change.org and sign petitions to stop animal testing and cruelty. You may not think one signature will make a difference but it does because once enough signatures  are collaborated, the government will realize something needs to be done. Never give up and keep fighting for these innocent animals. Even though animal abuse is wrong and hurtful to animals, some owners don’t purposely inflict harm upon them. For example, if the owner is having a really busy day and doesn’t have the time to walk their dog or they forget to feed them. Why should the owner be penalized for an accident? If the owner tries his best and treats the dog well any other time shouldn’t he be let off with a warning? A person should not be penalized for an accident because many things happen in life that causes distractions. Pet owners don’t intentionally neglect their pets and they deserve the chance to prove the courts otherwise. Some believe that animals are here to serve us so if so then we should not have to pamper them as we would for ourselves. In conclusion, animals and humans are no different and they should not be treated differently under the law. However, people in the United States mistreat innocent begins and laws need to be enforced to prevent it. Some think that animals cannot speak, that what happens to them will not affect them mentally, but every living animals have feeling whether they can talk or not. Treat an animal the way you would want to be treated. When using products, people should think to look if it has been tested on animals. Registering or volunteering at organizations that help prevent and heal abused animals will set a good example to others to fight for what you believe in. The bible states, â€Å"Do unto others.† This phrase is for all being not just humans so why should animals have to continue suffering. Be your own person and fight against animal abuse because this is cruel and unusual torture. Works Cited Pet Statistics. ASPCA. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Reporting Internet Animal Abuse | BellaDOG Magazine. Reporting Internet Animal Abuse | BellaDOG Magazine. N.p., 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . The Issues. PETA. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Types of Animal Testing. -The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS). N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Corp., Petabuse. Animal Cruelty. Animal Cruelty | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database. N.p., 2001-2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Corp., Petabuse. Local Animal Cruelty Case Search | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database. Local Animal Cruelty Case Search | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database. N.p., 2001-2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Hugo, Victor. Animal Slaughter, Abuse and Cruelty. Behind the Screens. AnimalSuffering. Animals Rights Concerns, 2003,2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. .

Effects of Prior Knowledge on Generative Tasks Essay -- Philosophy Cre

Effects of Prior Knowledge on Generative Tasks The creation of new ideas plays an important role in the growth of any society. Inventions such as the telephone and automobile have provided the tools for increased levels of communication and widened the access to information. While the modern generation may view these inventions as staples of our society, at the time of their conception they were viewed as revolutionary new concepts. Yet, were they truly revolutionary or were they an extension of prior knowledge? Large proportions of new ideas are based on the properties of an existing concept (Marsh, Ward, & Landau, 1999). Without the concept of the phonograph, for example, we may never have had the benefit of 8-tracks, audio cassettes, or compact discs. These creations, while separate in their levels of advancement, are all based on the initial notion of recorded sound. Researchers recognize the benefits of prior knowledge as adaptive to survival. The fact that humans are able to learn and apply information from previous experience assists in reasoning, problem solving, and comprehension of our environment (Smith, Ward, & Schumacher, 1993). Without the use of prior knowledge it would be impossible to advance cognitively. The benefits notwithstanding, the use of prior knowledge also has the potential of limiting, or constraining, the creative process (Marsh, Bink, & Hicks, 1999; Marsh, Landau, & Hicks, 1996; Marsh, Ward, et al., 1999; Smith, et al., 1993). The theoretical construct of structured imagination proposes that new ... ...iness that expects creative results from its associates. Society may believe an invention is truly revolutionary when, in fact, the creation is most likely a mere extension of a previous thought. References Marsh, R. L., Bink, M. L., & Hicks, J. L. (1999). Conceptual priming in a generative problem-solving task. Memory & Cognition, 27 (2), 355-363. Marsh, R. L., Landau, J. D., & Hicks, J. L. (1996). How examples may (and may not) constrain creativity. Memory & Cognition, 24 (3), 669-680. Marsh, R. L., Ward, T. B., & Landau, J. D. (1999). The inadvertent use of prior knowledge in a generative cognitive task. Memory & Cognition, 27 (1), 94-105. Smith, S. M., Ward, T. B., & Schumacher, J. S. (1993). Constraining effects of examples in a creative generation task. Memory & Cognition, 21 (6), 837-845.

Objective of Education Is Learning

‘The Objective of Education Is Learning' *'The Objective of Education Is Learning, Not Teaching'* *In their book,** *Turning Learning Right Side Up: Putting Education Back on Track*, authors Russell L. Ackoff and Daniel Greenberg point out that today's education system is seriously flawed — it focuses on teaching rather than learning. â€Å"Why should children — or adults — be asked to do something computers and related equipment can do much better than they can? † the authors ask in the following excerpt from the book. â€Å"Why doesn't education focus on what humans can do better than the machines and instruments they create? * â€Å"Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth learning can be taught. † — Oscar Wilde Traditional education focuses on teaching, not learning. It incorrectly assumes that for every ounce of teaching there is an ounce of learning by those who are taught. However, most of what we learn before, during, and after attending schools is learned without its being taught to us. A child learns such fundamental things as how to walk, talk, eat, dress, and so on without being taught these things. But are there intrinsic barriers to learning?Adults learn most of what they use at work or at leisure while at work or leisure. Most of what is taught in classroom settings is forgotten, and much or what is remembered is irrelevant. In most schools, memorization is mistaken for learning. Most of what is remembered is remembered only for a short time, but then is quickly forgotten. (How many remember how to take a square root or ever have a need to? ) Furthermore, even young children are aware of the fact that most of what is expected of them in school can better be done by computers, recording machines, cameras, and so on.They are treated as poor surrogates ; for such machines and instruments. Why should children — or adults, for that m atter — be asked to do something computers and related equipment can do much better than they can? Why doesn't education focus on what humans can do better than the machines and instruments they create? When those who have taught others are asked who in the classes learned most, virtually all of them say, â€Å"The teacher. † It is apparent to those who have taught that teaching is a better way to learn than being taught. Teaching enables the teacher to discover what one thinks about the subject being taught.Schools are upside down: Students should be teaching and faculty learning. After lecturing to undergraduates at a major university, I was accosted by a student who had attended the lecture. After some complimentary remarks, he asked, â€Å"How long ago did you teach your first class? † I responded, â€Å"In September of 1941. † â€Å"Wow! † The student said. â€Å"You mean to say you have been teaching for more than 60 years? † â€Å"Ye s. † â€Å"When did you last teach a course in a subject that existed when you were a student? † This difficult question required some thought. After a pause, I said, â€Å"September of 1951. â€Å"Wow! You mean to say that everything you have taught in more than 50 years was not taught *to* you; you had to learn on your own? † â€Å"Right. † â€Å"You must be a pretty good learner. † I modestly agreed. The student then said, â€Å"What a shame you're not that good a teacher. † The student had it right; what most faculty members are good at, if anything, is learning rather than teaching. Recall that in the one-room > schoolhouse, students taught students. The teacher served as a guide and a resource but not as one who force-fed content into students' minds. *Ways of Learning*There are many different ways of learning; teaching is only one of them. We learn a great deal on our own, in independent study or play. We learn a great deal interactin g with others informally — sharing what we are learning with others and vice versa. We learn a great deal by doing, through trial and error. Long before there were schools as we know them, there was apprenticeship — learning how to do something by trying it under the guidance of one who knows how. For example, one can learn more architecture by having to design and build one's own house than by taking any number of courses on the subject.When physicians are asked whether they leaned more in classes or during their internship, without exception they answer, â€Å"Internship. † In the educational process, students should be offered a wide variety of ways to learn, among which they could choose or with which they could experiment. They do not have to learn different things the same way. They should learn at a very early stage of â€Å"schooling† that learning how to learn is largely their responsibility — with the help they seek but that is not impose d on them. The objective of education is learning, not teaching.There are two ways that teaching is a powerful tool of learning. Let's abandon for the moment the loaded word teaching, which is unfortunately all too closely linked to the notion of â€Å"talking at† or â€Å"lecturing,† and use instead the rather awkward phrase explaining something to someone else who wants to find out about it. One aspect of explaining something is getting yourself up to snuff on whatever it is that you are trying to explain. I can't very well explain to you how Newton accounted for planetary motion if ; I haven't boned up on my Newtonian mechanics first.This is a problem we all face all the time, when we are expected to explain something. (Wife asks, â€Å"How do we get to Valley Forge from home? † And husband, who does not want to admit he has no idea at all, excuses himself to go to the bathroom; he quickly Googles Mapquest to find out. ) This is one sense in which the one who explains learns the most, because the person to whom the explanation is made can afford to forget the explanation promptly in most cases; but the explainers will find it sticking in their minds a lot longer, because they struggled to gain an understanding in the first place in a form clear enough to explain.The second aspect of explaining something that leaves the explainer more enriched, and with a much deeper understanding of the subject, is this: To satisfy the person being addressed, to the point where that person can nod his head and say, â€Å"Ah, yes, now I understand! † explainers must not only get the matter to fit comfortably into their own worldview, into their own personal frame of reference for understanding the world around them, they also have to figure out how to link their frame of reference to the > world view of the person receiving the explanation, so that the explanation can make sense to that person, too.This involves an intense effort on the part of th e explainer to get into the other person's mind, so to speak, and that exercise is at the heart of learning in general. For, by practicing repeatedly how to create links between my mind and another's, I am reaching the very core of the art of learning from the ambient culture. Without that skill, I can only learn from direct experience; with that skill, I can learn > from the experience of the whole world. Thus, whenever I struggle to explain something to someone else, and succeed in doing so, I am advancing my ability to learn from others, too. Learning through Explanation* This aspect of learning through explanation has been overlooked by most commentators. And that is a shame, because both aspects of learning are what makes the age mixing that takes place in the world at large such a valuable educational tool. Younger kids are always seeking answers from older kids –sometimes just slightly older kids (the seven-year old tapping the presumed life wisdom of the so-much-more- experienced nine year old), often much older kids.The older kids love it, and their abilities are exercised mightily in these interactions. They have to figure out what it is that they understand > about the question being raised, and they have to figure out how to make their understanding comprehensible to the younger kids. The same process occurs over and over again in the world at large; this is why it is so important to keep communities multi-aged, and why it is so destructive to learning, and to the development of culture in general, to segregate certain ages (children, old people) from others.What went on in the one-room schoolhouse is much like what I have been talking about. In fact, I am not sure that the adult teacher in the one-room schoolhouse was always viewed as the best authority on any given subject! Long ago, I had an experience that illustrates that point perfectly. When our oldest son was eight years old, he hung around (and virtually worshiped) a very brilliant 1 3-year-old named Ernie, who loved science. Our son was curious about everything in the world.One day he asked me to explain some physical phenomenon that lay within the realm of what we have come to call â€Å"physics†; being a former professor of physics, I was considered a > reasonable person to ask. So, I gave him an answer — the â€Å"right† answer, the one he would have found in books. He was greatly annoyed. â€Å"That's not right! † he shouted, and when I expressed surprise at his response, and asked him why he would say so, his answer was immediate: â€Å"Ernie said so and so, which is totally different, and Ernie knows. It was an enlightening and delightful experience for me. It was clear that his faith in Ernie had been developed over a long time, from long experience with Ernie's unfailing ability to build a bridge between their minds — perhaps more successfully, > at least in certain areas, than I had been. One might wonder how on eart h learning came to be seen primarily a result of teaching. Until quite recently, the world's great teachers were understood to be people who had something fresh to say about something to people who were interested in hearing their message.Moses, Socrates, Aristotle, Jesus — these were people who had original insights, and people came from far and wide to find out what those insights were. One can see most clearly in Plato's dialogues that people did not come to Socrates to â€Å"learn philosophy,† but rather to hear Socrates' version of philosophy (and his wicked and witty attacks on other people's versions), just as they went to other philosophers to hear (and learn) their versions. In other words, teaching was understood as public exposure of an individual's perspective, which anyone could take or leave, depending on whether they cared about it.No one in his right mind thought that the only way you could become a philosopher was by taking a course from one of those g uys. On the contrary, you were expected to come up with your own original worldview if you aspired to the title of philosopher. This was true of any and every aspect of knowledge; you figured out how to learn it, and you exposed yourself to people who were willing to make their understanding public if you thought it could be a worthwhile part of your endeavor.That is the basis for the formation of universities in the Middle Ages — places where thinkers were willing to spend their time making their thoughts public. The only ones who got to stay were the ones whom other people (â€Å"students†) found relevant enough to their own personal quests to make listening to them worthwhile. By the way, this attitude toward teaching has not disappeared. When quantum theory was being developed in the second quarter of the twentieth century, aspiring atomic physicists traveled to the various places where different theorists were developing their thoughts, often in radically differen t directions.Students traveled to Bohr's institute to find out how he viewed quantum theory, then to Heisenberg, to Einstein, to Schrodinger, to Dirac, and so on. What was true of physics was equally true of art, architecture†¦ you name it. It is still true today. One does not go to Pei to learn â€Å"architecture†; one goes to learn how he does it — that is, to see him â€Å"teach† by telling and showing you his approach. Schools should enable people to go where they want to go, not where others want them to. *Malaise of Mass Education* The trouble began when mass education was introduced. It was necessary To decide what skills and knowledge everyone has to have to be a productive citizen of a developed country in the industrial age – To make sure the way this information is defined and standardized, to fit into the standardization required by the industrial culture – To develop the means of describing and communicating the standardized infor mation (textbooks, curricula) – To train people to comprehend the standardized material and master the means of transmitting it (teacher training, pedagogy) – To create places where the trainees (children) and the trainers (unfortunately called teachers, which gives them a status they do not deserve) can meet — so-called schools (again a term stolen from a much different milieu, endowing these new institutions with a dignity they also do not deserve) – And, to provide the coercive backing necessary to carry out this major cultural and social upheaval In keeping with all historic attempts to revolutionize the social order, The elite leaders who formulated the strategy, and those who implemented it, perverted the language, using terms that had attracted a great deal of respect in new ways that turned their meanings upside down, but helped make the new order palatable to a public that didn't quite catch on. Every word — *teacher, student, school, disc ipline,* and so on — took on meanings diametrically opposed to what they had originally meant. Consider this one example from my recent experience. I attended a conference of school counselors, where the latest ideas in the realm of student counseling were being presented.I went to a session on the development of self-discipline and responsibility, wondering what these concepts mean to people embedded in traditional schooling. To me, self-discipline means the ability to pursue one's goals without outside coercion; responsibility means taking appropriate action on one's own initiative, without being goaded by others. To the people presenting the session, both concepts had to do solely with the child's ability to do his or her assigned class work. They explained that a guidance counselor's proper function was to get students to understand that responsible behavior meant doing their homework in a timely and effective manner, as prescribed, and self-discipline meant the determina tion to get that homework done. George Orwell was winking in the back of the room.Today, there are two worlds that use the word *education* with opposite meanings: one world consists of the schools and colleges (and even graduate schools) of our education complex, in which standardization prevails. In that world, an industrial training mega-structure strives to turn out identical replicas of a product called â€Å"people educated for the twenty-first century†; the second is the world of information, knowledge, and wisdom, in which the real population of the world resides when not incarcerated in schools. In that world, learning takes place like it always did, and teaching consists of imparting one's wisdom, among other things, to voluntary listeners.

Barriers Erected By Health Care Systems

Health is fully available in every moment as one of the most accessible of life’s biological forces. Health is a feeling of basic and fundamental goodness, wholeness and uncompromising strength. Health care systems are designed to help maintain the health of individuals by eliminating disease, illness or injury from the body system. However there are barriers that limit health care systems from achieving their goals. The barriers may include shortage of health workers, unaffordable health care services, lack of health care equipments.Shortage of health workers in hospitals especially during weekends occurs because of inadequate funding which compromises the ability of providers to provide a quality and affordable health care services. Some of the barriers of health care are erected by our divisive and dualistic western culture, others by our own habits to separate rather than unify. Making health care affordable is one way of eliminating most barriers of health care this ensur es that every one can visit a health center or clinic without fear of being overcharged.Setting up health savings accounts (HSAs) gives workers the opportunity to save tax-free routine expenses, the security of insurance against major illnesses and the freedom of knowing you can take your account with you whenever you change jobs. Barriers erected by health care personnel Shortage of health care personnel /workers creates a barrier to accessing quality health care. Quality health cares are services offered by people caring for other people. Patients and the general public are unaware of this critical problem and always blame the health workers for insufficiency.Recently accompanied by grand mother for her appointment to the hospital and I was very disappointed, we reported very early for her check up since she was using a pace maker for breathing, we had to wait for three hours before being attended. This was very frustrating. I thought this was worse but and elderly man was brought to the waiting bay with epilepsy. He was convulsing after every two minutes but no one seemed to notice. The nurses and other workers seemed so busy taking care of other patience so we assumed they were ignoring those on the waiting bay.Barriers created by health care systems In most health centers of hospitals health care equipments are insufficient. This results to poor health care administration many patients die due to lack of special equipments and drugs. I went for my practical in a certain health center and witnessed and elderly woman die from muscular dystrophy. This is a rare disease with very devastating symptoms. Her muscles would contract and remain in situ and this affected her breathing patterns. The doctor said there were ho resources to treat her unless if transferred to a state hospital.Her family could not afford to transfer her to a bigger facility. In such situations the public tends to blame the health worker for insufficiency and at times negligence. The state should be responsible for funding health care centers and hospitals to provide enough resources, equipments and drugs. Lack of affordable health insurance policies is also to blame in this case because if this patient had health insurance, she would access health care services from any health facility. Plans to change the barriers to reflect an environment of wellnessRising health care costs are imposing a burden on families and small businesses and put health coverage out of the reach of many Americans. Employing more health workers makes health care provision easier and better. This ensures that the ratio of health workers to patients is even. Reducing the rising costs of health care while improving quality and safety, makes health care accessible to more people especially those with minimum wages. Having a free health centre or clinic in every poor country in America. This will ensure that the jobless also have access to quality health care.This will increase the number of peopl e served by health centers by approximately 35%. Fighting health care fraud and waste by cutting wasteful spending out the Medicare and Medicaid programme. Affordable health cares for low-income families and individuals. High healthcare costs are the reason why many Americans are not insured. The state could help them by contributing to buy their insurance. Affordable health cares for all children. This ensures that all children are born in hospitals and immunized immediately after birth.Association Health Plans (AHPs) for civic groups and other community organizations. Local groups should be allowed to bond together through their regional or national organizations to negotiate low-priced coverage for their members. Maternal child health care should be improved and made affordable to reduce child and maternal mortality rates. This should be coupled with decreased post partum stays to an average of seven days. Hospitals should not overcharge patients for long stays in the wards. They should aim at providing affordable quality services to all patients.Public health awareness should be encouraged to educate the public on the importance of buying health insurance, routine medical checkups and the importance of vaccinations. National market place to shop for health insurance should be established, individual consumers should have the freedom to shop for health insurance in a competitive market place across the state lines to increase the availability of health care coverage and drive down costs. State run insurance pools to help low income Americans get the most of their credits. Free health care for all children should be established.Strengthening competition between generic and brand name drugs will help American consumers save more than $35 billion in drug cost over the next 10 years. There should be more school-based enrollment where parents are informed of the availability of health coverage for the children through medicaid. Grants to faith based and communit y organizations to join with their state medicaid To enroll targeted low-income children. Home visitation should be encouraged and enough funding put into this policy to provide transport and enough medication for the home visits.This should be coupled by the strengthening of the community follow up for the mothers and newborns by public health nurses. Direct accountability for implementation should be assigned by the policy to public health care professionals who believe in the initiative. The support of public health practitioners who advocate for this approach is required for implementation. . How the book changed my personal thinking The book changed my thinking by making me realize that the public is very ignorant to routine check ups such as pap smears, breast examination and eye check ups.Our attitude towards health workers especially nurses and doctors determine how we receive health services. Some people believe that doctors should be men with big bodies and so if treated b y female doctors, they have a negative attitude. We should always be positive about the treatment we receive. It quickens the recovery process. Giving them incentives allowances should motivate health workers or salary increments to encourage them provide better quality health services. In the hospital sector, a major barrier, which appears to have influenced implementations, is that of organizational context.These include lack of beds to allow for longer stays in hospitals and lack of funding to purchase hospital equipments. Direct funding flowed to heath units targeted for provision of special health services, eliminates barriers of health resources and medical equipments. The book made me realize that acquiring health insurances made it cheaper to access health care services. Public health units should receive additional recourses to provide a service they have long wanted to offer to the community and should be trained to provide it professionally. ConclusionPolicy enactment is sometimes in adequate to stimulate practice changes and barrier elimination in health care systems. However policy as a tool must thoughtfully address the organizational, professional and social contexts within which it is to be implemented. To reflect an environment of wellness, all players need to be included. Consumers need to know about health policies and should be informed about their health care options. Policy implementation in any health care system relies upon provider commitment. Providers, consumers and policy makers share the common goal of positive health outcomes.Consumers of health care need to be informed and prepared to hold both providers and policy makers accountable in the making and implementing of health policy. Providers must be convinced that the policy can be implemented and that the outcome will be positive. While health care is often described, as a product health services are fundamentally people caring for other people, therefore, health workers must be devoted to their work to serve and treat patients equally despite of their financial status or racial backgrounds.When barriers to policy implementations exist the policy may fail to meet its objectives to achieve quality affordable and accessible health care services. Health care should be made accessible by ensuring that every county has a health facility or a clinic to serve the community members. All health facilities should charge minimum fees to ensure that all individuals are able to visit health centers without fear of being overcharged. Health workers such as nurses and doctors should be encouraged to be polite and friendly to all patients despite the type of their conditions.Doctors should be encouraged to diagnose a patient’s condition well before prescribing any form of treatment. This ensures that patients are treated for the illnesses. Health system administrations must be established to serve every patient equally despite their races or financial affordability . Health care systems must be designed in such a way that they are able to treat any form of disease or illness. Crucial medical equipments should be provided to the hospitals by the state to make-work more efficient and also to save more lives.This is because patients won’t need to be transferred to bigger facilities for treatment. Health care administration systems should encourage the health workers to encourage both patients and the public to buy health insurance so as to make assessing quality health care easier and cheaper for them and their families. For health care provision to be efficient the general public should be involved in decision-making concerning the health system. REFERENCES Milio, N (1988). Primary care and the public’s health; Ann Arbor, Michigan, university press.

Humorous Quotes on Love and Marriage

Humorous Quotes on Love and Marriage Poking fun at love or marriage can be a dangerous proposition when youre making a joke in the presence of your loved one. Humor is like spice: the right amount can make a delicacy out of a bland meal. The key is the right amount. Use a humorous quote to season your words with the right amount of humor. Even then, be prepared to duck, apologize, and eat your words. At least, youll be able to attribute them to someone else. Thyra Smater Winsolow Platonic love is love from the neck up. Lily Tomlin If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question? Woody Allen Love is the answer, but while youre waiting, sex raises some pretty good questions. Unknown Love is telling someone to go to hell and worrying about them getting there safely. Rogers Willson It doesnt much signify whom one marries, for one is sure to find out next morning it was someone else. Edgar Watson Howe A woman might as well propose: her husband will claim she did. John Updike Every marriage tends to consist of an aristocrat and a peasant. Frank Zappa I detest love lyrics. I think one of the causes of bad mental health in the United States is that people have been raised on love lyrics. Bill Cosby For two people in a marriage to live together day after day is unquestionably the one miracle the Vatican has overlooked. Honorà © de Balzac Great love affairs start with Champagne and end with tisane. Ray Bandy Honeymoon: A short period of doting between dating and debating. Johnny Carson I know youve been married to the same woman for 69 years. That is marvelous. It must be very inexpensive. H. L. Mencken To be in love is merely to be in a state of perceptual anesthesia - to mistake an ordinary young man for a Greek god or an ordinary young woman for a goddess. David Bissonette I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry. That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste. Beverly Nichols Marriage: a book of which the first chapter is written in poetry and the remaining chapters written in prose. Henry Louis Mencken Bachelors know more about women than married men; if they didnt, theyd be married too. Helen Rowland When you see what some girls marry, you realize how they must hate to work for a living. Anonymous Theyre almost inseparable. Sometimes it takes ten people to separate them. Anonymous If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular? Lord Dewar Love is an ocean of emotions entirely surrounded by expenses. Helen Rowland A man snatches the first kiss, pleads for the second, demands the third, takes the fourth, accepts the fifth†¦ and endures all the rest. Helen Rowland In olden times, sacrifices were made at the altar, a practice which is still very much practiced. Anonymous Love is one long, sweet dream and marriage is the alarm clock.

Homework Invention and Transformation Key Points

Homework Invention and Transformation Key Points Invention of Homework: Who Is to Blame and Did He Hate Students That Much? Probably every student sitting over fill-in test sheets, verb lists or math problems has wondered at least once who designed the after-school learning process a.k.a. homework and why he did it. Obviously not for the love of science and learning, since such loads of homework just overburden students and make them sleepy and tired all the time. But why, then? Because students were too loud and nasty and so it was a kind of punishment to make them learn even at home? Or because a teacher was lazy, busy or absent and so students had to catch up with the curricula on their own? Well, the history of homework is not that dramatic or mysterious, but it does contain some useful insights that can benefit both students and teachers. A Bit of History Although no source provides clear mentioning of homework through the long history of education up to the 19th century, it is most probable that it existed in this or that form all along the way. Doing observations, composing verses and speeches in rhetoric in the antiquity, memorizing prayers and Biblical texts in the middle ages, acquiring knowledge about the natural world from books and from nature in times of the Industrial revolution – it all required work beyond classroom walls. Besides, methods of teaching and available supplies before the invention of the printing press meant that most things had to be learned by heart. So information was either copied from valuable books or from teacher’s voice and learned after classes, or learned in class through chanting and mnemonic tools, thus being homework done in class. Some cite Marcus Quintilian, a famous Roman orator and teacher, as a first person to explicitly assign homework, but there is no clear written evidence for it. However, Quintilian was a first humanist teacher who focused on the needs of child and benefits of early education, so his influence is recognized today even without reference to homeworking. The appearance of the printing press meant that books were made available to a much wider audience, and so opportunities to make kids study after classes efficiently became wider. Fiction and non-fiction literature of early modernity sometimes mention children learning their lessons after classes to be able to recite them in class on the next day. Thus homework was in full bloom long before the thorough overhaul of education in the 19th century and the establishment of a truly comprehensive and standardized educational system. Homework Timeline In the 19th century and closer to the 20th century needs of developing economy and advances in child psychology and physiology meant that educational approaches and beliefs had to be reconsidered if they were to prepare kids for the life in new conditions. Class time was limited and standardized, a content of study aligned all across the country and made more practical, teachers were certified and the outcome of education was also outlined in measurable terms. Learning was to be intense, but class time could not host all information and activities anymore. Thus homework became an important part of education, but it also became regulated and quantified, relying not only on memorization but on independent work and creativity as well. The name of Roberto Nevilis is sometimes connected to the history of homework but he cannot be credited with inventing something that actually existed long before. It is possible that he was the first to put forward a scientific foundation for how to assign homework, but we will never know it for sure. Nevertheless, the real value and proper rationing of homework were being tested and adjusted well into the 1930s, when an explosion in psychological studies helped understand educational needs of children and how they can be nurtured and supported, not destroyed, by homework. Namely, there are benchmarks that differentiate useful homework from a homework dispensed as a punishment: Educationally useful homework is feasible (i.e. practically sound and accomplishable) It is not excessively large and difficult (part of feasibility) It is dispensed when students are independent enough to study without a teacher. These are basic requirements that apply to any kind of homework. Thus when students claim that they cannot cope with homework load because it consumes all their time it means that the first two commandments of good homework are breached and its benefits rapidly decline. But how does homework work? It is not a pun, there are scientific explanations of the process of knowledge acquisition that do point to the necessity of homework. Read them through, and you will never doubt the necessity of homework as such. Today no one doubts that proper homework helps to consolidate the freshly acquired knowledge and provides an opportunity to work independently and to find out what pace and methods of learning work out for every particular student. Thus good homework targets at achieving these goals and at enabling students to get the maximum of benefits from every topic studied. in class, the material is newly acquired and comprehended. Everything happens in time-pressed manner, where after learning new topic students are to take tests, do exercises or engage in some other unrelated kind of activities because the curriculum is wide and time is scarce; to get a better understanding of material repetitive reading and analysis are required, and they can happen out of class only. So reading and analyzing at home improves understanding and internalizing of knowledge; scholarly concepts can be tricky to grasp in class on the go, so at home, where nothing distracts and time permits, their assimilation and memorization happen more easily and naturally; memorization cannot happen immediately, every student has their own memory capacities, and what one remembers immediately, the other can memorize only after reading it a dozen times; what is repeated at time intervals and rehearsed at home is learned much better than something learned in the classroom only; homework gives time and space to be creative, to come up with new ideas, play with them, research, and so on. So indeed it is a tool of boosting creativity and independence. But we will remind again, all these good things happen only when homework is feasible and limited in time. If all free time of students is consumed by learning only, the benefits of homework turn into downsides. Besides, when assigning homework teachers and instructors need to take into consideration that acquisition and internalization of material happen through various kinds of activities, not only through reading and writing. The learning process includes several stages: initial perception understanding of perceived concepts consolidation formation of skills application of skills in practice. Every mentioned stage needs its own methods of work, and teachers are to select combinations of these methods to include into homework so that every aspect of the learning process was involved and activated. It is a complex task indeed, but if performed properly, homework turns from a nightmare into a cool journey full of discoveries and wonders. Genuine Goals of Homework Believe it or not, but homework was not created out of spite towards naughty students. It was born out of necessity and proved its value across continents and times. Different countries apply different standards in regard to the amount of homework. There were times when this load was on the rise, then the tide receded and kids had more freedom, now the high tide of a home task is back again. But no matter where properly measured and diversified homework enables students to do more than in class and to do so in comfort: students can plan their work as they want they can study without someone assessing them they do not have to haste or put a stop in the middle of a sentence to turn the test in they choose the pace and rhythm they use all the sources they need. Thus home task supports the academic activities performed in the class and provides space for more activities that help students know more and study better. Indeed, they memorize the stuff learned in class, revise and refresh in memory previously learned things and consolidate and apply newly acquired skills. That’s the goal of a good education, and homework is an integral part of the path towards it. But in addition to these purely academic benefits, homework develops in students more general life-saving skills: responsibility, self-planning and will basics of self-education research and information evaluation skills, use of various sources information processing capacities (analysis, synthesis, hypothesizing, analogy, etc.). These primary and secondary goals and benefits can all be achieved – and are achieved – under a proper application of homework and its types. Combination of different varieties of assignments is a key to helping students learn and not killing their curiosity. But what are these types? Optimal Types and Scopes of Homework Types of homework are the same as types of work in class, and so a combination of several of them makes home learning not so boring and more effective: Initial acquisition of information from textbooks/lectures Written exercises Oral exercises Memorization exercises Creative tasks Large written projects Craft projects Lab work, experiments, field work. Each kind of work is valuable in itself, but when put together in moderate amounts and diversified, they work wonders when assigned for home performance. If you need any kind of the above-mentioned tasks, just let us know and you will get the A-grade assignment completed as fast as you need it. Homework and Improved Education: Mission Possible? So what’s the conclusion? It looks obvious now that canceling homework is implausible and senseless since it will hurt the educational process. After receiving information in class students need to consolidate it, refresh in memory and apply in practice. It all can be done successfully at home only when time permits and a student is relaxed. If all conditions of good homework are met, it will work wonders for students’ skills and grades. And of course, it is wrong to believe, as some teachers do, that homework is a way to discipline kids and teach them time management. It is not. It is neither a punishment nor a mechanical tool of oppression. It is a valuable addition to the class time that helps students learn better and learn more. But teachers should understand this role of homework and organize it properly and reasonably, in the first place. In other words, they should learn their lesson.

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 11

Case Study - Essay Example Therefore, as a nurse in this situation, I would resolve the case by refusing to let the mother hold her child, explaining to her that until the child’s condition stabilized, she would pose a threat to her own infant in this case. The individual must make ethical choices regarding how to behave. This behavior can be broken down into two categories: the choice as it effects the society around the person making the decision, and the decision as it effects the self of the individual making the choice. In other words, a person can make a decision that benefits them personally, or they can make an ethical decision that benefits others and reduces the total amount of harm to society. By refusing to let this substance abusing mother see her critically injured infant and hold the infant, I would be reducing the level of harm in society and protecting the infant. Additionally, the mother has admitted inducing labor by using crack cocaine. discussed by looking at the philosophy of utilitarianism, which states that it is fine to overthrow ideas of what should be when faced with the realities of what is working in the present. I may have had a stereotype of the mother being able to hold her infant in this case, but the reality of the case subverts this. Utilitarianism is also about achieving the maximum amount of happiness for the most people. Since its impetus, utilitarianism has been interpreted and used in many ways by many societies, from political interpretations to interpretations that have affected educational systems. In short, in the case, keeping the mother away from her infant can be justified by utilitarian reasoning that shows that it represents a pervasive and effective protection of the infant, designed to maximize its health and happiness. There are many elements of the ANA code of ethics that can be seen in this case. For example, issues of responsibility for decision making and planning comes up in the