Monday, August 19, 2019
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Essay -- History, Mong
The Pax Mongolica, also known as the Mongol Peace and Pax Tatarica, was brought up at the end of the time of Mongols’ conquests. Western Scholars designated the fourteenth century as the Pax Mongolica. The Pax Mongolica contributed to the development of a new global culture because the Mongol Khans pursued peaceful trade and diplomacy (220). The bubonic plague epidemic of the 1300s led to the destruction of the Mongol Empire because of the deaths it caused; also, the plague had demoralized the living and deprived the Mongol Golden Family of its primary source of support by cutting off trade and tribute (247). The unsuccessful attack of Japan and Java is what caused Khubilai Khan to realize that the transport of food through ship is cheaper and more effective than by land route. The attack also educated the Mongols about shipbuilding. The Mongols used peaceful pursuits of trade when their military efforts were unsuccessful (223). The duration of conquering time for the Mongols had ended, and now it was time for the era of peace. Instead of sending mounted warriors and fearsome siege engines, the Mongols now had humble priests, scholars, and ambassadors (220). The Mongols promoted trade along the routes across the empire and diffused shelters with supplies every twenty or thirty miles (220,221). The stations had animals and guides to give the merchants guidance through tough terrain. In the system of shares, of all the goods confiscated in war, the members of the Golden Family, each orphan and widow was designated to a share of the wealth of each part of the empire. The Mongol officials rec eived goods instead of being paid money, and they could sell or trade the goods to the market for money and other merchandise. The Pax Mongolia... ...s misused their common material interest to overcome the political fault diving them, while giving up political unity they had conserved a combined cultural and commercial empire. The connection that the Mongol Empire relied on was the quick and constant motion of people, goods, and information around the empire. In conclusion the Pax Mongolica contributed to the new global culture by promotion trade, having many technological innovations, and by influencing the aspects of the economic life. The decline of the Pax Mongolica was due to religious intolerance, the bubonic and the bubonic plague. The decline of the Pax Mongolica also caused a decline of trade. The plague had a devastating impact on many forms of the Mongolian empire, the trade routes were shut down, and the fear of getting the plague caused civilizations to be completely segregated from each other.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Regulating The Internet: Whos In Charge :: essays research papers
Regulating The Internet: Who's In Charge The internet was started by the military in the late forties, and has since grown to an incredibly large and complex web, which will no doubt effect all of us in the years to come. The press has recently taken it upon themselves to educate the public to the dark side of this web, a network which should be veiwed as a tremendous resource of information and entertainment. Instead, due to this negative image, more and more people are shying away from the internet, afraid of what they may find there. We must find a way to regulate what is there, protect ourselves from what is unregulatable, and educate the general populace on how to use this tremendous tool. "The reality exists that governance of global networks offers major challenges to the user, providers, and policy makers to define their boundaries and their system of govenment" (Harassim, p84) The intemet is a group of networks, linked together, which is capable of transmitting vast amounts of information from one network to another. The internet knows no boundaries and is not located in any single country. The potential the internet has of shaping our world in the future is inconceivable. But with all its potential the internet is surrounded by questions of its usage. The intemet was named the global village by McLuhan and Fiore in 1968, but recently the internet has been more properly renamed the global metropolis. Robert Fortner defines the internet as a place where people from all different cultures and backgrounds come together to share ideas and information. "Communication in a metropolis also reflects the ethnic, racial, and sexual inequalities that exist generally in the society. '' (Fortner, p25) When a person enters into a global metropolis to engage in communication they do not know who they will interact with nor do they know what information that they may come across. Which brings an important question to mind. If this is a community, a global metropolis, should it not be governed to protect the members of the community? But more importantly, can a community that knows no boundaries and belongs to no country, be regulated? And who can or should regulate it? With the vast amounts of information transmitted through network to network, with some information remaining at sites temporarily or disappearing within seconds, how can one regulate it? In a meeting of the Senate Select Committee on Community Standards in Australia, iiNet, an Australian intemet provider, presented facts on how much information passes through their server daily. "Our own network sees over 200,000 items of email between individuals every
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Public Education Essay
A free public education is one of the many aspects of American culture that makes it one of the most desirable countries in which to live. In fact, education in America has been a standard duty of the government, particularly the states, since public schools were begun in the days of the pilgrims and pioneers. Unfortunately, as the years progressed, education became more complex and more rigidly structured. Conversely, achievement seemed to lag behind the acceptable level. Therefore, learning for learning’s sake was replaced by the trend towards higher and higher standardized test scores. Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate pushed schools and teachers into greater accountability processes. Schools created scripted curriculum guides that left little room for creativity. The competitive march towards the highest scale score was on!            Unfortunately, to the school systems, its employees and its students, failure to march properly carried stiff penalties. Schools faced a variety of sanctions if scores did not rise to the appropriate level or at the appropriate rate. First, schools faced state or even federal intervention. Evaluative and prescriptive teams would enter the schools to mandate changes in policy, curriculum and even staffing. Another obstacle was parental choice. For the wealthier, private schools have been an alternative to lagging public schools for years, but in the early 1990s, the school voucher plan made this option viable to a wider spectrum of families. Ultimately, the voucher propositions never passed the state legislatures (Pipho, 1994). A few years later, charter schools developed outside the sphere of both public and private schools. These charter schools developed as a way to reform schools and received funds from private organizations and business. The idea took off even though researchers are quick to note that charter schools have done little to raise test scores (Vine, 1997)  Lastly, the idea of merit pay directly appealed to the pocketbooks of teachers and administrators by offering monetary reward for good scores. While observers feel it is wrong to base a teacher’s pay just on his test scores, researchers feel that â€Å"because the amounts involved are relatively small, it’s worth experimenting†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Keller, 2006). Each of these new options moved American education closer and closer to the idea of privatizing schools.            The privatization of schools has now expanded to include the realm of educational consulting. These high-paid individuals are hired by the school systems to aid individual schools in planning strategies for curriculum, classroom management, discipline, finance, and teacher recruiting, to name a few (Sheffer, 2002). In 1994, the Minneapolis school system became the first to hire a consulting firm to run their district. In California, the state superintendent of public instruction was a man who had a background in business as a consultant who helps financially ailing corporations (Pipho, 1994). In 1997, Phyllis Vine reported that twenty-eight states had passed legislation to provide for the hiring of management companies. In the last nine years that number has grown, with both positive and negative reactions from the customers. Teachers complained that the new curriculum was too restrictive and gave them no freedom to teach what they wanted. The consultant responded by asserting that restrictiveness was needed to get the teachers, kids and schools back on track (Hayden, 2005).            The decision to link private business to school systems does make sense for some. Sheffer notes that â€Å"the obvious similarities between academic work and consulting are the emphasis on analytic thinking, writing and the focus on research†(2002) Thus, more and more states are turning to educational consulting firms to help them refocus on their educational goals. On such state is Mississippi. Mississippi, as a state, has typically been at the bottom of lists comparing states’ educational achievements. In the 2005 Smartest State rankings published by Morgan Quitno Press, Mississippi fell two spots from the previous year to 49th (â€Å"Vermont,2005†). Spencer, (2004), attempts to explain the state’s low achievement and scores by pointing to the socioeconomic and achievement gaps between white students and minority students. Even in younger grades, the black and Hispanic subgroups lagged behind the white students in language and reading. In middle school, the gap widened alarmingly. Ninety-six of white students scored at proficiency or better in language, and 94% scored at this same level in reading. But Hispanic students’ numbers were 9 percentage points lower in both areas than whites, while black students were 8 points lower in language and 19 points lower in reading. He goes on to note that the problem got progressively worse in the 1990s. Overall, by high school, â€Å"only one in 50 Hispanic and black 17-year-olds can read and gain information from specialized text-such as the science section of a newspaper – compared to about one in 12 white students†(Spencer, 2004). Yet, when education officials like Randy McCoy, who is the Tupelo Superintendent, are confronted with these figures, they are quick to point out that students of all races do well and students of all races do not do well. The fear seems to be that teachers will be accused of teaching students of different races differently. Yet, Mike Walters, who is a former Tupelo Superintendent, agrees that the achievement gap is due to a difference in expectations. He points to the strongest teachers and notes that their students, regardless of race and socioeconomic status, achieve. Walters offers, â€Å"We are not expecting students to achieve, and expectations are everything†( Spencer, 2004).  The Tupelo district is about 65 % white with most students from lower income homes.  Its scores have held steady in the low 80% passing range with an odd surge into the mid 90s in 2003 (â€Å"Mississippi DOE Test Data†). JBHM has recently started working with the Tupelo Municipal schools. (â€Å"Experience,†n.d.). One way Mississippi is trying to combat their ailing system is by restructuring its testing program. In September of 2000, the Mississippi Board of Education (MBOE) approved State Board Policy IHF-1. IHF-1 changed the graduation requirements beginning with the freshman class entering in 2000. Among the requirements was to pass the subject area test English II, generally administered in the 10th grade. Thus, the first available scores for the class entering in 2000 were recorded in 2001 (â€Å"MBOE,†2000). This group was expected to graduate in 2004. Another way is by hiring a local educational consulting group to help them work with curriculum. Former Tupelo Superintendent, Mike Walters is now a consultant with the JBHM Education Group in Jackson.  JBHM is a general consulting agency that also operates the JBHM Education Group, LLC.  This group was opened in 2000 as â€Å"an educational management services company with a mission of assisting school communities in their efforts to better organize themselves, and, in turn give the families the support needed to ensure the success of their children†(â€Å"Services,†n.d.). According to the group, the consults go into the schools and analyze the areas of need as specified by the hiring body. They then, if directed, design a curriculum fashioned after Robert Marzano’s â€Å"viable curriculum,†one of his eleven factors of student achievement (Marzano, 2003) JBHM’s mission was developed by Mike Walters and cofounder Gary Bailey. It is simply â€Å"to enhance a school’s ability to prepare children for success†(Vickers, 2005. p. 3). JBHM has focused recently on developing curriculums for algebra, biology, English, United Sates history and middle school math. Walters says, â€Å"These are highly-structured, full-blown plans that start with day one and go through the end of the school year†(Vickers, 2005, p. 3) JBHM, as of their most recent website posting, serves 34 school districts in Mississippi. The do work in other states, including their contract deal of March 2006 totaling 1.6 million dollars to work with the Caddo School District in Louisiana (Brumble, 2006). They achieved this contract by boasting statistics that ninety percent of the schools they assisted showed a rise in test scores (Brumble, 2006). Undoubtedly numerous Mississippi schools are on this list. According to the Mississippi Board of Education Agenda from September 10, 2004, a contract was approved with the JBHM Education Group to â€Å"assist in providing technical assistance to implement the school improvement process in Priority Schools (â€Å"MBOE,†2004). As explained in a news release dated December of 2004, â€Å"Schools that do not meet achievement goals or show expected academic improvement receive a ranking of Level I (Low Performing) with the lowest of these deemed ‘Priority Schools’ † (â€Å"Town Meetings†¦, 2004). Part of the new Board Policy IHF-1 makes passing the English II test required for graduation for the graduating class of 2004, who were first tested in 2000/2001 school year. These first scores were used for developing scale scores, according to the Mississippi Statewide Testing Program website. The English II test, which replaces the previous language and reading tests mentioned in earlier, has been consistently difficult for low achieving schools in Mississippi. Betty Rose Breazeeale, the Lamar County testing coordinator, agreed by saying that she recognized the need to work on the English II, adding that â€Å"It is our lowest score, and I think that’s a statewide problem†(Mees, 2005). According to the Mississippi Department of Education Subject Area Content Test website, the English II test  measures knowledge of language conventions, reading comprehension and effective writing skills†¦The test consists of two separate administration: English II Multiple Choice and English II Writing†¦The 85 multiple-choice, passage-based items are divided into two sections: Language Conventions and Reading Comprehension. The writing test includes four writing prompts – two narrative mode prompts and two informative mode prompts. Students will select and respond to one of the narrative prompts and one of the informative prompts.            Even though the MBOE approved the contract for JBHM to consult in Priority Schools statewide in 2004, some districts had already contracted its services well before then. These districts paid for the services themselves through grants or other local funding mechanisms. The Tunica school board hired JBHM Education Group for the 2000/2001 school year (Hayden 2002). The Hinds district is actually featured on the JBHM Education Group website, boasting its rise in scores from 2001 to 2003. Others, like the North Bolivar and Neshoba joined the club as a result of the Priority School initiative administered by the MBOE.            All scores on the English II tests may be compared to the figures reported on the Mississippi Statewide Testing Program website administered by the MDOE. They report figures for 2002 as 70% passing the multiple choice reading and 84% passing the narrative/informative writing test. In 2003 these percentages rose to 78 and 94 respectively, and settled into 85% and 84% narrative/89% informative for 2004. It should be noted that in 2004, the state began reporting the writing portion of the test as two separate scores, listing the narrative first, then the informative. Analysis seems to indicate that scores dropped slightly when this shift took place with the greater drop being in the narrative score (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†). One of the first schools to take advantage of the JBHM consultants, the Hinds AHS school is worthy of its spot on the JBHM website.  Hinds County School District is a fairly large district. Hinds AHS is described as a rural, integrated school with an average to below-average socio-economic base (â€Å"Hinds AHS,† 2006). Beginning with passing rates at only 18% on the English II multiple choice test and 40% on the writing portion when JBHM came aboard, they jumped to 22% and 55% respectively in one year and, from there, to 77% and 92% respectively in the second year ( â€Å"MDOE Test Data†) . For the county itself, which contains seventeen high schools in the area of Clinton, Mississippi, the scores went from passing rates of 72% (reading) and 75% (writing) in 2001 to an 81% in reading and a an 83% in writing (â€Å"Mississippi Test Data†). In the JBHM-operated school (Hinds AHS), more remarkable gains were noted, while other high schools showed less of an improvement. It is hard to deny Hind AHS’s phenomenal rises in English II scores. They started out well below the rest of the county and ended up with a passing rate higher than the district average. The Tunica district, an even more rural, plantation area of Mississippi has a past that is â€Å"rooted in Tunica’s plantation lifestyle and its racial separatism. Tunica is a tiny white island in a majority black county†(Parker, 2002).   Rose Fort High school, associated with JBHM since the onset of the new testing requirements, is comprised of extremely poor black students with only 1 % white and 1% other racial students (â€Å"Rose Fort High,†2006).  JBHM director Mike Walters recognizes how Tunica’s social issues are reflected in its education when he says, â€Å"Tunica is in a community-building stage right now. They are divided racially still. You can’t just dump money in a community like that and expect things to happen. It’s going to take a long, long time. (Hayden 2002). Despite its circumstances, however, this single Tunica high school has also made some significant gains in English II scores. The data was not recorded for 2001, but the 2002 scores of 33% passing on the multiple choice portion and the 57% passing on the writing portion jumped to 54% and 83% respectively in only one year (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†). Again, the advances are astounding. Lamar school district also serves a rural county. It, like Tunica, far exceeds the state average of students on free and reduced lunch, which is generally the yardstick for measuring the socioeconomic population of a school.  The only difference is that students in Lamar are predominantly white.  Only one high school of the four reflects a more integrated population (â€Å"Lamar High Schools, †2006).  Their English II scores have shown growth as well. The reading and writing scores have risen from the 87 and 89 percent passing to highs of 92 and 95 percent passing in two years with an odd dip in the reading multiply choice scores in 2004. (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†). Even though Lamar began in a less desperate situation, its gains with the help of consultants are also significant. Though the percentage gain seems less impressive, most educators realize that gains like this are harder to achieve as students scores improve and that each subsequent gain is definitely cause for celebration. Neshoba school district located in Philadelphia, Mississippi, is a more integrated district that has shown gains through the use of consulting. Classified as a small town district, the students in Neshoba’s four high schools are more integrated than those in Lamar or Tunica . While more students than the state average qualify for free or reduced lunch, they are socioeconomically better off than Lamar or Tunica students (â€Å"Neshoba County,†2006). Paid for by a NCLB grant, JBHM began consulting in Neshoba County for the current, 2005/2006, school year to aid primarily with English II and Algebra I in its high schools (Edwards, 2006). The county’s English II scores in 2002 were 67% passing in reading and 76 % passing in writing. The scores rose in 2003 to 85% and 89% respectively, but then in 2004 rose to an 89% in reading but fell to 86 % in writing (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†). Some schools fared worse than others.            The system hopes to post scores in the 90s with the consulting firm if the teacher can get on board. Joey Blount, principal of Neshoba Central High School, admits to Edwards that the presence of the consultants and the frequent observations make his teachers nervous. â€Å"Anytime you’ve got people coming to observe your work, it’s going to be an uncomfortable situation†(Edwards, 2006). Superintendent for curriculum and instruction Beth Jackson concurs. â€Å"Change can be very difficult for a lot of people, but in some areas we needed change. We weren’t happy with our test scores. I think they (the teachers) realize we needed to change, but some are better at it than others (Edwards, 2006).            Likewise, the administrators in Moss Point and Meridian Schools are also impressed. Tressie Harper, Moss Point Superintendent, is proud of the gains made in her students’ English II scores. Moss Point has been working with JBHM since 2003 and in that time has noticed a steady increase in reading scores from 55% in 2002 to 60% in 2003 to 63% in 2004 (Vickers, 2005 and â€Å"MDOE Test Data†) to 75% in 2005 (â€Å"Moss Point High School,†2005). As in Neshoba and Lamar, the writing scores seemed the most erratic rising from 74% to 91% to 71% to 75% in the same four years (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†and â€Å"Moss Point High School,†2005). Perhaps this could be explained by the aforementioned change in the reporting of writing test scores in 2004. It is possible that the focus of the test shifted slightly at that point as well.            Likewise, the single Meridian high school shows similar improvement in English II with a three year rise in percentage passing scores from 2002 to 2004 from 57 to 74 to 77.  The writing scores showed a similar rise (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†). Sylvia Autry, Meridian Public School Superintendent claims that she has worked with several educational consultants and that JBHM has been the â€Å"most focused†(Vickers, 2005, p. 3). Both Moss Point and Meridian are characterized by a slightly higher black than white student body with the majority on free and reduced lunch (â€Å"Moss Point High School, †2006)  and â€Å"Meridian High School†).            North Bolivar is another recent addition to JBHM’s client list. A year ago, the MBOE asked the Governor to deem the North Bolivar School District a state of emergency. This designation is reserved for school districts that have over half of the schools meeting Priority School status. State Superintendent Hand Bounds issued to investigations and concluded that the students’ needs were not being met (â€Å"Mississippi Board†¦,†2005). North Bolivar is an exceptionally poor small town district which is 97% black.  Its reading scores have barely reached 80% (â€Å"MDOE Test Data†). Score released in 2006 will tell whether or not JBHM will be successful there.            Clearly JBHM consulting or any consulting agency is not necessary for all school districts. Wealthier more urban areas such as Jackson and Laurel counties consistently post English II scores in the high 80s high 90s.  However, when one compares the multiple choice  scores of Hinds AHS (77% reading), whose population is significantly more challenging based on socioeconomic factors, to Jackson’s (85% reading) , the aforementioned achievement gap appears to be closing. The exact role that JBHM plays in this factor is undetermined since all factors cannot be factored in statistically. For example, the threats of school closings and consolidations due to a lack of funds plague systems across the country as will as in Mississippi. One mother in Lamar district commented about the dip in Lamar’s 2004 reading scores; â€Å"They [the students and teachers)] went through so much with the school closings†¦Everybody here was upset. The teachers were upset. If it weren’t for that fear, the scores probably would have been just as good as last year [2003]†(Mees, 2005). In addition, the 2005 hurricane season devastate education in many parts of Mississippi. About 160,000 students in 271 public schools in 44 school districts in the path of the hurricane have been impacted, said Steve Williams, special assistant to the state superintendents. State Superintendent Bounds said that some schools were unable to have classes for 2-3 months. Some schools were completely destroyed (Hayden, 2005).  Clearly this crisis would impact test scores at all levels.            One thing is clear. Schools are in need of support services from somewhere. Initial data seems to indicate that consulting firms, while not the perfect answer, do provide the structured support that some schools need. Their exorbitant costs will be prohibitive for some school districts, but perhaps with grant programs, they may still benefit from their services. As the first decade in 2000 pulls to a close, school reform will be steadily underway. The extent of the change and the consultant’s role in it remain uncertain, but hopeful. References Brumble, Melody. (2006). â€Å"Caddo School Board Debates Merits of Consulting Proposal.†           The Shreveport Times. Retrieved March 29, 2006 from www.shreveporttimes.com/            Apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20060321&Category=NEWS†¦. Edwards, Jeff. (2006). â€Å"Neshoba Schools Employ Consultant to Improve Scores.† The            Neshoba Democrat. Retrieved March 28, 2006 from www.neshobademocrat.com/            print.asp? ArticleID=12190&SectionID=2&Subsectional. â€Å"Experience.† JBHM Education Group, LLC. Retrieved on March 26, 2006, from            http://www.jbhm-edgroup.com/experience Hayden, Cathy. (2002). â€Å"Schools and More Money: Plenty of lessons learned.† The Clarion- Ledger. Retrieved on March 29, 2006, from http://orig.clarionledger.com/news/0210/14/m01.html. Hayden, Cathy. (2005). â€Å"Angry Parents Want Shelby Schools Chief Fired.†The Clarion-Ledger.            Retrieved March 30, 2006 from http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20051113/NEWS/511130388/1†¦. â€Å"Hinds AHS.†(2006). SchoolTree.Org.  Retrieved March 30, 2006, from,            http://mississippi.schooltree.org/counties-page1.html Keller, Bess. (2006). â€Å"Florida Ready to Demand Bonuses Based on Test Scores.† Education            Week. Retrieved March 30, 2006 from http://www.edweek.org/agentk-12articles2006/            02/22/24fla.h25.html?print=1. â€Å"Lamar High Schools.†(2006). SchoolTree.Org.  Retrieved March 30, 2006, from,            http://mississippi.schooltree.org/counties-page1.html Marzano, Robert J. (2003). â€Å"11 Factors.† What Works in Schools. Retrieved March 30, 2006  from http://www.whatworksinschools.org/factors.cfm. Mees, Reuben. (2005). â€Å"Area Schools Show Mixed Results on Tests.†Hattiesburg American. Retrieved March 29, 2006, from http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050818/NEWS01/50 8180301/1002&template=printart. â€Å"Meridian High School.†(2006). SchoolTree.Org.  Retrieved March 30, 2006, from,            http://mississippi.schooltree.org/counties-page1.html â€Å"Mississippi Assessment and Accountability Reporting System.†(2006) Mississippi Department of Education. Retrieved March 30, 2006, from http://orsap.mde.k12.ms.us:8080/MAARS/indexProcessor.jsp. Mississippi Board of Education. (2000). Graduation Requirements. (State Board Policy IHF-1            New Graduation Requirements). Retrieved March 29, 2006, from http:///www.mde.k12. Ms.us/ACAD/ID/newgrad.html. Mississippi Board of Education. (2004).  Agenda. Jackson, MS: 4th Floor Boardroom Central High. â€Å"Mississippi Board of Education Approves Asking Governor to Declare State of Emergency in            North Bolivar School District.†News Release. (2005). Mississippi State Board of            Education. Jackson, MS: Communications Dept. MBOE. â€Å"Mississippi Department of Education Test Data Retrieval System.† (2004).            Mississippi Department of Education. Retrieved March 29, 2006, from            http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/ACAD/TD04/S9D3LST.HTM. â€Å"Moss Point High School.†(2005). Great Schools.Net Retrieved March 28, 2006 from            http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/achievement/ms/649 â€Å"Moss Point High School.†(2006). SchoolTree.Org.  Retrieved March 30, 2006, from,            http://mississippi.schooltree.org/counties-page1.html â€Å"Neshoba County.†(2006). SchoolTree.Org.  Retrieved March 30, 2006, from,            http://mississippi.schooltree.org/counties-page1.html Parker, Laura. (2002). â€Å"Abandoned Education: Tunica’s schools struggle with leftovers and neglect.† APF Reporter 18 (2). Retrieved March 30, 2006 from www.aliciapatterson.org/APF1802.html Pipho, Chris. (1994). â€Å"Taxes, School Boards, and Higher Education.† Phi Delta Kappan 75 (5),            358-359. â€Å"Rose Fort High.†(2006).  SchoolTree.Org.  Retrieved March 30, 2006, from,            http://mississippi.schooltree.org/counties-page1.html Sheffer, Hadass. (2002). Careers in Educational Counseling.† The Chronicle of Higher            Education. Retrieved March 28, 2006, from http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2002/06/            2002062801c/printable.html. â€Å"Services.† JBHM Education Group, LLC. Retrieved on March 26, 2006, from            http://www.jbhm-edgroup.com/services Spencer, Mack. (2004). â€Å"Achievement Gap.† Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.            Retrieved March 30, 2006 from http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID            =59381&pub=1. â€Å"Town Meetings Scheduled for Priority Schools†News Release. (2004). Mississippi State Board            of Education. Jackson, MS: Communications Dept. MBOE. â€Å"Vermont Named Smartest State.†(2005). Results of the 2005 Smartest State Awards.            Retrieved March 30, 2006, from http://www.morganquitno.com/edpress.htm Vickers, Harriet S. (2005) â€Å"Educational Consultant Business Sees Fast-Paced Growth:            ‘Employees have bought into our mission,’ says JBHM Education Group president.†           Mississippi Business Journal 27 (19), 3. Vine, Phyllis. (1997). â€Å"To Market, To Market†¦The School Business Sells Kids Short.†The Nation 265 (7), 11-16.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Learning and education Essay
    Learning and education are some of the most prized assets any person could have. Many parents consider these assets to be the primary treasure which they can give to their children to face the challenges of the future. However, there are some instances in which education becomes unreachable due to some hindrances like learning disabilities. It may become a concern not only for the individual but for the family as well. Fortunately there are still some available steps in order to combat the possible dilemmas learning disabilities might bring.     On the part of Tony, it seems that he is not really that ready enough to become a part of the larger scope of education structure. He used to have a separated domain of learning which highlighted his interests to accommodate knowledge. The one-on-one teaching method provided by Ms. Brumbley became the most comfortable realm for Tony to achieve success. However, in order to develop more, he needs to take a few more steps of the education ladder. In middle school and beyond, school works are more complex and require more diligence in following directions. Add to that the extremely dynamic social nature of the class where students will tend to stabilize their roles and projections towards other members of the society. Because of such factors, Tony may have a hard time adjusting to the situation.     In order to accommodate Tony to perform his ultimate best, what can be done is to at least set some modifications in the classroom. First is to introduce the basic foundations of new lessons for discussion. For example, a lesson in Math can first take a course of simple arithmetic to fraction computations. This may seem too easy relative for the whole class but exampling to them the importance of the strong math foundation will not impose an obvious aspect that the procedure is intended for Tony to refresh what he has previously learned. It is also possible to provide Tony a separate customized textbook and assignments so that he can gradually adjust to the lessons involved in middle school education. This approach is not intended for a long term basis so that he can actually progress to entertain newer and more complex lessons in middle school subjects. Lastly, as a concerned teacher, he will be provided with at least an hour of academic assistance everyday after class. A consultation form of conversation is best for him so that he could provide any feedback about the class procedures.     In order to support the standing of Tony in middle school through high school, coordinating with his other teachers would be the best practice to do. This will help the whole learning sector to have a single approach in fulfilling the special needs of Tony. Even if after he has completed the year level in a particular class, a complete coordination between his previous teachers and the ones who will be handling him should be initiated.     Basing on some studies and personal observations, individuals like Tony do not simply experience learning problems. The nearest dilemma apart from education concerns is the social interaction aspect of the person. Primarily, if one is not able to acquire the supposedly pace of learning rates in education, then most probably there will be a certain problem within his core interactive capabilities. Of course, it was noted that he exemplifies a certain degree of fondness in dealing with people in a comical way but deep inside, Tony might also have some concerns in having an interaction with people in a serious manner. If he will realize his disadvantages over the people he will constantly interact with, he might experience a sense of inferiority or discrimination. Compassionate encouragement and kindness can minimize the inferiority factor this dilemma might induce (Kentucky Education Cabinet).     Helping the students to explore their capabilities is one way to nurture their personalities. But for individuals who have a relative disadvantage in learning, utmost assistance and care is needed beyond teaching. References Kentucky Education Cabinet. N.D. Learning Disabilities. Kentucky.gov. Retrieved February 4, 2008 from http://ada.ky.gov/learning_dis_def.htm.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Political party Essay
I. What is a political party? II. Functions of Political Parties in the U. S. III. The Three Faces of a Party IV. Why do we have Two Party system? V. Major and Minor Party Ideologies VI. The role of Minor Parties in the U. S Political Party VII. Differences between Interest Groups and Political Parties I. What is a Political Party? ?Political Party-A group of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy. ?Functions of Political Parties in the United States ?Recruiting candidates for public office ?Organizing and running elections†¦ (political parties do not write state laws) ?Presenting alternative policies to the electoral ?Accepting responsibility for operating the government- cannot simply just quit their job ?Acting as the organized opposition to the party in power- acting as the â€Å"watch dog†to the opposite in power II. The Three Faces of a Party ?Party-in-the-Electorate- Those members of the general public who identify with a political party or who express a preference for one party over another. Does not necessarily mean they have to show who they are for, but in their â€Å"heart†they have a preference. ?Party Organization- The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff ?Party-in-Government- all of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party. Example) President, Vice President, Congress; Federal Judges are not part of a party, goes for State Judges as well. III. Why do we have a Two-Party System? ?Historical foundations (Federalists v. Antifederalists) ?Self-Perpetuation of the two-party system? Political culture of the United States ?The winner-take-all electoral system ?Plurality- the most ?Majority-more than 50%+1% ?Proportional Represenation- example) depending of the percentage of the votes, is the percentage of what they will take in the Parliament. IV. Political Ideologies ?Republicans- Economical and Social Conservative ?Conservatism †¢Conservatives generally support the Republican Party †¢Oppose massive government intervention in politics, economics, and looks instead to market mechanisms, states localities and voluntarism to resolve the country’s problems. †¢Endorse liberty as the primary political value †¢Support traditional moral, religious, and family values and ask government to enforce the ?Democrats- Economical and social Liberal ?Liberals †¢Generally support the Democratic Party †¢Support government intervention in politics and economics to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties and improve the conditions of the poor, minorities and women, †¢Endorse â€Å"equality†as their primary and political value †¢Favor politics of inclusion that seeks representation and participation for all V. The Role of Minor(Third) Parties (Look at Table 8. 2) ?Act as barometers of changing political mood ?Act as safety valve for dissident groups (Greens splitting from the Democrats) ?Affecting the outcome of an ?Libertarians- Economical Conservative and Social Liberals ?Want to shrink the size of the government to the bare necessities because big government is wrong and non-effective (They agree with Conservatives on that) ?On individual liberties and social issues they agree with liberals. ?Greens-Nader ?Left to Center ?Pro Environmental ?Anti Corporations ?Anti Globalization.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Compare and Contrast Literature Essay
I have chosen to compare and contrast a short story, written by Kate Chopin titled â€Å"The story of an hour,†and a poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson titled, â€Å"In Memoriam. †I chose these two pieces of work because I was drawn to the short story and when I read the poem it had the same theme of hope in the face of death. The topic, or theme of these particular literary works is death and impermanence. I will compare and contrast the elements of symbolism, point of view, theme, and setting. The comparison of these particular works will provide deeper insights to the hope that develops within a person when confronted with death, as well as further insight to the symbolism used within the choice of words written by the authors to convey their feelings at that particular time that the work was written. Authors are sometimes likely to deal with the superficial appearance of things rather than showing genuine knowledge of what is actually real (Evans, 2010). In the poem by Lord Tennyson the genuine knowledge of reality is definitely present, however, the short story by Kate Chopin seems to become somewhat illogical in the end when the wife dies of â€Å"joy that kills†In an analysis of short fiction, the text points out that authors will know how to manipulate words but not know how to examine the ideas seriously (Evans, 2010). â€Å"In Memoriam,†is a poem that was written in response to the death of a close friend of the author. His reflection is written to show that hope may be a sustaining factor in the face of death (Clugston, 2010). The author of this work is showing his hopefulness for all, not just himself or the deceased. â€Å"That not one life shall be destroy’d, / or cast as rubbish to the void†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). Which sounds like he feels as if his friend was â€Å"cast as rubbish to the void. †The author continues on with his words as if he is trying to gain hope for himself, along with others, and hopes that he is not cast to the void as well. The story of an hour,†is a short story that was written to coincide with the author’s personal quest for freedom, along with upholding a woman’s strength in spite of her adulterous life, and developing hope in the face of death (Clugston, 2010). This author is describing an epiphany of hope that comes in a sudden wave of emotion and confusion. â€Å"There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know. †(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). Mrs. Mallard had just been given the tragic news of her husband being in the train accident, yet she is trying to fight off the emotions of joy and freedom as best she could. To no avail, she realized that there was so much life and detail in everything around her. The birds were singing in the trees, the clouds piled in the sky above her house, and the sudden feeling of what seemed like joy! Both the poem, and the short story are made up of the emotions that surround death. An elegy, which is a lyric poem about death, has the emotions of uncertainty, confusions, hope, sadness, and even symbolism to show some of these emotions. In both works there is the mention of spring, which symbolizes birth and new beginnings. The poem says, â€Å"I can but trust that good shall fall / At last – far off – at last, to all, / and every winter change to spring†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). The short story describes the setting in this detail; â€Å"she could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). The reference to spring is the hopefulness that both authors have for the future. In contrast, the poem, compares the spring to a change from winter to spring, which symbolizes the transition from death (winter), to birth (spring), and the continued hope for new beginnings. The difference in these two literary works is how the setting and point of view are written. The poem does not have a real clear setting, and is done in first person. The short story describes the setting, minor details of the characters, and is written in third person which allows for the author to relate with the feelings and thoughts of the other characters as well as the protagonist. Even though the overall theme of death is what links these two works together, the point of view is what sets them apart. The setting of â€Å"In Memoriam†seems to be within the author’s mind or dream. â€Å"So runs my dream; but what am I? †(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). There is no definite place or time in this poem, whereas the story is set at the protagonist’s house, where she goes to be alone in her bedroom. Once there, she notices the sky and the trees within her yard that are described in detail, also with some added symbolism. For example; â€Å"There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds that had met and piled one above the other in the west facing her window†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). The patches of blue sky is where the symbolism for calm and peaceful is conveyed. In spite of the day’s events there is a calmness in the air that leads into the coming of Mrs. Mallard’s epiphany. Once I interpreted this symbolism, there was a sense of foreshadowing that I did not relate to the story the first few times I read it. I would describe the details of this setting as a ‘symbolic setting. ’ The whole picture the reader gets out of the window of Mrs. Mallard’s room is calmness, new beginning, and joy. In contrast to the story, the poem’s lack of setting leaves the reader in wonder. There is only symbolic emotion and metaphors with no clear reason or event. It is clear the author is relating his emotions of sorrow with words, but there lacks clarity in the why or whom. The work is somewhat vague, leaving the emotion of the poem in a generalized form to which anyone could connect. In the same sense, a reader may not connect with the poem because there is not a specific or personal connection within the writing for the reader to relate to. The reader must have some knowledge of the author outside the poem to fully understand the meaning and symbolism. Continuing, with a thought on symbolism, there is a metaphor in both literary works which compares emotions to a crying baby. It was not until I read the works side by side that I noticed the reference. In the poem the author writes; â€Å"So runs my dream; but what am I? An infant crying in the night; / An infant crying for the light; / And with no language but a cry†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6). An infant crying for the â€Å"light,†is crying for hope, knowledge, truth, and safety (Clugston, 2010). The metaphor in the short story is described as; â€Å"†¦ when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). Similar to the first metaphor, the meaning is the same, babies cry for comfort and safety. Both characters are in a state of confusion and are relating their feelings to a baby because they want comfort and safety to reassure them, and they can hold on to their hope. When using the formalist approach to analyze the literary works, I was faced with the questions of; what makes the setting so memorable? How were the characters described, contrasted and developed? Why was the plot intriguing? Did surprise occur? And, what point of view was used? To recap on point of view, as mentioned earlier, the poem â€Å"In Memoriam†is written in first person, whereas â€Å"The story of an hour’ is written in third person omniscient. It is not limited omniscient because thoughts and feelings of characters, other than the protagonist, are conveyed to the reader. â€Å"Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too, near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list of â€Å"killed. †He had only taken time to assure himself of its truths by a second telegram, and had hastened to forstall any less careful, less tender friend in bearing the sad message†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. 2). When first reading the short story, it was not the setting itself that was memorable. The theme and plot is what kept my attention as the reader. However, after analyzing the symbolism, there is more to the meaning within the story that further captured my curiosity. â€Å"The story of an hour†is set at the home of the Mallard’s, but is not described in full detail. Just before Mrs. Mallard realizes the importance of her life and freedom, there is detail of the outside setting of the house, followed by Mrs. Mallard being able to see the beauty, life, and colors that everything has to offer. The narrator even describes the sparrows singing in the trees. Mrs. Mallard never would have appreciated this simple joy previous to the ‘accident,’ and was able to finally feel everything during her hour of personal discovery. Moving on to the question of how the characters are described, contrasted, and developed, the characters in the short story are not described in detail, if at all. There is a slight emotional description of Mr. Mallard’s friend, Richards, but in the poem there is virtually no character description. Since the poem is from a first person point of view, only the emotions and thoughts are described in detail. The plot of the short story was intriguing because it started off with a surprise, followed by suspense, unlike the poem. The poem starts and ends with simple feelings of hope and uncertainty, where the short story goes on to explain the death and detail of the husband’s accident. The story starts with sudden tragedy, and the suspense develops because the reader knows the story does not end there. It must contain a climax, which is not generally given at the very beginning of a story. When reading the poem, I was able to relate with the feelings of the author, however, there is not a defined plot or turn of events. The poem starts, as well as ends, with only emotions of hope, uncertainty, and sorrow in the form of metaphors. Figurative language is used to create mood and reveal the theme in the short story. When the narrator described how the sister, Josephine, was going to break the tragic news to Mrs. Mallard, there was an immediate mood of sadness and shock that developed. â€Å"In broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 2. ). The theme of death and tragedy is also reiterated at this point because this is not the first mention of the accident. This is figurative because it does not make a straight forward statement, it implies that the sister is trying to communicate the information, but that alone does not mean that she will succeed in the task. It sets a mood because the reader immediately feels sad for both Mrs. Mallard and her sister who is trying to tell her in the easiest way possible. With regard to the poem, the figurative language here sets a mood, but an unsure mood. It too reveals a theme of death, but in more of a generalized way and is not specific to a certain character. â€Å"oh, yet we trust that somehow good / will be the final end of ill†(as cited in Clugston, 2020, 11. 6). Using the words, â€Å"we trust,†and â€Å"somehow,†it is difficult to know where the poem’s mood is headed. It could be happy and hopeful because it might show the possible trust that has evolved into a not so tragic death, or it may go on to reveal the â€Å"final end,†being unexpected and depressing. It is, however, obvious there will be sorrow throughout the writing. The figurative language goes on to develop hope with a form of symbolism. There is always a form of hope that develops within the mind and emotions of people when they are confronted by death. Whether it is hope that the deceased did not suffer, hope that they have moved on to a better world, hope that they knew who the people are that cared and will miss them, or hope for one’s self, and that the surviving can find enjoyment within the future, move on and be happy, along with the hope that their own death is far enough away that they will not have to live in fear of confronting death as well. The writer ends the poem with hope described as an infant would hope, for love and attention. â€Å"The story of an hour,†and â€Å"In Memoriam,†are two very similar but very different literary works, they use symbolism in the face death to convey the development of hope within the diverse emotions of a person dealing with tragedy that ultimately results in death. Finally, both authors, Kate Chopin and Lord Tennyson, not only demonstrated genuine knowledge of what reality is without a superficial appearance, but they also were careful to examine the ideas before simply manipulating words to capture attention. These literary pieces of work were a joy to read and evaluate, with the simple idea, â€Å"That nothing walks with aimless feet;†(as cited in Clugston, 2010, 11. 6).
Homeostasis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Homeostasis - Research Paper Example This paper will discuss four ways human physiology responds to athletic training from the perspective of musculoskeletal system, body composition, thermoregulatory system and cardiovascular system and explain physiological mechanisms. Exercise programs promote muscle development, which takes place in conjunction with body fat reduction resulting from the difference between the intake and output of energy. In the initial stages of weight reduction, the body fat available for the body to use as fuel is often counteracted as denser muscle tissues are gained. The adenosine triphosphate chemical (ATP) facilitates muscle contraction and after several repetitions, ATP levels are depleted. Glycogen is initially burnt to replenish the level and the longer exercise takes, the more fat is burnt, like in short and high-intensity exercises (Curtin & Woledge 583). If the exercises are longer, the muscles release more lactic acid, which could eventually lead to muscle fatigue and cramping. However, flexibility and stretching exercises create greater motion range in joints subjected to the associated stresses. The result is that when the joints gain the ability to move with more dynamism, there is a notable increase in stability , power and speed in the motions of the related structure. This greatly reduces chances of injury or being overstressed. Body composition accounts for the most visible physiological change in response to athletic training. The human body is constructed from skeletal bone, organs, lean muscle mass and body fat. Although training does not alter their dimensions, specialized exercise reduces body fat percentage while increasing the mass of lean muscle. Processed triglycerides are stored in the form of body fat in the adipose tissues for indefinite periods. When exercise is combined with the right diet, it will result in
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