Intellectually Gifted Children

Abstract Many of us can concur that in a class there are those students who are exceptional performers. Some of us also belong to this bracket of intellectually gifted. What makes these differences between intellectually gifted learners and peers of the same standing in such a way that it’s like we do not belong to the peers who we are of the same age?Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectually Gifted Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More What are some of the difficulties experienced by such students owing to the fact that they are just smart without putting a lot of effort in their class work? This paper therefore is an insight as to the difficulties experienced by intellectually gifted learners. In the classroom setting, different students have different abilities. However, schools tend to group students on the basis of their chronological age on the assumption that the students being of the same age have many interests in common (Gross, 2004). Schools therefore do not consider that there exist differences within the groups of equal standing (David, 2004). Most of the times, a teacher will tend to teach the whole class as a group but when assessment is done, some students excel more than others. It intrigues keen observers that there are students who do not seem to pay attention to classroom work yet they do well in the exams. Other students demonstrate abilities that are beyond their age. Then, do we have learners who can be termed as geniuses? My point of argument comes in, in that the teacher may use learner centered method of learning, actively engaging all students in the classroom and giving them equal opportunities to participate in the classroom, but there are those students who always emerge the best in class. These are the students who are regarded as intellectually gifted students. These are the students who are born gifted to the extent that they cannot fit in w ith their other peers (David, 2004). Intellectually gifted students have higher levels of cognitive development in that they are able to think in a more logical way, solve problems that would pose a challenge to the students who are of the same age with them and are also able to make decisions on complex matters. To say that they are average students who have studied and acquired knowledge would be ignorance of the highest degree.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many scholars agree that students vary in their abilities for they are those with astonishing intellectual giftedness and others with modest intellectual giftedness. Other students are fairly gifted and others are said to poses highly intellectual giftedness while another minority group of intellectually gifted students exceeds the giftedness of all intellectual gifted learners and are said to be overwhelmingly intellectually gifted (Gross, 2004). The overwhelmingly intellectual gifted learners are rare in a normal population. All in all, one cannot fail to identify the academically gifted students in the classroom. In such a scenario, students grouped together on the basis of their chronological age exhibit many affective and cognitive differences which work to the disadvantage of the intellectually gifted student. Although there is no universally accepted definition of intellectually gifted students, many people will agree that these students have a high intellectual quotient (I. Q.), excel in their work be it talent, academics just but to mention a few and also have cognitive and affective abilities so high to the extent of being noticeable or standing out from their peers who are of the same age (Gross, 2004). These students go beyond being average even in their characteristics for they tend to be perfectionists and have so many expectations on themselves not to mention the expectations of their teac hers’ peers, parents and society once it comes to their realization that a certain student is intellectually gifted. Cognitive and affective differences determine the way the learner learns in the classroom and in turn their overall performance in the classroom. Reis Renzulli (2004) propose that intellectually gifted students have advanced cognitive abilities and their ability to develop a better understanding of the abstract concepts such as death. With these understanding in abstract concepts such as death, lack of substance of life and irrelevance of living, the gifted student develops common problems with students who are of the same peer (Reis Renzulli 2004).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Intellectually Gifted Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the cognitive realm is the most widely used in identifying the intellectually gifted students, the affective domain also plays a major role. The intellectually gifted learners adjust well to the society (Jano, 1983) and are therefore said to be socially smart. The intellectually gifted learner has the characteristic of dominating his/her peers of the same age who have profound confidence in him/her. However, the intellectual sharpness of the gifted learner always lead the learner to experiencing social problems like being isolated from his/her peers and being too selective when choosing the people to associate with, with most studies done on the intellectual gifted students pointing that they prefer to be in the company of children older than them (Colangelo Davis, 2003). Researchers believe that by choosing the company of older peers that is where the intellectual gifted child feels that he/she can associate with peers of the same caliber in terms of their cognitive and affective development. Intellectual giftedness is a unique gift in itself and a child who possesses such capabilities should be nurtured to allow him o r her develop the gift in the areas he/she is gifted in. However, the first challenge to this rare gift is that the school curriculum itself does not make any special programs that can accommodate these gifted children. More often than not (Colangelo Davis, 2003), teachers themselves may not be willing to accept that there are students whose capabilities exceed that of their peers and therefore see no need to treat these gifted learners differently. Teaching intellectually gifted students requires a school to have special program that differentiates the curriculum used by the gifted students from the one that is used by students who are of average performance. The task is even made harder when a student is gifted in only one subject.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For schools to effectively cater for the needs of the intellectually gifted; programs that allow gifted students to advance in their subjects and grades and be enrolled in two programs at the same time are needed and not many schools are willing to go to such heights (James, 1994). For instance, in a case where a school may have an overly intellectual gifted learner, chances of meeting another learner who is overly intellectually gifted are rare if not close to zero. Intellectually gifted students always feel isolated when they are with their peers because they do not fit in with their peers. They behave in a mature way and are able to solve problems and face challenges more than their peers. With these in mind, the gifted student seeks the company of other older students for him or her to fit in. This characteristic makes people believe that the gifted student is antisocial with his/her peer and therefore branded a lonely person. Their affective abilities make them a bit critical o f their friends and the feelings of their friends towards them. The intellectually gifted child will choose friends keenly than a child of average abilities and this makes them to have fewer friends (Ellen, 1996). Intellectually gifted students are more intelligent than their other peers who are of the same status for their ability to process information is higher than that of their peers. Therefore, in a classroom setting, the gifted students will always feel dragged behind by others. For instance, when a teacher is explaining a concept to students of average ability, the intellectually gifted student may feel bored because he or she has already grasped the concept and may find the teacher repeating her/himself. On the other hand, the intellectually gifted may also feel frustrated that the teacher is not going with the pace that he or she would want the teacher to go with (Colangelo Davis, 2003). For the teacher to effectively solve the problem in a classroom containing both gifte d and average learners he or she needs to integrate learning styles that can also accommodate the intellectually gifted learners. The teacher may also impact negatively on the gifted student in that he or she may assume that since the gifted student has already gotten the concepts that are being taught in the classroom, that they would be no need to focus attention on him/her. Here, the student’s intellectual giftedness works to his or her disadvantage (Vialle Geake, 2002). This further intrigues more questions in the intellectual gifted student’s mind of how weird he/she is not to deserve the attention of the teacher which leads to the student feeling neglected and not cared for by the teacher. This is very crucial especially to the development of a child. A child needs to be loved and cared for and tendencies to focus more attention on other children leaving others out leads to children engaging in deviant behaviors just to seek the attention of the teacher. Not tha t the intellectual gifted students are mischievous, (Colangelo Davis, 2003) they may engage in deviant behaviors so that they can also catch the attention of the teacher. For the teacher who is a keen believer of disciplined students, the intellectually gifted may suffer the most at the hands of the teacher because the teacher will always be punishing the intellectually gifted child in the belief that he or she is instilling discipline in the intellectually gifted child (James, 1994). When the gifted students are combined with students of average ability in the classroom, the intellectually gifted ones always feel that they have learnt everything there is to learn in the classroom for they are no more challenges for them. This leads to underachievement of the student in the class in addition to being bored. Learning is made fun when a student discovers something new that he or she did not know and therefore is intrigued to find out more about that particular concept (Vialle Geake, 2002). On the same tone, the gifted child may not see the need to be in the classroom or pay attention when the teacher is explaining concepts for they are already familiar with them. This brings us to the point where these intellectually gifted students are seen as arrogant but this is not the case for they are simply bored. The teacher can even punish the gifted student without knowing that he or she did not intend to be arrogant or not to pay attention. When these intellectually gifted students are not realized, they take a backseat in their academic achievements to the extent that they can even fail to complete classroom assignments. Some intellectually gifted students may become rebellious to their teachers and peers. The students also face discrimination and stigmatization from their other peers in that their exemplary performance is regarded as weird (Benbow Stanley, 1997). In most cases, other students will find their character abnormal and they would not understand why th eir character deviates from their own. The intellectually gifted are not taken as normal and students always view them as weird. Some students of the same peer will even go to the extent of believing that the gifted students have some supernatural influence whereas we know that the gifted only possess innate intellectual capabilities which is not a basis to be discriminated against. When a learner with intellectual gift, it also contributes to the learner asking him/her self many questions about his/her intellectual gifts. Some learners may even go to the extent of blaming themselves and develop shy characters. Gifted students when discriminated by their peers will try to fit in, in all ways. One of the ways in which gifted students can try to fit in is through hiding their giftedness for they do not want to be regarded as weird and feel out of place. When this happens, the gifted student regardless of his or her intellectual abilities will not let out his or her true self which bec omes a hindrance to finding out who he or she really is. They do not discover their true identity and they hide in their cocoon by pretending to be like other students of average ability. Other than being resented by his/her peers, the intellectually gifted also faces teacher’s resentment. As illustrated earlier on that the intellectually gifted student will most of the time ask silly questions and challenge the teacher in topics which are not in his/her caliber and show no interest in class work, a teacher who cannot identify the intellectual gifted child will probably resent such a child’s character (Ellen, 1996). To counter the resentment from both teacher and peers, intellectually gifted children always tend to hide their abilities so as to be at par with the norm as that of the peers. When these children hide their giftedness just to appear normal to their peers and teachers, researchers proclaim that the drive in exploring educational fields disappears in additio n to loosing the meaning of achieving (Painter, 1976). The intellectual gifted learner will therefore attend school for the sake of attending school not for the desire to learn. Their exceptional abilities are therefore shunned from surfacing and being beneficial to the society and to the student. They do this trying to seek approval from their peers and teachers and they therefore have a hard time in seeking social approval if doing so means pretending to be who they are not. The gifted learner struggles to be understood by the teacher and the learners and in a worse scenario where the teacher has no background information about the existence of intellectually gifted students. The gifted students lack pride in themselves for they are seen to do things that are not normal. Their self esteem is greatly affected by their intellectual sharpness (Vialle Geake, 2002). The problem becomes worse especially during adolescent when the student is trying to identify his or herself. Many are t he times that a gifted child on reaching adolescent develops identity crisis the reason being that the student cannot fully find out who he or she is. Coupled with doubts about his or her true identity from his peers who they are of the same age, the intellectually gifted student develops self doubt of him/herself leading him/her to have a low self esteem. The teacher on the other hand should try as much as possible to help the gifted student in revealing his/her true identity (Benbow Stanley, 1997). Having intellectually gifted children in a classroom is a challenge itself to the teacher, the basis of my point being that these intellectually gifted children will often challenge the tutor while he or she is teaching (Painter, 1976). When this happens, the teacher may feel intimidated by the gifted child. This causes misunderstanding between the child and the teacher for the gifted child interests in challenging the teacher may be solely contributing to the classroom discussion whil e the teacher may regard the student as a know it all type. For effective learning to take place, the teacher and the student have to be in good terms. On the other end, students of the same peer may feel that an intellectually gifted student is disturbing their lesson by interrupting the teacher during content delivery. The teacher experiences two extreme ends where they are those who are eager to learn and others who are intellectually gifted and know it all thereby creating confusion in the classroom. When a teacher discovers that a particular student is intellectually gifted, he or she may employ strict marking procedures when marking the intellectually gifted learner’s paper (Janos, 1983). Where a teacher has given marks to an average student, the intellectually gifted may fail on the same as a result of the high expectations that the teacher may have on the gifted learner (Reis Renzulli, 2004). Teachers also may ask hard questions to the intellectually gifted so as to prove to the other students that the intellectually gifted does not know everything that there is to know. In such cases, the resentment of the intellectually gifted learner to the teacher keeps on increasing and the more he or she becomes disinterested in school. A teacher may also not feel compelled to answer a question asked by the intellectually gifted child and may ignore the question on the assumption (Janos, 1983) that the student both knows the answer and just wants to test the teacher or can research for him/herself and get the correct answer to the question. This further creates frustrations to the intellectually gifted child in his/her endeavors of learning. While it is normal for the intellectually gifted student to want to discuss concepts to the very minor details, the teacher may only be interested in giving students the contents that will help them answer questions in the exam (Vialle Geake, 2002). The advanced cognitive abilities of the intellectually gifted again works to his/her disadvantage in that the teacher may not have the time to discuss concepts in the classroom in a detailed manner and this makes the learner who is gifted academically feel that he/she has been wasted or that the content discussed by the teacher is shallow. Intellectually gifted children may find it hard to repeat exercises given by the teacher in the classroom. One of the distinctive characteristic of the intellectually gifted is that, the student will master the content after repeating it only twice in most cases. When the teacher therefore make the intellectually gifted child to repeat a task for more than two times, the child loses focus and creates a negative attitude towards schools. Eventually, the IGC (Intellectually Gifted Child) may end up hating school altogether (Reis Renzulli, 2004). The gifted student has no contact with his/her peers. He/she does not enjoy the company of his/her peers and will most of the time prefer to be in the company of other olde r students who he/she can identify with. Therefore, the methods used by schools where these intellectual gifted students are grouped with students of average ability create a restrictive milieu for them (Ellen, 1996). The school only assumes that the intellectually gifted students have the same abilities as that of their peers and shuns off the doors of exploration for the intellectually gifted learner. In addition, the content taught in the classroom where this intellectually gifted child is in on the basis of chronological age is also restrictive enough and does not offer room for exploration of the gifted mind of the learner. The intellectually gifted learner may lack competition in the classroom (Ellen, 1996). Other than the teacher who the intellectually gifted would seem to engage in discussion in complex issues, his/her peers do not conform to his level. The intellectually gifted child does not have the challenge and therefore being in the classroom with people who he/she can not identify with and going through a curriculum that poses no challenge to him/her seems unbearable. The schools assumptions that by mixing the intellectually gifted with the average ability learners, more positive outcomes of learning would be realized because of interactive learning is somehow questioning when it comes to dealing with intellectually gifted learners. The extant literature shows that the intellectually gifted learners need a more challenging environment and an environment that does not put restrictive measures on the achievement of the learners. To drive my point closer home, the intellectually gifted learner in the first place sees no similarities between him/herself with peers of same age. Then, how would we expect the learner to have the zeal in learning if there is none of the peers who can challenge him/her? In conclusion, we must acknowledge that the intellectually gifted learner has abilities that need to be encouraged and that this can only be achieved if s chools are willing to come of their cocoon of comfort of grading the students on the assumption that since the students are of the same age, then they must have many similar things in common. Schools ought to develop programs that accommodate the needs of the intellectually gifted learners. References Benbow, P. Stanley, S. (1997). Inequity in Equity: How â€Å"equity† can lead for High Potential Students. Psychology: Public Policy and Law. 2 (2), 249 – 292. Colangelo, N. Davis, G. (2003). Handbook of Gifted Education. Boston. Allyn and Bacon. 3rd Ed David, B. (2004). Children’s Thinking: Cognitive Development and Individual Differences. Stamford. CT. Wadsworth Publishing Ellen, W. (1996). Gifted Children. New York. Basic Books. Gross, M. U. M. (2004). Exceptionally Gifted Children. London. Routledgefalmer James, W. (1994). â€Å"Nurturing Social Emotional Development of Gifted Children† Eric Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education. Reston, V A. Available at  https://www.ed.gov/ Date last Retrieved Janos, M. (1983). The Intellectual Ability Psychological Vulnerabilities of Children of very Superior. Unpublished Doctorial Dissertation. NY. New York University Painter, F. (1976). Gifted Children: A Research Study. Knebworth. England. Pullen Publications Reis, M. Renzulli, S. (2004). Current Research on the Social and Emotional Development of Gifted and Talented Students: Good News and Future Possibilities. Psychology in the Schools, 41, published online in Wiley InterScience. Vialle, W. Geake, J. (2002). The Gifted Enigma. Cheltenham, Australia. Hawker Brownlow This essay on Intellectually Gifted Children was written and submitted by user Nathaly G. to help you with your own studies. 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Dumb Jocks

Dumb Jocks Many people believe that football players and athletes in general are a little slow. Often people view these athletes as all body and no brains. For years athletes have been portrayed this way by virtually every media known to man. They have faced criticism in movies, situation comedies, and music alike. I personally do not believe people can be accurately judged by categorization. For instance in "Geeks", written by Katz, artists, musicians, poets, non-conformists and computer technicians are all grouped in the same category. In the movie "The Water boy" football players are portrayed as ignorant athletic machines. However, today this view is a little out-dated. Most modern athletic programs require their participants to score well in school. In fact at many high schools, athletes must maintain high grade point averages to be eligible for competition. The dumb jock is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Although many believe most athletes to be mentally lacking, today athletes are required to be quite intelligent.Statue of a football player in Maidan, Kolkata

23 Uplifting Things to Do on Thanksgiving Day You Must Try This Year

23 Uplifting Things to Do on Thanksgiving Day You Must Try This Year Thanksgiving is one of the most bright and cheerful holidays of the year, a day to spend with your family and friends and get together for a tasty meal and peaceful evening. Here are some things to do on the Thanksgiving day to make it memorable and fun. Celebrating With Your Family For many families, Thanksgiving weekend is a chance to enjoy rare meetings and festive mood. 1. Cook a dinner. Cooking a dinner with your family is a touchy and precious moment for you and your family to remember. Its also a great way to show your gratitude and lend a helping hand to the hostess. 2. Watch Thanksgiving Day Parade. Parades are held in many cities and watching them on TV or in real life makes this day really special and festive. 3. Play sports. There are multiple health benefits of spending time with your relatives outdoors. Sports activities are useful in particular considering a full course dinner ahead. Tennis, basketball or frisbee are great activities for big families. 4. Watch an old movie. Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to sit altogether by the TV. Your family may choose a movie to watch annually and make it a good family tradition. 5. Look through family photos. Make this holiday a little bit nostalgic: your elder family members will enjoy that. Some of your family members could even start asking you awkward questions about your life in college. 6. Decorate the table. Dont forget about fancy napkins and candles! Beautiful decorations will set up the mood for tasty dinner. 7. Take a trip to the countryside. Living in a big city might be stressful so spending a weekend in the countryside is a relaxing and healing way to celebrate. 8. Make a wish by breaking wishbone. While carving a turkey take out a wishbone and let it dry. After the dinner, two family members pull at it and the winner makes a wish. 9. Participate in Turkey trot race. Burn up some calories before the big dinner and also raise some money for low-income families. Celebrating With Your Friends Friendsgiving Being away from home doesnt mean that Thanksgiving is canceled. Make it into Friendsgiving which tends to gain popularity through last years. Even with poor cooking skills, you can still throw an amazing party and even set up a new tradition among your friends. 1. Play video and board games. Entertainment is an important part of the holiday. So dont forget to prepare the list of games you and your friends will enjoy. Apples to Apples, Jenga, Clue are not taking too much time to play as Monopoly so are a better choice for a fun evening. 2. Watch annual football game. If you and your friends enjoy sports, its a good idea to watch a sports channel together and cheer for your favorite team. 3. Watch the best episodes of favorite sitcoms. Share the episodes you enjoy the most with your friends. Holiday-themed episodes will fit the most. 4. Set up a picnic. If the weather is fine and you dont want to stay inside, go ahead and pack for a picnic in the nearest park or wood. Fresh air and the beauty of fall weather are great for active games and sincere conversations. 5. Ride bikes in a park. Fast and active ride in a park can easily burn off calories you’ve consumed this holiday weekend and also set up a good mood for the rest of the day. 6. Pajamas party. Its more untraditional way to celebrate Thanksgiving but definitely a fun one. Cozy pajamas, chilling music and tasty snacks among holiday lights will create a relaxed holiday mood. Sounds nice, doesnt it? However, there are even more party ideas for students to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. 7. Play football. Team active sports are great before big festive meals. Football is a traditional game for this holiday and it is fun to watch for those, who choose not to participate. Celebrating on Your Own Dont be depressed if you are celebrating this day without guests. Make it a real holiday for yourself and do what makes you happy. 1. Take a good nap. Thanksgiving weekend is a wonderful time to shake off stress from studying and working the whole year. So take a time to relax and get a good rest. 2. Take popcorn and watch a favorite movie. Is it Scream or Batman? Grab a big bowl of popcorn and turn on your favorite movie or sitcom. 3. Take a long walk or ride. Sometimes you really need to fresh up your thoughts and walking in the fresh air is a way to do it. And its a great cardio exercise. 4. Prepare for Black Friday. If you are about to go shopping on a Black Friday, make a list of things to buy and shops to visit the next day. This will help you to concentrate on things you really need and not to be distracted on sales. 5. Volunteer. Your local churches or homeless shelters may need some help, especially at this time of the year. You can help with cooking and serving a meal or donate redundant clothes to charity. By the way, did you know how many benefits you get from volunteering? 6. Make a thankful list. This is more than just a good tradition but the way to concentrate on aspects of the past and stay positive for the future. So go ahead and make a list of things that have brought you happiness this year and what you are thankful for. 7. Watch Thanksgiving documentary. There are plenty of amazing historical movies about pilgrims and origin of Thanksgiving Day which you will find interesting. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and don’t forget to give your thanks!

Trial of Galileo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Trial of Galileo - Essay Example He started studying for priesthood, but the scientific inkling in him did not allow him to become a priest. He left the course and instead joined a medical degree course at the University of Pisa. But he could never complete the degree and instead started studying mathematics with Ostilio Ricci, the mathematician of the Tuscan court. The genius in him kept bubbling with enthusiasm and at the age of nineteen Galileo had discovered isochronism principle of the pendulum. He got the inspiration while watching the oscillations of a lamp in the cathedral of Pisa. He propounded that pendulums of equal length had constant oscillation periods, i.e. the oscillations are isochronous regardless of the amplitude of the oscillation. He also visited the mathematician Christopher Clavius in Rome and started a correspondence with Guildobaldo del Monte. At the age of he invented the hydrostatic balance, which he described as an accurate balance for weighing things in air and water, which was a common method for weighing precious metals like gold during those days. He was offered a lectureship, at the University of Pisa when he was barely 25 yrs and subsequently Galileo successfully earned a name for himself as a renowned scientist and an excellent lecturer. He also obtained the chair of mathematics at the University of Padua in 1592. ... the heliocentric, or Sun-centered, system theory stating that the 'Sun is at the center of the universe, and that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves yearly around the Sun'. Before this, astronomers believed in Ptolemy's geocentric universe theory, in which the Earth was told to be motionless at the center of several rotating spheres. Therefore there was widespread condemnation of Copernicus theory. But Galileo was the most vociferous supporter of Copernicus. Galileo became an ardent supporter of Copernicus theory when he discovered the Telescope and himself observed the sky. In 1609, Galileo set the telescope in his garden to see the Milky Way, the sky, the mountains and the valleys on the moon. In fact he was the first one to observe the moons of Jupiter and discuss the mountains on the moon. Galileo is also credited with determining the parabolic path of projectiles and calculated the law of free fall on the basis of experiments. And he started believing firmly in the theory put forward by Copernicus. He called upon people to come forward and see it themselves the composition of the celestial system around earth, but he was quite disappointed by the way people reacted to the theory of Copernicus. He expressed his anguish in a letter sent to Kepler in 1610. He wrote1, "My dear Kepler, what would you say of the learned here, who, replete with the pertinacity of the asp, have steadfastly refused to cast a glance through the telescope What shall we make of this Shall we laugh, or shall we cry" It became clear that the Copernican theory had its enemies." Based on his encounters with stars through telescope, in 1610 he published 'The Starry Messenger; and thereafter accepted a position as Mathematician and Philosopher to the Grand Duke of Tuscany

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

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

Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay †¢Assignment # 2 – Comprehensive Case: â€Å"Muffler Magic† Read the â€Å"Muffler Magic† case and write a four-to-five (4-5) page report that answers the following: 1. Specify three (3) recommendations about the functions of recruiting, selection, and training that you think Ron Brown should be addressing with his HR manager now. Currently youre allowing your HR to hire employees without carefully screening each and every candidate, checking their references and work ethic due to such a high demand of staff. Envitably, youre higher mediocre applicants for more than mediocre pay and at the risk of your name and overall profitability. Being able to answer minimal questions shouldnt be enough to be hired as a technician and questions such as what do you think the problem is if a 2001 Camery is overheating? What would you do? should not be enough to secure a position within the company. Muffler Magic offers a range of products and services and engine issues is merely one of the many situations an employee may come across. How do these types of generic questions answer if your applicant is able to fulfill the requirements for muffler replacements, oil changes, and brake jobs? Obviously, from looking at the handful of situational mishaps youve described your HR department is merely hiring whoever walks into the office and in return youre given inaccurate and potentially life threatening break jobs and repairs out of the companies pocket. This is not acceptable and it is no wonder why the company isnt profiting. One of the reasons behinds why you dont necessarily want to adapt or change some crucial points within the company is the money. If you broke down one instance where there was an error made by one of your associates, take the engine for instance a new engine can cost any consumer somewhere in the ballpark of $2,000 to $4,000*not including the benefits or any extra perks. Now lets say that one of these errors happened in every single store then youre looking at $50,000+ worth of mistakes coming out of Magic Mufflers pocket (keep in mind that estimated figure is from 1 mistake). With that type of money, I would imagine you could hire and appropriately train quite a few applicants that would be worth your time and money. I would recommend changing your recruiting, selecting and training standards immediately. Starting with the recruiting aspect of Magic Muffler. Instead of allowing the applicants come  to you, why dont we go above and beyond and seek the preferred applicant. We can still advertise through local newspapers and internet, but we really should be seeking out those employees that have some kind of responsibility and potential retainability. The one major thing I didnt see in the recruiting process youre currently using is zoning in on what type of candidate are you looking forin terms of education level and experience level based upon the types of work they will be working on. One of the huge factors to remember is Presently, vehicles use high-tech computers and complex electronic systems to monitor the performance of the vehicle. A strong sense of understanding concerning the operation of a vehicle, including how each device interacts, as well as the ability to deal with electronic diagnostic equipment and digital reference manuals is key to the success of a technician(http://www. careeroverview. com/auto-mechanic-careers. html) Therefore, Magic Muffler is in need of a qualified individual that is capable of working with UTD automotive machinery and possible situations that could arise. Therefore Magic Muffler should be spending their money recruiting individuals that have successfully completed a vocational training program in automotive service technology(ie:Automotive Youth Education Service (AYES)). For a more advanced position they will need ,in addition to vocational training, stoma kind of Postsecondary automotive technician training whether through a prior company, community college or technical college. Finally other qualifications you should be focused on while recruiting is the ability to diagnose the source of a problem quickly and accurately, good reasoning ability and a thorough knowledge of automobiles, strong communication and analytical skills and good reading, mathematics, and computer skills to study technical manuals with the drive to continuously keep up with new technology and learn new service and repair procedures and specifications. To find these types of applicants I would recommend some type of college recruiting; starting with on campus recruiting and then continuing the recuriting process with an onsite visit. Continuing with the selection process, I think its quite obvious that we should be focusing on a Personality Profile Analysis, which applicants can perform online and follow this up with a PPA(200 HRM BOOK). If you chose not to go that route you can always focus on tests of cognitive abilities (more specifically aptitude testing and motor/physical abilities). If these tests pan out then we should go forward with a background check/reference check. This may seem to be an overwhelming process, but finding the perfect candidates is essential to low turnover rates and high satisfaction level across the board. The next step is to select the applicants that you are satisfied with their performance on the tests, interview and background check. After applicants are chosen and hired, we need to start with an orientation of the company and its overall goals and next is training. Although OTJ training does offer a lot to the employee it is not enough for these types of positions. Considering car technology is constantly advancing there needs to a need to continuously further your mechanics knowledge. As a responsible employer you should send your experienced automotive service technicians to manufacturer training centers to learn to repair new models or to receive special training in the repair of components, such as electronic fuel injection or air-conditioners and even beginner mechanics who show potential may be sent to manufacturer-sponsored technician training programs to upgrade or maintain employees skills. There are of course crucial training necessary, which cannot be offered OTJ and that is electronics training. This is vital because electrical components, or a series of related components, account for nearly all malfunctions in modern vehicles. As the employee continues to thrive the company should offer additional training for possible certifications or advancement opportunities. For example: the ASE certification has become a standard credential for automotive service technicians. While not mandatory for work in automotive service, certification is common for all experienced technicians in large, urban areas. Certification is available in eight different areas of automotive service, such as electrical systems, engine repair, brake systems, suspension and steering, and heating and air-conditioning. For certification in each area, technicians must have at least 2 years of experience and pass the examination. Completion of an automotive training program in high school, vocational or trade school, or community or junior college may be substituted for 1 year of experience. For ASE certification as a Master Automobile Technician, technicians must pass all eight examinations. *http://www. ehow. com/facts_4830630_cost-car-engine-replacement. html 2. Write three (3) questions for a structured interview form that Ron Brown’s service center managers can use to interview experienced technicians. (Note: do not list possible answers. ) As I had said previously asking generic questions are not going to offer you the results in which most employers desire. There are a couple of things that should be kept in mind when creating these questions such as; which type of questions would be more effective in displaying the qualities Muffler Magic desires? Considering HR already has a lot to do with the hiring process, I think the appropriate form of interview would be a structured situational interview. After analyzing the positions and rating the jobs main duties, we would need to create questions reflecting such duties and daily knowledge to perform them. Three questions I would use to test the waters would be: What training(classroom or on the job), have you had with engine, transmission or brake diagnostic equipment? Identify the diagnostic program and was it computer and software based? Have you worked with engine, transmission or brake diagnostic equipment computer and software? What was the diagnostic program and what was your involvement? What experience, knowledge, and skill do you have with air brake systems, anti lock, and heavy-duty truck suspensions? Relate your experience and describe your skills working with school bus, heavy-duty trucks, light duty pick-up truck, and van bodies/Relate your experience and describe your skills working with heavy and medium-duty diesel and gasoline-powered engines and light-duty pick-up truck and van engines. (www. msbo. org/library/HumanRes/Interview/Mech. doc).

Global Citizenship Essay -- Government

The concept of citizenship and its boundaries are contested, yet its definition in the plainest form is to be a member of a political community, such as a nation-state and possess legal rights and political duties. As can be seen from its many ideals – namely republican, liberal, bound, cosmopolitan, pluralist or solidarist – citizenship has multiple sources of meaning, be they cultural, religious, ethnic or gender related. These conceptions each have their respective merits and downfalls, which shall be assessed and measured in this essay by the extent to which they permit the best use and protection of the citizen’s rights and duties. Although the arguments of Linklater (1998) and Miller (2000) shall form either side of the examination and debate between cosmopolitan citizenship (or what shall be referred to as global citizenship in this context) and bounded citizenship, it does not mean that by the end of this analysis one shall be the better alternative. Furt hermore, the shared flaws of either shall be highlighted. This leads to the conclusion that a compromise can be found between the two; whereby the thoughts of Kant are considered (1795), particularly that of compassion towards the alien and having a representative form of cosmopolitan citizenship, yet also there is sympathy to be found within the argument that bounded citizenship promotes civic involvement and responsibility, which may be lost if a wholly cosmopolitan form was adopted. In the case made by Miller (2000) he employs the natural evolution of bounded citizenship, which initially began ‘within the walls of the city-state’ (2000, p.88), as a reason for it being the better conception, as over time it has preserved its value – potentially at the expense of excl... ...essed 7/01/12. Post, R. (2007), Religion and Freedom of Speech: Portraits of Muhammad. Constellations, 14: 72–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8675.2007.00423.x Pufendorf, S (1964b). DE OFFICIO HOMINIS ET CIVIS JUXTA LEGEM NATURALEM LIBRI DUO, Volume Two, The Translation By Frank Gardner Moore. 2nd ed. New York, London: Oceana Publications Inc. Wildy & Sons Ltd. p32. http://www.constitution.org/puf/puf-dut.htm#1 Date acc. 6/01/12. Rousseau, J. (1772). Considerations on the Government of Poland and its Proposed Reformations. Available: http://www.constitution.org/jjr/poland.htm Date acc. 7/01/12. Vattel, E. (1758). The Law of Nations. Available: http://www.constitution.org/vattel/vattel.htm Date acc. 7/01/12. Wendt, A. (1994), Collective Identity Formation and the International State, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 88, No. 2 (Jun., 1994), pp. 384-396

Assessment of Ell Students

Running head: Assessment Assessment of English Language Learners Student Name Grand Canyon University: ESL 534 August 8 2012 With the implementation of the No Child Left behind Act of 2001, states are required to assess ELL students to determine if students are making adequate progress towards their language development goals. The purpose of the NCLB act is to challenge students to meet higher standards, close the achievement gap, and ensure that all students have the same opportunities to reach their full potential.There has been much criticism regarding the NCLB act and the high stakes testing that has developed as a result, especially when it comes to ELL students. ELL students not only have to learn required content objectives as other students, but have the challenge of learning the English language simultaneously. Students, schools, and teachers are evaluated with standardized test annually to ensure the initial goals are met.The concern that many have with standardized testing is they do not show the overall progress of the student which may lead to inaccurate results regarding a student’s language proficiency. English Language Learners are a diverse group with different languages, cultures, and backgrounds. Their language acquisition can be effected by many things including socio-economic factors and educational backgrounds. Understanding language acquisition theories can give critical insight into how assessments should be developed.Some of the popular theories of language acquisition include the threshold hypothesis, which states that a student’s language skills need to reach a critical level before students can benefit from bilingualism (Cummins, 1979) and the Critical/ Sensitive period hypothesis which states that students who are not exposed to a second language before puberty will never reach the proficiency of a native English speaker (Bailey & Heritage, 2010). According to Hakuta 2000, it takes several years for ELL students to rea ch the level of proficiency needed to learn new academic content through a second language. This theory and others hould cause educators to question the current objectives that we have for ELL students and the time frame that ELL students have for meeting those objectives. Language proficiency assessments are an important tool used to measure students’ progress as well as record their starting point. Stiggins and Chappuis 2005 argue that students make conclusions about their capability of learning based on the assessments that teachers provide. and that â€Å"feedback delivered once a year from standardized district, state, national, or international is far too infrequent and broadly focused to be helpful (Stiggins& Chappuis, 2005 p. 2). Stiggins and Chappuis believe that our current educational system places far too much emphasis on assessments and that one test does not provide an accurate measure of a schools or students success. Instead, they argue that student involved assessments are more beneficial for the student and teacher and set the student up for success. With student involved assessments student and teachers work as partners to monitor their achievement creating an environment where students feel secure and know what is expected of them and what it takes for them to meet their goals Stiggins& Chappuis, 2005).Within the last ten years there have been numerous debates centered over how or if ELL students should participate in standardized testing. Some have argued that standardized test can be biased against ELL students because they don’t take into account cultural differences in language structure. Standardized test provide only a snap shot of the learning and growth that has taken place for ELL students and is not a way to accurately monitor the progress of students. With standardized testing we shift the attention from learning and building knowledge for the future to focusing on short term results.With unrealistic goals for stan dardized testing it can be difficult to tell the difference between schools that are serving the needs of ELL students and those that are not. References Bailey, A. L. and Heritage M. (2010). English Language Proficiency Assessments Foundations: External Judgments of Adequacy. Evaluating the validity of English language Proficiency Assessments. (An Enhanced Assessment Grant). Retrieved August 2, 2012 from http://www. library. gcu. edu Stiggins, R. and Chappuis, J. Using Student-Involved Classroom Assessment to Close Achievement Gaps Retrieved August 2, 2012 from http://www. library. gcu. edu

Fast Food Advertisements Essay

1.Junk food advertising does not force parents to buy the food Just because junk food is advertised does not mean that parents should buy it for their children or give their children the money to buy it. It is important to recognise that parents have the final say, and also are ultimately responsible for what their children eat. We should place greater responsibility on parents, and if we are concerned that they are buying junk food for their children, we should attempt to address that problem. But, this has less to do with junk food advertising and more to do with informing the health decisions of parents. 2.If we apply the principle of individual responsibility, advertising is fine It is important not to hold businesses and advertisers responsible for the choices of individual consumers. If a consumer wants to purchase a good, the supplier should not be blamed for supplying it. The buyer wants to be pulled in by junk-food advertisements, and does not hold back their mind from unhea lthy food. There are ads for health foods, buy consumers don’t want to buy vegetables or fruits, and therefore hold back their mind from buying them. It is solely how to consumers want to react to their own decisions, and has nothing to do with the supplier. If a producer advertises their good, they should not be blamed for the consumer finding their good attractive. There are people who don’t like junk food at all, and they control their minds like that. It is simple how the person controls their mind to think. Just like in movies, or in the real world, there is or always needs to be some components of good and bad. The people themselves decide on which group they want to be in. Sadly though, these days, majority of people decide to be in on junk-food. We must maintain the notion of individual responsibility, or people will start blaming each other for their own bad choices. 3.Parents must talk to their children about health eating habits The truth is that ‘there is certainly a place for junk food in every diet’. Elizabeth Berger, author of â€Å"Raising Kids with Character† says, â€Å"Parents must talk to their children about the healthy amount. In the real world, children will be exposed to all sorts of advertisements and their parents will not always be able to protect them. Therefore, their parents must begin to teach them while they are still children†. 4 .Children have little or no money It is not sensible to aim advertisements at children because they have little or no money, and can’t afford to buy the junk food anyway. Also, by the time children do have enough money, and are able to transport themselves to a fast-food place without their parents, they will have grown older and have the age to take the correct decisions for themselves. Even if they do take the wrong decision, then it is completely their own fault, as they are old enough and responsible enough to make their own decisions. Children that are much younger need their parents for help. Also, when you are growing older with some pocket money, learning to manage money for the correct causes and reasons is a part of growing up. 5.Discipline plays a big part Believe it or not, discipline plays a big part in this whole issue. Fast food advertising has no magical power to create unnatural desires for food. Children who nag are simply badly brought up. Poor parenting and undisciplined children cannot be solved by banning food advertisements during children’s television shows, as children have many other influences which can still stimulate these desires. 6.Children naturally like foods that are rich in fats, proteins and sugar. Their craving is not started off by advertisements. They give them the energy to play energetically and grow healthily. It is true that eating only such foods is bad for people, but this is again a problem of bad parenting rather than the fault of food advertisements. And off course, it advertising junk-food is banned, than children will grow naive, and as they enter into the real world, they will then become inundated with ads, because they will have not learnt the skills of ignoring ads when younger. 7.Fast food advertisements appear not only on TV, but you can also hear them on other sources, such as radios. Say the government does ban fast food advertisements during children’s TV shows. Children also watch many other programmes that adults also enjoy, but these programmes still have fast food ads during them, remember. Does this mean we should extend this ban to all television advertising? And, why stop at television when children are also exposed to radio, cinema, the internet and billboards in the street as well? But, any restrictions will be impossible to enforce, as television is increasingly broadcast by satellite across national borders and cannot be easily controlled – nor can the internet. 8.Banning advertisements is a severe restriction upon freedom of speech Companies should be able to tell the public about any legal products (such as fast-food). Children also have a human right to receive this information from a wide range of sources and make up their own minds about it. They are far from being brainwashed by advertisements, which form only a small part of their experiences; family, friends, school and other television programmes are much more important and all give them alternative views of the world.

Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird

Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird Essay on To Kill a Mockingbird- Review To Kill a Mockingbird- Review by Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird, I have to say is a very special piece of work written by the gifted Harper Lee as she takes us on an unforgettable journey in Maycomb, Alabama, a small town where an eight year old girl named Jean Louise also called â€Å"Scout† narrates her family and neighbors trials in their life situations. Being the daughter of a lawyer, Atticus Finch, makes her hesitate as he decides to defend an innocent black man therefore bringing a series of tests that may put even his family on a thread. Jean Louise is a funny, smart, and innocent character who really kept me getting interested in everything she went through. Her way of describing and unfolding the story makes things more alive and exciting. Harper Lee makes her characters feel genuine as if they really existed and how she did it is why I loved this book so much. Throughout the book, Scout and her big brother, Jem get involved with different characters and take notice of each individual’s problems or faults. Giving us reader’s time to grow more intimate with all characters and also allowing us to feel what these characters are going through. When Scout and Jem meet the young energetic boy named Dill, who only visits in the summer, they became interested in spotting their neighbor, Boo Radley who has never been seen or witnessed. The three children become so obsessed with making Boo Radley come out of his house that by doing that they go through some blood-pumping adventures, it kept me reading more as I too wanted to uncover Boo Radley myself. To be honest, knowing the story takes place during three years of the Great Depression; I thought the plot would be boring and based more of a verbal account and have the book dry and tiresome. Boy I was wrong! I laughed so much in this book than any other book I’ve read. So much emotion was injected into this that I was never bored, such characteristics in these people that I could picture what that person was doing and thinking. Scout and Jem are very humorous, especially Scout with her innocence and curiosity. This story sucks you into Scouts world and makes you feel as if you’re there in Alabama with all these characters. One of the main events is of Atticus’ court trial. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in time where racial issues were still taken seriously. This made Atticus’s case very difficult and was constantly

Acceptance Or Rejection Of The Null Hypothesis Economics Essay

Acceptance Or Rejection Of The Null Hypothesis Economics Essay The appropriate value of t is 2.100. Since we are concerned whether b (the slope of original regression line) is significantly different fro B (the hypothesized slope of population regression), this is a two tailed test, and the critical values are  ±2.100. The standardized regression coefficient is 0.063, which is inside the acceptance region for our hypothesis test. Therefore, we accept null hypothesis that B is equal to 0.01. Step 6: Interpretation of the Result There is not enough difference between b and 0.01 for us to conclude that that B has changed from its historical value. Because of this, we feel that a one hundred percent increase in inflation would increase the poverty headcount by around 0.01%, as it has in the past. 2. Inflation and Ginni Coefficient The slope for the regression line that shows a relationship between inflation and gini coefficient is 0.5956. This means that a 100% increase in inflation would result in 0.5956% increase in gini coefficient. Now we wou ld perform the same hypothesis testing procedure to determine the authenticity of slope and whether the slope justifies the relationship between inflation and gini coefficient. Step 1: State the Null and the Alternative Hypothesis Let B denotes the hypothesized slope of actual regression line, the value of the actual slope of regression line is b = 0.5956. The first step is to find some value for B to compare with b= 0.5956. Suppose that over an extended past period of time, the slope of the relationship between inflation and gini coefficient was 0.5. To test whether this is still the case, we could define the hypothesis as: H0: B= 0.50 (Null hypothesis) H1: B à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   0.50 (Alternative hypothesis) Step 2: Decide on Significance Level and Degree of Freedom Significance level ÃŽÂ ± = 0.05 and Degree of freedom (df) = n-2 = 19 – 2 = 17 Step 3: Find out Standard Error of b Where Sb = standard error of the regression coefficient Se = standard error of estimate Xi = valu es of the independent variable X-Bar = mean of the values of the independent variable n = number of the data points Year X Y X – X-Bar (X-X-Bar)2 Y2 XY 1963-64 4.19 38.6 -2.607368 6.79837008 1489.96 161.734 1966-67 8.58 35.5 1.7826316 3.17777535 1260.25 304.59 1968-69 1.58 33.6 -5.217368 27.2209332 1128.96 53.088 1969-70 4.12 33.6 -2.677368 7.16830166 1128.96 138.432 1970-71 5.71 33 -1.087368 1.18237008 1089 188.43 1971-72 4.69 34.5 -2.107368 4.44100166 1190.25 161.805 1979-80 8.33 37.3 1.5326316 2.34895956 1391.29 310.709 1984-85 5.67 36.9 -1.127368 1.27095956 1361.61 209.223 1985-86 4.35 35.5 -2.447368 5.98961219 1260.25 154.425 1986-87 3.6 34.6 -3.197368 10.2231648 1197.16 124.56 1987-88 6.29 34.8 -0.507368 0.25742271 1211.04 218.892 1990-91 12.66 40.7 5.8626316 34.370449 1656.49 515.262 1992-93 9.83 41 3.0326316 9.19685429 1681 403.03 1993-94 11.27 40 4.4726316 20.0044332 1600 450.8 1996-97 11.8 40 5.0026316 25.0263227 1600 472 1998-99 5.74 41 -1.057368 1.11802798 1681 23 5.34 2001-02 3.54 27.52 -3.257368 10.610449 757.3504 97.4208 2004-05 9.28 29.76 2.4826316 6.16345956 885.6576 276.1728 2005-06 7.92 30.18 1.1226316 1.26030166 910.8324 239.0256 Summation 129.15 678.06 0 177.829168 24481.06 4714.9392 X-Bar = 6.79 Y-Bar = 35.68 Se = 3.59 By putting Se and Summation (X-X-Bar) 2 in Sb, we have Sb = 0.269 Step 4: Find the Standardized Value of b t = b – BH0/Sb Where b = slope of fitted regression BH0 = actual hypothesized slope Sb = standard error of the regression coefficient By putting the values of the above in t, we have t = 0.355 Step 5: Conclusion on Acceptance or Rejection of the Null Hypothesis The appropriate value of t is 2.10. Since we are concerned whether b (the slope of original regression line) is significantly different from B (the hypothesized slope of population regression), this is a two tailed test, and the critical values are  ±2.10. The standardized regression coefficient is 0.355, which is inside the acceptance region for our hypothesis test. Therefore, we accept null hypothesis that B is equal to 0.5 Step 6: Interpretation of the Result There is not enough difference between b and 0.50 for us to conclude that that B has changed from its historical value. Because of this, we feel that a one hundred percent increase in inflation would result in an increase of 0.50% in gini coefficient, as it has in the past.

UK Company Law Shareholders and Directors Essay

UK Company Law Shareholders and Directors - Essay Example If S has began to take less active part in the management of the company, she can be paid less than the agreed amount. However, this should be done according to the laid down procedure. In her present state, she is entitled to be paid the agreed amount of money that is 30,000 Pounds. Paying her 10,000 is unjustified because in order to effect this, the directors must pass a special resolution requiring that: - (1) In absence of any express words in the articles requiring that a director who takes a less active role in the company shall be entitled a salary three times less of his / her monthly, she is entitled for the whole pay of 30,000 pounds. (2) In absence of any special resolution, which is passed at a general meeting o a company by a majority of 75% of members present and entitled to vote, the directive of the directors to the payroll staff to pay S 10,000 pounds is unjustified. In this case S can challenge the decision of the directors in a court of law if they adamantly refuse to pay her 30,000 pounds, which she is entitled to be paid till the meeting is convened, and resolution passed to this effect. First of all, the proposal has to be approved by the directions who make-up the board. The board shall decide the date and time of the general meeting and secretary will be authorized to convene the meeting. The directors will also approve the draft of notice, special resolution and explanatory statement. Secondly, the special resolution should be passed in the general meeting held on the appointed date. Thirdly, within thirty days of the passing of the resolution the company has to file a certified copy of the resolution. After the approval, the company should file printed copies of the articles with the registrar of companies within one month of the date of the receipt of approval. The company Act provides that, subject to the provisions of the Act and to the conditions contained in this