Chinese History Essay

The Tang dynasty came into existence after the collapsed of emperor Yangdi’s imperialist reign which unified China, and his death in the hands of his own trusted aid in 618 A. D. From the rubbles of rebellion and war against the emperor, a powerful General named Li Yuan; Duke of Tang and chief officer of Taiyuan City, emerged as the man of the hour. General Yuan joined the rebellion against the emperor and reestablished order and the authority of the central government when the smoke of rebellion had cleared. He became the founder of the Tang dynasty and reign as Tang Gaozu. Li Shimin (Tang Gaozong) on the other hand is the second son of General Li Yuan. Being thoroughly trained in martial skills and was very much acquainted of the administrative procedures he has acquired primarily from his exposure when his father was the principal commander of the Sue dynasty, appointed to command the army facing the Sue remaining forces, at the age of only nineteen. David Graff described his military skills as â€Å"one case where the use of the word genius does not seem at all inappropriate† Li Shimin was highly successful in his career as a military general and his military strategy according to Graff â€Å"is worth noting. † Before he became emperor in 626, he has displayed contrasting behavior with regard to his strategy, which was extremely cautious, and when he is in combat in which he always places himself â€Å"at the head of the final, decisive cavalry charge†¦. † How Well the Respective Career of the first two Tang Emperors fit to the Chinese Proverbs on Empire Building and Governance and Model to this Proverb. The proverb maybe fits rightfully to the first two Tang emperors in terms of the way they acquired the empire and how they built it to become the most prosperous and most powerful country in the world during this time. It was during the reign of these two emperors that China experienced its glorious period as their economy, culture, politics and military might attained an unequaled superiority level. Tang Gaozu seized the imperial power after a bloody rebellion that took the life of emperor Yang that mark the end of Sue dynasty, while it heralded the coming of a new dynasty under the able military leadership of Li Yuan. The reign of Tang Gaozu as the first emperor of the Tang dynasty spent its reign mostly in subduing the remaining forces loyal to Emperor Yang in different provinces and cities of the whole country. All throughout his reign he was facing major problems relating to the threat of war by the Eastern Turks and the Tibetans who posed serious challenges to China’s security, and major invasion was a constant possibility. Until his last moment in power however, Tang Gaozu’s hold in China was not sufficiently secure to risk committing the forces to war against the Turks, thus, his reign can be characterized as more on military maneuvering in order to survived the different challenges the empire were facing. The Emperor then being the chief of the military forces assigned his sons and relatives to command forces numbering thousands, and all throughout his reign, the empire did not perform political and economic activities; it was purely military that characterized this particular reign. That means, Emperor Tang Gaozu ‘conquer the empire on horseback’ but it was his son Li Shimin who ‘built the empire from horse back. ’ Tang Gaozu spent his reign in conquering the whole empire that was broken into many independent forces loyal to the former emperor. This situation has indeed proved to be difficult as the empire was unable to wage war against the Turks and the Tibetans. According to Warren Cohen, â€Å"Gaozu had little choice but to buy peace;† however, what Tang Gaozu had failed to accomplished, his son did. Tang Gaozong also known to most Chinese historians as Tang Taizong, came into power in 627. His ascendancy to the throne was not at all smooth and easy, rather marked by his murderous scheme in connivance with some of the high-ranking military officials particularly those in-charge of the palace gates. Xueshi Guo noted that Li Shimin found himself at a â€Å"disadvantage in challenging his brothers,† to be heir to throne. After getting support from some powerful military generals, he staged a military coup against his brothers in 626 after which he killed both his brothers. According Guo, bare two months after the successful coup, â€Å"Gaozu was forced to to appoint Li Shimin as his successor and two months later he handed over his power completely to Li Shimen. † Taizong Ascended to the throne in 627, which marked a new era for the Chinese society. Having warned by the officials who recalled the disastrous consequence of Sui Imperialism, they urged the new emperor to concentrate on domestic affairs. Warren Cohen noted that Taizong or Gaozong listened to their advice and implements a more diplomatic policy in relation to the Turks. Because of this diplomatic policies, Cohen Pointed out â€Å"in due course China was prosperous again, its people well fed and responsive to his rule. † Taizong was indeed a great leader but he was moderate in his expansion policies compared to his father who. Taizong had more time to economic activities that bolstered China’s growing prosperity, he re opened trade routes, and the eliminations of tolls once exacted by those who had previously controlled passage across central Asia. Cohen further noted, â€Å"Student of Tang history will note the peaceful expansion of China’s contacts with rest of the world during Taizong’s days on the throne and China’s power and wealth attracted people from all over Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. † Based on these historical accounts, the implication of the Chinese proverbs rightly fits these first two Tang emperors. They were both powerful military ruler. Li Yuan curved out the empire on ‘horseback’, that is; through rebellion and war, and reestablishing the empire through conquering every forces that challenges the new power, while Tang Gaozong or Tang Taizong, the successor, strengthened the empire and brings more prosperity, stability and peace through a more enlightened civil and military administration. They may have some difficulty to be model of this Chinese proverb, for some reason. Both had acquired imperial power through violent means. Li Yuan had staged a rebellion against the emperor Yang and had perhaps connived with some palace officials to murder the emperor. Tang Gaozong on the other hand, conspired with some powerful military generals and orchestrated a coup against his own brothers and killing them and forcing his own father to hand over to him imperial throne. Nevertheless, on the ground of their accomplishment, they can fit to be model of this proverb. Gaozu was able to curve out a new empire that has more regard to its citizens, unlike with its predecessor who was ruthless and oppressive. An empire that was willing to take on new economic challenges that brought stability, peace and prosperity to its citizens. These two Tang emperors must be credited in their efforts that has brought enormous prosperity, and respect to Chinese people all over Asia, and to the world and if making them heroes will be a compensation of their achievements for the Chinese society, then they were very much deserving of such compensation. They deserved to be model of the proverb.

Effects of Social Networking Sites Essay

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Technology – driven school reform has overcome education, and advocates hail the huge number of advantages to reap. It comes with promises to push us into the future and cause dramatic improvement in student proficiency and worldwide understanding. Our computer- driven society demands that students develop the ability to operate in a technological environment, acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be productive. In addition, so much of our planet rapidly is becoming connected via the Internet so that social protocol has become an intrinsic part of technology- based curriculum. But increasing reports connecting psychologically addictive characteristics to internet use, along with speculation of its negative influence on social functioning, have brought to question the enduring effects of its reform. Read more:  Negative Impact of Social Media on Students Educational systems around the world are under increasing pressure to use the new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to teach students the knowledge and skills they need in the 21st – century (UNESCO, 2002). Thus the key concern driving the policy and community interest in the pedagogical integration of ICT is the premise that ICT is important for beginning changes to classroom teaching and learning so as to foster the development of students’ 21st – century skills. Specifically, these skills include the capability to become lifelong learners with a context of collaborative inquiry and the ability to work and learn from experts and peers in a connected global community (Law, Pelgrum & Plomp, 2008). Social computer use is widespread and growing. Current estimates indicate that 149 million people are social worldwide, and that number is increasing at the rate of 12% a month (Suler, 2008). Integrating the Internet into classroom activities allows teachers to move beyond classroom walls. Far from being an â€Å"add on† or a burden to carry into instruction, this technology provides support for teachers as they move into new roles as facilitators of learning (Cooper, 1995). Since the present society is fast changing especially in the realm of computer technology, educators are beginning to wonder about the influence of the Internet on the ICT capabilities and physiological well – being of youths. Investigation is especially timely due to the widespread establishment of Internet shops along the school environment. Background of the Study The Internet provides some of the most effective means of communication. Emails and instant messages have made social communication possible. Social network and blogging websites and social discussion forums have proved being popular platforms of expression. People in different parts of the world can collaborate over the Internet. It was the development of the Internet that made social education and distance learning possible. Professionals working in physically distant locations can collaborate their efforts (OAK, 2008). With the advent of the Internet, the debate over the effects of new media reemerged. While some envisioned a â€Å"virtual community,† which lower the costs of collective action and expand individuals’ social networks (Delli Carpini, 2000; Rheingold, 2000), others worried about new addiction, which would reduce social ties and draw users into cycle of depression and loneliness (Nie and Erbring, 2000) . A decade after the popularization of the internet, neither scenario has emerged. Instead, research reflects a medium that has some positive influence on users’ social ties, but where only certain Internet uses positive influence on users’ social ties, but where only certain Internet uses to social capital (Zhao, 2006). Underscoring the dramatic increase over time, the percentage of internet users who search on a typical day grew 69% from January 2002 to May 2008. During the same six-year time period, the use of email on a typical day rose from 52% to 60%, for a growth rate of just 15% ( Heisler, 2008) With the increasing information, there is a debate among psychologists as to the prevalence of a psychological disorder associated with social use. Labeled by some as â€Å"Internet Addiction Disorder† (Goldberg, 1997), studies suggest the existence of addictive behavior patterns among heavy internet users (Greenfield, 1999). Based on criteria that psychologists often use in defining the types of addiction, social surveys estimate that the incidence of addictive patterns of behavior among heavy Internet users’ ranges from 6 % (Greenfield, 1999). Children’s exposure to electronic media, such as television, video games, the Internet, and music has increased enormously in recent decades. More than 100 studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between exposure to violence on television and aggressive behavior in children (Kidsdata.org,2006). Identified symptoms of the disorder include : (a) using the computer to pleasure, gratification, or relief from stress; (b) feeling irritable and out of control or depressed when not using it; (c) spending increasing amounts of time and money on hardware, software, magazines, and computer – related activities; and (d) neglecting work school, or family obligations (Gawel, 1998) Neilsen (2008) stated that â€Å"Today’s youth don’t know — or don’t remember — a time when they weren’t going online, so their adoption of online video has been seamless.† The video consumption in the workplace increases usage metrics among adults, the ‘at home’ data show how kids and teens are driving usage and claiming their territory. The Web provides another platform for their interest in TV shows, toys, movies and music, and offers an interactive element that children especially enjoy. Among the top sites for the younger demographic we see are publishers that are integrating video into games, music and other content to drive engagement with this multi-media generation.† Likewise Bugeja (2008) said that â€Å"students might misuse technology, and about how Facebook and MySpace are all simply about revenue generation for their respective companies.† Educational pedagogy has swung over the years between focusing on individual-centered learning, group learning, and peer-to-peer learning. If you take a peer-to-peer learning approach, you are inherently valuing the social networks that youth have and maintain, or else you are encouraging them to build one. These networks are mediated and reinforced through SNSs. If there is pedagogical value to encouraging peers to have strong social networks, then there is pedagogical value in supporting their sociable practices on SNSs. (Boyd,2008) When it comes to socializing with friends, youth prefer in-person (unregulated) encounters. They turn to Social Network Sites when they cannot get together with their friends en masse or when they cannot get together without shriveling adults. By and large, there are few free spaces where youth can gather with their friends en masse and, even then, inevitably a chunk of parents refuse to let them, thereby destroying cluster effects. So, of course, they turn to Social Network Sites. School is one of the few times when they can get together with their friends and they use every unscheduled moment to socialize – passing time, when the teacher’s back is turned, during lunch, bathroom breaks, etc. They are desperately craving an opportunity to connect with their friends; not surprisingly, their use of anything that enables socialization while at school is deeply desired. This is why they text during classes. They go onto SNSs during the day to write to friends who have diffe rent schedules or to write to the whole group if a portion of them are on a different lunch. Given how regulated youth are, any open space where socializing is possible will be taken up by socializing; it is often the only place they can see their friends. This is not something that the schools can fix, but they also should not be surprised when group time turns into gossip time (Boyd, 2008). By mid-2005, MySpace was a popular destination for high school students throughout the United States but teenagers from other countries were on a variety of other social network sites. Friendster had lost its grip on 20/30-something urbanites but it had become popular amongst teenagers in Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Social network sites like Orkut and Hi5, which were initially popular among adults in Brazil and India, began attracting the attention of younger audiences in those countries (Boyd & Danah, 2007). Social network sites, such as the wildly popular, are rapidly becoming a problem for schools in Sapang Palay , City of San Jose Del Monte. It has been observed that even during schools days, students from Sapang Palay National High School are staying in computer shops. Based on the interviews conducted by the researcher recently to the fourth year students, they reasoned out that they were staying in internet shops because they wanted to browse and post comments on their social network sites. According to them, they felt fulfilled if they regularly viewed their social network site account. This study will be an eye opener for the education opportunities and possibilities with social network sites. This research will greatly benefit in one way or another the following: The Department of Education, as an agency that draws and sets the education program for the secondary level, may use results of this study reference for the curriculum makers in the creation of acceptable guidelines in proper use of social network sites . School Administration will serve as springboard for an action plan for computer laboratory teachers and personnel on the use of internet and issues with social networking sites in their code of conduct. A policy may be formulated that will educate parents on the negative and positive effects of exposure to social network sites on students’ achievements in Information Communication Technology subject and behavior. Information Communication Technology (ICT) teachers will become aware of what students are accessing and why they are using the web for research or socializing. This study will increase awareness among students on the dangers in social networking sites. Parents, who must be primarily concerned with their children’s behavior, must be involved in their child’s networking lifestyle. Parents need to inform children of the potential dangers of social networking sites and how they can protect them. Students who are the most important concern of this study, who use social networking sites, are made aware of the potential dangers relative to social networking sites, and gain to knowledge and abilities to use social networking sites as tool in learning Information Communication Technology skills other than time wasting. This would also enjoin the students to utilize and take advantage of the skills and learning experiences that maybe acquired in browsing social network sites to develop their Information Communication Technology skills to the fullest with appropriate behavior. The study would contribute added relevant facts and issues in formulating, implementing and evaluating the curriculum and instruction so as to include Educational Technology in the Mast er of Arts in Industrial Education Program. This may be lead to the development of teacher leaders with strong commitment to the philosophical foundations of technology. Statement of the Problem This study attempted to investigate whether exposure to social network sites communication was related to the achievement in Information Communication Technology subject and behavior in terms of study habits, socialization, and home responsibilities of selected fourth year high school students at Sapang Palay National High School Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions. 1. What are the social network sites browsed by fourth year high school students? 2. What is the frequency of students’ exposure to social network sites? 3. What is the level of respondents’ browsing skills on social network sites? 4. What is the level of achievement in Information Communication Technology subject? 5. How do respondents perceive their behavior in terms of 5.1 study habits; 5.2 socialization; and 5.3 home responsibility? 6. Is there any significant relationship between social network sites exposure and students’ achievement in Information Communication Technology subject and behavior? 7. Does sex affect the relationship of the social network sites exposure to achievement in Information Communication subject and behavior in terms of 7. 1study habits 7.2socialization and home 7.3responsibilities Scope of the Study The research study was conducted to determine the exposure of communication by fourth year high school students, the level of achievements in Information Communication Technology subject and their behavior. It also sought whether significant relationship could be seen between social network sites exposure and students’ achievement in Information Communication Technology subject and behavior. It also aimed to determine whether the sex of students could make significant difference in affecting achievement in Information Communication Technology subject and behavior. The techniques of gathering data were questionnaire and interviews. Involved in this study were 200 fourth year students at Sapang Palay National High School during school year 2013-2014, City Division of San Jose Del Monte. Around fifty percent of the total numbers of students who are taking up Information Communication Technology subject were included in this study. They were classified according to their sex.

Critical Reaction Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Reaction Paper - Essay Example Indeed, he did not expect much opposition from them towards the idea of building the â€Å"Park51† mosque. However, he later learned that the whites hates Islam and refers to it as a religion of hate whose aim is to wipe out Christianity (Ghosh, 2010). He even thinks that the white Americans view Islam as a recruiting agency for terrorists. Indeed, Ghosh hold the view that opponents of Islam cast Muslims as sympathizers of al-Qaeda, which is false. According to him, white Americans consider Muslims as murders but reckon that even Christians have greater social vices and thus should not judge Islam. He asserts that America has the most diverse Muslim population in the world where the Muslims represent every race and sect in America. Additionally, Ghosh reckons that the Park51 resistance reflected an aspect of intolerance against the Muslims that has been alive since 9/11 only to deepen in the recent times (Ghosh, 2010). In fact, he observes that hate speech against Muslims and Islam is on the rise and Islamophobia is the new form of racism in America. Indeed, he holds the idea that the mosque protests and political influence cemented Islamophobia in America (Ghosh, 2010). Actually, the views expressed in lower Manhattan and in Sheboygan County are not isolated since a study revealed that 46% of Americans believe Islam is the most probable cause of violence against nonbelievers than other faiths (Ghosh, 2010). Nevertheless, he confirms that Muslims are safer and freer in America than in any other Western country. Indeed, Congress has two elected American Muslims and for the first time in 2010, Miss USA was a Muslim. Additionally, there are plans to the country's first Muslim college in Berkeley (Ghosh, 2010). However, he establishes the core arguments of the opponents that assert that Muslims are not and can never be full Americans (Ghosh, 2010). He states that such hatred manifests clearly in the places of worship, which are on the increase. He further no tes that such hatred is not only limited to proposed mosques and Muslim centers but also on the Koran where a pastor in Gainesville, initiated plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (Ghosh, 2010). On the same note, pastors are taking the Koran out of context to support their assertions that Islam requires believers to kill or convert all others. Moreover, he claims that the most vicious attacks on Islam are on the internet where bloggers are making Park51 a national issue and making that hatred viral. Ghosh holds the view that although religious intolerance does not apply to Muslims only, the American society reserves the most dominant hostility and hatred for Muslims (Ghosh, 2010). Conversely, he claims that since Saudi Arabia does not permit the building of churches and synagogues, America should also forbid Muslims from building Islamic places of worship. Nevertheless, he notes that many Christian, Jewish, and secular groups have opposed naked an ti-Islamic. He even suggests that Muslim is a very small group in U.S, which should receive little attention according to the 2007 release of the Pew Research Center report Muslim Americans that estimated Muslims to be a mere 2.35 million of the American population (Ghosh, 2010). At the same time, he recognizes that upon becoming President, Obama sought to promote the American image in the Islamic world (Ghosh, 2010).

Global Compensation Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Global Compensation Issues - Essay Example There exists laws that regulate salaries and wages and human resources professionals must act within the guidelines of such laws. This study will look at China’s compensation structures and compensation issues. China is a communist state in East of Asia continent. It has a population of approximately 1.39 billion people and fourth largest country in the world. China’s terrain is rugged with hills and depressions which include the Himalayas Mountains and the Turfan Depression. It has to main and important rivers namely; the Yellow River and Yangzi River. China experiences four weather seasons of summer autumn, spring and winter. During winter temperatures can drop to a level of -50 degree Celsius. China’s financial year is from 1st January to 31st December and had a GDP of 10.355 trillion US dollars in 2014 with its main industries being manufacturing, mining and food processing. China’s transport system includes railways, roads air and water. This makes most towns in this Republic accessible. The existence of navigable rivers has led to development of inland river ports and a reliable water transport system. The main mode of communication is telephone with approximately 23.68 Chinese citizens connected to telephone lines. The communist government in China has had a lot of influence in the country’s labor market. Regulation of the labor market through legislation has caused redistribution of the readily available labor in China. In order to improve the levels of production, the government initiated programs targeted at moving labor from low production sectors to high production sectors of the economy The large population provides huge supply of labor to China’s industries. In the earlier years, there was excess supply of both skilled and non-skilled labor. From the economics of demand and supply, the result was low cost of labor for different players in different industries

Appointment of Supreme Court Judges Literature review

Appointment of Supreme Court Judges - Literature review Example Of course, the qualification, experience, and decision-making capabilities are also analyzed and form an integral part of the appointment process. Almost everyone would maintain that the appointment of Supreme Court Judges should not be made using the above criteria as this violates the principles of independence. A Supreme Court is the highest judicial bench in the country and as such, the decisions should be taken on merit; without prejudice to any person, belief, or religion; and after careful analysis of all evidence. However, if the appointments are made based on personal preferences, the decisions may be skewed towards the state and according to the desires of the President's office. This creates the controversy that the Supreme Court is not as independent as one would like it to be. '''The biggest damn fool mistake I ever made,'' Dwight D. Eisenhower said of his appointment of Chief Justice Earl Warren, who discomfited him with the Brown v. Board of Education ruling ordering desegregation of public schools, and other liberal opinions. Harry S. Truman was even more scathing about Justice Tom C. Clark, a Truman appointee who voted  Ã‚  against his 1952 seizure of the steel industry to avert a strike.’ (Purdum 2005).

Negotiations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Negotiations - Assignment Example The data uncovered through this preliminary negotiation process will help to establish a more effective stance and the most consistent message that will provide the best, supposed results. Field analysis and effective use of the information will determine potential contingencies based on what counteroffer the negotiator believes will be offered after the initial offer has been proposed. Cost analysis occurs in the preparation stage that will determine the most effective bidding process, thus impacting offers proposed. Closing the deal involves an agreement of the bid, determining what the final offer should be in the process based on cost analyses. Further, these phases and positions do not apply equally, as distributive negotiation is concerned with maximizing gains while integrative seeks more mutual party gains. For instance, cost analysis in the planning process may have identified that mutual gains would deplete the value-added benefit of a chosen bid. Thus, seeking cooperative (integrative) strategies could create the need to firm up a final offer early in the negotiation process. The depth of each step in the negotiation phases will determine whether concessions are made or more aggressive tactics common in distributive negotiation

Action Assignment #1 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Action #1 - Assignment Example the individuals builds the desire to find out how well the front office staff receives their guests and what makes the guests come back for the services. The choice utilized the websites of the top hotels in the country, the site with many customers received the most consideration and hence the selection. At the first instance, the front office staff welcomes the guests with a beaming smile. As the guests approach the staff’s desk, she stands up and shakes their hand while welcoming them. She then offers them a seat and tells them to feel comfortable while she is serving them. At this point, the guests smile back and says appreciates by saying â€Å"Thank you.† These non-verbal cues of communication allow the guests to be comfortable while they receive services. Moreover, the welcoming smile and hospitality observed makes the guests come back for the services. As observed, the interaction was in a formal setup facilitating an official interaction between the front office staff and the guests. Firstly, the assumption that a warm welcome often bolsters the relations between the staffs and the visitors holds in this particular instance. Secondly, the first impression depicted by the front office staff warrants the extent to which the guests will give in to the services offered. Finally, the manner with which the staff receives the visitors determines the visitors’ satisfaction. The beaming smile portrayed by the staff demonstrates her hospitality. Additionally, the welcoming mood signals the nature of the services the staff offers. The impressions formed almost immediately as the front office staff seemed jovial, happy, and welcoming. The second observation finds its locale in an informal scenery. The case involves analyzing an interaction between two friends who seem to have been apart for a long time now. Hence, the interactions are informal involving extended non-verbal communication cues. The persons in this context meet and hug each other closely and

Health Care Plan Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Health Care Plan - Case Study Example Smoking and alcohol both lead to hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The headache for which he takes Panadol may well be associated with hypertension, and he has a history of hypertension (Grundy, et al. 2004). Gordon also has hypercholesterolemia, which independently and in association with smoking, alcohol, and probable hypertension would predispose to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, where deposition of fat in the arterial walls would cause narrowing of the coronary arteries (Davis, 2002). Unfortunately Gordon also has diabetes mellitus, which makes him more prone to atherosclerotic coronary heart disease, would lead to more hypercholesterolemia, would aggravate the effects of hypertension, and would lead to a predisposition of adverse coronary events associated with coronary artery disease. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually associated with one or more characteristics known as risk factors. A risk factor is an aspect of personal behaviour or lifestyle, an environmental exposure or an inborn or inherited characteristic, which on the basis of epidemiologic evidence is known to be associated with" the occurrence of disease. The risk of MI is thus doubled in the smokers, or a 200% increase in risk compared with nonsmokers. Higher systolic blood pressure (Nichols, 2003), higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, higher fasting glucose levels and 2-hour insulin values, higher body mass index (BMI), and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are all associated higher mortality in this group of patients (Roth & Laurent-Bopp, 2004). Given this scenario, there must be a measure to assess his blood pressures and blood sugars. Laboratory tests may be included to measure his serum lipid levels. His medication history is important in that over-the-counter medi cation must be stopped. These also may aggravate hypertension. For hypertension regular intake of antihypertensive medication may be necessary. For a steady control of blood sugars abstinence from alcohol is a must along with regular medication, diet, exercise, and regular monitoring of the blood sugars. As expected, in his case, there is a high chance of the lipid profile

Inequality, Hate Groups, and Tolerance Paper Essay

Inequality, Hate Groups, and Tolerance Paper - Essay Example (d) Hate is irrevocably linked to violence. Hate group members are not illiterate, but are well read, well organized, ruthless and armed, and coordinate their acts with like-minded partners. The ‘fourteen words’ are remarkable in their psychological appeal to instincts of survival and protection of children. 3 (a) Alex Curtis, based in San Diego, is one of today’s most influential white supremacists. He has effectively harnessed the media, through his website, e-mail lists, telephone hotlines and magazine, to disseminate his message of violent hatred of minorities. His group stands for the employment of any means to foster hate and violence against Jews, Blacks and all minorities. (b) Alex Curtis’ group feels that the U.S. Government is a Zion Occupied Government, which is manipulated by the Jews and is actively engaged in the marginalization and elimination of white Anglo-Saxons. The origin of White Power Music was marked by violent conflicts among extremists, the most high-profile one being the one between Swedish Nordland and British Ragnarock. In 1997-98 the industry was curtailed by Government actions in the U.S., Britain and Europe. The industry has reorganized and its’ message of violent racism is spreading its’ tentacles all over the world. There is growing cooperation among the leading players, who are (1) William Pierce: leader of the U.S. Nationalist Alliance and the owner of Resistance Records. (2) National Socialist Black Metal: anti-Christian, racist, Skinhead music (3) Hammerskin Nation: premium label for American skinhead bands, extremely violent (4) Blood and Honour: Swedish based, owner of Ragnarock with links to neo-Nazi political parties. (f) Stormfront is the oldest hate website, whose webmaster is Don Black, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. Its’ philosophy of white supremacist beliefs considers Jews, Blacks and other minorities to

Critique of Kristen Lynch's Presentation Assignment

Critique of Kristen Lynch's Presentation - Assignment Example The non-Western style selected was Confucianism. This was much clearer and more complete than the Western style portion of the presentation. The connection between theory and practice was covered but only broadly, covering understanding needs, motivation, and learning style, but without explaining specifically how the non-Western style chosen fit into practice. The concluding statements cover only a small portion of the content of the presentation. Overall, in fact, a lack of detail was the greatest issue with this presentation. While brevity is generally to be praised in presentations, this particular presentation is overly simplified. In addition, the presenter does not mention the references in-text. The references section is also too short; the entire presentation is apparently based off of only two sources. The greatest strength of this presentation is in its ease of readability for the audience. The slides are well-designed, with good contrast and large text size. The amount of information on each slide is kept to a minimum, allowing the speaker to hold the audiences attention instead of the text. However, the concluding statements lose this quality, switching instead to full sentences that in one case even overlaps the edge of the

Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece Essay Example for Free

Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece Essay William Shakespeare was born in the Hole Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire on April 23, 1564. He was the first son and third child of John Shakespeare, a leather tanner and a maker of gloves, and Mary Arden Shakespeare. Williams parents were married around 1558 and had a total of eight children, three of which died in childhood. Williams family had been living in the area of Warwickshire for many years and was respected. Williams father was at one time prosperous and elected to municipal offices. He was a member of the Stratford council in 1557 and appointed mayor in 1568. John was not without fault, though, and four times from 1570 to 1572 he faced prosecution for money lending and illegally buying wool. He fell into hard times financially and stopped buying property, went into dept, and even mortgaged part of his wifes inheritance. Despite financial difficulties in the family, the boy Williams education was not neglected, and he went to the local school in Stratford. Some scholars questions whether a single could have written all the great literature attributes to Shakespeare, citing his schooling as proof that he was poorly educated, but their assumption is probable false. ( ) The teachers in school the William had attended had degrees from Oxford, and the education that the boy received was likely very good. Exactly what young William did after his years of schooling is not really clear, but we do know that during the winter of 1582, at the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, the eldest daughter of Richard Hathaway. She was 26, much older than her teenage husband, and pregnant by him. The church announcement of the marriage was waived on November 28, 1582 and less than six months later their first child, Susanna, was baptized in Stratford church on May 26, 1583. Early in 1585, Anne gave birth to twins: Hament, their only son (who died young), and Judith, their second daughter. With a wife and three kids to maintain, and still dependent on his father one of the London acting companies that had been touring in Stratford. Shakespeare moved to London in 1585, where he was very successful. He was an actor and a writer and even owned his own playhouse. He was very respected man there. He was the first playwright to have his formal biography written and published with his works. By 1592 William was firmly established in the big city of London. He was all ready the author of ten plays and successful enough to inspire jealous and be called an upstart crow by a fellow dramatist, Robert Greene. ( ) Between 1592-1594 all the theatres were closed by an outbreak of the plague. So during this time Shakespeare turned to poetry, writing sonnets and two long narrative poems: Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. When the theatres reopened in 1594, Shakespeare joined the newly formed Lord Chamberlains Men, and was entitled to a share of the profits. We was an acting troupe under the patronage of QueenElizabeth?

Assessment Of Pharmacology Teaching Nursing Essay

Assessment Of Pharmacology Teaching Nursing Essay Students feedback is an indicator of the success of any teaching methodology followed in a department. AIM/OBJECTIVE: To identify strengths and weaknesses in the current teaching-learning and evaluation methodology in pharmacology using feedback from second MBBS students in Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Questionnaire was designed and finalised after a departmental discussion in concurrence with Medical Education Unit. The study subjects were 115 (2011batch) second-year medical students. They were requested to fill the questionnaire. A 10-item multiple choice questionnaires were used to explore the students opinion on teaching. The questionnaires were analyzed. RESULTS: 115 II M.B.B.S students participated and descriptive statistics was used for analysis of data. The analysis revealed 82.82%, 72.17% and 93.64% students interest towards writing classification of drugs, weekly test and viva-voce respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study has h elped us to elicit the student preference regarding pharmacology teaching and its outcome would be helpful in modifying undergraduate pharmacology teaching pattern. KEY WORDS: Medical education, Pharmacology Assessment, Medical school learners. INTRODUCTION: The primary aim of teaching pharmacology to medical students is to train them on rational and scientific basis of therapeutics. Pharmacology teaching is facing a major challenge in the medical science due to constant reformation. Generally, there is a opinion that teaching pharmacology in medical schools has failed to keep in pace with the rapid changes in medical practice. Attempts have been made all over India to make teaching of pharmacology more interesting and relevant (Gitanjali.B.et.al. 2006). To make pharmacology teaching more innovative and interacting learning experience, efforts have been made by formulating new educational strategies to meet the educational objectives. Educational objectives can be evaluated by assessment procedures and timely feedback to achieve the learning goal. In Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Pharmacology teaching comprises mostly of a series of didactic lectures using power point presentations covering general, systemic pharmacology and practical pharmacology which includes animal experiments and clinical pharmacology sessions spread over the academic year. To evaluate the students progress we conduct monthly internal assessment tests consisting of multiple choice questions, essay questions, short notes and ultra short notes for 3 hr time duration including model practical exams conducted twice in a year. Regular viva voce exams follow the monthly internal assessment test to develop their communication and interaction skills. Apart from this regular schedule of assessment, we also introduced a method of assignment on classification of drugs after each system. To reinforce the learning process, we implemented weekly test on the first hour of every week based on the lectures delivered over the previous week. The test was conducted for one hour which covered various portions of the chapter in detail testing the levels of knowledge. After completing the above schedule meticulously, at the end of the year to understand the beneficiaries opinion we planned to collect the students feedback. Currently the students feedback represents the primary means used by different programs to assess their methodology (Richardson B.K.2004). Feedback helps in correcting mistakes, reinforcing good performances and incorporating students view in teaching methodology. It is accepted that reviewing the teaching and evaluation methods by feedback from students and modifying of methodologies accordingly is very important for the undergraduate medical teaching. (Ruth N 2000, Victoroff KZ 2006) Thus the present study is an effort to obtain and analyze critical appraisal on, The student attitude toward teaching and learning pharmacology in Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, Kanchipuram. Assessment of pharmacology teaching using student feedback. Methods to improve the teaching of pharmacology. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was designed to obtain feedback and finalized after a departmental discussion with concurrence of Medical Education Unit. The study subjects were 115-second year MBBS students of 2011 batch studying in Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Enathur, Kanchipuram. All the students enrolled in the study were requested to fill up the questionnaire. The study was conducted at the end of their academic year in Department of Pharmacology. A ten-item multiple choice questionnaires and an open ended question for suggestion were provided to explore the students opinion on teaching and learning methods imparted. The questionnaire was analyzed by two observers. The questionnaire was designed in such a way to assess the knowledge, their attitude and skills developed during their one and half year course in pharmacology. Both the theoretical and practical pharmacology practiced by different methods during their study period were evaluated from the feedback form. Statistics: Descriptive statistics was used for analysis of data. Frequency was shown as percentage. Results: One hundred and fifteen students of II MBBS participated and responded in the questionnaire study. Based on the pattern of studying pharmacology,48.69% studied pharmacology once or twice a week on regular basis and 34.78% opted studying only for monthly tests and viva voce exams which reflects on their regular preparation for monthly internal assessment test(TABLE-1).54.75% of students preferred lecture notes and text books as the source of studying pharmacology. TABLE -1 Majority (87.82%) of students approved writing and maintaining classification of drugs. 53.91% have opined that the assignments had improved in better understanding about the different classes of drugs.43.47% of them have reported its usefulness to memorize and reproduce in the test and also to apply in their clinical postings. Among the assessment methods, 54.78% of students favored monthly internal assessment test for their significant improvement in their academic performance. In the weekly test conducted, 72.17% of students found weekly lectures correlating with weekly tests, 51.30% of students mentioned that the true or false part of the weekly tests created interest (TABLE-2). TABLE-2 Majority (66.95%) of students preferred regular tests in clinical pharmacology sessions when compared to the experimental pharmacology. Most (93.64%) of the students have mentioned regular viva-voce exams following monthly internal assessment test had improved their communication skills. Among the teaching learning methods practiced, 52.17% of students preferred theory lectures followed by clinical pharmacology sessions 46.95% and group discussions 45.21%(TABLE-3). TABLE-3 Discussion: Feedback is defined as a response within a system that influences continuous activity or productivity of that system. In the present study on educational context, it would mean a response from the learner about the teaching learning process. Feedback is essential to find out the effectiveness of the process, the need to change it, as well as, to evolve strategy for its improvement. From the feedback evaluation obtained, it is observed that students like to study pharmacology by regular test / viva and interactive classes so by these way students understand the subject properly (Nilesh Chavda 2011 et.al). This is very much correlating in the present study feedback results. It was found that students preferred writing and maintaining classification of drugs throughout their academic year, which were corrected periodically by the faculty, who played the role of mentor for the given group of students to cultivate and sustain the habit. Writing classification of drugs by medical school learners has helped them to understand the different classes of drugs and also to systematically memorize and reproduce in the written test as well as the knowledge application in clinical rotations (TABLE-4). TABLE-4 Students opined that monthly internal assessment test was mostly useful than the weekly written test for their academic performance in theory exams, the reason for the following may be monthly internal assessment pattern is similar to that of university examination. The weekly written test has definitely kept the students in pace with the portions being completed every week. By answering the weekly test their preparation, facing and performing monthly internal assessment had become extremely comfortable and confident . The weekly test had various parts, students considered true or false part of the weekly test has created interested in them, the fact to get such a feedback may be the chances of getting the wrong answer is only 50%. Also they have mentioned that, Match the following with extended responses have stimulated their thought process to find the correct response. The feedback also emphasized the students interest towards more interactive sessions on Clinical pharmacology exe rcises and felt it should be given regular emphasis than the animal experiments. According to Gibbs G et al, 1987 active review during the lecture, involving students in structured discussions, using questionnaires and asking them to summarize are the three most important things to be followed and practiced for a effective teaching-learning process. To conclude though the teaching learning method implemented in the present study required a lot of strenuous hard work from the faculty particularly preparing questions, organizing test and more importantly correcting all the papers in a week period, it has created an interest in learning pharmacology among students. The feedback from learners has clearly exhibited their likeliness for the variety or different methodological approach instead of regular didactic lectures offered by the department of Pharmacology. Acknowledgements: We sincerely thank our II M.B.B.S Students of Meenakshi Medical College Research Institute (GRIFFINZ) for the participation

Developing Competent Reader In Classroom

Developing Competent Reader In Classroom The definitions of read and reading from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English are: Read means to look at the written words and understand what they are mean. Reading means the activity of understanding the written words. There is a vast literature on the definition of reading. According to Spache and Spache (1969) there were a variety of definitions of reading due to the complexity and successive stages of reading development. Reading can also be described in a variety of headings such as reading for skill development, as a visual act, as a perceptual act as a reflection of cultural background and a thinking process. On the other hand, Williams (1984) defined reading as a process in which a reader looks at a text and understands what has been written. He further stated that reading does not mean a person needs to understand everything he reads because people read for different reasons and purposes. Reading by itself seems easy and simple but many studies have been carried out to show with scientific evidence that the act of reading is actually a very complicated process. According to Ponnusamy (1997), the first important description of reading and its process can be traced back as early as 1917 by Thorndike, a psychologist who coined reading as reasoning. The process of reading can best be described in an analogy written by Thorndike (1917) as cited in Ponnusamy (1997: 21) in which he described the reading process as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦understanding a paragraph is like solving mathematics. It consists of selecting the right element of situation and putting them together in the right relations, and also within the right amount of weight or influence or force for each. The mind is assailed as it was bothered by every word in the paragraph. It must select, repress, soften, emphasize, correlate organize all under the influence of the right mental shape or purpose or demand. Thus, it appears that reading an explanatory or argumentative paragraph involves the same sort of organization and analytic action of ideas as those that occur in thinking supposedly higher sorts. ii) Definition of Competent Reader: In response to this question is how the term competent can technically have slightly different meanings for different individuals and families. The basic definition is that not only reading on a regular basis, but picking up at least some of the underlying message of what youre reading. If youre reading more for pleasure than work or school, then the key for competency is that youre enjoying the story and feeling like youre truly diving into the universe of the story when reading it. But as I just said, this term is one of those that is a fluid scale of meanings, so this is all just one point of view. In the English progression maps, the competent reader is briefly characterized as being able to read between the lines, seeing meaning that isnt stated directly and to deploy a wide range of active strategies to find and read texts for different purposes. Pupils who are becoming competent readers have secured sufficient reading strategies, such as phonics, contextual cues, word attack skills and sense of grammar, to tackle new and unfamiliar texts, with confidence, on their own. While they may still read hesitantly on occasions, they possess sufficient self-help strategies to hear their errors and self correct when necessary. They not only scan ahead to tackle longer, complex sentences; they are beginning to look beyond the sentence to paragraphs, chapters and whole text layout. Pupils at this stage read for meaning and are willing participants in the imaginative world of the text, visualizing, empathizing, and making judgements about what they read. 1. The Importance of Developing Competent Reader in Classroom Reading is a habit to be developed by oneself and it cannot be taught by teachers. Reading is an interactive process between the readers and the text. Knowledge means a deep understanding of topics and the language that the reader has acquired. The more the student reads the more are the chances of becoming a good reader. Teachers should implement various strategies in schools to bring individuals with good reading skills, for which he proposed extensive reading of easy and interesting books that would create interest in students to read and simultaneously improve vocabulary. In countries such as Malaysia, the challenges for any student writers of English are indeed great. In addition to having to learn to write (and write to learn) to meet the conventions and requirements of writing in the target language, they are expected to demonstrate a high level of linguistic competence to convey the intended message in their writing. In other words, to become competent writers, not only do they need to have a clear idea of the macro or top-down features that make the text cohere with other texts of the same discourse genre, they also need to be able to draw upon the relevant linguistic resources at the micro or bottom-up level to make the particular piece of writing cohesive (Celce-Murcia Olshtain, 2000). Within the literacy community, there are two distinct but complementary perspectives on reading development. The first perspective, prevalent in several well publicized documents and federal legislation (e.g., Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998), deals almost exclusively with the early period of reading development, what might be described as emergent literacy. This early period is unquestionably a critical time in reading development, and there are virtually libraries devoted to basic dimensions of reading acquisition, including phonological awareness, vocabulary, and fluency (Adams, 1990) Yet, there is another view of reading development that extends well beyond the initial period of basic skill and process acquisition. This perspective looks at reading as a long-term developmental process, at the end of which the proficient adult reader can read a variety of materials with ease and interest, can read for varying purposes, and can read with comprehension even when the material is neither easy to understand nor intrinsically interesting. This particular orientation does not discount the emergent literacy view, but subsumes it as a first step in lifespan development. It is this second perspective of reading development-one less addressed in public and political rhetoric, legislation, and educational policies-that we examine here. Specifically, it is the goal to investigate how reading develops across the lifespan by building on the vast literatures in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, expertise, motivation, and domain-specific learning, as well as reading research. There are important educational benefits accrued by viewing reading within such a lifespan developmental framework. For one, it helps us to consider the changes and challenges students and adults face once they journey beyond the early elementary grades. Currently, there is an increased awareness that more must be done to understand the nature of adolescent literacy (Alvermann et al., 1996; Moje, 2000) and adult literacy (Kruidenier, 2002; Nist Holschuh, 2000). The more we understand about adolescents and adults continued development as readers, the better we can provide for them. The approaches and interventions suitable for young readers taking their first steps toward reading competence are not likely to work for older children, adolescents, or adults, even if they still struggle to make sense of print (Alvermann, 2001). Not only have these adolescents and adults changed cognitively, physically, and socially, but the in-classroom or at-work literacy demands they face have changed as well (Nist Simpson, 2000). A lifespan developmental perspective would not stop in the early years or attend only to those who have yet to acquire the most basic skills or processes. Rather, it would consider reading from womb to tomb; that is, for all populations and for all phases of reading growth. If teachers understood the nature of changes that should occur in readers as they progress toward competence, and if teachers had some idea of the problems that might arise during that journey, then they could better formulate interventions or craft educational materials that might circumvent problems or ameliorate their effects (Pressley, 2001). For example, students motivations for reading are critical forces in sustaining their continued growth and development in the domain of reading (Guthrie Wigfield, 2000). Thus, educational programs intent on supporting students long-term reading development should give ample consideration to such motivational variables, including students interests and goals. 2. The Competent Reading Framework This reading framework is designed to emphasize on the active and interactive nature of reading. The aim of the COMPETENT reading framework is to develop COMPETENT, independent readers. The content and utility of two models of reading comprehension tests, the basic skills assessment model and the multiple choice cloze (MCC) model, are discussed. The basic reading competency model assesses the ability to read or infer basic meanings from a range of written or symbolic communication, as is necessary for daily living in this society. This limited analysis of the basic competency model suggests some degree of positive practical impact of the test; applications of this model are illustrated. Criticisms of this model state that such a test is not theoretically based, nor objectively reproducible, nor does it yield scores that provide detailed diagnostic guidance in the instructional process. The multiple choice cloze (MCC) technique was developed as one expression of the literal comprehension construct, viewed as the basic skill underlying the readers ability to infer explicit meanings from written language. Items in the test are objectively developed and derived from a theoretical framework, thus providing guidelines for interpreting the resulting test scores. Current developments suggest that these test results can be used to identify the kinds of materials that readers can comprehend at the literal level for specific purposes. The test also appears to offer a diagnostic capability with fairly clear-cut instructional implications 3. The Benefits of Competent Reading Framework. There are several key aspects of the Competent Reading Framework made it so effective in helping students to improve their own selves. Such as: Comprehensive Schools come to establish two to three hours of daily literacy instruction across all content areas Schools utilize a framework for addressing four important learning components: comprehension, fluency, word knowledge, and writing Professional development includes instruction, lesson planning, and evaluation and assessment of students Capacity Building Teachers become better prepared to plan and implement instruction that addresses students strengths and needs Teachers learn to choose research-based strategies that lead to increased student achievement Professional development extends to the administration to assure support of teachers efforts to improve literacy instruction Flexible The Framework is not a scripted program or commercial product, so it can be shaped to local contexts to better meet the needs of students School personnel can match their own styles, curricula, and materials to Framework guidelines All activities and staff development are designed collaboratively with each school Effective Adoption of the Framework has helped many schools accomplish remarkable gains in school reading achievement (Preliminary Analysis of an Innovative Framework for School Reading, National Science Foundation, 2001) This project was adopted system-wide in 2001 by the Chicago Board of Education and is now implemented in 600 Chicago schools, with 26,000 teachers, serving 437,000 students annually The Framework principles are consistent with recent finding of the National Reading Panel, and has been so effective that it is now used by hundreds of schools across the nation Services for Helping Schools The Chicago Reading Framework Project offers schools a wide range of possibilities to choose from when deciding on services. Schools can customize their professional development services by selecting from the following options: Ongoing Support School-wide support to implement the Reading Framework, focusing instruction on comprehension, fluency, word knowledge, and writing Consultations to assist teachers in developing more opportunities for reading and writing within language arts/reading and across the content areas Support for teachers in differentiating their instruction to meet the needs of heterogeneous classrooms Follow-up coaching to teachers that includes classroom observations, support within the classroom, in-class modeling of instructional strategies that support Framework guidelines, oral and/or written feedback, and co-planning to meet the needs of students Analysis of available student data to identify focused, measurable objectives, as well as appropriate instructional strategies to meet those objectives Participation in grade level meetings to present additional, grade-appropriate strategies and information Workshops Professional development that addresses the following key reading elements: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension, and writing Workshops on a variety of topics such as assessment and evaluation, motivation, standards-based curricula, content area literacy, classroom management, among others Full day or half day workshops, developed in conjunction with reading specialists to address school needs, are available for the whole faculty Combine sound theory and practical classroom application to help teachers understand why and how to effectively utilize suggested ideas and strategies Include modeling, guided practice, and comprehensive materials to help teachers fully grasp what they learned during workshops and apply it in their own classrooms Leadership Consulting with administrators, reading specialists, and teachers to analyze school wide literacy efforts and determine long- and short-term goals Advising the principal and administrative team to assure consistent implementation of the Reading Framework across grade levels Assisting school leadership with monitoring and support of teachers efforts Encouraging teachers to support one another and take more of a leadership role themselves Collaborating with Reading Specialist and administrative team regarding techniques to address literacy improvement across the school Assessment and Evaluation Evaluation of all aspects of reading instruction and make recommendations for change when necessary Analysis of standardized test and other assessment data to guide plans for school improvement Periodic surveys and checklists for teachers and administrators to both assess the progress made toward goals and to determine future techniques to meet school and classroom objectives Training to assist teachers in interpreting multiple assessments to better address the instructional needs of students Regular classroom visits to collaborate with teachers to analyze their use of instructional time and strategies for reading instruction across the curriculum. 4. The Challenges and Potential Problems in Developing Competent Reader Reading is a very important skill as it is recognized as a necessary part of obtaining a better job and access to literature and knowledge. However, reading in a foreign language such as English might be a problem for some people. Snow, Burns and Griffin (2006) claim that there are three potential stumbling blocks in reading namely the difficulty in understanding and using the alphabetic principle, the failure to transfer the comprehension skills of spoken language to reading and the lack of motivation and appreciation for reading. They further add that children who face early reading problem lack prior knowledge and relevant skills such as the ability to produce words, the ability to distinguish sounds, the ability to master the mechanics of reading and the ability to identify letters. This difficulty leads to low motivation and can be problematic for language teachers as the motivation of needing to read is powerful (Nuttal, C, 1996 : 3). Nevertheless in order to help children to read it is important to get them to read extensively. Nuttal further adds that the latter is the easiest and most effective way of improving the reading skills. During reading, students may have difficulty decoding, and so have difficulty reading the words of their texts accurately. In addition, these students read too slowly, or lack fluency. As a result of their slow, la ­bored reading, they often do not comprehend much of what they read, and the attention they have to give to figuring out the words keeps them from understanding the text. All too often these students lack sufficient background knowledge about the topic of a text. They may have trouble connecting the ideas of a text. They often are not familiar with the vocabulary they encounter, and have trouble determining word meanings. Further, even when the students pos ­sess relevant background knowledge, they frequently are not able to acti ­vate it to help them understand what they read. Some readers also are unaware of text organization. They do not know enough about the organizational structure of narratives or the vari ­ous organizational structures of expository texts to help them read and un ­derstand. After reading, these students typically do not think about or reflect upon what they have read. They almost never seek out additional information about a topic. The cumulative effect of these difficulties is that they often lose confidence in their ability to read. Because reading is difficult for them and they cannot and do not read widely. As a result, they are exposed too much less text and so receive much less practice reading. Further, the practice they do receive is often frustrating, because many of the texts they are asked to read are too difficult for them. 5. The Ways to Instil More Interest in Reading among the Learners Theorists, psycholinguists and linguists have given many opinions pertaining to reading and the process of reading. Many agree that reading is a complex area (Ehri, 2001; Snow, Burns and Griffin, 2006). In the process of reading, the reader constructs meaning from written texts. In reading, readers go through certain processes. These processes are explained through the three reading models namely bottom-up, top-down and interactive models of reading. The bottom-up model emphasizes on print, wherein the readers decode the print in the form of letters and words into text, into phonological representations before constructing meaning (Nooreiny Maarof, 1998). The top-down model suggests that the readers guess the meaning in the text by making predictions about the print and construction of meaning with the guidance of prior knowledge (Ibid, 1998). The interactive model, on the other hand, combines both the reading models mentioned earlier. According to this model, our reading is said to occur at various levels through the interaction of physical texts on the page and our mental concepts. This model of reading reflects the underlying theory that supports it, namely the schema theory. Schema Theory is actually our background knowledge at work in the process of language comprehension (Hadley, 2000). ESL teachers can create a reading habit among learners by selecting books which are enjoyable to read. The criteria for selecting texts must be readability (ie . suiting the linguistic level of the reader) and suitability of content (ie . suiting the intellectual needs of the reader) . When books are appealing in colour and illustrations with little intimidation in language and content, there will be sufficient motivation to met any novice readers appetite to read. Besides this the teacher could also have a set of class library books which students can borrow. Some learners, once provided with reading materials will read quite happily with no further encouragement from the teacher, others will require further incentives . One way the ESL teacher can help is by setting tasks after reading a book. This provides a useful feedback to the teacher as to who is reading the most books and which books are most popular. Tasks include providing a guided book review format that the reader has to fill upon completion of a book and a class reading chart listing all the titles of books read on the horizontal axis of the grid with names of students on the vertical axis ofthe grid. By plotting, the chart will indicate the general progress ofreading in the class . It will be a good idea to ask the readers to relate a little ofwhat they read and perhaps hold class discussions on the more popular books read. The texts that are given to students are simple and interesting and help them in adapting in literary texts. In the classroom we might have a class of mix ability students and not always all the students find the texts simple per say. Teachers have to do their extra homework to make the texts either simpler for the weaker students or more difficult for the good students. Just to make the texts interesting and stimulating arent enough. Teachers need to be a good role model in promoting healthy reading habits. When students see for themselves that the teachers read and are knowledgeable automatically students would want to be like them. In short, being a good role model is very vital in teachers profession. The texts also must suitable for each level but we cant say that the language or vocabulary is not too difficult. Private reading can be a rewarding and self-sustaining activity for them, worthy of the time and energy they invest in it. They see what reading has to offer them. Pupils who are securely established as competent readers read with understanding at a literal level and can also read beyond the text and between the lines. They infer and deduce both hidden and implied meanings and, even though their inferences may not always be securely rooted in the text, they generally make sense. Pupils at this level deploy a range of imaginative responses to text, such as empathy, prediction and speculation. They may compare the world of the text to their own experiences and are able to make simple comments about a writers viewpoint as well as the effect of the text on the reader. In both fiction and non-fiction texts, pupils are able to pick out relevant points, supporting them by some generally relevant textual reference or quotation as well as identifying and making simple comments about the writers use of language and organizational features. 6. The Strategies to Nurture the Reading Habit among Malaysian Learners In view of this, something has to be done to reduce and if possible, to totally eradicate illiteracy among students. Therefore, to start with, teachers must be seen as role models for the students to emulate. Teachers must read a lot in order to keep abreast with the fast-changing information age. Teachers should involve themselves in reading because according to Eskey (1986. p.21, cited in Renandya Jacobs, 2002): Readingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦must be developed, and can only be developed, by means of extensive and continued practice. People learn to read, and read better by reading. This view on extensive reading as a reading habit is also shared by Krashen (1993, p. 23, cited in Renandya Jacobs, 2002) that through reading we develop a good writing style, an adequate vocabulary, advanced grammar and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ becomes good spellers. Finnochiaro (1989) also suggests that teachers need to read to help facilitate their teaching-learning activity in the classroom as information obtained through their reading will help them keep in touch with current issues and to apply them in their classroom discussion. An effective teacher is a teacher who always keeps abreast with changes be it in teaching or learning aspects. In view of the above mentioned problems, the researcher would like to investigate the reading habits of teachers in the four schools. The poor reading habits among Malaysians can be seen in surveys conducted by the Ministry of Education on National Literacy in 1982 and 1996 (Kaur and Thiyagarajah, 1999). In the earlier survey, an average Malaysian citizen read a mere page or two a year whilst the later revealed an average of two books a year. In view of this, the research looked into the reading habits of teachers in four government-aided secondary schools (Mission Schools) in Kuching district. The study focused on the types of reading materials that they read, whether their teaching loads inhibit their reading habits, factors that influence their reading habits, time spent on reading and reasons for reading. Every one of us knows how to read, but how often we read and what kind of material we read? We cannot deny that reading is a very good habit, We can acquire the general knowledge by reading. That is why we are inculcated the reading habit by our parent and teachers since we are young. But, Malaysians have poor reading habit. Well, if you dont believe that, just check out the survey done by the National Library in 2005 to determine the profile of Malaysian readers. More than half of the 65,000 respondents answered that they read less than seven pages a day and those 10 years and above only read about two books a year. Now, it is the time to make the Malaysians realize the important of reading and make it as their habit. There are many reading materials around us, for example, newspapers, magazines and all kind of books. Maybe people feel that reading the words on the paper is a boring job in this technology century, therefore, a new kind of book is being created, that is, electronic book. The words are not lie on the papers anymore, but on the screen of computer and you can bring along it wherever you go. It is very convenience to the people nowadays, you just save the book you want to read in the computer, no matter how many of book you want to read, there is no the thick and heavy of the papers. Other than that, the government has already put effort into the programs that encourage the people to read more. Many programs have been organized, such as reading festival, reading campaign and so on. Although the efforts did not gain many supports from the public, we cannot deny the efforts were actually make an effect. Many of the people who were take part in those programs know the important of reading and make reading as their new habit now. Besides, the reading habit should be inculcated among kids. To do that, the role of parents and early education is very important. The parents must tell the children about the benefits of reading and make reading more interesting to draw their attention toward reading. Parents may read them a story before sleep and ask the child read the story in turn on the next day. In view of this problem, Malaysian Ministry of Education (MoE) attempts to implement more effective and efficient reading programs which are executed systematically and continuously via a long term program known as NILAM Program NP (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca) or loosely translated as reading is the pulse of knowledge . Government schools or schools under MoE in Malaysia instructed to execute NP commencing from January 1999 in accordance to Circular Num.13/1998 dated 22 May 1998. NILAM: Concept Guide Book and Implementation in School published by Technology of Education Division, Ministry of Education of Malaysia (1998). The Education Ministry is widening the scope of the Nilam or Award to encourage more students from primary schools as well as secondary schools nationwide to read. The Nilam Award is a reading programme initiated by the Education Ministry in 1999 to inculcate the reading habit. Students are recognized at primary and secondary school levels according to the number of books they have read. To be awarded the Nilam Award at primary school level, students must read 360 books or more, while at secondary school level, they have to read 288 books and above. To qualify, students are required to record their reading activities in reading records. In turn, teachers must certify these records. Recognition is subsequently given to students based on the number of books they have read and reading activities, such as storytelling, that they have carried out. Other extensive reading programmes have also been implemented over the years such as Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR), Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) and the Book Flood Approach (Elley and Mangubahi, 1983 as cited in Renandya and Jacobs, 2002). The purpose of the programme is that readers read large quantities of books and other materials in an environment that nurtures a lifelong reading habit. While much effort has been put into reading campaigns and programmes, indication is that more and more Malaysians are not interested in picking up the habit. Malaysian students at the tertiary level have indeed shown our students poor regards for reading (Mohd Sallehudin 1994, as cited in Normah 2004). The recent, Read-a-thon Read2009 was to inculcate a love for reading and charity among the young. For the second year running, students throughout the country recently participated in Malaysias biggest reading marathon. This event was organized by Scholastic, the worlds largest publisher and distributor of childrens books. This years read-a-thon, titled Read2009: One Nation Reading Together, was supported by the Education Ministry and held in conjunction with its 1Malaysia Reading Camp. Read2009 was a simple name with a big message. Students read recreationally for 2009 seconds (33 minutes 29 seconds). Reading recreationally means that students choose a book of their choice, instead of regular school text. Students can read independently or together with their classmates and teachers. The objective of Read2009 is to inculcate students with a love of reading. The programme emphasizes recreation reading because students must be able to associate good feelings and pleasant memories with their reading experience; otherwise, it becomes a chore. Reading provides a valuable reinforcement of language and structures presented in the classroom. It also provides learners the opportunity to practice inferring meanings from the context where structures and vocabulary are unfamiliar. In addition, it enables the learner to reproduce mentally and vocally expressions and words present in any written form. Thus, consciously or unconsciously the learner begins to communicate effectively, using the knowledge acquired through reading. Extensive reading also provides the learner an opportunity to increase his reading speed, a skill rarely touched upon in the ESL classroom. As the student is reading for pleasure, chances are he will be eager to see what happens next and will therefore try to read faster. Moreover, as the learner is reading on topics that interests him, it increases his motivation and gives him a more positive attitude towards the target language. To acquire the habit of reading is to const

Nathan The Wise :: essays research papers

Continually present in Gotthold Lessing’s play, Nathan the Wise, is the pursuit for truth. In particular, a truth that goes beyond religion, one that reaches to the depths of humanity: human nature’s freedom. In his play, Lessing reveals the freedom of human nature among mankind through the bonds of friendship. Furthermore, Lessing conveys an optimistic view of human nature in such a way that left to its own devices, human nature will seek the goodness of mankind and fraternity. Friendship in its purest form is not bound to the confines of religious differences, social status, or selfishness. Without religion or society imposing its ideals, human nature is free to pursue truth and seek the goodness in mankind while bonding in friendship. A selfless act is good but good is not an act done for recognition. To Nathan, part of friendship is giving of oneself without receiving. The Templar shows his selflessness when Nathan offers the Templar riches for rescuing his daughter from a fire, but the Templar declines any praise with anti-Semitic insults, â€Å"Permit what, Jew?† (211). The Templar’s refusal, although harsh, seemed to affirm the goodness Nathan saw in the young man, â€Å"A modest greatness would hide behind the monstrous, merely to escape admiration† (212). The lengths the Templar went to in order to save a life is a testament in itself of his goodness, far more powerful than his insults, "I find it strange that such an ugly spot [on Templar’s robe], soiled by the fire, bears better witness than a man’s own lips† (212). For Nathan, friends do not concern themselves with social status, religious beliefs, or titles; but rather, they can distinguish between the man and the facade. In Nathan’s words, "are Jew and Christian, Jew and Christian first and human beings second?" (214). In Act II, Scene IV, Nathan makes an attempt to thank the Templar for fleeing Temptation on behalf of his daughter. In which the Templar replies, â€Å"You know how the Templars ought to think.† Seemingly shocked, Nathan says, â€Å"Templars alone? and merely ought?. . .I know how good men think; I know as well that all lands bear good men† (213). Nathan is not concerned with the Templar’s position which is a mere robe but with the man behind the guise. A Templar is one of many, but a man is one alone both individual and unique. Human nature is not bound by the mind but is shown through the heart in friendship.

Marvells to His Coy Mistress: The Essence Of Time :: essays research papers

Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress": The Essence of Time The male species has a very creative mind. The creative mind becomes particularly active when the case involves the female species. In Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress," the author shows how his creative mind is put to use. Marvell, uses time in an attempt to manipulate his coy mistress. Time is depicted in three different manners. First, Marvell uses "ideal time." In ideal time, he tells how many years he would spend loving her if they were given the opportunity. He explains to his mistress that if time allowed, he would spend hundreds of years just to admire her physical being. Next, he implicates "real time," to persuade her to become accessible to him. In real time, Marvell gives examples of her aging and how she will go to the grave with her pride if she doesn't give in. Finally, the use of "optimum time" plays on her emotions of how sweet the opportunity to make love to her would be. Marvell tells his mistress that the act would be almost animalistic and intense. Throughout the poem, he uses the phases of time in an attempt to frighten her into having sex with him. All three stanza's in the poem represent a different time frame. The first gives his mistress a feeling of unconditional love. He leads her to believe he would give all he has to her as long as time will permit. During the second stanza, Marvell plays on her fear of getting old. He warns her that her beauty isn't everlasting and that she will end up unhappy alone if she doesn't give in. Marvell's use of optimum time, the best time, show's his emotions. He appears to become aggravated. This seems to be his ace in the hole. In my opinion, he uses what he believes to be the dearest thing to her,

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich :: Ancient Rome Roman History

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich The Nazi party affected many people around the world through both the Holocaust and World War II. Hitler had a plan to exterminate all the Jews, and propelled this idea through the Holocaust putting Jews in concentration camps and killing them. Hitler's evil plan caused one of the world's biggest tragedies, World War II. Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the Nazis, was born in Austria just across the border from German Bavaria. Hitler would begin to read his fathers history books about Native Americans and how they were slaughtered along with reading about battles between the Germans and Russians. This would make him familiar to racism at an early age. Hitler did not get along with his father when he was young because his father wanted him to get into politics and he like drawing instead, but he still got into art and the reason he started to hate Jews is because he could not sell his artwork but the Jews did (Shirer 3-14). Hitler still did business with Jewish shop owners in selling his paintings, however, the seeds of hate were planted and would be nurtured by events soon to come, laying the foundation for one of the greatest tragedies in all of human history. Adolf became a drifter for several years after both his parents passed away. Hitler volunteered for the German Army and in his first engagement against the British and Belgians near Pyres, 2,500of the 3,000 men in Hitler's regiment were killed, wounded or missing. This war experience gave Hitler what he needed to one day be a successful military leader. Adolf Hitler joined the committee of the German Workers' Party and entered politics. In the summer of 1920 Hitler chose the swastika for the National Socialist German Workers' Party, for short Nazi. At what is known as The Beer Hall Putsch a man by the name Kahr was giving a speech in front of some 3,000 supporters of the Bavarian government. Hitler shot his pistol in the middle of Kahr's speech and shouted, "The national revolution has begun." The "revolution" began when Hitler lied to the people saying the Bavarian Trumimvirate (Kahr, Lossow, and Seisser) had joined forces with him. When the people applauded the Bavarian Truimvirate joined him (Shirer 35). By the summer of 1923, the Nazi party had grown to 150,000 members.

Differences Between Us and Russian Business Styles Essay

Everyone knows that the key to effective communication is knowledge. And cross-cultural communication is not an exception to the rule. Quite the contrary we have to know not only the basic data about our foreign partner, but also we ought to be acquainted with numerous rules and standards of behavior established in his or her country. To negotiate with our partner we should possess both the minimum personal information about him or her and the maximum information about his or her country. In this essay I’d like to examine differences and common points in styles, traditions and etiquette of the US and Russian negotiations. I believe that present relations between the United States and Russia are quite good. The two countries still have differences, but they increasingly work together on a wide range of political, economic, cultural issues. Despite the fact that we can still destroy each other with our nuclear weapons, our businessmen and entrepreneurs work very closely, and Rus sian-American enterprises and firms develop with increased speed nowadays. Naturally I reckon it makes no sense to have all those warheads. The Cold War is over, and the best thing our countries can do is to be reconciled and to get along well with each other. And business partnership is one of the factors to establish friendly bilateral relations in all aspects of cooperation. However, sometimes it is very difficult to build relationships with people of different cultures, mentalities and customs. And this point concerns both our peoples too, because the Russians utterly differ from the Americans. In fact I consider that actually we also have much in common. So further in this essay I’m going to compare our countries’ negotiation styles and traditions, and to define how much differences we have and how much we have in common. In the first place I want to compare appearance of business circles in Russia and the USA. Both Russian men and women leading the negotiations usually wear conservative dark, often pinstriped, and well-tailored clothes along with good dress shoes. A Russian man is not supposed to take off his jacket during the negotiations, while a businesswoman is more welcomed to be dressed in a pencil skirt than in pants. However on some shirtsleeve meetings Russian people of business prefer to look more casually, in such cases they untie their ties, take off their jackets and can choose suits of more light classic colors, such as gray or camel. Similarly American business people wear conservative suits and ties of dark colors. But women  are also allowed to put on not only classic skirts and dresses, but also pants. In rural areas American people of business can wear their suits even without jackets and ties. Both Russian and American businesswomen are not supposed to wear jeans even on casual occasions. All in all negotiators of both our countries have an utterly conservative look, avoid vivid colors of fabrics and gaudy accessories. In the second place it’s necessary to compare the ways of behavior of Russian and American negoti ators. Be ready to that your counterpart from Russia will not be in time. It is quite appropriate in this country, so do not wait any excuses. What is more is that the higher is the rank of your colleague in the company the more probability he or she will be late for much time. On the contrary it is inappropriate and very offensive for your counterpart in the USA to be late, as every businessperson in this country follows the rule â€Å"time is money†. Gift giving in the USA is discouraged by many firms and companies, because it can be considered as a bribe. A gracious note will be enough for your partner. In contrast of the USA gift giving in Russia goes without saying. The fact is that it is extremely difficult and even impossible to do business in Russia without help from local authorities, thus a pretty penny, a cognac bottle, a chocolate box, a bouquet of flowers or other items can help you by doing business in Russia. It is necessary to take into account that negotiations with Russians often can be unsystematic, as negotiators in Russia can focus on several issues simultaneously. Moreover, the Russians are very emotional, so tantrums and walkouts can occur during the negotiations. Although the Americans are quite emotional too, the negotiations with them are more ordered, as they prefer focusing only on the one issue. During their negotiations Russian businesspeople can make some pauses, while the Americans seem to fill the silent periods and do most of the talking. The Americans are individualistic aggressive self-reliant businessmen who do not care for cultural customs of other countries and very often just neglect them; they have a greater level of tolerance for a variety of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs within a business team. On the contrary people of Russian business most often resort to collective thinking and take collective decisions. However, there is a great hierarchy within the structure of any company, and the subordinates must respect the chain of command and do not offer any ideas their chiefs do not want to take. The US  businesspeople are really initiative and active in contrast with negotiators from Russia who very often bide their time, demonstrating their well-known patience. Russia is renowned for its hostility, so it will be a serious breach of etiquette, if you refuse to take a drink or to have a toast. In the third place I compare the gestures the Americans and Russians have. Both in Russia and the USA you greet your colleague by a firm and lasting a few seconds handshake, but in Russia this handshake should be a little bit firmer. Also shaking hands with someone in Russia be sure that you have taken off your gloves, as it is considered rude not to. Keep good eye contact during your handshake. In the USA the counterparts who are good friends can briefly embrace, though in Russia it is not appropriate. A smile is a sign of friendliness for the US businessmen, while Russian people of business prefer to maintain gravity during the negotiations and do not smile at every occasion. In Russia it is extremely inappropriate to show soles of your boots, as they are considered to be dirty, while in the USA they can put their legs on the table. To laugh and to talk too loudly is regarded as bad manners in Russia. Just quite the reverse it is regarded as a sign of sincerity of a person in the USA. To summarize everything that has been written above, I want to stress the fact that actually both our peoples, including negotiators, do have too many differences. They have a great heap of differences in all aspects, but nevertheless I assume they have one very important common thing: both the US and Russian strive to maintain economic links and friendly relations with each other. To achieve success, business organizations sand negotiators should follow the culture of every particular country. It can be quite a problem for American and Russian people of business, because they do not pay much attention to cultures of other nations. It is quite a bad trait business circles in these countries have. Without understanding culture of a country in which organization want to do business, the organization cannot achieve success because if they don’t know the norms, values, beliefs and attitude of customers and employees then they cannot run their business successfully.

Logarithmic functions

John Napier is the man credited to have contributed hugely to the fields of science, philosophy and mathematics. Many believe that he is the brainchild of the modern computer science since he helped in making multiplication, division and root extraction much easier especially for very large numbers. In the world of mathematics the genius of a man, John Napier is credited to have invented the logarithms as early as 1614 and states in his book The â€Å"Descriptio† that he started contemplating the idea of logarithms twenty years earlier which was in the year 1594. Using Napier’s table in his book, calculations were made using the logarithm identities. These are the present first and second laws of logarithms: Log XY = Log X + Log Y as well as Log X / Y =Log X – Log Y. In his book â€Å"the Descriptio†John Napier defined logarithmic function as a differential equation. When the base is â€Å"b† and the variable is â€Å"x† the logarithm to the base â€Å"b† of the variable â€Å"x† can be defined as the â€Å"power to which you would raise â€Å"b† to get â€Å"x†. Other scientists define logarithm as â€Å"the exponent to which the base must be raised to produce a given number†(Standler, B.R 1990). That is expressed as: if Logbx   = n the bn = x or if Y = bLogx = by = x. there are three laws of logarithm that scientists use in interpreting logarithm: These laws are: The product to sum rule – This law expresses that the product of a logarithm is equal to the sum of the individual logarithms and is expressed as: Log bXY = Log b X+ Log b Y The second law – The quotient of different rule: states that the logarithm of a quotient is the same as subtracting the logarithm of the denominator from the logarithm of the numerator; Logbx/y = Log bx – Logby The third and final law – The power rule; states that logarithm of x equals to the exponent of that power multiplied to the logarithm of x Log bXn =nLogb X Common logarithms As earlier identified a logarithm to be valid must contain a base and a variable. Logarithms are classified into two: Natural logarithms and Common logarithm. In common logarithms the base of the logarithm is assumed to be 10 when not indicated in a function, that is â€Å"log 100 = 2 if the base is not indicated† since if log 10100 = x therefore 10x = 100 hence x = 2. Common logarithm is more prevalent when using arithmetic series as opposed to geometric series. Natural logarithms In the common logarithm system the base is expressed as b whereas in natural logarithms the base number is expressed as â€Å"e†. This number â€Å"e† comes into use after the great mathematician from Switzerland by the name Leonhard Euler. Currently â€Å"e† is the base used in calculus and has since been named as â€Å"natural base†. The value â€Å"e† Can be calculated from a series of factorials starting from one (1) This is; â€Å"e† = 1 + 1/1 +  ½ +1/3 +  ¼Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and from this, the value of â€Å"e† is approximately 2.71828182845904. Currently, when Mathematicians calculate the natural logarithm of a number they indicate it as (log x) whereas physicists and engineers denote natural logarithms as lnX. Therefore log eX=ln X(Olds, C.D.1963) Logarithms make multiplication and division easier especially when using very big numbers, very small numbers and those with decimal points. Scientists use of the 1st and 2nd laws of logarithms when adding the logarithms of the numbers the result is the logarithm of the product of those numbers whereas. Subtracting the logarithms of two numbers gives the logarithm of the quotient of the numbers. These arithmetic properties of logarithms make such calculations much faster and less laborious. Although logarithm table are slowly becoming obsolete due to the invention of calculators and computers, logarithms themselves are still very useful. However, for manual calculations which also require a great degree of precision the logarithm tables are easier since one only needs to look up in the logarithm table and do some summation which are faster and easier than performing multiplication (Weisstein, E.W 2007). Other than making calculations less labor intensive and much faster the use of logarithms also increases the accuracy of the results of calculations. This is because the use of logarithms allows minimal errors as the values in the table are approximations of the actual values and thus the error is spread. The Keplers Rudolphine table that was published in 1627, made use of the logarithms and this resulted in more accurate values of latitudes of stars. They also together with Napier’s Analogues made it cheaper and easier to calculate angles and sides of spherical triangles. The importance of this new technique is evidenced by the development of logarithmic methods based on logarithmic scales enables multiplication to be quick and easy since there is decreased long multiplication. Logarithms are very essential in the work of astronomists, navigators, mathematicians and all other scientific fields like chemistry and physics. Logarithms for chemists Chemists use logarithms to calculate chemical reactions that are ever occurring in the world that we are living in. for instance the measure of acidity of a substance is made easier when using logarithms. In the PH scale substances have PH ranging from 0 –7. A juice with PH of 4 is 10 times more acidic that the one with a PH of 5. This PH scale is logarithmic and when there is a PH change of 1 unit the acidity changes by factor of 10. As identified by students of chemistry the strength of the acidity changes towards the negative direction that is the higher the PH, the less acidic the solution. This was calculated by use of very small numbers such as 0.00001 that is written in logarithmic form as (1 x 10-5) where –5 is the logarithm of the number (Standler B.R.1990). As we all know acidic solutions contain hydrogen ions H+(aq) and the pH is found by measuring the logarithm of the concentration of these ions and since many people would be confused by negative numbers, the PH is written assuming the negative sign and this not withstanding, the PH is a logarithmic scale and the acidity of a solution with a given PH is different from that of the next pH number not by 1unit but by factor 10. Electrical and Electronic engineers use decibels and bels as units of measurements. The bell is devised in a convenient way to measure power loss in a telephone system wiring rather than giving in amplifiers – originally, the bel used to represent the amount of signal power loss due to resistance over a standard length of electrical cable, however, it is presently defined in terms of logarithms of base 10. The Richter scale that is used to measure the earthquake intensity is a perfect analogy of the bel scale. The 6.0 Richter earthquakes are 10 times more powerful than a 5.0 Richter earthquake. This means that an advantage of using a logarithmic measurement scale is the tremendous range of extension affordable by a relatively small span of numerous values. Reference: Strandler, R.B 1990 â€Å"Editorial†: Mathematics for engineers. The journal of Undergraduate mathematics and its application vol II, pages 1-6, spring Olds, C, D, 1963. Continued fractions, Random House New York Weisstein, Eric W. â€Å"Natural logarithm† from math world a wolfram web resource Accessed online on 23/09/07