Technology and Educational Instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Technology and Educational Instruction - Essay Example Computers are tools that can be used to accomplish a myriad of tasks and achieve any one of a number of goals. They can be used to promote higher order thinking skills or to play mindless games. However, research tends to indicate that technology is not being used appropriately in today’s classrooms (Kleiman, 2000; Glennan & Melmed, 1995). One way that this tool can be used is as a catalyst for change. Researchers have found that when a classroom is immersed in technology, many things begin to change in the classroom. Teacher/student relationships change as teachers get away from the role of instructor and begin to come alongside the student as facilitator or coach. This is a result of a change in the way that teachers teach, moving from traditional instruction with lecture, drill-and-practice, and rote memorization of facts toward a constructivist model which promotes active student learning through inquiry, problem solving, and collaboration with peers and adults. However, these are not the only changes technology can bring to the classroom. Technology integration, done correctly, can lead to success for everyone (Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow, 1995). In 1996, President Clinton and Vice-President Gore introduced the purpose for technology integration in the Technology Literacy Challenge. The reason for technology in the classroom is not to provide state of the art equipment for its own sake. Instead, the role of technology is to increase student achievement by using this tool (Wenglinsky, 1998). Many states have invested millions of dollars into technology. ... Teacher/student relationships change as teachers get away from the role of instructor and begin to come alongside the student as facilitator or coach. This is a result of a change in the way that teachers teach, moving from traditional instruction with lecture, drill-and-practice, and rote memorization of facts toward a constructivist model which promotes active student learning through inquiry, problem solving, and collaboration with peers and adults. However, these are not the only changes technology can bring to the classroom. Technology integration, done correctly, can lead to success for everyone (Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow, 1995). In 1996, President Clinton and Vice-President Gore introduced the purpose for technology integration in the Technology Literacy Challenge. The reason for technology in the classroom is not to provide state of the art equipment for its own sake. Instead, the role of technology is to increase student achievement by using this tool (Wenglinsky, 1998). Many states have invested millions of dollars into technology. In 1996, Pennsylvania launched a three-year program named Link to Learn, a project costing $ 109 million (Yakel & Lamberski, 2000). The goal, according to Governor Tom Ridge, was to "keep Pennsylvania educationally and econmomiclaly competitive in a world that increasingly relies on technology," (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1998). More specifically, the commonwealth wanted toassist schools in getting technology, to change education so that it extended beyond the walls of the schools, to give teachers resources and abilities to integrate technology in their classrooms, to enable schools and libraries to become technology

European Imperialism and its Impact on Africa and Asia Essay Example for Free

European Imperialism and its Impact on Africa and Asia Essay European imperialism in Africa and Asia developed as a result of certain motivations which seemed to fit the prevailing world view following the Napoleonic wars.   Economic interests (ie, global expansion of domestic markets), maintaining the safety of trade routes, keeping colonies free from foreign influence and threats, national prestige in maintaining colonies, and finally, living up to a moral duty and the missionary and evangelical movements were all motivations given by European governments to justify its interference into Africa and Asia. As Europe became more crowded, as continental empires declined, and a more current world view came into focus, the Europe’s powers were motivated to find a replacement system that would best preserve their respective positions as a world economic, military and moral leader. Great Britain took the lead in establishing systematic imperial possessions in African and Asia.   Power, prestige and economic interests lay at the heart of building Britain’s empire.   The reason was simple, a vast global economy with Britain at the hub was sure to ensure the economic health and vitality of the British (Hyam 1).   Forging a permanent presence in India, China and Africa were vital to this cause (Brown 199-200).   Britain’s ‘Grand Design,’ which sought to enhance Britain’s power through the expansion of informal empire, was the name of the policy attributed to Prime Minister Palmerston in the 1850s and ‘60s (Hyam 86). As the British empire began to decline towards the end of the 19th century, other countries, like Germany, the Netherlands and France opted to partition Africa and Asia, creating pieces of the pie sufficient to sate everyone’s appetite from the 1880’s through the onset of World War I. Imperialism had a positive and negative impact on the European nations.   Though trade and prestige were greatly increased, eventually, competition developed for the more lucrative portions of the colonized East.   This led to showdowns between western powers on African and Asian territory.   The British and the Russians fought the Crimean War in the 1850s (Brown 197) and the British and the French nearly had an armed along the Nile at Fashoda in 1898 (Steele 328).   The notion of any of these nations being at odds with all of the others, led the nations to seek alliances amongst themselves (and Russia and Japan), which was a major reason for the start of World War I (Hyam 271). The impact on the African and Asian nations was far more negative than positive.   China suffered the humiliation of Opium wars, during which the British forcefully created a domestic opium market in China to finance its own trade (Brown 205) and the Boers of South Africa were colonized for hundreds of years by the Dutch and the subject of Atrocities by the British during the Second Boer war from 1899-1902 (Steele 360).   To an extent, the imperialists did improve the infrastructure (by way of railroads and ports), but on the whole, the Europeans ruled the colonized peoples of Africa and Asia a sense of racial superiority and propensity to violently subdue any native unrest.   Another negative impact was the ubiquitous slave trade, especially during the first half of the 19th century. The African and Asian continents were collected, traded and bandied about between the powers of Western Europe as if they were common commodities.   When the colonies had lost their utility, often times the European imperialist would pack their bags and leave, without regard to the state of the people or land they were leaving behind.   Despite the legitimate motivations (such as expanding trade) and self-serving justifications (such as Christian missions) used by the Europeans at the time, the impact of imperialism is still felt by peoples indigenous to these lands today.   Based on all of the above, it is safe to conclude that European imperialism on the whole had a negative impact on the Africa and Asia.

‘Nature Versus Nurture’ as Predictors of Happiness

‘Nature Versus Nurture’ as Predictors of Happiness Pauline Tovee Write a critical discussion essay in response to the following task, based on your close reading of any five of the ten source texts, Texts 1 – 10 Draw on any five of the ten sources texts, discuss the relative importance of ‘nature versus nurture’ as predictors of happiness This assignment will discuss the relative importance of ‘nature versus nurture’ as predictors of happiness. The assignment will also compare and contrast all sides of the equation and discuss which is the most important as a predictor of happiness ‘nature or ‘nurture’ or whether both have a bearing on happiness. The stance taken in this assignment is that neither ‘nature’ or ‘nurture’ can fulfil the role of a single predictor, and that the combining of both the genetic and environmental factors, contribute to happiness. Defining happiness is not an easy task to accomplish. However, it can be argued that a simple definition of happiness is a sensation of positivity which covers a whole range of feelings or emotions, from pleasure to gratification. (Spoors et al, as cited in Text 2, L185, 2014). On one hand, with regard to ‘nature’, it has been argued a healthy lifestyle equates to a happy brain. Sugar has also been explored as having an important role within our brains and bodies, to keep a stable quantity available continuously. The blood sugar within one’s body fluctuates throughout the day; thus when the sugar level is at its peak one feels elated or happy within one’s mood span. However, when one’s blood sugar level has decimated to a low level, moods can change to one of irritability and tiredness, thus the cells do not get enough of the chemicals they require to function correctly. Then again, it has also been debated, brain activity is also a way of gauging happiness by simply inquiring of people on how happy that were at a particular time, though this is not specifically accurate. If two people say they are comparatively happy, one can still not be certain that both individuals are, in reality, encountering exactly the same intensity of happiness. A procedure used by Davidson, with the use of an electroencephalograph (EEG), measures action within the brain, including parts of the brain which are not active. The active part of the brain produces electrical pulses. These are selected by the electrodes located on the head. However, what Davidson did discover was that in people who stated they were feeling happy and cheerful, the action in the frontal area of the brain, on the left-hand side was more active. When pessimistic thoughts were portrayed, there was more action in the frontal area of the brain on the right-hand side. (Spoors et al, as cited in Text 3, L 185, 2014) However, ‘nurture can also play its role in the pursuit of happiness with respect to social influences. People who are loved and valued by their families are more likely to have happy dispositions than those who are undervalued and exploited by their conflicting roles within the family circle. People who are involved within formal occupations or those who work in the home, for example those who study, care for others (including children) and those who work taking care of the home, can each form a foundation of happiness. Work does not only provide people with financial support, but can also give people a sense of achievement and add meaning to their lives. Peter Warr (2007) equates employment to having one’s daily dose of vitamins, a certain amount of which is need for wellbeing and health. Richard Layard (2008) claims ‘Unemployment (in the broadest sense) can reduce happiness by destroying self-respect and the positive social relationships created by work’ In addition, researchers in psychology claim people who live in western society are, by and large, more happy than those in other societies in a survey taken of approximately 80,000 people in over 178 separate countries. Adrian White created a ‘happiness’ level of these countries. At the highest position was Denmark which was trailed closely by Switzerland, Austria and Iceland. However, countries such as Zimbabwe and Burundi were the least happiest countries. Researchers have suggested people who are living in countries whose economy is developing, may well have more amounts of happiness, which clearly define the feeling of ‘contentment’ than, for example, those who live in western societies. Further research done by the New Economics Foundation in 2006, discovered that the Pacific Island of Vanuatu, was purported to be the happiest nation on Earth, even though it is one of the poorest countries. (Spoors et al, as cited in Text 6, L185, 2014). In comparison, the question can be asked time and time again; are we the product of either our genes or simply of our environment, the physical, social and also the cultural? As Phoenix argues, ‘Whilst psychological debates are often presented as dichotomies (fixidty versus change: nature versus nurture), these debates should not be seen as requiring either/or choices’ (Phoenix, A. 2007, as cited in Text 1, L185, 2014) From evidence available, being naturally happy (by nature) and a in a nurturing (environment and experience) happiness, can influence peoples’ happiness. Research has shown that twins who are identical (have identical genes) are more comparable in their levels of happiness, than a set of twins who do not have the same identical genes. Layard argues ‘Scientists have shown that our family relationships are more important than any other single factor affecting our happiness’. (Layard, 2005). Maybe the fundamental message is that the majority of people, irrespective of their genes or their environment, are able to take the key steps to expand their levels of contentment, for example happiness and their emotional wellbeing. Happiness does not only come from outside influences and our environment, but also from within one’s self. Neither of the two is in conflict with each other. ‘The true pilgrim fights the evils of the world out there and cultivates the s pirit within’ (Layard, 2005 as cited in L185, Text 7). In conclusion the evidence indicates that although ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ do play an important role within one’s dreams of happiness, they are not separate in that role. The influence of each position contributes to happiness as a whole. It is not easy to define happiness completely; what may be complete contentment for one person is not the same for another, for we are all different in our genetic makeup and our environment and general upbringing. Word Count: 1025 References: The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 1: Avoiding Dichotomies in Psychological Thinking [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.2 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 2: What Makes Us Happy? [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.2 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 3: What Makes Us Happy – Happy Brains [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.3 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 6: What Makes Us Happy – Social Influences [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.6 (accessed 17 May 2014) The Open University (2012), L185, English for Academic Purposes, EMA, Text 7: Naturally Happy and Nurturing Happiness [online] https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=302192section=3.7 (accessed 17 May 2014)

The Amazon :: Essays Papers

The Amazon History of Technology Can you image how the Amazon Basin would look if development had never started? The colonization of the Amazon is very similar to what happened in the American West in the 1800s. What took approximately 80 years to accomplish in the United States, has taken far fewer year in the Amazon Basin. The Amazon Basin consists of the widest rivers in the world and they flow through the largest rain forest, traveling through nine nations. The people of the Amazon Basin have been there for as long as 10,000 years. The first people to live along the Amazon were South American Indians who arrived from the north. The Amazon is very important because, "The Amazon is like an enormous breathing machine, with each tree and plant absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen. The Amazon jungles contribute to the atmosphere of the entire plant." (The Cousteau Society, 21) There are many different tribes living in the Amazon Basin and many have never seen modern technology. The tribes of the Amazon prefer to be called Amerindians, and they have many different groups or societies. With the creation of the roads cutting through the Amazon, the Amerindian has diminished greatly in size and has expressed concern about their forest. The chief of the Kayapo people has said, "We are fighting to defend the forest. It is because the forest is what makes us, and what makes out hearts go." (Rain Forest Amerindians, 11) The decision to cut roads through the Amazon Basin was encouraged after it was discovered what vast resources were available and the desire to acquire them took precedence. The region has large amounts of latex from the rubber trees, minerals such as, ore, aluminum, copper, natural gas, potassium, nickel, manganese, iron, gold and even diamonds. To obtain these resources, roads were constructed by bulldozing through the forest. This was accomplished by burning, spraying poison from the air and by huge tractors dragging chains across the ground. Because of this need to obtain the resources, several roads were built throughout the Amazon Basin. The Beli'mBrasilia Highway was constructed across the eastern edge of the forest at the month of the Amazon. The Tran Amazonian Highway was also built from the Atlantic coast through the heart of the forest to Peru and is 2,672 miles long.

ESmith Assignment 10: National and Global Finance Essay

(16.0 points) 1. Choose an example of a type of new company you could start, and then use this company idea to answer the questions below. You might choose a pet store, a restaurant, a tutoring business, or something else. This can be the same type of company you chose in assignment 8 or 9, or it can be different. a. Describe the type of business you chose. (1-2 sentences. 0.5 points) * The type of business I would start would be for family or friends gatherings. This business would be place people come to eat and social, a nice, warm environment. b. Describe at least two ways in which the local, state, or federal government would have an impact on your business. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) * Whether businesses owners know it or not, but the government create laws and regulation to protect the business. Two ways the government would have an impact on my business is by setting a price ceiling and price floor. These both determines whether or not my items is too high or low for its’ good. 2. Describe at least one advantage and one disadvantage of price ceilings and price floors. Do you think price ceilings and floors are more helpful or more harmful to consumers and the economy? Explain. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) * One advantage of price ceilings is that it helps the consumers to have a chance to buy products, and stop producers of taking advantage of such a catastrophe. The disadvantage between this price ceiling and the common ones is that the price ceiling is set on the equilibrium before the catastrophe and not under the equilibrium. 3. Describe at least two negative outcomes of having too little money and credit in the economy. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) * It would cause a scarcity of currency, leading to rapid deflation, and also, overproduction of goods means major markets would plummet in value, outbalancing demand, leading to major losses for the producers. 4. Describe at least two negative outcomes of having too much money and credit in the economy. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) * Negative effects of inflation include an increase in the opportunity cost of holding money, uncertainty over future inflation which may discourage investment and savings, and if inflation is rapid enough, shortages of goods as consumers begin hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future. 5. Which Fed tool do you think is most important, and why? (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) * The most important job the Fed has is to manage the nation’s money and the overall economy. Controlling the inflation rate and maintaining employment and production aren’t easy tasks. The Fed has to have some pretty hefty tools up its sleeve in order to influence the economy of an entire country — especially one the size of the United States. 6. Choose one of the following government agencies or laws: FTC, EPA, FDA, CPSC, OSHA, FLSA, EEOC, ADA, SEC, or Affirmative Action. Search online to learn more about the agency or law, and then describe three specific things the law or agency accomplishes. Make sure the information comes from a trustworthy website. Include a link to the website in your answer. (3-6 sentences. 1.5 points) * The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a U.S. agency responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm247559.htm 7. Describe at least two products that are commonly imported into the United States. (1-2 sentences. 0.5 points) * Products that are commonly imported in the United States are oil, cars, and clothes. These products are very important to humanity. 8. Describe at least two products that are commonly exported from the United States to other countries. (1-2 sentences. 0.5 points) * Products that are commonly exported from the United States are things such as medicines,  aircrafts, and cars. These are products are also important to humanity of different countries. 9. Why does the U.S. government encourage U.S. companies to sell their products in other countries? Explain how this helps the U.S. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) * So companies can increase company revenue and be able to dominate international markets in order to establish more stores and spread product around. A good example is McDonalds, they are everywhere. This helps the US because in revenue allows a company to keep its base in the US, increase the national gross product, drive consumer activity, keep jobs, and increase the export business, which goes along with jobs. 10. Find the value of one U.S. dollar in a foreign currency. You might choose the Euro, the Japanese Yen, the Canadian dollar, or another currency. List the type of currency and the current value of the U.S. dollar in that country. (1.0 points) TIP: http://www.google.com/finance/converter is a good resource for foreign currency information. * Here is a good resource for foreign currency information.. 1 USD = 0.7650 EURO ; 1 USD = 83.1800 JPY ; 1 USD = 0.9846 CAD 11. Describe at least three exchange rate factors that are likely to attract foreign investors to a country’s currency. Explain why these factors are attractive for foreign investors. (3-6 sentences. 3.0 points) * Exchange rates are prices that are determined by supply and demand. For some countries the exchange rate is the single most important price in the economy because it determines the international balance of payments. Although no model has been consistent in predicting short-term foreign exchange rate behavior, there are several major concepts that play a role in determining the long-term behavior of foreign exchange rates. The first concept is based on the idea that the current price of an asset reflects all available information; and therefore, only unexpected events cause exchange rates.

Lawford Electric Company Essay

Critical Summary This sale was Lawford’s to lose. Lawford Electric Company’s ongoing, 8-year relationship with Bayfield Milling Company, coupled with the geographic proximity of the two businesses, gave them a competitive advantage upon which they were unable to capitalize. The price tag of the drive system for which Lawford prepared a competitive bid represented more than 17 years of Bayfield’s average annual purchases from Lawford. ¹ Sales engineer Robert Allen’s approach was simplistic and his notes suggest an assumption that the $871,000 sale would be a slam dunk, largely due to the factors mentioned in the opening paragraph. Each of the three sentences which comprise Allen’s strategy reveals a flawed perception of his role. His strategy was centered only on key decision makers and his priorities were 1) emphasizing benefits and 2) â€Å"influencing the final specs† (pg. 3), rather than utilizing an inquisitive, collaborative approach to gain a genuine understanding of customer needs. Allen bombarded his contacts at Bayfield with specs, benefits, and pamphlets and regarded as trivial several potentially significant interactions. He made unfounded assumptions and, as a result of his focus on influencing the process, missed opportunities to explore and adequately address customer concerns. ² In addition, the number and frequency of calls and visits made by Allen to Bayfield seem relatively low considering the size of the contract. Lawford Electric did not win this contract because they lacked sufficient information to provide an ideal solution. Problem Statement Lawford Electric must ensure that its sales force has the training and support necessary to close sales using an approach whereby customer needs are fully explored. Suggested Alternatives Sustain Quandary Adoption of this strategy is to maintain the status quo at Lawford Electric. Elevate, Collaborate, and Evaluate Adoption of this strategy would see Lawford Electric â€Å"sharpen the saw†, i.e. provide training which would elevate the sales skills of its managers and sales force. Management and sales personnel would periodically analyze journal entries and perform collaborative, qualitative assessment of salespersons’ strategies, tactics, and results. Operation ‘86’ Adoption of this strategy would have Lawford Electric relieve Robert Allen and/or Fred Webster of their employment for letting this sale slip through their fingers. Choice Elevate, Collaborate, and Evaluate This is the best option because it is most likely to improve Lawford’s sales process, improve customer relationships, and increase sales. Benefits of this approach include the sharing of knowledge gained from collaborative analysis and the lessening of likelihood that costly missteps will be repeated. Implementation 1. Research and schedule sales training for staff. Estimated Time of Completion (ETC) 2 weeks 2. Schedule monthly meetings with each salesperson to discuss activity, providing for higher frequency of meetings for high-ticket bids or otherwise abnormal situations. ETC 2 days 3. A. Select sample of past cases from sales team. ETC After sales training B. Dissect and analyze 1 sample case ETC 1 week C. Disseminate findings to all employees of Lawford Electric. ETC 3 days D. Repeat with another case Conclusion Lawford Electric’s customer relationships and long-term revenue had likely been suffering as a direct result of the approach used in this case. Going forward, a focus on understanding customer needs will be integral to their success. APPENDIX 1. Bayfield’s â€Å"annual purchases from Lawford occasionally totaled as much as $50,000†. Proposed price of system: $871,000. 871,000/50,000 = 17.42 2. Examples include: 1.13.78 – Allen assumed that Gibson’s â€Å"pretty hard-nosed† comment pertained to cost. It is noted on 11.13.78 that Lorenz, â€Å"it turned out, was a stickler for attention to small details.† 3.14.78 –Upon learning of the Bayfield engineers’ downtime, Allen may have used this as a chance to gain access to them. The original reason given for their unavailability, on 1.13.78, was that they were busy working on problems with the new line. 5.30.78 – â€Å"Good-naturedly† dismissed an issue brought to his attention by the foreman regarding instability of a Lawford regulator. This represents a lost opportunity to create goodwill by discussing and working to address the issue. 7.17.78 – The last two sentences of this entry are potentially dangerous. Here, Allen made . 9.20.78 – He notes that Lorenz â€Å"asked very few additional questions† and â€Å"seemed sold on the Lawford benefits.† A lack of questions often indicates a lack of interest. The lack of questions is especially curious in this case, where the myriad technical details would seem to generate several questions and/or topics of discussion. 11.13.78 – Allen finds out that Lorenz is â€Å"a stickler for attention to small details,† which contradicts his earlier assumption that cost was paramount.