Crime Analysis in the State of NY and California Term Paper

Crime Analysis in the State of NY and California - Term Paper Example On the other hand, mayhem could be a combined assault or battery with exceedingly high deprivation of an individual to defend or fight for his or her life (Indermaur & Bennett, 1997). Therefore, these three crimes could be defined based on the following classifications: degree of physical harm, the intensity of crime committed, and the intensity of violence. Of all three of them, what is substantially less graphic is the assault. There is just an attempt to do physical harm in the assault, while in battery and mayhem; there is a remarkable and actual physical contact. On the other hand, mayhem is significantly most remarkable when it comes to the degree of physical harm because it could be combined assault or battery, however, there is an inclusion of disabling an individual to fight or defend one’s self. ...Finally, all these three crimes are considered violent, but sometimes assault cannot be significantly categorized as one due to the absence of physical evidence. Assault, however, may potentially result in psychological trauma and this could be remarkably used as evidence to recognize it as a violent crime based on the physical evidence. It is not hard to prove physical evidence from the battery because of the remarkable indication of violence. There can be actual inclusion of physical harm in battery and this evidence could be used to recognize the intensity of violence committed. Finally, mayhem may be potentially considered as highly violent due to a remarkable high level of physical evidence even to the point that it may cause the victim’s death. Classification Kidnapping False imprisonment Offense against a person’s liberty or freedom Remarkable (Bacigal, 2008) Remarkable (Bacigal, 2008) Physical movement A requirement (Bacigal, 2008) Not a requirement (Bacigal, 2008) Kidnapping and false imprisonment are all crimes committed against a person’s liberty or freedom.  

Internet Filtration Software Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet Filtration Software - Essay Example It was basically designed against the online porn companies, it also counteract the tactics of aggressive website. There are many internet software choices available; I choose two which I think are best and the most popular. The overall rating is full and it is one of the oldest and the trusted filtering software in the market. It has a ContentWatch pooled Dynamic Contextual Analysis, remote administration, an innovative, user-friendly interface. The filtration capability is not as good as Net Nanny but it is also trusted by many people worldwide. It gives the facility to check your computer usage from any other computer. That's why it's easier. It also controls the personal information from going out unlike Net Nanny, it monitors chats, pop-up blocking and also shows history reports. It can also work with every browser and windows version plus Mac3. CIPA stands for Children'sInternetProtectionAct; it is especially designed for the safeguard of children against obnoxious or unsafe material on theInternet. CIPA amendments direct schools and libraries to have Internet safety and a technology-based method of blocking access to anything which is harmful for the child4. AUP (acceptable usage policy) are rules applied by websites owner, but there are million of websites which do not follow these like wikipedia or all sorts of blogs. So in that case COPPA jumps in and make it all these things work as it can control these websites. Our school has many things under control like messengers, wikipedia, and every porn website. Even though COPPA is for under 13 it applied to us aswell. Question 5: COPPA: The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a law created to protect theprivacyof children under 135. COPPA have much tighter rules and laws as compare to that of CIPA as COPPA also controls the excessive use of wikipedia and blogs. REFERENCES - COPPA. 2008. CRM sources. Retrieved on 13th November 2008. http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid11_gci1262738,00.html - Guide to Effective Searching of the Internet. May 1998. Search Tutorial. Retrieved on 13th November 2008. http://www.psychologia.uj.edu.pl/wolski/Metodologia/Teksty/Isrch.PDF - Net Nanny Parental Control 5.6. 2008.Top Reviews. Retrieved on 13th November 2008. http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/netnanny-review.html - Safe Eyes. 2008. Top Reviews. Retrieved on 13th November 2008. http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/safe-eyes-review.html - What is CIPA. 2008. Internet.com. Retrieved on 13t

Implications For Classroom Teachers Education Essay

Implications For Classroom Teachers Education Essay Learning is the process that results in a relatively enduring change in a person or persons (Alexander et al, 2009: 186). According to Winn, 1990, learning is a dynamic process whereby the students knowledge and skills are different when compared before to after learning. Since teaching is the promotion of learning, our knowledge of learning and the corresponding theories in how we learn should inform our teaching (Muijs, 2007). Understanding how knowledge is developed can allow teachers to shape the methodological delivery of their subject content to match the theoretical frameworks underpinning how knowledge is enhanced. Attending to the way students learn can be used to foster effective teaching practices, allowing teachers to improve their practice, and ultimately enhacne the quality of the learners experience (Macleod Golby, 2003). A number of educational researchers, including Vytsgosy 1986, Piaget, 1976, Skinner 1974; Bandura 1986 amongst others, offer learning paradigms to explain how individuals learn. For the purposes of this assignment the extremes of this learning theory spectrum, which are represented by the Behaviourist and Constructivist theories of learning, will be discussed. Inevitably, learning and teaching poses a synergistic relationship, reinforcing the need for teachers to teach with an approach that reflects how students naturally learn (Muijs, 2007), and subsequently consider the implications of the learning theories on their classroom practice. The behaviouristic theory of learning Learning, according to behaviourists (Skinner 1974; Bandura 1986), is defined as the acquisition of new behaviour. The focus of behaviourism is the conditioning of observable human behaviour and revolves around the principal conception that a reaction is made in response to a specific stimulus (Prittard, 2009). This reaction leads to a consequence. If the consequence is pleasant and positive, the behaviour change becomes reinforced via positive reinforcement. With consistent reinforcement, the behaviour pattern becomes conditioned and is automatically activated upon stimuli presentation. Physiologically, behaviourist theories propose that learning is achieved through reinforcement of a particular neural pathway, which links the stimuli and response in the brain. This repeated activation and reinforcement ultimately strengthens the neural pathways and connections between the stimuli and specific responses, resulting in a faster, smoother implementation of certain responses (Pritchard, 2009). Behaviourists identify this form of learning as conditioning, where with consistent reinforcement the behaviour pattern becomes conditioned. Classical conditioning involves the reinforcement of a natural reflex or behaviours which occur naturally as a response to a specific stimulus. In contrast, operant conditioning involves reinforcing behaviour by praising it, or discouraging undesirable behaviour with punishment (Prittard, 2009). Constructivist advocates, including Vygotsky 1986 and Piaget (1970; 1976) amongst others, began to criticise the behaviourist approach, as it was seen too teacher centred and directed, void of meaningful learning and the teacher process was focused too much on individual rather than collaborative group work. In addition, the constructivist theorists challenged the behaviourist proposed separation between mental processing and knowledge, which had to be bridged by the role of a teacher (Prittard, 2009). The Constructivist Theory The constructivist movement was formed on Piagets (1976) and Vygotsky (1986) work who viewed learning as the effect of mental construction, whereby learners combined their existing knowledge with new information, to construct meaning and formulated their understanding (Cholewinski, 2009). The constructivist theory proposes that learning is an active, contextual process, a social activity, centred on constructing meaning and regards the learner as a responsible agent in their knowledge acquisition (Loyens 2007; Cholewinski 2009). In constructivist learning, individuals use world-based experiences in an effort to make sense of what they perceive and establish their understanding of their surroundings (Harris, 1994). Since constructivism involves learners to interact with their immediate learning environment, learning has been considered to be situation-specific and context-bound activity (McInerney and McInerney, 2002). Constructivism is an umbrella term to encompass the wide range of constructivist perspectives, which can be separated into two branches; cognitive constructivism (Piaget, 1976) and social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1986). Both sub-types believe that knowledge is actively constructed by individuals (Birenbaum 2003), however through the use of different mediums; either through a series of internal, intellectual stages (cognitive constructivism), or by social interaction (social constructivism). The numerous perspectives on constructivism within these two sub-types could be essentially grouped around a rooted assumption about learning. That is, knowledge is actively constructed by the learner (Birenbaum 2003; Harris and Alexander 1998). Piagets (2001) developmental stage theory, which represents cognitive constructivism, presents four age-referenced development stages which provide a theory of gradual cognitive development up to the age of eleven years old. The stages refer to an explicit age range and characterise the cognitive abilities necessary at each stage to construct meaning of ones environment. Social constructivism emphasises the role of language in the process of intellectual development. Vygotsky considered dialogue, usually with a more knowledgeable other, as a vehicle by which concepts are considered, shared and developed. The dialogue, which is based on learners pre existing and current knowledge (schemas), is then exploited to develop and construct new ideas and understanding. Vygotsky advocates that the process of learning involves moving into and across a zone of proximal development, which is aided by the intervention of another through support. The zone of proximal development is a theoretical space of understanding which is just above the level of an individuals current understanding. The process of giving support to learners at the appropriate time and level of sophistication to meet the individual needs is termed scaffolding. Scaffolding can allow the movement from one zone to another and assists in the passing through the zone of proximal development. From reviewing the literature, educational researchers which employ these constructivist principles select aspects from both strands of this learning theory (Biggs, 1979), and use constructivist theories as a generalised term. Therefore, for the purpose of this assignment, the term constructivism will reflect a collaboration of both social and cognitive strands; however specific branches and the implications of these strands are highlighted where necessary. Critique of learning theories and associated implications upon classroom practice A review of the literature suggests that behaviouristic learning does not offer students the chance to develop deep meaning and understanding (Entwistle Smith, 2002), but instead has a tendency to promote superficial learning of skills (Fosnot, 1996). Making a correct response and remembering content does not necessarily imply understanding, and consequently the actual understanding achieved through behavioural approaches is challenged. Marton et al, (1997) and Entwistle and Smith (2002) conclude that the use of rote memorisation represents a learning approach to a surface level of understanding, whilst establishing links with current knowledge, as encouraged by constructivists, reflects an approach for a deeper level of understanding. This suggests that academic and subject knowledge learning, based on the behaviouristic theory, may not be academically supported. Furthermore, from a constructivist perspective, the principle of learning using prior experience is also beneficial in promoting a deeper and richer understanding (Pressley, Harris Marks, 1992). Demerici 2009 advises that information which is connected to a learners prior experiences is more likely to be retained, explaining higher retention rates when a constructivist approach is adopted. (Demirici and Yavuz, 2009). Research suggests that learning through such constructive mediums, like discussion, participation and practice, are academically successful and associated with learning gains and knowledge retention (Demirci Yavuz, 2009). Dericimi also reported a significant difference in post-test grades and retention learning tests grades, with the constructivist approach being more efficient than the conventional, behaviouristic approach. Cumulatively, the research suggests that constructivist approaches lead to a richer and deeper understanding. It is therefore plausible to suggest that the quality and depth of understanding associated to a constructivist teaching approach is more likely to exceed that of the behaviourist approach. However, as Entwhistle and Smith (2002) identify, the association between memorisation and surface approach learning may be weak. Kember, (1996) and Watkins and Biggs (1996) reported that memorisation can be used to learn unfamiliar terminology, as the first stage to establishing understanding. This concept, where memorisation is part of meaningful learning, is defined as memorising with understanding (Marton, Watkins, Tang, 1997; Meyer, 2000) and has been conducted by students as a successful revision tool (Entwistle Entwistle, 2001). Controversially, Fox (2001) suggests that the constructivist theory may imply that remembering is not important, and that learning is solely centred on understanding concepts. However, neither of these are true, and being able to remember knowledge is an important prerequisite of learning. In addition, Biggs, (1998) and Jin and Cortazzi, (1998) have reported that constructivist teaching approaches dont consistently guarantee teaching effectiveness. Instead, traditional, more behaviourist approaches to learning in large classes has proven to be successful internationally, such as in China. Fox, 2001, argues that constructivism neglects the role of memorisation and mechanical learning techniques Arguably, due to the varying nature of meaning which is uncontrollably constructed by students, in some cases, rote learning and memorisation may be more useful when teaching factual concepts and where clarity in understanding is required. Rote learning may be used to help students cope better with some aspects of work that they find difficult. In addition, Smith (2001, 2002) affirms that rote learning can contribute to understanding. However, teachers must consider that rote learning is not an approach to develop understanding and therefore where possible, should be followed by attempts to encourage and promote understanding. For example teachers could consider engaging with the subject content and provoking discussion of the content in an effort to encourage more meaningful understanding. Group work may play a very important role in reinforcing subject knowledge and working to gether and collaborating with peers could be a useful teaching and learning tool. Ultimately, it appears that behaviouristic learning approaches can be beneficial for particular tasks such as establishing classroom behaviour (Prittard, 2009). For example, Muijs Reynolds (2003) report that standard school and classroom routines and expectations for behaviour can be successfully learnt through behaviouristic approaches. Therefore, teachers need to consider whether the learning is academic or behavioural before teaching the class. In the case of behaviour management, a strategy to quieten the class, such as raising of the hand, or counting down from three could be effectively used. In this case, the stimulus, such as the teacher raising their hand or calling out the number three, must be fully explained to the class. In addition, the stimuli must be fully visible and audible to the students, which is possible with a clearly risen hand or an assertive voice. The response desired, such as a student raising of the hand and silence, must be fully understood by students. It is important that the stimulus-response occurrence is repeated by the teacher and used regularly. The same strategy should be employed every time the teacher wants to quieten the class, establishing consistency of stimuli and behavioural response. This repeated activation strengthens the pathways, affording for a smoother and faster implementation of the response. Pupils should be made aware of the negative and positive consequences if they do not respond to the stimuli as desired and the consequences need to be kept consistent. Therefore, consistency of behaviour management strategies is crucial and classroom practice must adhere to the same strategise as the same stimuli is presented for a specific response. Behaviourism relies on reinforcement which is employed to condition the behaviour, and therefore is essentially the tool which brings about learning. Therefore rewards and punishments for behaviours must play a crucial role and actively administered within classroom practice. Behaviourism may therefore stimulate and encourage more use of positive reinforcement which has been a well recognised effective classroom practice (Elliott and Busse, 1991). However teachers must consider that rewarding children who are already highly motivated may not be as effective, and may actually lead to a loss of interest (Prittard, 2009) Rewards and praise have been shown to enhance motivation, and serve as an effective behaviour management tool, however, praising students may not come naturally to teachers. Behaviouristic approaches to learning appear to be more favourable to certain individuals, and teachers need to consider the pupils concerned and whether this approach to learning suits their learning styles, needs and ability. For example, Prittard (2009) reports that behaviouristic methods are more advantageous for those pupils who display anxious tendencies and low motivation. In contrast, those of higher academic ability perceive simplistic drill and practice unsatisfying and dull (Prittard 2009). In addition, some students demand understanding, yet adhering to behaviouristic learning approaches does not accommodate this requirement. In other situations, the concepts of learning without understanding can fuel frustration, lead to misconceptions and generate a difficult learning environment (Prittard 2009) Another important consideration is that behaviourist approaches dont take account of mental cognitive processing involved in learning. In contrast, constructivism emphasises that the learners must develop their understanding for themselves and constructivist researchers advocate that mental activity is the lifeblood of learning and the extent of what is learnt (Jonassen Rohrer-Murphy, 1999). However, the constructivist theory may imply that all individual differences in learning come down to the consequences of each learners history of learning (Loyens, 2008). Furthermore, although we do learn by acquiring knowledge from our environments through interacting with the external world, Fox highlights that the environment also acts upon learners. That is, we act and react, and learning can be achieved from both experiences. However, constructivism appears to fail to acknowledge adaptive instinctive responses as reactive forms of learning (Fox, 2001) and the role of talent in cognitive development. Furthermore, Fox (2001) and Bredo, (2000) argue that constructivism discounts the role of innate, motivational and genetic factors in knowledge construction, which have been proven to play a role in cognitive development and learning (Carey Spelke, 1994). Teachers therefore cannot assume that the products of learning are solely the teachers effort and thought; instead learning is externally and internally influenced. Importantly, teachers need to provide activities which engage and challenge learners. This demands a board array of work which is differentiated to the learners intellect.. Teachers need to offer scope of activities where the accustomed effort and activity falls on the learners responsibility. Differentiation is a critical implication in the classroom to assure that all pupils have to apply mental effort and take an active role in their own learning. Such opportunities would afford learner engagement and optimise the possibility of effective lasting learning taking place (Prittard, 2009). Personalisation is also crucial to ensure all learners, despite genetic and innate differences which may affect their learning are accounted for. If a pupil is set tasks which do not require thought or challenge, learning constructively will fail. Piagets stage developmental theory offers guidance covering the level of complexity that may be expected in a childs thought processes at approximate stages in their development. Piagets Theory may guide a teachers differentiation as to the ability of pupils, and the required scaffolding and support in order to facilitate the movement between zones of cognitive development. Whilst Piagets developmental stage theory influences principally primary school teaching practices, given the ages this theory is related to, the appreciation and awareness that cognitive ability develops with age is important to consider when teaching all ages. The exactness of the Piaget (2001) stage of development has been criticised since in it unclear and presumptuous to assume children will pass through the stages at specific ages, however, as a developmental process; this theory is useful in teaching practices Another implication for teachers is the questioning they employ within the classroom. To allow pupils to construct their own knowledge and understanding, questions need to be higher order and exploratory Moursund (2003), in accordance with Blooms Taxonomy (1956) , to include command words such as evaluate and synthesise. Moreover, questions need to be open-ended and allow pupils to develop their personal understanding though answering the questions, rather than simple closed questions, where the answers are already pre-determined. Pupils need to be given the opportunity to gradually learn processes and construct their own answers. Teachers can promote this using questions which encourage students to gradually construct their understanding, such as evaluate, synthesise and analytical questions. Another pitfall of the constructivist theory is that it assumes students actively seek resources and experiences, and therefore students understanding is dependent and anchored by their experiences and pre-existing knowledge. In addition, it is assumed that learners utilise the construed data to actively construct their knowledge (Renkl, 1999). Therefore, this approach to learning relies on students encountering experiences and applying these experiences to their pre-existing knowledge to develop their understanding. However, such experiences and world-based interactions may not be feasible or available to students due to their lifestyle circumstances. Consequently, teachers need to be aware that understanding and meaning is limited to the individual experiences of the students. In accordance with this assumption, the constructivist theory can explain why pupils conceptions and meaning do vary between each other (Taber, 2000). In addition, if the construction of knowledge is the acti vity of the learner, then the learner can only understand what they have constructed (Duffy Cunningham). Therefore, constructivism may be seen as subjective and relative (Duffy and Cunningham, 1996). This may lead to marking criteria discrepancies, confusion and inconsistency, and student misconceptions, which do not match reality. In addition, Duffy and Cunningham propose that if the constructions and meanings are different amongst students, the little shared understanding may challenge the ease of communication between learners and the class. This may jeopardise the effectiveness of class discussions and social interactions as a tool to enhance learning. Similarly, as construction is activity on part of the learner (Bruner 1966, 1971), what is constructed cannot be controlled by the teacher. Instead the learner has autonomy and self-regulates what understanding is established. Therefore the students constructed understanding may not parallel with other students, with reality or with the teachers construction and understanding, resulting in multiple understandings (Choleweskni, 2009). Consequently, teachers must not assume that the construction and understanding of a concept is universal between all students. Instead teachers must actively access and consider the alternative perceptions and understanding of the learners, hence why a transmission teaching approach is fruitless. On the other hand, teachers come into the classroom with their own construction and conceptions of subject content, and according to Patrick (1988), are not neutral. Therefore, a teachers understanding can colour the students understanding, and together, Patrick (1998) and Marton and Booth (1997) suggested that some teachers moulded the students construction of a concept to align with their concept interpretation. Einsworth and Collins (2002) conclude that the form of understanding impressed onto students is largely dependent on the teachers personal interpretation of the subject content. Therefore, although the constructivist theory assumes that the construction of understanding is the product of the learners interpretation exclusively, the constructivist theory does not account for the interplay between teachers and learners comprehension. To accommodate these pre-requisites of learning, the individuals knowledge needs to be continually assessed. As a regular classroom practice, formative assessment could be used as a regular approach to assess existing and new understanding, before moving to the next lesson. Formative assessment is a regular, informal mode of assessment, allowing teachers to monitor students progress, gain an appreciation of what has been learnt and adapt their teaching practices to optimise further learning (Black and Wiliam, 1998). Accordingly, given that learning is an active and evolving processes, formative assessment can be used by teachers to assess, monitor, challenge unclear perspectives and adapt classroom practices to accommodate the constructivist principles of learning. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that constructivist approaches to learning favour the use of formative assessment and may prompt its use in the classrooms, which Atkin et al, (2001) reports as being very valuable. Since formative assessment alone is associated with learning gains, (Black and Wiliam 1998), learning is positively influenced indirectly via adopting teaching strategies which are aligned to learning constructively. Formative assessment may be undertaken through questioning, teacher and pupil discussion, peer and self assessment and interaction with peers. Formative assessment will also identify pupils individual learning needs, supporting teachers conduct in differentiation to assure pupils are moving forward, across their ZPD and optimise learning gains. However, with behaviourism, the opportunities for feedback are confined to only whether the response desired is correct or not. There is little scope for learning, or how to improve in order to meet the desired response. Therefore, under behaviourist approaches, feedback cannot be used for learning purposes, therefore opportunities for assessment for learning, which have shown to enhance learning, may not be fruitful. Consequently, limited feedback combined with the objective outcomes of behaviourist approaches mean that individual student needs are not necessarily part of the formulae when considering teaching strategies and subject content. The need to consider individual needs is undeniable, therefore such constraints of feedback extent presents a multitude of problems to the teaching and learning of students. Importantly, to help progressive learning and avoid developing misconceptions, teachers need to provide a clear focus and goals, with explicit learning objectives (Clarke, 2001), which are rooted within pupils existing knowledge. The clear objectives allow students to construct their ideas using current knowledge and understand the overarching direction and progression of their learning. Activating prior knowledge is important to elicit pre-knowledge, allowing teachers to decipher the students current levels of understanding. Teachers need to highlight the links between students existing knowledge and the new subject knowledge, to help the learner form bridges and facilitate their mental construction and cognitive processes (REF). By forming these links, students can activate and recall their pre-existing knowledge, and use this foundation to build and integrate new concepts. Teachers should encourage students to relate new knowledge to current knowledge and external experiences, allowing the new subject content to become embedded within the existing knowledge structures, contributing to or amending to the students schema. Since learning constructively is based on the addition of new content to current knowledge, the learner must have sufficient levels of understanding before new content can be used to construct more complex meaning and progress. Teachers and educators need to recognise and appreciate that new content cannot be built up until the foundations, such as current knowledge, is secured. Therefore constructive pedagogies include regular formative assessment to assure students understanding. When constructing new concepts and developing understanding, reviewing and reflecting on what has already been learnt also helps to establish and secure students previous knowledge. In addition, by asking what students understand before embarking on a new concept would help students form links between new and previous knowledge (Fulton). This reviewing could be done as a starter, but also plays a role at the end of the lesson, forming a plenary. Teachers should consider, incorporate and plan for well managed plenary to consolidate knowledge. Time to reflect upon what has been undertaken, the processes and the content gives the opportunity for internalisation and for a deeper level of understanding to be developed. Similarly, learning is most effective when learners become engaged, which means that teachers need to adopt an active approach to learning and involve engaging tasks to promote learning in the classroom. Learning using authentic tasks, which allow pupils to relate to their own experience inside and outside the classroom (Selinger, 2001) increases the probability of engagement with the task and supports findings that learning in a familiar context is most effective. Authentic tasks are likely to hold the attention and interest of children, and lead to a deeper level of engagement than with non-authentic or less authentic tasks (Fulton). Favourably, the constructivist principles match those fundamentals associated with effective contextual learning. Evidence suggests that learning occurs in real-life contexts and learning is actually linked to a context, as deduced by Macleod and Goldby 2003. Children working with new ideas in a familiar content are more likely to engage with the ideas, than if the same ideas were present in an alien context. Therefore teachers should strive to include more authentic tasks and set learning concepts which are aligned with students familiar contexts. If a learning activity falls beyond the cultural understanding of the learning, then learning is likely to be less successful than if it had been situated in a more familiar setting. .Meaningful contexts for learning are very important; however, what is meaningful for a teacher is not necessarily meaningful for the student. The association between the concept of learning being situated and the need for authentic learning tasks is evidence (McFarlane, 1997). However, the recommended approach to situation learning in meaningful contexts (e.g. Lave Wenger, 1991) has been argued against. Walkerdine, 1988, for example argued that if school learning became situated solely within the lived world of daily experiences, the opportunities for abstract reasoning and reflective activity, which are all constituents of constructivism, would become limited and sacrificed, whilst confining students to their local environment. An active learning approach can be achieved by encouraging students to explore concepts and ideas, and to follow their instincts (Wray and Lewis, 1997). Given that exploration can promote sequential development of ideas, it is likely to assist in the construction of new knowledge; the roots to constructivism. Classroom practice could be based on a discovery-based approach (Huitt, 2004);, where students can find answers out for themselves, answer their own questions through experimenting with new ideas and discuss their beliefs and thinking patterns with their peers. Importantly, engaging with each other reflects social interactions, which can be a vehicle to develop understanding using social interaction. Unlike behaviourist approaches where the teacher is the primary resources of knowledge and is influenced by their interests and perspective; knowledge construction offers the opportunity of learning to become dynamic and varied (Sudizna, 1997). The use of resources promotes more interactive learning and interest, which are both shown to positively influence learning. Supported by Winn (1990), student knowledge is dynamic and changes, that is knowledge and skills are different before learning to after instruction and Behaviourist approaches have been criticised for not addressing this dynamic nature of learning. In addition, behaviourism theory does not appreciate that students come into classrooms with prior knowledge. Conversely, the constructivist theory acknowledges that pre-existing knowledge is requisite of learning and that students enter classrooms with pre-conceptions, knowledge and beliefs which they deploy in constructing new understanding. (Jones, Carter, Rua, 1999) As already discussed, scaffolding is crucial for the learner to pass through their zone of proximal development, and can be undertaken by the teacher. Scaffolding can be practiced in the classroom in many ways, and teachers need to appreciate that this is fundamental to the educational progression of students and how this may be achieved. Support materials need to be widely available, such as a writing frame to support a particular style of prose, or a list of words to help in the process of completing an exercise, designed to assist understanding The provision of practical apparatus, especially in science, may help to explain the solution to a problem and is an engaging approach. Students can evidence reality and attach a sense of perspective and reality to their learning. Given the exploratory nature of constructivism, classroom practice needs to be supportive and generate an environment where the student feels safe to ask for help and comfortable in approaching the teacher. The teacher must be aware of the different supportive needs of the class, and meet these through differentiation and allowing time for class discussion, misconceptions and any lack of understanding. To help the teacher identify those who need more support than others, formative assessment can be incorporated to highlight the students individual needs that need to be addressed. Ultimately, this will allow tasks to be designed and geared towards the individuals learning ability. Unlike, behaviourism theories, constructivist theory appreciates the important rol

Roland Barthes :: Rhetoric of the Image

Roland Barthes The work of Roland Barthes (1915-80), the cultural theorist and analyst, embraces a wide range of cultural phenomena, including advertising, fashion, food, and wrestling. He focused on cultural phenomena as language systems, and for this reason we might think of him as a structuralist. In these notes, I provide a short profile of this influential figure, together with a synopsis of his seminal essay, "Rhetoric of the Image," a model for semiological analysis of all kinds. * * * * * This cultural theorist and analyst was born in Cherbourg, a port-city northwest of Paris. His parents were Louis Barthes, a naval officer, and Henriette Binger. His father died in 1916, during combat in the North Sea. In 1924, Barthes and his mother moved to Paris, where he attended (1924-30) the Lycee Montaigne. Unfortunately, he spent long periods of his youth in sanatoriums, undergoing treatment for TB. When he recovered, he studied (1935-39) French and the classics at the University of Paris. He was exempted from military service during WW II (he was ill with TB during the period 1941-47). Later, when he wasn't undergoing treatment for TB, he taught at a variety of schools, including the Lycees Voltaire and Carnot. He taught at universities in Rumania (1948-49) and Egypt (1949-50) before he joined (in 1952) the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, where he devoted his time to sociology and lexicology. Barthes' academic career fell into three phases. During the first phase, he concentrated on demystifying the stereotypes of bourgeois culture (as he put it). For example, in Writing degree Zero (1953), Barthes examined the link between writing and biography: he studied the historical conditions of literary language and the difficulty of a modern practice of writing. Committed to language, he argued, the writer is at once caught up in particular discursive orders, the socially instituted forms of writing, a set of signs (a myth) of literature--hence the search for an unmarked language, before the closure of myth, a writing degree zero. During the years 1954-56, Barthes wrote a series of essays for the magazine called Les Lettres nouvelles, in which he exposed a "Mythology of the Month," i.e., he showed how the denotations in the signs of popular culture betray connotations which are themselves "myths" generated by the larger sign system that makes up society. The book which contains these studies of everyday signs--appropriately enough, it is entitled Mythologies (1957)--offers his meditations on many topics, such as striptease, the New Citroen, steak and chips, and so on.

Cyrus the Great Essay

Cyrus continued his expansion by moving west and conquered Croesus of Lydia in 546 BCE and ordered it split and ruled by satraps. Continuing to move west, he conquered the Chaldean empire of Babylon in 538 BCE of whom was led by King Nabonidus. Cyrus’ expansion continued to the Aegean Sea, where he had acquired several Greek city-states in Anatolia and had turn them over to satraps. His successors would later unsuccessfully try to conquer Greece. His empire also continued east to the Indus River Valley, where he eventually met his demise and the end of his empire. He had several capitals throughout his massive empire including Persepolis, Susa, Babylon, and Pasargadae, where he is buried to this day. Woodard 2 The key factor that made Cyrus’ rule much more successful than previous and future leaders was the way he treated the conquered parts of his empire. He was known has a great leader even according to Herodotus, who compared him quite favorably to other Persian rulers. Herodotus said â€Å"it is because of this fixing of tribute  [by Darius]  and other similar ordinances that the Persians called Darius the merchant, Cambyses the master and Cyrus the father  ; for Darius made petty profit out of everything, Cambyses was harsh and arrogant, Cyrus was merciful and always worked for their well-being†.? Many accounts of his kindness were kept in the Cyrus Cylinder. The cylinder is written in Babylonian script stating that Marduk, the city-god of Babylon, had looked for a champion to restore Babylon to it’s old ways, and chose Cyrus, King of Persia, and declared him king of the world. ? Marduk ordered Cyrus to rule over the tribes of Iran justly, and to march on Babylon which was uncontested, and the King of Babylon surrendered and the people of Babylon rejoiced for Cyrus as their king. Cyrus had set himself apart from other rulers by compromising with his empire rather than forcing his entire will on them. He accomplished this by allowing people that had been moved from their homeland to return, most notably allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem after Nebuchadnezzar had them exiled and held captive in Babylon.? On top of them returning, Cyrus also encouraged them to rebuild their temple, which was also one of his finer qualities. During his conquests, he would allow the people to keep their religions and cultural differences, while allowing them to part of the Persian Empire. While Cyrus did allow these freedoms, he also was able to create an empire-wide trade network as well as a commanding Woodard 3 army due to an overall agenda that allowed him to keep his people happy while allowing his empire to expand. By allowing the Jews to return home and build a temple, he knew fortifications would be built in order to protect the border of his empire. This also allowed for a buffer between the empire and Egypt. He also was able to utilize the Phoenicians by using their trade network to gain access to Egypt’s resources in exchange for being a part of the Persian Empire. His eventual downfall came during his conquests in the Indus River Valley. According to Ctesias, he fought against the Derbici, a central- Asian tribe, who were assisted by the Indians, and they wounded him with a spear.? He was taken back to the capital city of Persepolis to die peacefully. Another account by Herodutus claims that Cyrus was at battle with the Massagetae, and he was knocked off his horse by Tomyrus, the queen of the Massagatae. She then cut his head off with a single slice. Due to these, the exact cause of Cyrus’ death cannot be determined, though he was buried in Pasargadae. ? Throughout all of the rulers in the Ancient World, Cyrus the Great was one of the most successful because he knew how to be a benevolent ruler. Instead of being demanding and risking rebellions, he learned how to compromise with his people, and allow them to have freedom while still having control, which ultimately led to one of the greatest empires built to this day.

Mary Ainsworth

When reading many introductions on the history of psychology it is noticed there are very few females mentioned. That does not mean women are not attributed to making significant impacts in the development of psychology. â€Å"The contributions of many of psychology's most eminent female thinkers have long been ignored, but that is starting to change as more history texts begin to recognize women such as Karen Horney, Mary Ainsworth, Leta Hollingworth, and Christine Ladd-Franklin in their pages. † These women are just a few who have made tremendous contributions and marks on psychology.The background, theoretical approach, and contributions of Mary Ainsworth are very significant to the field psychology even still today. Time line/Background of Mary Ainsworth Mary Ainsworth was born in December 1913 in Glendale, Ohio. She was the oldest of three girls; in 1918 her family relocated to Toronto Canada, and gained their citizenship. In her household education and studies were noted to be important. â€Å"When she was fifteen, she read William McDougall's book Character and the Conduct of Life, which inspired her lifelong interest in psychology† (O'Connell, 1983).In 1929 Ainsworth attended study at the University of Toronto; she was one of only four students to finish the honors degree program in psychology. At the time her father decided it would be best for her to become a stenographer, but he was still supportive of her pursuit of graduate work in psychology. In 1939Mary Ainsworth was a recent Ph. D. graduate. She wanted to stay at the University of Toronto, and she fascinated the head of the psychology department. However, she was not selected for a position because the University Senate refused to appoint a female.In 1942 Ainsworth joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corp, and after serving as a counselor in the Army for four years, she came back to the University of Toronto and gained the position assistant professor. She got engaged to Leonar d Ainsworth a graduate student, and they married in 1950. It was difficult working as assistant professor on the faculty where her husband was a pupil so both moved to London, England. â€Å"Mary Ainsworth was selected for a research position at the Tavistock Clinic under psychiatrist John Bowlby.Bowlby’s research of the effects of separation of children from their mother’s/caregiver’s served as a precursor of Ainsworth’s earlier work on the security theory†. In 1953 Leonard Ainsworth was interested in going to Africa. Mary Ainsworth could find employment as a research psychologist at the East African Institute of Social Research in Kampala, Uganda. She conducted a short-term naturalistic study of the mother-infant relationship and published the results.Two years later Mary landed a position as a lecturer in Baltimore, Maryland, at John Hopkins. Not only did she lecture, and supervise students, she set up a private practice dedicated to children. I n 1960 because of divorce Ainsworth became very depressed. In 1963, one year after starting the research she is best known for she became a full professor. In1975 Ainsworth left Hopkins for a professor position at the University of Virginia. She taught there until her retirement in 1984. She remained active in her profession until 1992.The American Psychological Foundation awarded her the Gold Medal Award for life achievement in the science of psychology from. In 1999 Mary Ainsworth passed at the age of 86, she never had any children but her major contributions were in study of children. Theoretical Perspective of Mary Ainsworth Bowlby and Ainsworth worked together to develop the attachment theory and research. â€Å"The distinguishing characteristic of the theory of attachment that we have jointly developed is that it is an ethological approach to personality development.Although they had separate approaches to understanding personality development, they worked together each addin g different ideas and perspectives. In Uganda Ainsworth spent time doing research on mother child interactions. At the same time she teaching and lecturing about psychology at John Hopkins, Mary Ainsworth began work to create a test to measure attachments between mother’s and caregiver’s, and their children. Here she developed the â€Å"Strange Situations† assessment. Children ages 12 months-18 months were observed during the assessment.A researcher watched a child’s reaction when he or she was briefly left alone in an unfamiliar room. Important information was revealed during the separation and upon the mother’s/caregiver’s return. â€Å"Based on her observations, Ainsworth concluded that there are three main attachment styles. The three main attachment styles are secure, anxious- avoidant, and anxious resistant†. Because her initial finding, her work has spawned numerous studies into the nature of attachment and the different attach ment styles that exist between children and caregivers.Mary Ainsworth’s contributions to psychology Significant contributions to the science of psychology have been made by Mary Ainsworth with her â€Å"Strange Situations† assessment. After the research she concluded the main attachment styles are secure, anxious-avoidant, and anxious-resistant. She set a platform and many others shortly followed. Her controversial research on attachment played an important role in understanding the development of children.In 1986 researchers Main and Solomon added a fourth attachment style: disorganized-insecure. There are numerous studies that support Ainsworth’s research. Additional research has also shown early attachment styles can help predict behaviors later in life. Mary Ainsworth’s research and contributions are still important to the study of psychology today. Conclusion â€Å"Mary Ainsworth knew her work was debatable and could be understood by some in the wom en’s movement as a order to mothers to stay home with their children in their early age†.â€Å"And while I emphasize the importance of a secure attachment between infant and caregiver, and that full-time mothering may be the usual way of ensuring a secure attachment, she did not deny that alternative arrangements were possible. She said, â€Å"Had I myself had the children for whom I vainly longed, I like to believe I could have arrived at some satisfactory combination of mothering and a career, but I do not believe that there is any universal, easy, ready-made solution to the problem† (Ainsworth, 1983. p. 216).With tables turning and the contributions of psychology’s most prominent female theorist being added to text books students will study more about the contributions of Mary Ainsworth. Her background, significant contributions, and theoretical approach are vital still today. Many psychology researchers use the â€Å"Strange Situation† assessme nt as a basis for analysis on child development research. Mary Ainsworth lived 86 years and most of her life was spent researching, lecturing, teaching, and observing in the psychology field.

Great Gatsby2 essays

Great Gatsby2 essays The more things change, the more they stay the same "The Times They are a-Changin'," or so 60's singer/songwriter Bob Dylan thought. But have we really matured enough as people to say that racism and prejudice are no longer words in the English vocabulary? Most people like to think so, but the facts paint a different picture. The novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald can be used to illustrate these points. In the mid-20's, when American author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby, it was common to use words to describe African American people that today would be seen as offensive and degrading. Mainly the sole purpose of using such words were to depict African Americans as objects, not human beings. When Nick describes the "two Bucks" and a Negro girl passing them in a horse-drawn carriage with a white chauffeur he thinks to himself "Anything can happen now that we've slid over this bridgeÃ…  anything at allÃ…  " This shows how people in Fitzgerald's time reacted to free black families. Nick describes the black males as "Bucks" because that's the name people used when they auctioned them off as slaves. He couldn't just refer to them as "men" or "gentlemen" because it was inappropriate to give blacks a high status. Throughout the novel discussing the downfall of the white race is a common topic. Tom and Daisy share thoughts about the downfall over dinner and Tom states that "If we don't look out the white race will be-will be utterly submerged," and Daisy follows that comment up with "We've got to beat them (minorities) down." Because nobody looks the same and because people fear anything different, they had no choice but to fear minorities. If you were not wealthy and white, you were feared. But racism wasn't the only degrading thing in the book; characters spoke condescendingly about people's financial status as well. If you lived in East Egg, you were wealthy and glamorous. If you lived in West Eg ...

Details of the Experiment Essays

Details of the Experiment Essays Details of the Experiment Essay Details of the Experiment Essay The data which was provided was taken from the following experiment: An air track was set up at a slight angle and a small trolley was placed on it. The trolley had a 10cm long flag attached to the top of it, so that a light gate could time how long it took the trolley to pass a given point. There were two light gates set up exactly 10.0cm apart which gave 2 separate time readings for different starting positions up the sloping air track. Data taken from the Experiment: The experiment was completed and some data was extracted from it and given for analysis and calculation. The data which was taken from the experiment is given below: Ta/s Tb/s y/cm 0.268 0.206 10.0 0.205 0.173 20.0 0.173 0.152 30.0 0.174 0.154 40.0 0.153 0.139 50.0 0.139 0.128 60.0 0.130 0.120 70.0 0.119 0.113 80.0 0.112 0.106 90.0 Constant Value Length of flag on trolley 10.0 cm Mass of the Trolley 179 g Distance between gates 10.0 cm Acceleration of free fall 9.81 m.s-2 Original Calculations: The first few calculations to be applied to the data taken from the experiment was to calculate the velocity of the trolley at each of the two points. This was found by using the distance (10cm flag on trolley) and the time (reading at A or B) and putting them in the following formula: Distance = Velocity x Time 10cm = x 0.268s etc This gave all of the velocities and once the first had been calculated, the formula could be used in Microsoft (c) Excel and the Fill Down command used to calculate the velocity for every individual set of data. The Data table now looked like this with the new accelerations included: Ta/s Tb/s y/cm Velocity A (ms-1) Velocity B (ms-1) 0.268 0.206 10.0 0.373 0.485 0.205 0.173 20.0 0.488 0.578 0.173 0.152 30.0 0.578 0.658 0.174 0.154 40.0 0.575 0.649 0.153 0.139 50.0 0.654 0.719 0.139 0.128 60.0 0.719 0.781 0.130 0.120 70.0 0.769 0.833 0.119 0.113 80.0 0.840 0.885 0.112 0.106 90.0 0.893 0.943 In order to see what this data is representing it can all be plotted onto a graph showing the calculated velocities of the trolley at the different heights up the slope (y) given in the original data. This Graph has been plotted and included on the next page. By looking at the data on the graph a simple line of best fit was plotted on the Velocity at A data, this line shows how close the results are together and how well correlated they are. As can be seen, the data is all related very closely together as the line fits very well into the data. Trolley Acceleration: Another graph of the Velocity at A against the Velocity at B was plotted to check the data. This shows how the speed changed along the trolleys journey and due to the almost perfect straight line fit it seams obvious that the speed of the trolley is increasing at a steady, constant rate. This suggests that the acceleration of the trolley is constant as physics suggests it should be through Newtons Laws stating that F=ma therefore in order for the trolley the change its acceleration it would have to change either the force acting on it which is gravity and wont change or it has to change mass, which it also cant. Therefore Acceleration must stay constant. One of the general equations of motion can be used here: The formula above can be used to calculate the velocity on an individual trolley experiment. This will give the acceleration of the trolley because we know that v is the velocity at point B, u is the velocity at point A and s is the distance between A and B which is 10cm. From this information the following accelerations were calculated from the data: Ta/s Tb/s y/cm Acc/ms-2 0.268 0.206 10.0 0.482 0.205 0.173 20.0 0.481 0.173 0.152 30.0 0.494 0.174 0.154 40.0 0.457 0.153 0.139 50.0 0.452 0.139 0.128 60.0 0.464 0.130 0.120 70.0 0.514 0.119 0.113 80.0 0.385 0.112 0.106 90.0 0.464 The data gained from the experiment back up the theories stated earlier that acceleration would remain constant, all the data was plotted on a graph of distance up slope against Acceleration. The values stick at approximately 0.466 as a simple average, but this will not do scientifically, therefore another graph can be plotted so that the acceleration can be calculated that way. Using the equation earlier and re-arranging it so it fits a y = mx + c style graph equation, the acceleration can be calculated from the y intersect of the trend line. According to the equation found, the acceleration should be half of the value of the y intersect. The data was then plotted onto another graph and the software found the best trend line and gave the equation for it which on the printed graph (included on the next page) reads as: y =0.987x + 0.0991 This means that the acceleration should have been 0.0991 x 5 = 0.4955m/s2 The Angle of the slope: The trolley was released on a sloped air track set at a consistent angle. This angle was not given in the results of the experiment or in the original data. Therefore it must be calculated. One way of calculating the angle is to use trigonometry to work out the angle between the forces and movements at work. The force causing the trolley to accelerate is gravity. This acts vertically downwards and is a constant. Using the acceleration as calculated in the previous exercise you get the following equation: Because this equation uses the acceleration which was proved to be a constant previously and gravity which is also a constant, the angle should certainly be a constant too, but thinking the other way around. We know the angle was constant in the experiment and so that proves through the formula that acceleration also has to be constant. By plugging in all the data from the previous calculations on acceleration to provide an angle for each test you get the following: Ta/s Tb/s y/cm Angle (Acc) 0.268 0.206 10.0 2.816855682 0.205 0.173 20.0 2.809567951 0.173 0.152 30.0 2.88356838 0.174 0.154 40.0 2.668975616 0.153 0.139 50.0 2.64043687 0.139 0.128 60.0 2.710441452 0.130 0.120 70.0 3.001325343 0.119 0.113 80.0 2.248658736 0.112 0.106 90.0 2.711100835 As you can see the angles are all pretty similar showing that the theory on the angle being kept constant stands. The angle can also be calculated through Gravitational Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy by using the vertical height the trolley was released from as well as the distance up the slope. Vertical Height above the light gate: Because of the way the experiment was carried out, only data for the distance up the slope has been given, the actual vertical height is unknown. This vertical height is very useful in calculating the Kinetic energy of the trolley and can also be used to calculate the angle. Because of these two separate uses of the height, there are two ways of calculating it. the easiest way is to use the Gravitational Potential Energy Formula and the kinetic energy Formula: This gives the following calculated data for the different velocities at A: V A (ms-1) Height (m) 0.373 0.0071 0.488 0.0121 0.578 0.0170 0.575 0.0168 0.654 0.0218 0.719 0.0264 0.769 0.0302 0.840 0.0360 0.893 0.0406 The calculated heights do relate quite closely to the velocities at first glance, therefore another graph was plotted of the Velocity squared against the vertical height. The gradient of the line connecting the data should certainly have a gradient of 19.62 and should cross at the origin. The graph which was plotted does fit these predictions which helps to promote my findings as being correct. Problems with the results: By looking carefully at the data given to me in the beginning and by looking at some of the graphs plotted originally it appears that some if not most of the data is inaccurate. The readings start off fine up to the 30.0cm test, but the next test appears to have been exactly the same distance up the slope as the previous one, thus giving two readings for 30.0cm and skewing the data on the graph. This is the first obvious error on the data. The next area where error appears to have arisen is on the acceleration calculated. Each result should, according to physics, be the same, however the readings seam to vary a great deal around the calculated valve. This error has been discussed on the Graph of the different accelerations. It could be due to the errors in measurement on the original data of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.0005s on each time reading and à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½0.2cm on each distance reading. However the first error discovered will have has a large effect on the 40.0cm reading and the next error may explain the rest of the data: By looking at the graph of distance released up the track against velocity, it looks like the data after the repeated result is all wrong. By looking at the trend of the data before and after the kink, is appears that they share a similar gradient but the two lines are offset from each other. If each of the readings after 30.0cm were shifted down by 10.0cm and re-plotted it would form a far smoother curve. It is my prediction that during the experiment, the data got out of line and each experiment after the 30.0cm reading was really the test before it and so instead of the y values being: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 they should be: 10, 20, 30, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 This shows how the data has become out of line and therefore needs further investigation. In order to see whether the height readings are correct a formula can be constructed to use the acceleration and velocities between points A and B and the angle of slope, regardless of the actual distance up the slope to calculate what y was for that test. This equation comes from the Kinetic Energy equation: K.E. = 0.5 x m x v2 and the Gravitational potential energy equation used in the previous problem to form: This formula was then used on the data from the experiment to calculate what the actual distance y was: V A (ms-1) y MEASURED y CALCULATED 0.373 0.1000 0.140 0.488 0.2000 0.240 0.578 0.3000 0.337 0.575 0.4000 0.333 0.654 0.5000 0.431 0.719 0.6000 0.522 0.769 0.7000 0.597 0.840 0.8000 0.712 0.893 0.9000 0.804 The data in the table does help to highlight that the data does come out of line but it also highlights that the early results are approximately 5cm out. This could be because the velocity is measured over a 10.0cm flag which would average the velocity to the middle of the flag thus making the actual distance y 5.0 cm further than expected.

Pros and Cons of Joining a Teachers Union

Pros and Cons of Joining a Teachers Union One decision that a new teacher may face is whether or not they should join a teachers union. In some cases, it is not a choice at all. In eighteen states, it is legal to force teachers to support a union by requiring teachers who are not members to pay a fee to a union as a condition of continued employment. Those states include Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin. In the other states, it becomes an individual choice as to whether or not you want to join a teachers union. It ultimately comes down to whether or not you believe the pros of joining a teachers union outweigh the cons. Advantages There are many valid reasons that you should consider joining a union. Those can include: Teachers unions can provide legal protection and advice. In todays lawsuit-happy society, this protection alone can be worth becoming a member.Teachers unions provide support, guidance, and advice. Most teachers unions have a helpline that its members can call to seek counsel in a variety of areas.Teachers unions allow you a voice in hot educational trends, debates, and topics that you feel strongly about.Joining a teachers union gives power to the bargaining position of the union for contract and labor negotiations.Teachers unions provide several discount program opportunities, including life insurance benefits, credit card opportunities, mortgage assistance, etc.They often offer terrific professional development opportunities for members. Even if you live in a state where they cannot legally force your hand to join a union, you may find yourself being pressured to do so by other teachers. This is because teachers unions are a powerful entity. There is strength in numbers. The more members a union has, the bigger voice they have. Unions to Join Deciding what union you join is typically dictated by the district in which you work. Usually, when you join a local union, you join the state and national affiliated with that union. Most districts are entrenched with one affiliate and so it can be tough to join another one. The two biggest national unions include: National Education Association (NEA) - It is the largest education union in the United States. It is typically referred to as Democratic in its ideology. It was formed in 1857.American Federation of Teachers (AFT) - It is the second largest educational union in the United States. It is typically referred to as Republican in its ideology. It was formed in 1916. Not Just for Teachers Most teachers unions offer membership to a variety of roles within schools. Those include teachers (including higher education faculty/staff), administrators, educational support professionals (custodians, maintenance, bus drivers, cafeteria personnel, administrative assistants, school nurses, etc.), retired teachers, college students in education programs, and substitute teachers. Disadvantages In states where you are not essentially forced to join a teachers union, then it becomes an individual choice as to whether you want to join a union or not. There are several reasons that an individual may not choose to join a union. These include: You dont agree with union politics. As mentioned before, the NEA is typically a Democratic association while the AFT is typically a Republican association. Sometimes individuals do not agree with those political stances or a particular stance the union takes on an issue that often does not have anything to do with education. Teachers who have political views contrary to the positions taken by unions may not want to support the union.Union fees are expensive. Most teachers are already cashed strapped, particularly first-year teachers. Every little bit can help, so many teachers feel like the value of joining a union and its benefits are not worth the monetary costs.You don’t believe you need it. Some teachers believe that they do not need the services provided by a teachers union and that there are not enough benefits to warrant holding membership.

Critique of the service-profit chain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Critique of the service-profit chain - Essay Example The opposite is also true. Unsatisfied customers will still tell others which will lead to loss of customers meaning a loss in revenue. The relationship between services and profits is mainly pegged on the quality of the service, the customer satisfaction and ultimately customer loyalty. There is a major difference between customer satisfaction and quality. Parasuraman claims that while customers usually decide whether they are satisfied after an experience, the quality has to be decided way before the experience (1991). This means that there is no precedent to quality. Customers can learn about the level of service offered by a service provider from a number of sources. However, for them to decide whether the service quality they have learned about meets their standards, they have to experience it themselves. Marketing is a very important concept in the success of any business. Many marketers have realized the role that service quality plays in the overall satisfaction that results from that service (Valerie et al 1996). Service quality and the resultant satisfaction have been described as being â€Å"indices of competitive benefit† (Ruyter 1997). The major point of focus is on the service quality rather than the product quality. This is because while the quality of a product can be predetermined and standardized, the same does not hold true for a service. When service quality has been determined, the customer is then satisfied. This leads to the customer being loyal to that service. Loyal customers usually make the basis for a successful business (Caruana 2002). The loyal customers with their repeat business together with the... The paper tells that the service-profit chain is a good theory that assisted and continues to assist many organizations to make profit through the satisfaction of its employees and in turn its customers. In many sectors like in banking, hospitality and retail, the overall profitability is in most cases pegged on the satisfaction of customers. This is because in these sectors, competition is usually very stiff and many customers who are not satisfied by one operator usually find satisfaction in the competition. However, the service-profit chain is not applicable to the sale of essential products like prescription drugs or in the case of monopolies where there are single products in the market. While arguments and counterarguments have been presented that have been aimed at establishing the viability and validity of the service-profit chain, it is important to recall some simple facts. First, in cases of single business units, there has been evidence of a relationship between the job s atisfactions of employees with the satisfaction of customers. Second, in the researches that have been cited on the validity of the service-profit chain, there has been evidence that the companies that are most focused on the satisfaction of customers are the ones that attract loyalty from customers. Third, there has been no numerical fact that have been cited by all researchers (for or against of the service-profit chain) that suggests whether it hold true or not and all assertions have been hypothetical and lastly, there has been evidence that the service-profit chain does not hold true for all business models.

What is the Tippecanoe County Historical Association and what are some Essay

What is the Tippecanoe County Historical Association and what are some of the sites it maintains - Essay Example Credibility Statement: I have researched on the official Society website, and all the information I am going to provide to you is directly from the information that they have provided to the public. IV. Thesis Statement: The Tippecanoe Country Historical Society is an organization that helps maintain and protect the important culture of their county. They currently manage four different sites, all difference niches of the collected past of Tippecanoe County. A. â€Å"The Moses Fowler House was purchased by the Tippecanoe County Historical Association from Cecil Fowler in 1940. The association opened the house as its historical museum in 1941† as stated by the official website. 1. †In 1928, a local physician, Dr. Richard B. Wetherill acquired the land around what was believed to be the site of an early French trading post known as the Fort Ouiatenon Blockhouse (1717-1791).   In 1930, he built a 452 sq. ft. replica of the fort on this land.   The grounds lie approximately 3 miles southwest of West Lafayette on South River Road.†, as told by the official website. a) â€Å"Join us for the opening of a new display of firearms from TCHAs collection. On view initially are 51 long guns and rifles with additional examples to be added as the display is expanded. The firearms in the exhibit were manufactured between the early 19th Century and the onset of World War II, with several fine examples manufactured locally by Bixler & Iddings and Thomas Underwood. Most of the objects on display have never been show to the public. Thanks to the McAllister Foundation for providing funding for the display cases†, as advertised on the website. B. â€Å"The Library consists of books, vertical files, court books, microfilm, CD-ROMs, and has patron access to the Internet. The subject collection of books and materials focus on Tippecanoe County history.† according to the official website. I. Restatement of Thesis: The Tippecanoe Country Historical Society is an organization that

Spiritual Needs Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spiritual Needs Assessment - Essay Example I believe in tolerance. Everyone should be able to worship or believe what they want as long as no harm is coming to others. My ideas and views are not more important than someone else’s. Everyone should have ideas and views that are respected. A5: Yes. My spiritual goal is to pray for my family daily. I have prayed daily since I was in the first grade. I remember being scared of going to hell. I was more frightened for my dad because he did not go to church and was an alcoholic. am in the low percentage of being married for almost 20 years to the same man. All of my children have the same father. My anemia causes me to be very tired and sleepy. I feel bad for my family. I wish I could do better. Yes. My daughter attends a Baptist church regularly. My grandparents are Calvinists. My mother is Baptist. I perceive their spirituality with respect but still maintain my own beliefs. One of my beliefs is not to force my spirituality on others. My assessment findings with this patient were eye opening. I did not realize that she believed in anything. She did not talk about religion or spirituality much. I would never have guessed that she believed in anything. The significant discovery was the fact the patient prayed every day. I did not realize that she believed in a higher power to pray to. I did not realize either that the patient was raised in the framework of Calvinism. This explains her aversion to organized religion. Her type of Calvinism believes Jesus did not die for the whole world – just a selected few. It also preaches that everyone is born wicked with repentance as their only way to heaven. This revelation helped explain her depression surrounding organized religion. The whole interview went well. However, the patient was a little uncomfortable discussing her spirituality. It seemed to be a private issue. I would approach

Compare and contracts between USA $ Saudi Arabia Essay

Compare and contracts between USA $ Saudi Arabia - Essay Example All differences aside, The United States of American and Saudi Arabia are both a geographic location that contains people. People are no different and need the same things in order to survive. The United States of America is home to many different seasons and has many different weather issues. The weather in the United States of America is made of hot days that reach one hundred and twenty degrees and cold days that are forty degrees below zero. The rapid changes of weather create seasons. The seasons produce rain, snow, wind and drought. These weather conditions make for a soil that is rich in produce and livestock. These pleasant but sometimes harsh weather conditions are quite different then weather in Saudi Arabia. Weather in Saudi Arabia is unlike the United States. In Saudi Arabia the temperatures get above one hundred and forty degrees at times. The harsh temperatures make for an unpleasant environment (LonelyPlanet2011). Most of the area is made of sand and large sand dunes. The heat makes it hard for produce to grow and water is not as abundant as the United States. There are sand storms that are comparable to a tornado in the United States. These sand storms are deadly and powerful. Saudi Arabia has seasons like the United States but not winter conditions. While the average temperature of the United States in the winter is twenty below zero, the temperature in Saudi Arabia would typically be seventy five degrees. The weather of the United States and Saudi Arabia shows many differences. Religious views are a huge topic of discussion when comparing and contrasting the United States and Saudi Arabia. In order to discuss the two religious views it is important to explore the history of the two nations. The United States of America was originally inhabited by Native American Indians. An explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus arrived in The United States and took over. He and the rest of his European explorers had a Catholic/Christian religious backgr ound. This religious background mainstreamed Christianity into The United States. Although Christianity is popular in the United States it is not the only religion. The freedom of The United States allows for the freedom to accept any religion. Many are Christian, Muslim and even Atheist. Some accept no religion. The ability to practice any religion without fear makes the United States a desirable location for immigrants. Saudi Arabia is completely different in the sense of religion. Saudi Arabia is the birthplace to Islam (MidEastWeb2003). Saudi Arabia, before becoming captivated by the Islam religion was mainly pagan. Those who were pagan likely converted to Christianity or Judaism. After the birth and teachings of Mohammed, about ninety percent of the Saudi Arabian population converted to Islam. The Islam religion is highly looked upon in Saudi Arabia. The popularity of the Muslim religion creates a barrier and the denial of other religions like Christianity and Judaism. Religion in the United States and Saudi Arabia has been the cause of many disputes in the past. To this day and since the beginning of history there has been war because of the religious differences. Religion and cultural differences is one of the number one factors for disputes between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Many influences like geographic location and religion play a role in the differences of the two cultures. The culture of the United States is very diverse. The United States culture consist of many different cultures put together. There are

How can managers assist employees with their career development Research Paper

How can managers assist employees with their career development - Research Paper Example It has also been stated that presence of a motivated workforce is very critical to the success of a firm in the market. It has been proved in various researches that job satisfaction is an essential aspect that leads to motivation among the employees. A motivated employee is known to provide the best shot at the workplace and is likely to view his or her tasks as responsibilities rather than routine work that can lead to organizational efficiency generating competitive advantage for the organization. The aspect of motivation is also directly linked to career development of the individual employees. The role of the manager or the supervisor becomes very important in this regard as their attitude can lead to considerable effects on the level of motivation and job satisfaction. The present paper would try to analyze the role of the managers in assisting employees towards their career development Analysis The concept of career development has been a matter of consistent research over the last few decades. During the era of the 80’s the focus was based on the ‘unitarist’ practices with employees extending their career options to multiple employers in an attempt to get the best of development of their personal careers. The present age has led to a situation in which employers are facing issues of high turnovers that has led to formulation of strategies that call for the need to ensure career development of the employees so as to ensure motivation and job satisfaction that can in turn help retain the best employees in the organization. The aspect of career development also calls on managers and supervisors to formulate practices that tend to encourage and improve their learning curves. The recent recession and downturn in the markets also had a very negative impact on the relationship with employees and their managers as well as on the careers of employees who were downsized in order to maintain costs. However, many organizations and managers have realized this as an opportunity to ensure a relationship based on partnerships and mutual benefits leading to a condition of greater shared responsibility that has led to generation of a positive sentiment even during times of severe crisis situations like the economic recession (Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.172-180). Figure 1: Career Development Model (Source: Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.182) The figure above shows a career development plan that combines the organizational needs along with the career development of an employee in the organization. The model proposes a session for career counseling that can be used to integrate organizational requirements with the career growth and competence of an individual employee. The model also shows a significant and important role for the manager in the entire process as the entire task of making a mutual integration with the career goals of an individual employee. The manager has a key role in making a decision about the type of training program tha t should be suitable for the employee so as to ensure organizational development as well as career development of an individual (Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.172-180). Numerous research conducted by academic and professional circles have stated the importance of the role of

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 31

Discussion - Assignment Example Jurisdiction specifications and legal aspect consideration are other inputs that the company might use in an investment policy. Jurisdiction specification may include other inputs such as environmental, social, and governance standards, classes of assets and guidelines to ensure effective collaboration with external managers. Primary market differ from secondary market in such that, for the primary market, the organization or company is involved directly in the transactions, while in secondary market, there is no involvement between the company and the transactions because transactions occur between investors (Hall and Lieberman 405-406). Both market segments are inter-related and they influence each other in terms of performances. However, the primary market success and functionality is dependent on the secondary market’s complementary role in providing and opening a business opportunity for primary investors. As a result, the secondary market forms the baseline for investors in primary issues to transact on their investments that give other investors a chance to invest in the company. Consequently, primary market functionally dependant on the secondary

How can managers assist employees with their career development Research Paper

How can managers assist employees with their career development - Research Paper Example It has also been stated that presence of a motivated workforce is very critical to the success of a firm in the market. It has been proved in various researches that job satisfaction is an essential aspect that leads to motivation among the employees. A motivated employee is known to provide the best shot at the workplace and is likely to view his or her tasks as responsibilities rather than routine work that can lead to organizational efficiency generating competitive advantage for the organization. The aspect of motivation is also directly linked to career development of the individual employees. The role of the manager or the supervisor becomes very important in this regard as their attitude can lead to considerable effects on the level of motivation and job satisfaction. The present paper would try to analyze the role of the managers in assisting employees towards their career development Analysis The concept of career development has been a matter of consistent research over the last few decades. During the era of the 80’s the focus was based on the ‘unitarist’ practices with employees extending their career options to multiple employers in an attempt to get the best of development of their personal careers. The present age has led to a situation in which employers are facing issues of high turnovers that has led to formulation of strategies that call for the need to ensure career development of the employees so as to ensure motivation and job satisfaction that can in turn help retain the best employees in the organization. The aspect of career development also calls on managers and supervisors to formulate practices that tend to encourage and improve their learning curves. The recent recession and downturn in the markets also had a very negative impact on the relationship with employees and their managers as well as on the careers of employees who were downsized in order to maintain costs. However, many organizations and managers have realized this as an opportunity to ensure a relationship based on partnerships and mutual benefits leading to a condition of greater shared responsibility that has led to generation of a positive sentiment even during times of severe crisis situations like the economic recession (Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.172-180). Figure 1: Career Development Model (Source: Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.182) The figure above shows a career development plan that combines the organizational needs along with the career development of an employee in the organization. The model proposes a session for career counseling that can be used to integrate organizational requirements with the career growth and competence of an individual employee. The model also shows a significant and important role for the manager in the entire process as the entire task of making a mutual integration with the career goals of an individual employee. The manager has a key role in making a decision about the type of training program tha t should be suitable for the employee so as to ensure organizational development as well as career development of an individual (Bratton & Gold, 2001, p.172-180). Numerous research conducted by academic and professional circles have stated the importance of the role of

Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay Example for Free

Critical Thinking and Ethics Essay In a discussion of ethics, critical thinking may not be the first term that comes to mind, unless opposing. However in some ways, critical thinking can the foundation, from which an ethical decision is made. This paper will explain the relationship between critical thinking and ethics, how the principles and rules of critical thinking are applicable to ethical reasoning, and if ethical decisions would be necessary if everyone followed the rules of logic. Is Critical Thinking Applicable to Ethical Reasoning? Ethical reasoning is based on the principles of what is considered right and wrong. Critical thinking on the other hand, warrants more of a thought process, causing one to analyze the situation from all aspects before reaching a conclusion. â€Å"By taking the path of a critical thinker, a person develops a mental process of evaluation which helps to determine their ethical standards† (Mnmelillo, 2010, Professional Growth, para. 1). Logic versus Ethical Reasoning The purpose of logic is to find that which is true. Logical thinking processes are often times used in ethics to answer important moral questions. However logic does not guarantee a morally correct outcome. For example, the legalization of marijuana is constantly under debate. Using the rules of logic, one would be able to see both the pros and cons of this argument. Although drug use is considered unethical by US government standards, even for medicinal use, the state of California, has legalized medicinal marijuana. In this particular case or should I say state, the rules of logic did not produce a morally correct result. Conclusion Ethical reasoning and critical thinking are derived from different  processes, although there are circumstances in which one is necessary to reach a decision regarding the other. As with critical thinking, there are no hard rules determining the use of ethics, considering what may be unethical in some cultures, for example, may prove to be ethical in another. Ultimately the use of ethics versus critical thinking or logic is determined by the situation at hand. Reference: Mnmelillo, N. (2010). What is the relationship between critical thinking and ethics? Triad Search Marketing: Professional Growth. Retrieved from http://www.triadsearchmarketing.com/what-is-the-relationship-between-critical-thinking-and-ethics/

Five Forces Analysis Of The Gresham Hotel Dublin Tourism Essay

Five Forces Analysis Of The Gresham Hotel Dublin Tourism Essay The Gresham Hotel, Dublin, is a four star quality accommodation and service hotel, located on OConnell Street in the heart of city center. At these days are employed 183 employees in the Gresham hotel Dublin, which is included all part time, casual and senior staff, all over the departments. The Gresham Hotel Dublin is part with other 4 hotels of Gresham Group located across Europe; they are situated on the city center of Hamburg, London, Brussels, Cork and Dublin. Type of business The Gresham Hotel is a Public Limited Company, means that all the debs of the business are cleared by the business and money is not taken out of the owners ´ personal funds. The Gresham Hotel is a separate legal entity from the owners. The company is permitted to offer shares to the public and must include the words Plc as part of company name. The Gresham Hotel, OConnell Street, is a four star hotel and this kind of business is based in service. They provide a wide range of facilities where all customers are well welcome with four star services. They also organize events such as weddings, parties and type of business nature. In each department of this organization is a Wide Span of Sontrol, the Manager/Supervisor is in charge of a large number of employees. It is also a Tall structure as the company has many levels of hierarchy. My duties in this company has the same standard as an employee which any reporting has to be made to the manager/supervisor ,following the manager/supervisor reporting to Duty Manager and this one reporting to Human Resources and finally the Human Resources to Director. This company is divided in many departments which are; Toddys bar-food and beverage, where I am present doing my work experience, my duties is mainly customer care. This department works fourteen people which two of them are supervisor. Writers bar-the main bar of the hotel which also serve food Kitchen department- this department runs all department involving food. Catering and Banqueting department- this department is responsible for all events Accountancy department Gallery restaurant- where at present is used for breakfast as this restaurant have been closest. External influence on organisation PEST The PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding market growth or decline, this method is used to scan for the external, macro environment, factors that influences on any company. PEST analysis stands for; Political factors- include government regulations Economic factors affect the purchasing power of potential customers and the firms cost capital Social factors- include the demographic and cultural aspects Technological technology is vital for competitive advantage, and is a major driver of globalization. On The Gresham Hotel analysis, the external factors that may affect the company are; Political Opening and closing times this regulation set up the opening and closing hours in a business. Smoking ban -it is forbidden smoking indoors by law and affects the company in certain way. Economic Interest rate- due the economic situation nowadays, the interest rates defines people of spending or saving money. Unemployment levels- due the economic situation turndown, a number of customers decrease derived to increased of unemployment levels. Sociological Lifestyle change- nowadays the people pay more attention to product/service ´s price (cheaper option), drinking at home and also they start going later and spending less time in pub. Cultural- Drinking alcohol is an everyday part of adult life in Ireland. Nowadays customers spend less on drinks, drinking more at home. Technological Nowadays the technology more than ever is vital for competitive advantage. The technology has an impact on any company, such as tillà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Provide a quicker a efficient service to a customer Some duties as stocktaking can be changed by technology, saving time and money Technology offer to customer other facility ways such as booking a room, purchase vouchers, etc. The labor can be switched by technology PORTER FIVE FORCES Five Forces Analysis assumes that there are five important forces that determine competitive power in a situation.These are: Competitive Rivalry Majority of competitors have the similar strategies , indicating high competitive rivalry Differentiation between their main products/service is low, indicating high competitive rivalry. There are no substitute products available to customers, indicating high competitive rivalry. Many competitors have more or less the same size. Bargaining power of suppliers We realize, the fewer suppliers choices we have, more power they are over the company, and how easy it is to drive their prices up. Uniqueness product-The Guinness is an example of a powerful brand; the Guinness is supplied by a unique supplier, Some product based on food is supplied for a few choices companies where provide a unique service to a company. Bargaining power of customers Here we can see how easy it is customers to drive the prices down. The customer may have bargaining power when; When there is no substitute or a little differentiation over the product/service food and beverage is similar to those of someone else. switching to another product/service is not costly Price sensitive at this days, more than ever the customers are more sensitive to a product/service prices. Threats of new entrants A threat of new entrants is high if; Low barriers to entry economies of scale government legislations to encourage them to enter the industry differentiations on their product/service capital Threat of substitute products The treat of substitute is high when the product/service substitutes offer benefits similar and also when it is ease at customers can switch with low or no cost. Product/Service when a substitute product/service falls Cost of change no cost/low cost of switching a product/service Internal External influence on organisation SWOT The SWOT analysis is very important tool for carrying out a good strategic planning, and it is a powerful tool of the marketing. When it is a matter of companies that compete in a same market target, it is important that they detect the threats and opportunities in the company, by studying the external environment. It is also of fundamental importance that they evaluate the weaknesses and strengths points of the company, studying of its internal environment. During the analysis, when a strong point is realized, they must be emphasized to the utmost, and when a weak point is realized, the organization must act to control it or, at least, to minimize its effect. This technique is interesting, that means change, which very often contributes to the growth or not, it would be depended on the performance to correspond to the objectives of the organization. Strength Brand name this brand is well know national and international Location- located in city center 4 star hotel- this hotel provides a 4 star service and accommodation Wide range of facilities- Writers Bar, Toddy ´s Bar , fitness studio, SPA and restaurant 23 Business facilities Complimentary WIFI access in all conference rooms, Quadriga interactive TV systems in all rooms provides PPV movies, internet, music. 288 tasteful bedrooms, containing everything the discerning traveller would need, including spacious work desk Dedicated butler service for the meeting rooms Registration Lobby Fully air conditioned A range of audio visual equipment for hire Secreterial services www.gresham-hotels.com/dublin-city-hotels/business_facilities.asp Weaknesses Restaurant 23 remain closest, as the only restaurant available and considering a 4 star hotel, it creates a high impact on customers expectations. High cost product/service- nowadays, customers are more sensible to product/service prices, discontentment has been expressed by customers relating to product/service price to high. Poor employee ´s motivation- employee are unhappy with the management style, consequently will have impact on their organization Technology no updated- it causes a slower service and sometimes misunderstands between employees and customers because of it. Lack of marketing expertise ´s Opportunities New technology arrivals- nowadays there is a need of new technology, it means modernization to make the company more efficient. Marketing department- would be a great opportunity for growth and profit. Restaurant -reopen the restaurant in the hotel. New ways of advertising and promoting (radio, TV,Internet)- would let the people know about their offers and promotions for short and long term. Threats New regulations/tax- there is a threat of more regulations and higher taxes. World economy recession- would affect directly the hospitality economy and consequently the competition becomes higher between competitors. Price wars with competitors-the hospitality ´s competition is very high and price wars may become a huge threat. Strikes- the Gresham Hotel like other companies are minimizing their spending, changing their behavior with employees, consequently would be a threat for this organization. The Swot analysis above may help The Gresham Hotel growth by capitalizing on opportunities using their strengths and eliminating their weaknesses and threats. CONCLUSION This Environment Analysis was based on the Gresham Hotel, overall the company in many aspects has competitive advantage over their competitors. At the end of environment analysis where was scanned internally and externally by Swot, Pest and Porter Five Forces analysis we can understand better the Gresham Hotel ´s position facing to its competitors. Some disadvantages such as no restaurant available, heavy environment between managements and employees are in my opinion huge weak provoking a high impact on their company. The company has a good reputation among their customers and it has resources and vantages to face to its competitors if they capitalize on opportunities using their strength and eliminating their weaknesses and threats it would contribute for company ´s growing. RECOMMENDATIONS I would recommend more investment on marketing resources and also in technologies, which I truly believe they are main keys for company growth. It is essential that there is a good team spirit at work, therefore I believe that the management should reach an agreement between staff and managements interests.

Dr. Faustus Essay - Pride, Insolence and the Fall of Doctor Faustus

Pride, Insolence and the Fall of Doctor Faustus  Ã‚   As a highly revered individual - a doctor of theology who is also involved in liberal arts, medicine and law - Doctor Faustus possesses limitless knowledge. Nonetheless, unfortunately the more people know the more curious, thirsty and greedy for knowledge they become. Thus, wanting to know more and therefore, gain supernatural power, Faustus creates his own fall through pride, insolence and child-like behavior - the by-products of the dominating id that overpowers the superego in this particular case. The above excerpt was provided to make the student aware of the focus of the essay, the complete paper begins below: "...Man builds towels of the spirit from which he may survey larger horizons that those of his class, race and nation. This is a necessary human enterprise. Without it man could not come to his full estate. But it is also inevitable that these towers should be Towers of Babel, that they should pretend to reach higher than their real height; and should claim a finality which they cannot posses," quotes Sylvan Barnet in his introduction to Christopher Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus" (xiv). Doctor Faustus lives in such pretension. Due to Faustus' extraordinary, celebrated, restless and insatiable mind that differs from the ordinary minds, the quote above stands as the basic premise for Marlowe's play. As a highly revered individual - a doctor of theology who is also involved in liberal arts, medicine and law - Doctor Faustus possesses limitless knowledge. Nonetheless, unfortunately the more people know the more curious, thirsty and greedy for knowledge they become. Thus, wanting to know more and therefore, gain supernatural power, Faustus creates his own fall th... ...ioned by his immediate circumstances...He wants to be man. He is not content with his truth. He seeks the truth...His restless mind seeks to comprehend the meaning of all cultures so that he may not be caught within the limitations of his own" (xiv). Works Cited and Consulted Beddow, Michael. Thomas Mann: Doctor Faustus. Cambridge: Cambridge, 1994. Carnegy, Patrick. Faust as Musician: A Study of Thomas Mann's Novel Doctor Faustus. London: Chatto & Windus, 1973. Guerin, Wilfred L., Earle Labor, Lee Morgan, Jeanne C. Reesman, John R. Willingham. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. Marlowe, Christopher. Doctor Faustus. Ed. Sylvan Barnet. New York: Signet Classic, 1969. Russell, Jeffrey Burton. The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1988.