Questions Based on The Devil and Tom Walker free essay sample

A forest near Boston, Massachusetts, circa 1727 2. Tom Walker might be described as D) stingy and cruel but courageous. 3. Tom Walker’s wife is best described as A) generous and much loved by her neighbors. B) kind toward her husband, but cruel to others. C) yearning for companionship. D) fierce shrew, always nagging and yelling. 4. In â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker,† the woods are used to symbolize   A) evil. B) goodness. C) isolation. D) greed. 5. Which of the following phrases from â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† is an example of Irving’s use of humor? â€Å"Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property, with the loss of his wife, for he was a man of fortitude. †Ã‚   B) â€Å"He knows how to play his cards when pretty sure of his game. †Ã‚   C) â€Å"He insisted that the money found through his means should be employed in his service. †Ã‚   D) â€Å" ‘You shall extort bonds, foreclose mortgages, drive the merchants to bankruptcy—. We will write a custom essay sample on Questions Based on The Devil and Tom Walker or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ’ † 6. In â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker,† what does Irving use to symbolize hypocrisy and hidden evil? A) The devil’s deal with Tom B) Mrs. Walker’s heart and liver, wrapped in the checked apron   C) The flourishing trees that are rotten to the core The Walkers’ silver teapots and spoons 7. In â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker,† what enabled you to predict the figure that appears to Tom in the forest is the devil? A) He appears when Tom kicks the skull. B) He has large red eyes. C) He has a hoarse, growling voice. D) Tom is instantly frightened. 8. Tom’s wife decides to go into the forest because she A) wants to escape from Tom’s unkindness. B) decides to make her own deal with the devil. C) gets lost on her way to the market. D) wants to pick some herbs and wild mushrooms for their meager meal. 9. How does Tom die? A) The people he has cheated rise up against him. He falls off his horse and gets trampled. C) The devil comes to take him. D) He is killed by Native Americans. 10. What happens to Tom Walker’s money at the end of the story? A) It is given to the townspeople. B) The townspeople seize it. C) It goes to Mrs. Walker. D) It turns into cinders and ashes. 11. In â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker,† what feeling about the setting does Irving want to arouse? A) fear B) optimism C) anger D) hope 12. Which quote from â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† best contributes to the story’s mood? A) â€Å"The swamp was thickly grown with great gloomy pines and hemlocks . . . hich made it dark at noonday. .

Null Hypothesis and Alternative Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis and Alternative Hypothesis Hypothesis testing involves the careful construction of two statements: the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis. These hypotheses can look very similar but are actually different. How do we know which hypothesis is the null and which one is the alternative? We will see that there are a few ways to tell the difference. The Null Hypothesis The null hypothesis reflects that there will be no observed effect in our experiment. In a mathematical formulation of the null hypothesis, there will typically be an equal sign. This hypothesis is denoted by H0. The null hypothesis is what we attempt to find evidence against in our hypothesis test. We hope to obtain a small enough p-value that it is lower than our level of significance alpha and we are justified in rejecting the null hypothesis. If our p-value is greater than alpha, then we fail to reject the null hypothesis. If the null hypothesis is not rejected, then we must be careful to say what this means. The thinking on this is similar to a legal verdict. Just because a person has been declared not guilty, it does not mean that he is innocent. In the same way, just because we failed to reject a null hypothesis it does not mean that the statement is true. For example, we may want to investigate the claim that despite what convention has told us, the mean adult body temperature is not the accepted value of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. The null hypothesis for an experiment to investigate this is â€Å"The mean adult body temperature for healthy individuals is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.† If we fail to reject the null hypothesis, then our working hypothesis remains that the average adult who is healthy has a temperature of 98.6 degrees. We do not prove that this is true. If we are studying a new treatment, the null hypothesis is that our treatment will not change our subjects in any meaningful way. In other words, the treatment will not produce any effect in our subjects. The Alternative Hypothesis The alternative or experimental hypothesis reflects that there will be an observed effect for our experiment. In a mathematical formulation of the alternative hypothesis, there will typically be an inequality, or not equal to symbol. This hypothesis is denoted by either Ha or by H1. The alternative hypothesis is what we are attempting to demonstrate in an indirect way by the use of our hypothesis test. If the null hypothesis is rejected, then we accept the alternative hypothesis. If the null hypothesis is not rejected, then we do not accept the alternative hypothesis. Going back to the above example of mean human body temperature, the alternative hypothesis is â€Å"The average adult human body temperature is not 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.† If we are studying a new treatment, then the alternative hypothesis is that our treatment does, in fact, change our subjects in a meaningful and measurable way. Negation The following set of negations may help when you are forming your null and alternative hypotheses. Most technical papers rely on just the first formulation, even though you may see some of the others in a statistics textbook. Null hypothesis: â€Å"x is equal to y.† Alternative hypothesis â€Å"x is not equal to y.†Null hypothesis: â€Å"x is at least y.† Alternative hypothesis â€Å"x is less than y.†Null hypothesis: â€Å"x is at most y.† Alternative hypothesis â€Å"x is greater than y.†

Rodney King Riots Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rodney King Riots - Essay Example The riots caused a great deal of damage and injury and remain one of the most violent periods in the history of the city. The present research looks into the causes of the riots, the events that led up to them, the evidence that was brought forward and decisions handed down and how this news was received by the greater community. The immediate and long-term effects of the riots will be examined and the lessons learned will be explored. In 1991, a man named Rodney King was brutally beaten up by four police officers and the video recording of the incident had been publicized. The LAPD officers were put on trial for this controversial incident after the video was released. This caused it to stay in the center of the public eye. The verdicts handed down as a result of the trial amazed the public because only one officer was found guilty of the excessive use of force that all four officers were seen to take part in within the video. The other officers were released with no further charges or punishment (Los Angeles Times, April 29th 1992). The video coverage of the trials and verdicts angered the populace who perhaps felt threatened that the same thing might someday happen to them. They reacted in masses as hundreds of Black people filled the streets to share their anger and disbelief. This negative emotion fed on itself and began to tip over into violence. \ The result was the riots which have jarred the nerves of eve ryone involved. Three days of violence followed. Four thousand National Guardsmen were deployed to re-establish law and order. Live news television coverage showed fires raging in various parts of the city started by the rioters. People were rioting and looting and assaulting innocent bystanders leading to utter havoc in the heart of the city. By the time the riots were brought under control, the death toll was 50 and more than 4,000 people were injured. Property damage was assessed at $1 billion and 12,000

Research handbook of comparative employment relations Essay

Research handbook of comparative employment relations - Essay Example Good! So these are your 3 main sections of your paper. According to Barry and Wilkinson (2011), voluntary overtime is a regular and positive practice in the various industries. Voluntary overtime increases the productivity of workers, maintains employees’ wellbeing, reduces staff turnover, and it is more cost efficient than part-time employment. Good! Okay, so you discuss these next, right? In the next couple of paragraphs, you discuss these right? I could be able to see that these are the topics for the next paragraphs. maintains employees’ wellbeing, reduces staff turnover, and it is more cost efficient than part-time employment For example, overtime is a common practice among medical facilities in the United States, where nurses are the majority of medical facilities’ employees who works overtime. You should consider using more in-text citations – where did this example come from? One of our sources? Or would one of your sources agree with it? Then use an in-text citation here. It’s not uncommon for research papers to have in-text citations in almost every other sentence. This is looking good so far. Nurses who voluntarily work overtime provide better care for the patients compared to mandatory overtime or part-time nurses. A clear indication of the positive impact of voluntary overtime over part-time or regular time work is that overtime workers tend to be engaged, especially when work is voluntarily provided to them. Most employees admit that wages have an impact on their work performance. Studies have demonstrated that higher wages earned result in a sense of achievement, ownership, and satisfaction in the work completed. Okay, so the next paragraphs will be about achievement, ownership, and satisfaction, right? It’s like sorting out your laundry; the evaluators will want to see clear, separate piles of thoughts like you indicate in your, excellent topic sentences. Your piles are your paragraphs, right? So, I want to see a paragraph on achievement. And another one one on ownership, and then the last one on satisfaction in work. Does this make sense/ Employees who are available by choice to work for overtime hours augment their productivity, lead to an excellent job recital, and reduce staff turnover through retention of employees (Barry & Wilkinson, 2011).Voluntary work helps in maintaining the employee’s health more than forced overtime work. Use of voluntary overtime enhances the wellbeing of workers; on the other hand, involuntary overtime causes burnout among employees. Voluntary overtime increases employees’ satisfaction and reduces stress among employees; as a result, it helps in maintaining the health of the workers. As Cameron (2012) observes, employees who work on voluntary overtime tend to have natural self-motivation within them, which enhances their productivity and job satisfaction. Employees and employers attain more benefits from voluntary overtime than from invo luntary overtime. Numerous studies have established that long working hours and shift work raise the odds for employees to be fatigued, injured, stressed, and suffer from medical ailments. However, voluntary overtime tends to lower these effects, but involuntary overtime increases same. The Advantages of Voluntary Overtime Paid Work The Advantages of

Public Affairs and relgious beliefs Research Paper

Public Affairs and relgious beliefs - Research Paper Example ever, there are a number of other smaller religions that are formed as a result of differences of beliefs concerning the doctrine of the major religions and thus, a sect of people break away from the main religion to start their small religion. Basically, religious beliefs are founded on faith of certain doctrines as taught by the respective religions so the believers of those doctrines are supposed to believe the teachings as they are without much questioning. For instance, religion has greatly contributed to the spread of HIV and AIDS. Some religions for example Catholics discourage the use of condoms hence its follows can engage in unsafe sex contributing to the spread of the pandemic (Apostolidis & Juliet, 2004). Also some of the Africa beliefs provided for the use of one surgical instrument when performing circumcision hence a risk in the spread of HIV and AIDS. Christian teachings tend to brain wash people into a certain school of thought in whom they cannot easily get themselves out of since they are bond by doctrines which they are supposed to follow to the letter without questioning their legitimacy or logic (Apostolidis & Juliet, 2004). Religion is a major impediment when it comes to solving social affairs in the public arena. For instance, politicians who are majorly the policy makers in countries will be limited to the scope of issues they will discuss and polices that will be formulated since is one is strongly affiliated to a certain religion the doctrines to that religion will in most of the time coincide with the policies being formulated thus, creating a deadlock of whether to adhere to religious teachings and doctrine or formulate polices that are against the religious teachings but for the common good of the general public. The utilitarian theory advocates for something to be regarded as ethically correct it has to be done so that benefit is for the greatest number of people. Thus, religion should not act as opium that impedes service delivery

Microphase Separation of Miktoarm Star Copolymers

Microphase Separation of Miktoarm Star Copolymers Abstract: Miktoarm star shaped copolymers have attracted much attention due to their unique shape and intriguing properties compared to the linear block copolymers, including compact structure, higher critical micelle concentration, lower viscosity, efficient synthetic routes and wide range of morphologies. The different synthetic routes such as anionic polymerization and controlled radical polymerization have made it possible to synthesis diverse molecular architecture of copolymer and these diverse architectured copolymers give numerous morphologies. For example, Archimedean tiling patterns and cylindrical microdomains at symmetric volume fraction for miktoarm star copolymers, which have not been reported for linear block copolymers. This paper summarizes the morphology and microphase separation of miktoarm star copolymers with nonlinear architecture. Introduction: Block copolymers have attracted considerable attention because of their morphologies and nanophase structures such as spheres, cylinders, bicontinuous, and lamellae. These morphologies show due to the interacting repulsive force between the components, which particularly affected by the phase separation, which strongly depends on volume fraction of the blocks, the degree of polymerization, entropy variation with molecular weight, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, and the molecular architecture of the block copolymers.1–4 All of these nanostructure have been widely used in various field such as optoelectronics, microelectronics, and nanotechnology for various applications such as templates, nanoreactors, membranes, optical materials, and data storage media.5–15 6–8 In particular, in the field of pharmaceutical, vesicles of miktoarm star shaped copolymer have been used as drug delivery vehicles. In comparison to any other linear block copolymers, star shaped or miktoarm star shaped copolymers show diverse morphology and physical properties due to their different molecular architecture. For instance, unimolecular micelles of star copolymers displayed much higher stablility than the micelles of linear block copolymers because in the star shaped copolymer the arms are covalently connected to the central core. These highly stable micelles of star shaped copolymer have been using to synthesis monodisperse colloidal nanocrystal. 19-22 In the linear diblock copolymers (AB) and linear triblock terpolymers (ABC), the morphologies or microphase structure are mostly governed by the volume fraction of one of the blocks (fA, fB = 1- fA) and one interaction parameter (χAB), and two volume fraction parameters (fA, fB, fC = 1- fA fB) and three interaction parameters (χAB, χBC, χCA), respectively. For example, spherical or cylindrical microdomains are only observed at asymmetric volume fractions, while lamellar microdomains are shown at symmetric volume fractions in diblock copolymers. However, nonlinear or mitoarm star shaped copolymers showed cylindrical microdomains even at symmetric volume fraction due to the molecular architecture. Miktoarm star copolymers (sometimes called asymmetric star copolymers, heteroarm star copolymer or simply miktoarm copolymer) are star shaped copolymer, consist of heteroarms covalently joined to a central core with different chemical compositions or molecular weights For example, AmBn miktoarm star copolymer where, m arms of A homopolymer and n arms of B homopolymer are linked to a central core, while in the star-shaped copolymers homoarms with identical chemical compositions are covalently joined to a central core. For instance, (A-b-B)n star-shaped copolymer where, n arms of A-b-B diblock copolymer are connected to a central core. Here the first written A block represents the inner block (core) and B block is the outer block (shell) of star shaped copolymer, as shown in Fig: 1. Fig: 1 Schematic architectures of (a) miktoarm star copolymers (AmBn) and (b) star-shaped copolymers ((A-b-B)n). Miktoarm star shaped copolymers morphologies and their characterization: The effect of molecular architecture on miktoarm star shaped copolymers morphologies has been extensively investigated theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical investigation: In 1996, Milner 36 first reported theoretical phase diagram of AnBn miktoarm star shaped copolymers at the strong segregation limit. The morphology and microphase separation are determined by the competition between reduction of interfacial tension and the increase in stretching free energy as the copolymer blocks stretch away from the interface. Fig 2: Phase diagram of AnBn miktoarm star shaped copolymers at the strong segregation limit as a function of volume fraction of the B monomer (φB), with increasing asymmetric parameter ÃŽ µ = (nA/nB)(lA/lB)1/2, where nA, nB are the numbers of A and B blocks, and lA, lB are characteristic lengths of A and B, respectively. In 1997, Floudas 37 calculated spinodal curves for the series of ABn miktoarm star shaped copolymers based on mean field theory. The results of the lower number of the series are plotted in Fig 3. The plot indicates that the critical value of the χNt (Nt = Na + nNb) of ABn miktoarm star copolymers is higher than that of diblock copolymers. Therefore, the microphase separation for ABn miktoarm copolymers becomes more difficult. It also indicates that the maximum critical value of χNt appears at n=3 (for AB3 miktoarm copolymers). Fig 3: (a) The spinodal curves (χNt vs. fA) for diblock and ABn miktoarm star copolymers with three different values of n (2, 3, and 4). (b) Critical values of χNt plotted as a function of the number of arms of the B block. In 2004, Grason and Kamien38 have calculated phase diagrams of AmBn miktoarm star copolymers for m = 1 with n = 2, 3, 4, and 5 using self consistent field theory (SCFT), but they did not consider the perforated lamellar (PL) and Fddd (O70, orthorhombic and single-network structure) phases. Later, in 2012, Matsen39 calculated the phase diagram for AB2 miktoarm star copolymer and found perforated lamellae (PL) and Fddd (O70), phases near gyroid phase (Fig 4). Fig 4: Theoretical phase diagram of AB2 miktoarm star copolymers with PL and Fddd phases. Experimental investigation: ABC Miktoarm Star Terpolymer: Matsushita and coworkers74–76 have investigated microphase separation of AxByCz miktoarm star terpolymers. For that they classified the molecular architecture into different series like I1.0S1.0Px1, I1.0SyP2.0, and I1.0S1.8Px2 where I = polyisoprene, S = polystyrene and P = poly (2-vinylpyridine) and 0.2≠¤ x ≠¤ 10, 1.1≠¤ x ≠¤ 2.7 and 3.2≠¤ x2 ≠¤ 53. In all the TEM images and morphologies, I domain represented by black, S domain by white and P domain by gray color. Fig. 5 compares TEM images for the series, I1.0S1.0Px1. In figure 2(a) for the sample, I1.0S1.0P0.2, spheres of the highly minor component P are sandwiched with lamellae of two major components, I and S, which is called spheres sandwiched with lamellae. Figure 2(b) is a tiling structure as a cross-sectional view of a cylindrical structure from the sample, I1.0S1.0P0.7. This is one of the 12 Archimedean tiling structures. Figure 2(c) is a lamellar structure for the sample I1.0S1.0P3.0, where one of the lamellae is composed of other lamellae, which is called lamellae-in-lamella structure. Figure 2(d) for the sample I1.0S1.0P10 shows cylinders composed of alternating columnar I and S discs, the cylinders being packed hexagonally in a P matrix: this pattern is called a lamellae-in-cylinder structure. Fig 5: Various morphologies of the type I1.0S1.0Px1. X1 values are (a) 0.2, (b) 0.7, (c) 3 and (d) 10. Fig. 6 compares the TEM images of structures series, I1.0SyP2.0, where two Archimedean tilings, (4.6.12) and (4.8.8) can be recognized easily in figure 6(a) for I1.0S1.3P2.0 and in figure 6(c) for I1.0S2.3P2.0 while another (3.3.4.3.4) tiling is seen in figure 6(b) for (I1.0S2.7P2.0) where the I (dark) and S (bright) domains are opposite to Fig 5(a) because of the composition difference. Fig 6: Tiling structures for I1.0SyP2.0. (a) I1.0S1.3P2.0 (b) I1.0S2.3P2.0 and (c) I1.0S2.7P2.0 Fig 7(a) is the SAXS diffraction image for I1.0S2.3P2.0, in this pattern there are 12 diffraction spots in the lower q region, four of which belong to {20} and the other eight to {21}. From careful data analyses, it shows that this pattern is corresponded to the Archimedean tiling (3.3.4.3.4) (Fig 7(b)). Fig 7: (a) SAXS diffraction image for I1.0S2.3P2.0. and (b) the corresponding real-space image. The TEM images for the series, I1.0S1.8Px2 are reported in Fig 8, where Fig 8(a) for the sample, I1.0S1.8P3.2, shows I and S domains form gyroid membrane in the P domain. Figure 8(b) for I1.0S1.8P6.4 and 8(c) for I1.0S1.8P53 show cylinder-in-lamella and hierarchical structure, respectively. Fig 8: TEM images for (a) I1.0S1.8P3.2 (b) I1.0S1.8P3.2 and (c) I1.0S1.8P3.2 Fig 9 summarizes microphase separation observed for IxSyPz miktoarm star terpolymers with different volume ratios between the arms. Fig 9: Kaleidoscopic morphologies from the IxSyPz miktoarm star shaped block terpolymer system. (a) Lamellae-in-sphere, (b) lamellae-in-cylinder, (c) cylinder-in-lamella, (d) hyperbolic tiling, (e) zinc blende, (f) sphere-sandwiched-with-lamella, (g) Archimedean tiling and (h) lamellae-in-lamella.

The Evil of Lago Essay -- Literary Analysis, Shakespeare

The Evil of Iago Shakespeare has written many works with various villains, but out of all of them, without a doubt the most sinister one is Iago. Most of the antagonists in Shakespeare's plays have valid clear motives for the troubles the cause. Iago on the other had does not, for the most part he just has hatred for the world especially Othello. He is the main character of the play in the sense that he is the cause of all conflict in Othello. All of the problems he causes are through lies, treachery, and manipulation. Some of his hate is fuelled by jealousy and revenge. The ironic part is that he wants to be known as "honest Iago". Iago is the epitome of evil as he manipulates those who trust him without just reason or remorse. Iago is an evil character as while he has no legitimate reason for his evil plans, he rationalizes the reasons for his actions and still sets out to ruin the lives of those around him. He hates Michael Cassio, for receiving the lieutenancy instead on himself. Ranting to Roderigo, he says, â€Å"[Cassio is] mere prattle without practice/Is all his soldiership†¦And I, of whom his eyes had seen proof†¦must be beleed and calmed. (I.i.27-32). Iago believes that he has been unjustly overlooked for the position, as he is clearly more qualified than Cassio. He also believes Cassio has slept with his wife, he â€Å"fear[s] Cassio with [his] nightcap(II.i.329)." Though he hates Cassio, much of his hate is directed towards Othello. It may be as Othello has given Cassio the promotion, but Iago does not give that reason, instead he says, â€Å"I hate the Moor,/And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets/’Has done my office. (I.iii.429-431) Iago believes that both Othello and Cassio have been with his wife. He has no evidence o... ...fuses to divulge information, he says, â€Å"Demand me nothing: what you know, you know/From this time forth I never will speak word. (V.ii.355-356) Iago shows no remorse for his actions, even refusing to come clean or ask for some sort of forgiveness when he is caught. Iago is the epitome of evil as he manipulates those who trust him without just reason or remorse. He only driven by hatred, with has no legitimate reason for his evil plans. Iago is seen as an honest man, and he uses this as leverage to spread lies and manipulate without suspicion. And when all is said and done, he shows no remorse for what he has done. Iago is truly evil to the core, continually playing a game of deception, with everyone, the audience, even himself. He has depth and his actions are the main drive of the play. Iago, with his hatred and amorality, is an example of a perfect villain.

Home Depot Essay

The company I am selecting for this project is Home Depot. Home Depot is an American company involved in home improvement and construction products and services. This company is situated in Atlanta and is considered as the largest home improvement retailer in United States of America. The firm works in a retail industry with emphasis on the selling of products related to the construction business with more focus on providing services which focus on providing solutions to the customer needs in terms of providing excellent services with more focus on respecting the customers as well as the society within which the firm works. The rationale behind selecting this company is the fact that it is the largest firm in its chosen field of business and only the second largest retailer in US. Over the period of time, it has emerged itself as one of the most successfully companies with innovative management practices and strategies which allowed taking lead from its much stronger competitors. The history of the company is not that old as the firm was founded in late 1970’s. Success in such short period of time speaks volumes about the way company has been managed and taken care off. Further, it is also important to mention that the company has diversified into many different businesses thus providing itself necessary leverage to withstand different economic shocks as well as external risks. Recent performance of the firm suggest that there has been, on average, a growth of 10% which has been achieved by the company pointing towards the strong market potential as well as penetration of the firm into the local market. It is because of these reasons that I have chosen this company for my project.

Chinese Customs for Meeting New People

Chinese Customs for Meeting New People When it comes to making friends or meeting new clients, knowing the proper Chinese customs will help you make the best first impression possible. Tips for Meeting New People 1. Learning a little Chinese goes a long way. While it’s not necessary to master Chinese, learning to say a few phrases will help break the ice. Say ‘Hello’ on the telephone in ChineseSay Hello in Chinese.Say ‘How Are You?’ in ChineseSay â€Å"My Name is ___† in Chinese 2. While the Chinese prefer to bow at the waist for formal ceremonies and special events, a handshake and hello are becoming more and more popular. Always stand when being introduced and remain standing until introductions have been completed. You are expected to shake hands with everyone even if the delegation is rather large. 3. Immediately upon introduction, present your name card. Use two hands to present the business card to the person you are meeting. You name should be facing the person you are greeting. Most Chinese and foreign business people have bilingual business cards with Chinese on one side and English on the other. You should present the side of your card that is in the person’s native language. Be sure to give everyone in the room your business card so be sure to have plenty of hand at all times. 4. Once you receive your new acquaintance’s business card, do not write on it or shove it in your pocket. Take a minute to read it and look it over. This is a sign of respect. If you are seated at a table, place the name card in front of you on the table. If you are standing and will remain standing, you may place the card in a cardholder or discreetly in a breast or jacket pocket. 5. Remember that Chinese names are in reverse order of English names. The last name appears first. Until you become close business partners, address a person by their full name rather than their first name, by their title (for example, Managing Director Wang), or Mr./Ms. followed by the person’s surname. Learn More About Chinese Etiquette Chinese Banquet and Dining EtiquetteChinese Business EtiquetteEtiquette for Visiting a Chinese Home

Effects of Cultural Diversity on the Modern Classroom Essay Example

Effects of Cultural Diversity on the Modern Classroom Essay Example Effects of Cultural Diversity on the Modern Classroom Essay Effects of Cultural Diversity on the Modern Classroom Essay Running Header: CULTURAL DIVERSITY Effects of Cultural Diversity on the Modern Classroom Abstract This paper examines the effects that increasing diversity in the American classroom has had on the teaching profession. With the massive changes in cultural and linguistic minority levels within the classroom, the field of education as a whole has been forced to evolve. This adaptation is necessary for the American education system to maintain the levels of success that it has achieved in years past. Included within this work are personal experiences highlighting my own sensitivity to the increasingly diverse classroom, as well as explicit connections to education experts. The last few decades have seen a notable change to the face of education. No longer are classes predominantly comprised of the cultural or ethnic majority. Classes have grown to reflect the cultural diversity that is prevalent throughout society in the United States. Due to the great change in the face of the classroom today, schools are adapting their instructional strategies to be considerate and respectful of the massive amounts of culture within the classroom. This newly emerging cultural diversity is what is shaping the field of education today. Unlike classrooms throughout history, teachers must now consider cognition, as it is influenced by culture, to determine how to best teach their students. Culture in the classroom does not create nor allow a uniform teaching style anymore. Traditional means of teaching, for all intents and purposes, have gone stale. The drastic increases to the cultural and ethnic diversity in the classroom have paved the way for a new style of instruction. Within the field of educational psychology there are many people working diligently to reveal more about student learning with respect and acknowledgement of each individual studentâ„ ¢s culture. This explosion of discovery, on the part of the psychologists, has revealed that learning and cognition, although varying from person to person, are shaped on a higher level by each individualâ„ ¢s culture (Greenfield Cocking, 1994, p.4). Gardenerâ„ ¢s theory of Multiple Intelligences established precedence for this, as it states that not every person learns in the same fashion. Some students may excel in a lecture-style classroom while other students are more inclined to learn in a hands-on based setting (Eby, Herrel, Jordan, 1994, p.209). This proves the distinct possibility that each student in a classroom will process material differently and, therefore, teachers must work to diversify their instructional approaches to meet the individual needs of the students. In recent years, educational psychologists such as Ruby Takanishi and John Ogbu have acknowledged that this phenomenon of students learning material differently extends beyond the basic capacity for cognition. In addition to needing variation of instruction, students also process information differently. They have concluded that the ability to process information also stems from a studentâ„ ¢s cultural influences. A great example of the variation of cognition dependent on culture comes from Greenfield and Cockingâ„ ¢s Cross-Cultural Roots of Minority Child Development. Within this collection of analyses of education, Jacqueline Jamin utilized the comparison of Inuit children of Canada to Baoule children of the Ivory Coast. In her comparison, Jamin concluded that certain concepts and the acquisition of cognitive skills are stronger in some cultures rather than others (Greenfield Cocking, 1994, p.147). From this analysis, she determined that Inuit children have a greater understanding of the concept of space whereas Baoule children comprehend the concept of quantity on a deeper level. Jamin noted in her summation of this comparison that these differences in cognition are derived from certain aspects of daily life that are highly valued among these cultures (Greenfield Cocking, 1994, p.147). It is facts such as this that teachers must consider when planning and instructing in the dive rse classroom of today. The influence of culture on cognition extends beyond conceptual knowledge of course material. Furthermore, it also extends beyond the two-culture model that compares the Baoule and Inuit children. As Takanishi wrote in her article pertaining to children of Japanese descent, the influence of culture extends far beyond excelling in specific topics or areas. Takanishi described the hardships that students of various Asian heritages face within the classroom. The situation that is illustrated presents the cultural influence pertaining to the respecting of authority figures and elders. In this model, students are often viewed as timid, shy, and reluctant to ask questions (Greenfield Cocking, 1994, p.352). Considering this, a teacher will experience very little success when instructing students of some Asian cultures if they engage them using the Socratic method or a similar approach (Johnson, Musial, Hall, Gollnick, Dupuis, 2008, p.304). In order to experience success in the class room, teachers must be considerate and respectful of different cultures and how it applies to their instruction because a studentâ„ ¢s culture is an engrained aspect of their personality. These two articles from Greenfield and Cockingâ„ ¢s text reveal quite a bit about what profound influence culture possesses over learning. Educational psychologists have revealed much about the scope of influence that culture has over an individualâ„ ¢s learning process. Teaching to a diverse classroom should be given as much respect as teaching to students of varying skills and abilities. Teachers must find a way to reach every student regardless of their skill level or background and experiences. Culture does not hinder a childâ„ ¢s educational performance, it creates a unique opportunity for teachers to personalize their education further to assist all students in their adventures in learning (Slavin, 2009, p.92). The above examples help to illustrate the additional uniqueness that culture adds to each student. Within the classroom there are students who will learn differently, behave differently, and experience success in different subjects. Educators have begun to give consideration to the varying degrees of learning and variation of skills and abilities in recent years. Instructional trends throughout the field of education, such as bilingual education, accommodation, modification, active learning, discovery learning, and many other approaches to teaching, have developed from the recognition of diversity within the classroom. Students who would have traditionally struggled in the former sink or swim types of immersion are finally receiving the necessary attention to assist them in learning (Ovando, Combs, Collier, 2006, p.41). Teachers are becoming better trained for the increased diversity within the classroom. These teachers are the ones who work hard to develop the educational app roaches responsible for the successes in educating culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse classrooms. Throughout the Greenfield and Cocking text, the need for sensitivity towards the culture of students is a recurring theme. A simple awareness to a studentâ„ ¢s culture is not enough for a teacher to have when teaching a diverse class. Sensitivity goes beyond awareness, as it is an acknowledgement of the various cultures that may exist and also an accommodation for any cultural needs that may be present. An educator who does not possess the necessary sensitivity to a studentâ„ ¢s cultural needs might not take the initiative, or not know to take the initiative, to meet the varying needs of their students. In both instances of neglect and ignorance the needs of the student, as related to, and a result from, their cultural upbringing, go unmet. Sensitivity to culture can also be interpreted as being knowledgeable and respectful of a studentâ„ ¢s culture to the point where it serves as a reference point for accommodation within the classroom. The action of accommodation should function similar to the way accommodation and modification does for students with disabilities. The theory behind accommodation and modification is basic in scope and thus can, and should, be applied in the instance of diversity. General accommodations already in widespread use include the production of handouts in majority and minority languages, advanced notice of assignments, assistive learning devices, course modifications and many others (Greenfield Cocking, 1994, p.32). With accommodation strategies such as these already employed, it is an easy and logical step to apply them beyond their original, intended scope, and apply them with regard to cultural needs of students. If this is done, the students will receive the added and necessary attention to help increase the quality of learning they are receiving. In achieving this, educators are making it easier for students to process the information presented in the classroom. The sensitivity toward culture is derived from an understanding and knowledge of the various cultures that are represented within the classroom. Although there may be a wide range of cultures within the classroom, teachers should be conscious of the audience that they are instructing (Ovando et al., 2006, p.32). Being aware of your studentsâ„ ¢ cultures will help the teacher maximize the probability of achieving success in the classroom. A teacher with a true understanding of the cultures of his students will be better equipped to teach to the whole, not to the particular. Understanding culture can reveal much about studentâ„ ¢s wants and needs. Furthermore, the teacher will be able to understand their studentsâ„ ¢ mannerisms and body language, a skill that will help prevent any misconceptions of bad behavior or rudeness. This understanding does not just apply to lesson design and instruction, but rather it paves the road for appropriate and constructive student/teach er, parent/teacher, and student/parent/teacher interactions. From 1994 to 1996 the number of linguistic minority students skyrocketed from three million to nearly ten million students (Nieto, 2000). The increased volume of minority language students has had great effects on the education system in the United States. This growth of minority language students has greatly increased the demand for teachers to have an improved awareness of the needs of all of their students. Teachers are not the only aspect of the American education system that has needed to become more modernized to suit the diverse culture of today. The prevalence and high amounts of diversity in the classroom has resulted in a need for reform of instructional settings, classroom compositions and the focus of the school as well. Change is not something that the teachers are entirely responsible for, as school districts and the field of education as a whole must develop and adapt into a more responsive and adaptable institution. The act of refining the teaching profession to become compassionate and accommodating to cultural and linguistic diversity has not been developing on its own. Alongside this development, the fundamentals and teaching strategies used within the classroom have also experienced great changes. As previously mentioned, there is a transition away from traditional instructional methods. The lesson planning and execution processes are continually being refined in a manner that heavily suggests incorporation of cultural learning. Although lessons are still encouraged to maintain the traditional style of review, introduction, presentation, seatwork, summary, and conclusion, the inner-workings of each aspect of the lesson has experienced revision. Lecturing, as a tool for presenting subject matter, has undergone many changes to assist students of various culture and language differences in understanding course content. With the incorporation of modern technology, either via visual presentation and/or translated course materials, achieving a bilingual setting has become much easier to attain. Furthermore, constructivist-learning theory has begun to influence educational approaches and strategies to the point that the presentation and seatwork sections are intertwined (Johnson et al., 2008, p.331). Discovery learning calls for students to explore the course materials and learn in a manner that best suits their needs (Eby et al., 2006, p.218). This is entirely conducive to cultural sensitivity and consideration within the classroom as teachers facilitate and supervise learning rather than control it. The constructivist approach is defined as a situation where students learn best through meaningful, first hand experiences (J ohnson et al., 2008, p.331). In this model, in compliance with constructivist theory, teachers give the students the necessary tools for them to learn the material in a fashion that best suits their needs. The implementation of constructivist theory, namely through discovery learning, has become much more commonplace in the school systems today. Before taking this class on Cognition, Culture and Language I was unaware of the profound effect that culture can have on student learning. Though I had learned the importance of understanding the culture of the students to establish connecting points within the curriculum, I did not possess any further reason to have a personal cultural understanding with students. It is now evident to me that understanding the cultures of students will achieve more than establishing connecting points. Teachers with the understanding of the cultures of their students are better equipped to assist their students in the learning process. Moreover, teachers who understand the cultures and cultural values of their students are more inclined to be accepting of their students and not violate any cultural norms that the parents might have instilled in their children. Also, when a teacher has a grasp of the cultures of their students, it is unlikely that they will misinterpret behaviors that are spec ific to various cultures as being insubordinate, rude, or timid (Greenfield Cocking, 1994, p.352). Rather than assume a student is exhibiting negative character traits, a teacher with cultural understanding would be more inclined to research alternate methods of instruction that move away from situations where students exhibit these behaviors. With respect to cultural sensitivity, I have learned many things about the implications of diversity within the classroom. Cultural sensitivity, or the sincere acknowledgement of the diversity within the class, is essential for teachers to excel in the classroom. Possessing sensitivity to culture is on a greater level than a simple awareness and understanding. When a teacher has a combination of awareness, sensitivity, and understanding, they will know how to respond situationally and appropriately. Sensitivity also has beneficial effects when establishing relationships that extend beyond the classroom. A teacher who is culturally sensitive will interact with students and their families. When they do this, they will be conscious and respectful of culture and will conduct themselves with tact and dignity. In addition, when teachers employ ideas that are centered on accommodation and lesson modification, they will ensure success among all students, not simply the minority or the majority. Culture exists, and has influence on, so many levels of our everyday lives. The effect that culture has on a person is uncontrollable. It is a continual pattern that goes from parent to child and, although it may be changed overtime, still possesses the same common origin. As time progresses, specific groups may develop characteristics different from their original, inherited culture but common traits may remain the same. Regardless of the changes that may occur over time, people are still shaped and developed in accordance with their culture. The effects that culture has on a personâ„ ¢s comprehension and learning have become much more evident as our classrooms become increasingly diverse. Now, to help students learn subject material in a manner that is best receptive to their culture, teachers must develop awareness to these cultures. For the American education system to experience continued success, teachers must work to improve the quality of education it is delivering. Throughout the years there have been continual modifications and evolutions to instructional approaches in order to demonstrate the success that has been occurring in the field of teaching. Now, as the education system faces the challenge of an increasing diverse population, teachers must work to develop educational strategies that best appeal to the whole of their classes. Older, traditional approaches have grown stale and more ineffective as diversity in the classroom continues to rise. Therefore, to experience continued success within the classroom, teachers must once again change their approach. It is the teachers who go through comprehensive preparatory programs that are more receptive and responsive to the needs of the students. These programs teach future educators how to experience success with unique instructional approaches. Various movements within the field of education, such as Constructivism, Bilingual Education, and Discovery Learning, are at the forefront of accommodating classrooms for students of diverse cultural needs. These instructional strategies cannot achieve true success on their own though, as it takes the creative work of open, informed, and compassionate teachers to continue to develop teaching strategies for the benefit of all students. It should be the goal of all future teachers to develop into the culturally sensitive educators that are needed for continued and increased success in the classroom. I feel that, through the requirements that I am working to fulfill at National University, I am being adequately prepared to educate students in the increasingly diverse classroom of today. My own personal experiences, coupled with the facilitated learning activities, are increasing my awareness of studentsâ„ ¢ needs and cultures, thus providing me the adequate tools to be a successful teacher of the future products of the American education system. References: Eby, J., Herrell, A., Jordan, M. (2006). Teaching in K-12 schools: A reflective action approach (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Ltd. Greenfield, P. M., Cocking, R. R. (1994). Cross-cultural roots of minority child development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Johnson, J. A., Musial, D., Hall, G., Gollnick, D., Dupuis, V. (2008). Foundations of american education: Perspectives on education in a changing world (14th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. Nieto, S. (2000). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. New York: Longman. Ovando, C. J., Combs, M. C., Collier, V. P. (2006). Bilingual and ESL classrooms (4th Ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Slavin, R.E. (2009). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (9th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Grades 9-12 Lesson plan on Political Status Of Puerto Rico for a Assignment

Grades 9-12 Lesson plan on Political Status Of Puerto Rico for a foreign language class (Spanish) in Florida USA - Assignment Example It demonstrates the power of the country to manage its foreign relations with other nations or states. 2. Citizenship is defined as person(s) entitled to enjoy privileges granted and all the legal rights by a state to its people who comprise a constituency and is mandated to obey and respect all the laws. They should also fulfill duties and responsibilities. 3. Rights of residents are governed by their ability to exercise their constitutional mandate to participate in political processes such as voting in local and national elections, representing their countries in various activities and functions and actively getting involved in nation building as one people. Importance: It is crucial for students in a foreign language class to appreciate the concept of level of autonomy, citizenship and rights of residents. It will help the students to understand the level of independence of the people of Puerto Rico, and the status of their citizenship in relation to the Jones-Shafroth Act of 191 7. The Spanish students will also appreciate the role of Spanish as a language in creating a holistic picture of what entails the other issues like political participation, judiciary and taxation. II. INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE(S)/OUTCOMES (What Is to Be Learned) 1. Objective By the end of this lesson, the students will have understood the meaning of Level of autonomy, citizenship and rights of residents. ... LACC.K.SL.2.4: Explain relevant concepts such as ethnicity, nationhood, leadership, and bill of rights and, with guidance and support, avail additional information. LACC.K.SL.2.5: Provide pictures, maps and Google images of people, infrastructure and political settings to descriptions as needed to give significant detail. LACC.K.L.1.1: Show command of understanding Spanish using standardized grammar and usage when writing or speaking. LACC.K.W.1.1: Use a connection of pictures, audio-visuals displays and writing to present and compose opinion pieces, which guides a reader through the topic or the name of the book they are reading. The learners should identify with their favorite audio-visual like the making of a nation, independence struggles and the people of Puerto Rico. 3. Goal 3 Standards Standard 1: Spanish class in Florida can locate, understand, interpret, analyze, keep, and apply information, ideas and concepts found in social science, the symbols, symbols, arts, recordings, video and audio displays, and computer files so as to carry out tasks and/or for understanding. The students will show an understanding and following directions to read a map. Standard 2: Florida students communicate in Spanish and other languages using Information, concepts, symbols, prose, reports, video and audio recordings, graphic displays, speeches and computer-related programs. The students will write, read, and use technical support like projectors to do their activity. Standard 3: Spanish class in Florida use creative thinking skills to produce new concepts and ideas, make the optimal decision that recognizes and solves problems through interpretation of maps, reasoning, and come up with effective methods to lifelong learning.

Importance of multicultural education in early childhood education Essay

Importance of multicultural education in early childhood education - Essay Example Conventional patterns of travel has been replaced by new avenues, and destinations (Silverstone, 2005, p.9). Mass media has allowed better cultural interactions and in turn has people and communities to understand each other quickly (Silverstone, 2005, p.39). The overall result is that people are now settling in areas which were perceived to be hostile and unfavorable to human life decades ago. Each and every society has now its own special group of migrant populations resulting in social diversity, and new patterns of social living but this has posed each society, a great many challenges as well (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.11-17). The original communities have developed a fear of losing their cultural identity while the migrant groups fear a hostile environment (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.168-175). The original dwellers tend to have a dominating trait that result in newcomers suffering suppression and cultural hegemony (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.168 -175). When this is not restrained, minority cultures will be forced to assimilate majority culture and the result is that they loose their own culture (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.168-175). As Robinson and Jones-Diaz (2006) have pointed out, such a change will eventually lead to racism and homophobia. This study is of the view that one way of making a deliberate effort in building respect for and safeguarding different cultures is including multiculturalism in early childhood education. This way, children can grow up under equitable environments which treat all cultures equally. Neither majority or minority culture is put in a more than or less than equal position in such a scenario. Thus this study dwells on the merits as well as reasons why multicultural education should be adopted or incorporated in early childhood education. The choice of this topic was inspired by the current social context in Singapore. The country is home to many cultural groupings,