Sports Memorabilia A True Hobby Essays - Ephemera, Collecting

Sports Memorabilia a True Hobby As he stepped up to the plate, he dug his right back foot into the dirt getting a firm stance. Little did he know that the ball given to the umpire before the game which cost just nine dollars and now coming at him was going to be worth a little over 2.7 million dollars in seconds. Mark McGwire is truly a reason why a person can make money, gain notoriety and have fun while collecting memorabilia. Making money through regular jobs is one thing, making money by collecting sports memorabilia is entirely another. If one wants to make money collecting sports memorabilia, one has to be patient because collecting memorabilia is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Two main reasons why the value of sports memorabilia increases are the passage of time and the achievements of the athletes. One way to get these items before they increase in value is to attend free autograph signing sessions. Another way for one to make money is to write to an athlete and get something signed for free, then turn around and sell it. One example of this is Vince DeAngello who started this process when only a kid and now owns a very successful sports memorabilia shop. I have personally received memorabilia through letters to athletes; I have seen their value rise, then I have sold them to a sports memorabilia shop for a profit. One of the easiest ways to make money by collecting memorabilia is to follow rookies and get as much signed by them as you can. This is very convenient because rookies do not usually charge for their signatures. Also, as a first year player, rookies are more eager to sign autographs so they can make a favorable first impression. Not only can one make money by collecting sports memorabilia but one can also be seen as a hero in the eyes of the public. By collecting memorabilia, one can gain public recognition also. For example, the person who bought Mark McGwire's seventieth homerun ball for $2.7 million certainly gained public recognition. Anyone who donates a piece of his or her collection of memorabilia to a sports hall of fame such as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, will receive a great deal of public acclaim. Such recognition was given to the Rotary club who last year donated George Brett's pine tar bat to the Rockhurst Spectacular. The retired Royals reliever Jeff Montgomery is also known as a great benefactor to many charitable organizations. Considered a hero to many young children, Cal Ripken Jr. is known for his willingness to sign as many autographs as are requested both before and after games. Some people gain public notoriety by having memorabilia within their homes or business . I have gained a personal reputation for the amount of memorabilia I have in my house. Former baseball star Danny Jackson, owner of the Incredibowl draws people to his business not only to bowl, but also to gaze at his vast collection of sports memorabilia. With all of this money and fame, we often forget how fun, collecting memorabilia can be. The fun of collecting sports memorabilia can take many ways, shapes and forms. It is fun to meet star athletes and get autographs to add to your collection. One can also enjoy trading and collecting with people of similar interests. Not only does this fun come by trading, but also by watching your investment rise. My friend Brad Long was fortunate enough six years ago to invest $500 in a signed Mark McGwire jersey, which now is worth several thousands. I have also been privileged to watch my Joe Montana football go up in value. Sports memorabilia has brought many great hours of pleasure to my life, and others. I have had fun decorating rooms of my house with sports history. My neighbor and friend Jamie Quirk has also inspired me by showing me his rooms of fun with endless memorabilia. In conclusion, by collecting sports memorabilia a person can make money, gain notoriety and have fun. One of the nice things about collecting sports memorabilia is the possibility that a hero can emerge at any time, seeming from

How to Make the Ultimate Colored Smoke Bomb

How to Make the Ultimate Colored Smoke Bomb The classic smoke bomb is a great project for the home or lab, producing lots of safe smoke, with purple flames. If you get dye and consider the shape of your creation, you can make a smoke bomb that billows clouds of brightly-colored smoke. Adult supervision is required. Colored Smoke Bomb Materials 60 g (3 tablespoons) potassium nitrate (sold as saltpeter in garden supply shops)40 g (2 tablespoons) sugar1 teaspoon baking soda60 g (3 tablespoons) powdered organic dye (such as synthetic indigo or an aniline-based dye, found in some craft hobby shops; not common water-based dye)Cardboard tube (best is an iced push-pop tube (eat the treat first), or you could use a toilet paper roll or section of paper towel tube, or even a rolled/taped paper tube)Duct tapePen or pencilFirework fuse (hardware, rocketry, construction, or hobby shops, or scavenge it from a firework)Cotton ballsSaucepan Make the Colored Smoke Bomb Mixture Mix 60 g potassium nitrate with 40 g sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Its a 3:2 ratio, so if you dont have grams, use three large spoonfuls of potassium nitrate and two large spoonfuls of sugar (3 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons, if you feel the need to be precise).The sugar will carmelize and brown. Stir the mixture continuously until it resembles smooth peanut butter.Remove the mixture from heat.Stir in a spoonful of baking soda (a rounded teaspoon is fine). The baking soda is added to slow down the combustion when the smoke bomb is ignited.Add three large spoonfuls (3 tablespoons) of powdered organic dye. Blue dye and orange dye are said to produce better results than the other colors. Stir to mix well.Construct the smoke bomb while the mixture is still hot and pliable. Assemble the Smoke Bomb Fill a cardboard tube with the warm smoke bomb mixture.Push a pen or pencil down into the center of the mix (doesnt have to be all the way to the bottom but should be enough that the pen stands in the mixture). You could use a different shape, but the cylinder works really well.Let the mixture harden (about an hour).Remove the pen.Insert a firework fuse. Push pieces of cotton balls into the hole to tamp the fuse securely inside the smoke bomb. Be sure there is fuse left outside of the tube so that you will be able to light your smoke bomb.Wrap the smoke bomb with duct tape. Cover the top and bottom of the tube, too, but leave the hole area with the cotton and fuse uncovered.Go outside and light your smoke bomb! Tips for Success The key to producing vibrant colored smoke is using an appropriate dye. The color is produced by vaporizing a dye from the heat of the smoke bomb, not from burning a pigment, which always produces normal smoke.Getting a good display also depends on the geometry of the smoke bomb. When the dye is vaporized, the pressure from combustion forces it out to produce the smoke. There needs to be enough pressure inside the smoke bomb to push the smoke out, but not too much pressure or else it will burst. This is why cardboard and tape are used. You can control the opening for the smoke. The materials are strong enough to contain a certain level of force  but will rupture rather than explode if the pressure is too great. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.

Responses to Questions About Capitalization

Responses to Questions About Capitalization Responses to Questions About Capitalization Responses to Questions About Capitalization By Mark Nichol Here are three questions I received recently from Daily Writing Tips readers concerning capitalization, along with my replies. 1. I was taught that president is always capitalized when referring to the US President. A few publications uppercase president even in isolation when it refers to the US leader (â€Å"The President will discuss the issue during his speech†), but most commonly it is capitalized only as a title before the name of anyone designated a president (â€Å"President John Smith will discuss the issue with the college faculty†). I’m not aware of any writing or editing resources, other than style guides for these outlier publications, that call for capitalization in all cases. This â€Å"rule† may have been passed on to you by someone who misunderstands the prevailing style precept or adheres to the style of a publication that treats president as an exception to normal capitalization rules. (Teachers, parents, and others, when they teach such â€Å"facts,† are not necessarily reliable.) 2. In the sentence â€Å"We went to our Grandpa John’s house,† is â€Å"Grandpa John† correct, or should grandpa be lowercased? There’s a fine line in such usage, one I learned only after I had been in publishing for many years: If you use a term of family relationship before a first or last name with no preceding pronoun (â€Å"I got a call from Grandpa John†), it’s considered a title (as, for example, in â€Å"Judge Smith† or â€Å"Captain Jones†), so capitalize grandpa. But if you precede the term with a pronoun, as in your example, grandpa becomes merely a descriptive term, one akin to friend (â€Å"my friend Mike†), for example, or neighbor (â€Å"their neighbor Jane†). So, in your example, because of the preceding our, â€Å"grandpa John† is correct. 3. Why is Jewish capitalized, when black isn’t? Some publications capitalize black when referring to ethnicity (and treat white and other skin-color labels the same way), but because such designations encompass a nebulous category, most style black and similar terms lowercase. Jewish, on the other hand, though it also refers to a diverse population, denotes those whose culture (and religion) derives from a more specific origin. (See this post and some of its comments, which point out the inadequacy and inaccuracy of such labels.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Format a UK Business Letter7 Patterns of Sentence StructureEbook, eBook, ebook or e-book?

Concept Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Concept Paper - Assignment Example This results in a gap in their performance as they attempt to perform their role as a leader. (Boak, 2001) The context of my study is to evaluate the need for the restructuring of leadership training in retail management. The need for competent leaders is a bare necessity in the modern retail industry and an essential pre-requisite for its sustenance and growth. The need for able leadership in the retail sector was upheld in the ‘Retail Davos’- the Retail Leadership Forum held on the 13th and14th of September 2011. This event hosted by the global business advisory giants like Goldman Sachs, Korn/Ferry International and OC&C Strategy Consultants, discussed the role of leadership in the modern era of retailing. According to the speakers at the forum, the retail leaders in future will require â€Å"a new set of leadership skills in order to adapt to the changing dynamics in the fact paced industry.† (Harrison, 2011) This has become a pressing issue on the regional as well as global level. And this is what makes this research problem a matter of substantial business interest. In the present business era marked by fierce competition, many global and local retailers are awakening to realize their most critical survival challenge in the forthcoming years. Already caught in the cobweb of competition, pricing, consumer preferences and global extension, the new challenge that has baffled the retail industry is the need for competent leaders. (Florida, 2006; Higgs, 2001; Stalk, 1992) The retail heads across the world have understood that in order to achieve successful organizational growth, it is vital to find and engage the right leadership. (Lengnick-Hall, 2003; Shim, 2002) Studies in retail leadership conducted by Korn/Ferry in collaboration with the World Retail Congress have shown that the lack of right leadership talent can severely affect the development and expansion of retailers, thereby hampering their business growth. (Morel-Curran, 2008) My study

Why Money Chases Cheap Labor Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Money Chases Cheap Labor - Assignment Example According to Di Stefano, â€Å"capital, the resource that fuels our industries, has to seek the lowest labor costs in order for companies to survive† (â€Å"Why Money Chases Cheap Labor,† Lower Costs sect.). The second part of the article takes the reader to the loci of cheap labor. While America’s own cheap labor was situated in the southern states, Asian countries, such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, and India, were picking up slowly in the cheap labor market (Di Stefano, â€Å"Why Money Chases Cheap Labor â€Å"). The third and last section of the article stimulates the future of American firms and employment with its section titled as â€Å"Where Are We Headed?† The writer then answers his own question by pointing out that while â€Å"America obviously cannot compete effectively with the labor costs of developing nations,† competition then lies to America’s technology and science sectors (Di Stefano, â€Å"Why Money Chases Cheap Labor†). International Business Issues Outsourcing is considered an international business issue. In fact, its impacts are subject to steamy debates and multi-perspective arguments, which inevitably make it a sensitive issue for the host and headquartered country. Outsourcing sensitivity lies on the border of the gain on the host country and the consequent loss in the headquartered country.

Teaching A Diverse Population Essay Example for Free

Teaching A Diverse Population Essay Diversity within the American classroom makes the process of teaching and learning a growing challenge.   The faces of todays students are becoming increasingly dissimilar. Schools are faced with the challenge of integrating the cultures and ethnicities of American based curriculum and students from a variety of cultures and ethnicities. Each of these students brings different culturally based rules, expectations, value systems, and educational needs to the learning environment. Facing the challenge of educating these increasingly culturally and ethnically diverse learners begins not only with a change in the management, pedagogy, and instructional delivery system, but also with a change in designers, trainers, or teachers. Research indicates that most mainstream cultural educators automatically view the world exclusively from their own viewpoints, which serves as a reference against which all others should be evaluated. This process has been commonplace in the classroom.   This results in an unwarranted belief that ones own way of doing things is best and that ones own group is markedly superior to another. â€Å"Generally speaking, this type of person is the one who neither understands nor accepts the culturally different learners values, their motives, the rewards that are meaningful to them, their locus of control, their linguistic systems, their learning styles, and their cognitive styles.† (Zhang, 2001)   This is a person who may, upon entering or creating a learning environment, do so with cultural orientations and expectations that reflect his/her own cultural values and expectations.   This can create an environment that perpetuates the predominant culture and shuts out others learners. Zhang identified talking points to enable an educational system evaluate their ability to meet the needs of minority or diverse students.   These questions include: (1) What form of educational system is most familiar to the students? (2) What kind of learning environment is most customary to these students?   In some cultures, for example, teachers are revered individuals who teach sacred truth. The task of the students is to absorb knowledge, and they seldom disagree with the teacher. In the programs designed for these particular students, we can put more fundamental basic skills for them to memorize. (3) How do the cultural backgrounds of the students influence their uses and views of time? Americans uses and views of time reflect cultural biases that alter their educational processes.   In contrast to the American clock-oriented value, some cultures are not conditioned to use every moment in a productive, task-oriented manner.   Classrooms may not be able to design curriculum in a strictly time-controlled system. Some students may need more time. (4) What kind of relationship is most natural for these students to have with the teachers? The teacher-student relationship is culturally mandated. (5) What rewards are attractive to these students? Rewards and reinforcement for learning differ in effectiveness across cultures. Some cultures teach their children different reward systems.   For instance, verbal praise, which is viewed by most teachers as a reward, is not perceived as such by children of some minority groups. (6) How can the program use some slang? American classrooms are structured on standard English, but some minority students feel more comfortable learning in a rather informal setting. The use of some slang in the program may improve learning achievement. (7) What about the students cognitive styles? American schools favor the abstract, conceptual style. Studies have shown that some cultural groups develop different cognitive styles. Some theorists express the view that culturally different children are often judged as incompetent, whereas in reality, it is their individual performance, not their competence, which is deficient. The gap between competence and performance is attributed to inappropriate situation cues inappropriate because they fail to stimulate the child into action. Mathematics requires more abstract, conceptual ability. Some minority students develop their cognitive style with concrete, objective base. Therefore situated learning environment supported by most of constructivism theorists is a good choice.   (Zhang, 2001)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zhang offers the following criteria to evaluate a good culturally balanced curriculum: 1)   Materials are respectful of cultural, ethnic, sexual, and/or religious diversity. 2) A balance of historical perspectives is represented that recognizes the complexity underlying historical events, especially wars, and politics. 3) Gender inclusiveness is evident. 4) A balanced perspective on the values and contributions of diverse cultures is represented. 5) Images and icons are sensitive to cultural taboos and customs. 6) An ethical perspective is presented that maintains that cultural practices should be respected unless they violate principles of basic humanity. 7) Ethnic groups are represented in ways that reflect the diversity within these groups. 8) A balance of different cultures and societies is represented in images or texts. 9) Ethnic groups are represented in ways that reflect accurately their overall contributions to society. 10) Ethnic pluralism based upon respect for differences are held forth as the ideal approach to societal development. Teachers are well aware of the demographic trends in todays schools indicating that the student population is becoming more ethnically, culturally, and racially diverse.   Curriculum development and teachers are challenged to provide meaningful, relevant, and motivating educational interventions to all learners. Instruction must be responsive to the needs of these new learners, who often have backgrounds different from our own. This pluralistic focus, which requires us to accommodate diversity in the education process, must start with our own cultural   sensitivity.   This requires being able to view the world from the standpoint of a culture other than ones own.   For educators, this means accepting as valid the culturally different learners values, their motives, rewards that are meaningful to them, their locus of control, their linguistic systems, their learning styles, and their cognitive styles. Incorporating these issues into program designs, valuing this diversity and seeing it as an asset to meaningful and effective instruction are key components for relevant instructional design. Deep Teaching   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Angela Rickford, while assessing the progress of reading skills among culturally diverse classrooms, found that there still exists inequities with the system and the instruction methods of teachers.   Rickford identified six sound principles, which formulate her theory on deep teaching, which is defined as â€Å"a teachers ability to communicate and impart stated concepts, curriculum content and lesson objectives to a class of students with enjoyment, clarity, understanding, and the permanent acquisition of new knowledge by those students even if they are academically challenged.† The six principles identified in deep teaching are: 1) student engagement, 2) learner participation, 3) repetition and reinforcement, 4) high expectations, 5) sound pedagogy and 6) conceptual understanding. Student engagement: In order to educate our children successfully, we should first seek to discover where their interests lie, and then teach to those interests. Contemporary educators believe that a curriculum that incorporates real-world connections and applications will engage learners. Real-life work is meaningful to students, and effective as it allows the student to apply what they are learning.   Rickford promoted culturally relevant literature for teaching ethnically diverse studentsliterature containing themes, ideas, and issues that are consonant with their lived experiences, and with which they could readily identify. Learner Participation:   The second element of learner participation forms a natural pairing with student engagement. In the classroom, the reading teacher must be a facilitator of knowledge, and a guide and coworker. The current educational emphasis is on learning strategies such as partner reading, shared reading, homogeneous and heterogeneous grouping, authentic assessment and interactive reading comprehension techniques (predicting, visualizing, questioning, and self-monitoring), and on communication and interaction. These techniques are designed to foster a participatory, pro-active, hands-on approach to student learning. Repetition and Reinforcement:   Practice it until you can get it without thinking. It should be automatic.   It should become part of the individual. Expectations:   The issue of low expectations continues limit the progress made by minorities in todays classrooms in both direct and indirect ways. It has been well documented that low expectations are endemic in the mechanism of schooling that supports low-achieving students, and the trend is further manifested in fundamental measures of excellence such as teacher quality, teaching pedagogy, classroom management, and curricular selection.   The direct impact of low expectations on the part of classroom teachers has a cumulative effect on students. One of social psychologys most profound contributions to education has been the finding that teacher expectations can affect both childrens intellectual growth and their academic achievement.   High expectations should be the prevailing standard for all students. Sound Teaching and Conceptual Understanding:   Sound teaching pedagogy is the principle upon which the successful transfer of knowledge from teacher to student depends, while conceptual understanding is what the student gains when that knowledge has been successfully transferred. Sound teaching pedagogy and conceptual understanding are the hallmarks of effective teachers. Research has shown further that teacher knowledge and expertise are directly and systematically related to student growth and achievement. Multicultural Strategies Coleman Hamm identified multicultural strategies (integration, fusion, and alternation) that involve a desire to relate positively to individuals from multiple cultural groups, and are characterized by positive attitudes toward ones own and other groups, a moderate to high degree of facility with the roles and values of multiple groups, and a belief that members of different cultures can successfully form positive relationships. Although integration, fusion, and alternation strategies differ with respect to the specific knowledge, beliefs, and skills that guide them, each is based on a belief that cultural boundaries can and should be implemented successfully without compromise to either culture and are believed to motivate behavior to further integration. A common experience in ethnically diverse schools is to collaborate in a group format on academic tasks with peers who are from ones own, as well as from other ethnic groups.   Using a multicultural strategy, students would interact with all members of the learning group, taking steps to ensure that group members of all ethnic backgrounds are respected and are involved with the project. Learning as a Social and Cultural Process   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Given that research has demonstrated the under-performing of minority students within the Western classroom, perhpas learning is primarily a social and cultural process.   This is not to diminish the role of the individual; however, individual thinking is strongly influenced by cultural assumptions and beliefs.   Because all communities do not think, believe, or learn in identical ways, there may still be much, that is confusing to or misunderstood by children with   language, culture, and socioeconomic differences. Teachers must be willing to learn not only who their students are but also who they, themselves, are as cultural beings and how that strongly affects their teaching.   (Pransky Bailey, 2002)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pransky and Bailey identified a four step process for teachers to implement in the classroom to increase effectiveness: Step 1. Awareness. A teacher notices a breakdown in communication or an inability (or unwillingness) of a student or group of students to perform adequately on an academic task. Step 2. Inquiry. The teacher examines the nature of the lesson and begins to identify cultural assumptions that may negatively affect at-risk students. Step 3. Reconceptualization. With this new information, the teacher reconceptualizes his or her perspective on the students, lesson, curriculum, or school culture. Step 4. Lesson. A lesson is revisited, revised, or restructured, and ones instructional decisions change based on that new conception. What is learned through this process expands the awareness of the teacher, and effectively increases teaching skills.   As one develops more awareness, knowledge, and experience with a cultural perspective on learning, one is better able to reconceptualize and then redirect or refocus ones teaching within the flow of the lesson. This might be termed real-time inquiry. In real-time inquiry, especially, it is important to engage in dialogue with students to try to discover the understandings they have of the lesson task or interaction. (Pransky Bailey, 2002) Teaching Science in a Diverse Classroom Houtz Watson evaluated teacher performance in the science classroom and identified the following needs in order to meet the needs of diverse students: They must recognize what is required in learning tasks such as vocabulary knowledge, the ability to make inferences, and the ability to work independently. They also should know their students strengths and weaknesses. Once these tasks are accomplished, the educator must determine the reason for the mismatch between a students abilities and the task requirements of the lesson Culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students may be at risk of performing poorly in science if they lack the linguistic, the cognitive, the social, and the emotional behaviors required by science learning.   Because the behavior, culture, and language of CLD students may be different from those involved in the task requirements, these students may experience difficulty completing science projects.   Teachers need to identify the discrepancy between task demands and student ability and then modify to their lesson plans accordingly. By understanding the process of acquiring a second language and a second culture and the cognitive, linguistic, emotional, and social demands involved in the process, science teachers can incorporate instructional conditions that attend to the students needs. Science teachers can use numerous instructional strategies to accommodate CLD learners without weakening the curriculum.   Contextualization allows students to draw from personal experiences and build on their prior knowledge to learn the new scientific concept. Teachers can group individualize the process by structuring questions that encourage students to think about their own personal experience as it relates to the topic or content to be learned. The use of contextualized instruction provides CLD students the support they need for understanding the lesson by visually representing the information through experiments, pictures, graphic organizers, and charts. Contextualization allows teachers to (a) consider their students language proficiency levels of vocabulary control and (b) highlight specific text information. Analogies and examples that are culturally relevant may also be used to help students understand scientific concepts.   Analogies show the similarities between a new concept and a familiar concept, making the new concept more meaningful to the student. Analogies can assist in diminishing the cognitive and linguistic requirements of the task. Cognitive modeling and demonstration are especially beneficial for CLD students because these strategies increase understanding by providing concrete, step-by-step procedures that lessen the cognitive, linguistic, and social requirements of the task.   (Houtz Watson, 2002) A Learner Centered Approach   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An essential factor for a learner-centered approach is placing the learning characteristics of all learners under close scrutiny with emphasis on low-performing learners.   The focus in a learner-centered approach is on individual learners heredity, experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, talents, interests, capacities, and needs.   A learner-centered approach is defined as clarifying what is needed to create positive learning contexts, in order to increase the likelihood that more students will experience success.   The culture of the learning context is as important to learning as the content and the methods used.   (Brown, 2003) In the learner-centered environment, classroom teachers share narratives about students interaction with content and methodology. Teachers participate in professional development to learn how to differentiate instruction. Differentiation is a way of thinking about teaching and learning that is based on a set of beliefs that students who are the same age may differ in their readiness to learn, their interests, their styles of learning, their experiences, and their life circumstances.   The differences in students are significant enough to make a major impact on what students need to learn, the pace at which they need to learn it, and the support they need from teachers and others to learn it. Differentiated instruction meets the needs of diverse student populations by combining   student needs with a focus on content, process, and learning profiles.   The learner-centered approach, focuses on content knowledge and design flexibility to allow learners to construct their learning. Learner needs and characteristics take precedence over knowledge of facts and skills; the emphasis is on engaging learners in learning for understanding and thinking, to help them build their own interpretations. Creating Equitable Classroom Climates Kelly outlines recommendations that include creating a mixed set of expectations for all students in order to reduce the participation inequity altogether. These expectations focus on being able to identify each individuals area or areas of strength and expertise. In order to create this new set of expectations,   teachers must convince students of three things: (a) the cooperative task requires many different intellectual abilities, (b) no one will have all of these abilities and, (c) everyone will have some of these abilities.   Kelly believes that teachers who teach and model equitable classroom culture will probably be more likely to convince students to behave more equitably to their peers.   (Kelly, 2002) This method of implementing change by using a multiple-abilities approach and assigning competence to low-status groups, teachers will limit the impact of high expectations for high-status learners and low-expectations for low-status learners, and create a mixed set of expectations for everyone. This approach should reduce the differences in participation noted previously in high- and low-status students.   Kelly identifies the key factor to success in the latter intervention is recognition, a truthful evaluation by the teacher of the low-status student showing him/her as being strong in a specific, relevant area. Conclusion Diversity in the classroom and the challenges faced by teachers to meet the needs of minority students has been studied and debated for more than twenty years.   Progress in the identification of strategies has been made, but implementation is likely to be slow, as the revision of curriculum is a costly and time consuming project. The strategies outlined in this paper are not dependent on the revision of curriculum however, and may provide for ease of implementation.   One focus of these strategies is to assess each student, understand who they are, based on their culture, and direct your teaching methods accordingly.   Further, teachers must identify their own cultural beliefs and how those may prejudice their teaching methods.   Including students in the process of learning, modifying the process, and outlining the challenges will be beneficial to the learning of all. References Brown, K. L. (2003). From Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Curriculum: Improving Learning in Diverse Classrooms. Education, 124(1), 49+. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5002018664 Hamm, J. V., Coleman, H. L. (2001). African American and White Adolescents Strategies for Managing Cultural Diversity in Predominantly White High Schools. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30(3), 281. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5001037737 Kelly, C. A. (2002). Creating Equitable Classroom Climates: An Investigation of Classroom Strategies in Mathematics and Science Instruction for Developing Preservice Teachers Use of Democratic Social Values. Child Study Journal, 32(1), 39+. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000659006 Mitchell, B. M., Salsbury, R. E. (1996). Multicultural Education: An International Guide to Research, Policies, and Programs. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=26227378 OByrne, B. (2001). Needed: A Compass to Navigate the Multilingual English Classroom. Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, 44(5), 440. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000100580 Pransky, K., Bailey, F. (2002). To Meet Your Students Where They Are, First You Have to Find Them: Working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse At-Risk Students Research Has Shown How Attention to Cultural Mismatch May Be a Key to Equitable School Achievement. This Article Presents a Series of Case Study Vignettes to Assist Practicing Teachers. The Reading Teacher, 56(4), 370+. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000600644 Rickford, A. E. (2005). Everything I Needed to Know about Teaching I Learned from My Children: Six Deep Teaching Principles for Todays Reading Teachers. Reading Improvement, 42(2), 112+. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5010994248 Watson, S. M., Houtz, L. E. (2002). Teaching Science: Meeting the Academic Needs of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Intervention in School Clinic, 37(5), 267+. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5000755185 Zhang, J. X. (2001). Cultural Diversity in Instructional Design. International Journal of Instructional Media, 28(3), 299. Retrieved May 19, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5001037930

Seeing Red :: Vision Psychology Essays

Seeing Red Humans receive about 70-80% of information about their surroundings from sight. Baring this in mind, it is clear that for humans, being able to see the environment in which we live can greatly determine how we interact with that environment. For people (as well as for other animals, although not all), color is an important component of sight. Socially, color is extremely important. For example, red, green, and yellow are all used in directing traffic. Stoplights and signs are red; a green light indicates that it is safe to proceed. Yellow symbolizes the need for caution, orange alerts drivers to construction. While all these signs could be executed in black and white (for the written messages would be the same), color is used to help drivers tell the difference between types of messages. Color usage in society is not limited to driving; advertising, school buildings, offices, etc. use color theory. Color theory is the idea that colors can influence people, and that different col ors produce different reactions. A lot of people would agree that different colors mean different things or cause different moods, but cannot say exactly why or how. The answers are fuzzy to say the least. One of the most widespread ideas is that different colors stand for or signify different things. However, one must keep in mind a basic fact; it being that "colors often have different symbolic meanings in different cultures. For example, white is the color for weddings in western societies but for funerals in traditional Chinese culture; red is associated with rage in America but with happiness in China. In American fashion and decoration, blue is for boys while pink is for girls, which is a symbolic use of color that are not shared by many cultures" (6). After saying something like that, the next question would be: does this mean that colors and the moods/reactions that they may (or may not) elicit are culturally constrained, or is there still some underlying biological reason for moods/reactions to alter due to color? A site on the server for Cornell University notes, "some of these responses seem to be powerful and fairly universal" (5). It is interesting to then look at the idea of chromotherapy; the use of colored light to heal. In a paper by Owen Demers he writes, "This [chromotherapy] is not a new age idea.

Is discovery always a good thing? Essay

Humanity’s interest in unknown world has been universal and enduring. Accompany with human development, discovery the unknown world has become more and more important to human life. Some people think discovery is a good thing. They will tell you how X-ray used by medical professionals to help diagnose and treat a wide range of medical problems. They will also tell you what a mass your life will be if Benjamin Franklin did not discovered electricity. But other argue people think discovery bring disaster to human. They will tell you if Martin Heinrich Klaproth did not discover uranium, maybe atomic bomb would not been invented. Although the question about whether discovery always a good thing has so many different opinions. I believe that discovery has a positive effect on our life. Discoveries provide the benefit greater than the risk. It makes our life efficient and comfortable. This essay will pinpoint benefits of discovery. The first opinion is discovery in medicine can rais e patients’ survival rates and reduce the pain caused by the illness. After that I will talk about the convenience bring by discovery in the daily life. Finally, I will state that discovery advance human development. From 18st century, human have discovered so many important things in the medical field. These medical discoveries have had a great impact on the development of modern medicine. Have you ever heard about X-rays? In 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-rays. He was not searching for X-rays. In fact, he did not known such a thing existed until he discovery proved that it was there. Nowadays X-rays were widely used in medicine domain, and have been one of the most powerful, useful, and lifesaving diagnostic tools in the world. Another example is penicillin. Penicillin is a unexpected discovery. It has saved millions of people during the last years of world war two alone. Penicillin is the first antibiotic to successfully fight bacterial infections and disease. In 20th century, it was called a miracle medicine, and opened an door to entry antibiotic families. Obviously these discoveries make great contribution to modern medicine. They not only raise patients’ survival rates but also relieve the pain for patients. We could not image how the hospital would be without these greatest discoveries. So it is obvious that discovery in medical field is a good thing. The discovery is not only benefit in medical field, but also benefit in our normal lives. Today discoveries have deeply  effect human lives. They bring great convenience to daily life. What would happen if no one discovered electricity? We would not be able to watch TV, and use our computers or cell phones. Because neither of them would work properly. Also no air-conditions, no refrigerators, no elevators. A lot of things would be done by hand. All of people would go to bed about 8 pm because there is not much to do after dark. Especially, the out activities would be difficult and dangerous without outside lights. I do not think human would go back after adapting to the electricity world. In our modern society where all aspects of our lives are al most totally dependent upon electricity. All of these equipment we used today, we owe thanks to Benjamin Franklin who discovered electricity in 1752. Thus I think discovery is so important in our daily lives. No discovery, no comfortable life. Humans crave knowledge. It’s hard-wired into our DNA. Without discovery, we would never have left the cave, invented the wheel or flown to outer space. Human development need new technology and innovation. No innovation, no development. Discovery is one of most important methods of innovation. If Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity, perhaps Thomas Edison would not invent electric light. If John Bardeen did not discover the transistor effect of semi -conductor materials, maybe Robert Watson-Watt would not invent radar. DNA is another example. Francis Crick and James Wat son discovered DNA. That discovery has been called â€Å"the most significant discovery of the century.† DNA structure al lowed medical scientists to understand many deadly diseases, and to find cures. In conclusion, I think discovery advance human development. Today’s discoveries will shape tomorrow’s world. So human will never stop discovery the world. Discoveries are often unexpected. No matter how or why something (like uranium or anthrax) was discovered. The discovery itself was not harmful,but what humans do with it can be. That is why I always think discovery is a good thing. Discoveries mark the progress of human civilizations. They advance human development. New discoveries in medical field have opened up new possibilities in treatment a lot of human sickness. So far that diseases like cancer and HIV is not so horrifying. And as we all know discoveries bring great convenience to our daily lives. So who could say discovery is not a good thing.

”My Mother Said I Never Should” and ”A Midsummer Nights Dream’ Essay

I have been working on the script of both †My Mother Said I Never Should† and †A Midsummer Nights Dream’. In this essay I will look at many aspects of both pieces and compare them, mentioning their similarities and their differences. †My Mother Said I Never Should† was written in 1985 and set from between the 2nd World War and the mid 80’s. †A Midsummer Nights Dream† was written in the 16th Century and set in whatever time period the reader perceives it. Therefore the two plays are both written in the past but they are different because of the time they are set. This difference is because †My Mother Said I Never Should† is based within a decade whereas †A Midsummer Nights Dream† can be set any time period but the story is meant to all be over within the space of one day. Because †A Midsummer Nights Dream† is set in one day, it unlike †My Mother Said I Never Should† which jumps between different years in the 1980’s. There are equal similarities and differences when it comes to the society of the plays. They both show the high status of the mothers involved and alike each other; Margaret and Titania want to keep their children. The family expectations in both the plays re similar because in â€Å"‘My Mother Said I Never Should†, Margaret is constantly telling Jackie to work harder and get a good job because she has high expectations of her. In †A Midsummer Nights Dream† Hermia’s father wants her to marry Lysander and hope for her to fulfill this expectation. The plays are different when it comes to the language and the style of the way the people live, the characters in ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ are more modern that those in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’. The character is ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ are real characters with real issues, whereas those in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ are less than realistic because they are fairies and are make believe. Because of this, ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ is more realistic because of the issues and the audience can relate and empathize with the problems involved in the play, but in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’, it is a comedy and it is meant to be enjoyed and not understood. The costumes in ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ are normal for that time but in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ they are extravert and something no one would ever wear no matter what time period, this again adds to it’s fantasy. When talking about the key themes of the plays, they are very comparable. Usually in a scene it is only two people talking at a time and the conversations are very tense and filled with emotion. In both plays they include mothers fighting over a child. Love is the main theme in both of the plays if you look beneath the words and consider subtext. The love in ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ is between Jackie and Margaret despite their fighting and likewise with Titania and Oberon. Along with this love there is also a lot of anger within this love that we see. When it comes to key themes the plays are obviously different because, ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’s’ characters are fairies but are real people in ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’. The styles of the play are very different but they share the subject of arguing and that the main characters concerned are all drawn in with each other. Unlike ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’, ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ has many characters. But the obvious difference is that one is a comedy and one is a realistic play and they want the audience to feel different emotions if any at all in ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ case. The main obvious difference between the play, which can easily be seen, is the language of the plays. ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ uses modern language, which can be understood completely, whereas ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ uses old English, which means that the audience may loose sight of the plot and get caught up in the language taking away from the enjoyment of the play. Even though this is so, it does not take away the comedy element of the place, which is enjoyed by all. In conclusion I enjoyed studying these two plays because I was able to go into more depth and read between the lines. This gave me a greater understanding of the plays and will help me with future performances and exams. When playing the roles myself, I could see how the plays were similar as well as being different. Acting out the pieces the first thing that struck me was how different the language was and in ‘Midsummer Nights Dream’ it was harder to understand which made it difficult to use tones and express some emotions without complete understanding of the play. In ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ it was easier and more relaxed to perform as it related more with modern day life and the emotions were very easy and straightforward to understand. The reactions from the audiences were also very different. In ‘A Midsummer Nights Dream’ the audience watch with smiles on their faces occasionally smiling where as in ‘My Mother Said I Never Should’ the seriousness of the pieces was shown on their expressions. I found that because of much preparation and understanding of the plays before working on them it meant that they could be performed much more easily and gained good criticism.

Nervous System.

Nervous System. The Nervous System is the body's information gatherer, storage center and control system. Its overall function is to collect information about the external conditions in relation to the body's internal state, to analyze this information, and to initiate appropriate responses to satisfy certain needs.Neurons.The cells that make up the nervous system arecalled neurons. Long, stringy neurons are perfect forcarrying the electrical messages that are the "language"of the nervous system.Brain.The brain is the command center of your entire body. The brain is the body's main information center. It is made of billions of neurons. The brain helps the body respond to the information it receives from the senses. The brain also processes thoughts.Spinal Cord.The spinal cord is a tube of neurons that runs up the spine and attaches to the brain stem. Information from nerves that branch out to the rest of the body goes to the spinal cord.Some messages are processed by the spinal cord but most informa tion is sent on to the brain.A Neuron consists of THREE MAIN PARTS:A. CELL BODY - The largest part, contains the nucleus and much of the cytoplasm (area between the nucleus and the cell membrane), most of the metabolic activity of the cell,B. DENDRITES - Short branch extensions spreading out from the cell body. Dendrites Receive STIMULUS (Action Potentials) and carry IMPULSES from the ENVIRONMENT or from other NEURONS AND CARRY THEM TOWARD THE CELL BODY.C. AXON - A Long fiber that CARRIES IMPULSES AWAY FROM THE CELL BODY. Each neuron has only ONE AXON. The Axon Ends in a series of small swellings called AXON TERMINALS.The CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM serves as the CONTROL CENTER of the body. The Central Nervous System consists of the BRAIN and SPINAL...

How to Edit a Sentence

How to Edit a Sentence How to Edit a Sentence How to Edit a Sentence By Michael Ive suggested that its best to write first and edit later. But for many people, editing can be as intimidating as writing. So lets edit a sentence together, shall we, and see if the process is as hazardous as we fear. I got on my bicycle, taking my lunch to school, built in the 1970s. Lots of room for improvement here. What is the main thing thats happening anyway? Am I getting or taking or building or all three? Taking my lunch to school, I got on my bicycle, built in the 1970s. Okay, so Im going. The sentence emphasizes the main verb now, but it makes the bicycle seem very old. Taking my lunch, I got on my bicycle, heading to school, built in the 1970s. That makes it more likely that the school is old, not the bicycle, but lets sharpen our point. Taking my lunch, I got on my bicycle, heading to school, which was built in the 1970s. Taking, heading which verb is more important? Whats the main action in the sentence? I need to make my actions as clear as we can. Three verbs reside in one sentence, but I resolve that only one action shall rule. Taking my lunch, I got on my bicycle and headed to school, which was built in the 1970s. Much better. Now got and headed are parallel, and the focus is on me. I like that focus. But the verb taking seems a little weak here. Meaning, the verb taking doesnt accurately describe what I did with my lunch that morning. Grabbing my lunch, I got on my bicycle and headed to school, which was built in the 1970s. Neither does the verb got. I mean, it seems a little weak too. It doesnt accurately describe what I did with my bicycle that morning. Grabbing my lunch, I climbed on my bicycle and headed to school, which was built in the 1970s. That is it. As you can see the editing process is done in cycles. It can take considerable time (sometimes just as much as the writing), but it is definitely worth it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)The Difference Between "will" and "shall"How to Write a Proposal

Tech Tierra Forecasting Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tech Tierra Forecasting - Case Study Example Nevertheless, in the year 2012, Jose Mendes carried out exceptional job that pertained to forecasting on the sales for the previous numerous years and decided to leave Tech Tierra to identical company located within California. Thus, Ms. Granger employed me to carry out 12 months forecast that commenced September 2013 through to the August 2014 with $50,000 as the payment. Moreover, I was to be paid extra $ 50,000 bonus in case the forecast was precise by 10%. I gathered all the suitable sales data ranging from 2005 to the year 2011 then design appropriate report possessing numerous statistical values to aid in examining and determining the underlying forecast that I would develop. The main statistical values that I would be employing include: Within the midst of the Tech Tierra financial year that commences from February of the first year to corresponding January of subsequent year, the report mainly forecast on the sale of the next 12 months commencing on September 2013 to the August 2014. Because Jose Mendes had decided to leave the company and never plan to carry out sales prediction for the outstanding and the forthcoming 12 months, Millie Granger, who is the CEO, is stranded since she does not comprehend the prediction of the upcoming 12 months prediction. Subsequent to gathering of the data, analysis was generated, which was adequately massive in sample size hence enabling determination of numerous statistical values and their corresponding roles within the prediction. For appropriate assessment of the distribution of the underlying sales, we utilized the stat tools, single variable summary and time series as depicted within the Graph 1 and Table 1. The prevailing time series plot depitct stable upward trend within the slaes. Moreover, it also depicts existence of robust seasonal variations. The plot also depict that the prevailing variation escalates with time. A suitable time series model homogenity