Violence In Modern Colombia Takes Place In Many Forms. The Three Major

Violence in modern Colombia takes place in many forms. The three major categories are crime, guerrilla activities, and attacks committed by drug traffickers. Violence has become so widespread and common in Colombia that many people have now become numb to it. The Colombian economy has also benefited from the illicit drug trade; however violent it may be. During the 1970s, Colombia became well known, as one of the world's most important drug processing, production, and distribution centers for marijuana and cocaine. The shrubs and plants from which both drugs are derived from and processed has been well known in Colombia for centuries, but until the 1970s drug refiners and traffickers had not taken full advantage. The chewing of coca leaves was very well known in the South American Inca Empire in the 11th century. The Incas, the Colombian Chibchas and other local ethnic groups have always attributed mythical and religious power to the bush and to the alkaloids that were extracted by its leaves by chewing on them. The existence of a drug, cocaine, which could be chemically extracted from large volumes of leaves was not discovered until 1884 by an Austrian ophthalmologist. Marijuana is a drug extracted from hemp, a plant from which coarse fibers are also obtained for the manufacture of cloth, cordage, and sacking. The development of marijuana in Colombia took place in the mid 1940s during the administration of President Mariano Ospina Perez. The government at this time imported various fibers producing species from different parts of the world in an attempt to improve the postwar textile industry. The imported fiber plant included cannabis sativa (hemp) from Asia, and jute and sisal from Mexico. The Ministry of Agriculture was distributing these plants throughout the countryside of Colombia, and peasants and farmers were encouraged to plant them. During this same period, the consumption of marijuana was beginning to become a problem among the Bohemians in Medellin. As a result of this increasing drug problem, especially among the Bohemian members of the middle and upper class, on March 11, 1946, the Ospina administration passed the nation's first anti- drug law, Decree No. 896. This law prohibited the cultivation, distribution, and sale of coca and marijuana, and ruled that all local and regional governments had to destroy all coca and marijuana plantations (Osterling). Colombia has not always been a violent country. It should be noted that in the past, Colombia experienced periods of peace and tranquillity. During this time, the levels of violence were lower than many European and American Countries. Colombia has gained international fame as one of the major centers in the world for drug trafficking. Anytime a country has a problem with drug trafficking, crime is always high. In 1973, homicide was the seventh highest cause from death, but since has become the first since 1990. More than 165,000 have had a violent death between 1980 and 1990. During this decade, the homicide rate was 77.5% per 100,000 people. In comparison, the United States has been regarded as a violent country, but yet the homicide rate was only 8.0%. Contributing to this violence in Colombia is the possession of firearms. Colombians possess more than three million firearms, and more than half is possessed illegally. This adds greatly to the crime and violence in Colombia (Posada -Carbo). It is extremely difficult to measure the magnitude, type, and location of violence in Colombia. Another problem in measuring the amount of violence is that not all violent cases are reported. It must also be noted that any media report of violence must also be read with caution; for it may or may not have occurred. Violence seems to be a nationwide phenomenon. Almost all aspects of the Colombian population experience some degree of violence. Almost everybody is a potential victim; violence does not prefer a particular socioeconomic class, profession, race, or ethnic group. However, some geographical locations have been more prone to violence. The entire Cauca River Valley, including the cities of Cali and Medellin, and the areas between southern Cundinamarca, southeast Tolima, and northeast Haila, seem to have been the most violent (Chepesiak). According to some Colombian observers, intimidation and revenge has caused many to look the other way when violence occurs. It has also cause many

Growth in the informal tourism sector in Sri Lanka Essay Example

Growth in the informal tourism sector in Sri Lanka Essay Example Growth in the informal tourism sector in Sri Lanka Essay Growth in the informal tourism sector in Sri Lanka Essay Sir Lankan Tourism Stronger Growth in the Informal Sector? The new breed of tourists The Flash -Packers Sacral Malthusian There is no doubt that the overall tourist arrivals to Sir Lankan has shown YOU growth in the past few years. Almost all hotels are returning healthy revenue, occupancy and profitability figures. However there are some rumblings from the larger established hotels that the performance has been not all that spectacular as compared to previous years. From an overall country perspective it is indeed quite easy to check the truth behind these concerns. To do this, one has only to study in greater detail the growth In the large and small establishments separately as reflected In the Foreign Guest Nights and published by Sir Lankan Tourism Development Authority (SALAD) Itself. Foreign Guest Nights (FOG) are recorded directly from Individual hotel establishments, which indicate the actual number of 1 nights spent in a particular hotel by foreigners. (There is also separate data on Local Guest Nights). The SALAD also publishes a further sub-division of Figs into two categories, called FOG in Graded Establishments and Supplementary Establishments. Graded Establishments are categorized by SALAD as conventional star class hotels, while Supplementary Establishments are the smaller guest houses and home stay units (the so called Informal sector), registered with SALAD. The SALAD also tracks the average number of days a tourist has spent In the country, which has been In the order of 9. 8 10 days per violators. Dividing the Figs by the length of stay, would then reveal the exact number of foreigners who have stayed in the hotels and other establishments. Hence it is not a major exercise to ascertain separately the actual number of Derived from SALAD statistics : Analysis The total number of tourists as recorded by the Emigration department and published by the SALAD for 2011 was 855,975, while the real tourists as determined by FOG statistics of the SALAD is 725,889, which is a 16 % leakage factor, of tourists of this leakage could also be the tourists who stay in the large number of unregistered small Bed and Breakfast units that have sprung up in all popular tourist 2 cities on the round trip circuit, whose statistics are not caught up in the SALAD records. Also significant from the analysis is that there was a growth of 21% in all the graded establishments, while the (informal) supplementary sector grew by a spectacular This shows clearly that the informal sector has grown much faster than the formal sector for 2011 (The breakdown of 2012 statistics giving FOG is still not available with the SALAD). The Future So what of the future? Should we all rush to set up small B units and stop the development of large scale conventional hotels? Should conventional hotels drop their rates drastically, to try and attract the lower end market? These are all knee-Jerk responses. What Sir Lankan tourism basically needs today is a tragic approach to growth. 3 The Informal Sector and the New Breed of Tourist Certainly, the growth in the informal sector is very interesting. It is fuelled by strong social media, networking and internet platforms, together with the fact that traveling and exploring Sir Lankan today is very safe and quite feasible to do on ones own, rather than depend on guided tours as a few years before. Hence, it is no surprise that a new segment of adventure seeking tourists are fuelling this growth, spending less on their hotel utilizing no frills budget on accommodation, and spending more n exploration and adventure. This new segment of tourists are called Flashback, a combination of flash (as in fancy), with backpacking, used to refer to an affluent backpacker. Blackjacking has an association of more disposable income while traveling, and has been defined simply as backpacking with a bigger budget. It includes the use of a backpack or other luggage that is easily carried for long distances or long periods of time; the use of public transport; inexpensive lodging; a longer duration to the trip when compared with conventional vacations; and an interest in meeting the locals as well s seeing the sights. It is typically associated with young adults, who generally have This is not really a bad situation. Actually, this market segment should be strengthened as it is a vibrant driving force, which brings exposure and limelight to the country. It is precisely due to this growth, that Sir Lankan has found favor as Lonely Planets No. 1 destination for 2013. It is this segment of the market that grew some 80%, and which is still reliant on guide books such as Lonely Planet, and GAPS Map interfaces. This growth in the informal sector products is fast catching up with the conventional toll segment. SALAD statistics indicate close upon 15,000 rooms in the conventional hotel 4 category while the supplementary (informal) category rooms have risen to 11,600. If the unregistered informal category, which is possibly quite large, is added to this, it will be evident that the informal category of rooms already out-numbers the formal sector. This is indeed an eye opener, where possibly in the future, the informal tourism industry will have a greater say in setting the course of tourism of the country. Conventional Hotels So what has happened to the conventional hotel segment? They have far too long rested on their laurels, enhancing their performance on the post war spectacular growth in numbers and revenues (room rates). No careful redesign of product and service offerings has been done on a major scale, to add value and greater experience, which seems to be what the market is demanding. The conventional hotels with large number of rooms offering the same old restaurant options and facilities are lost in the crowd. There are no real unique selling propositions or differentiating aspects. On the further end of the scale, the higher end boutique hotels offering luxurious, rationalized and custom built products and service offerings are succeeding in maintaining high growth. Conclusion Sir Lankan tourism therefore, needs to take a step backward, and call time out, to take a good hard look at the new market forces that are impacting the industry, and causing paradigm shifts in the way we need to do things. New value added products and service offerings are needed, breaking out of the conventional shackles to help Sir Lankan tourism grow in a sustainable manner, and to become a mature tourism destination. All photographs by the Author 5

Romeo and Juliet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Romeo and Juliet - Essay Example Shakespeare managed to speak to the concerns of the modern world nearly 500 years prior to the modern world coming into being. Though the language may seem somewhat archaic and the exact details might have altered, the story is as pertinent to modern society as it was to those living in the Elizabethan period at the beginning of the 17th century. (Literature, 2008) The play was probably first performed in the Globe Theatre and has since stood as and maybe the most well known example of foolish young love. In many of his plays, for example, he utilizes his characters to discover the meaning of love. In many cases, his investigation is centered on the idea of young, romantic love rarely compared to more mature love. This is apparently because the effect of love on young people is much more evident thus more theatrical in nature. Shakespeare’s notion of young love as a very destructive force can easily be found in his play Romeo and Juliet. The play starts with a prologue where the audience is introduced to his work. This part of the play was to help get its audience settled down and to lure them to pay attention by giving a witty dialogue that sums up the action to come without giving anything away. It does a excellent job of this as it informs the audience the fundamentals of the long-term quarrel between the Capulets and the Montagues; the love that erupts between Juliet, a Capulet and Romeo, a Montague, along the unfortunate end to the young couple, an event which ends the feud. Romeo and Juliet is frequently examined for its investigation into the nature of love, its elements of tragedy or its dramatic content. However, each one of these larger themes can be understood better when one looks at smaller signs within the characters, such as their personality or individual levels of maturity. It can be easily forgotten that this play revolves around two young teenagers trying to

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 8

Report - Essay Example Almeera is more efficient than Widam in using its assets to generate revenue. In general, Almeera is more profitable. Widam has higher EPS which is an indication that it is making more money for their shareholders than Almeera. In addition, its high P/E ratio indicates that their investors are willing to pay more per dollar of earnings. Therefore, Widam is a better investment than Almeera. In conclusion, though the companies have fluctuating performance, it is clear that Widam is a better investment than Almeera because of the following reasons. First, it is relatively liquid and can meet its short-term obligations with lots of ease. Secondly, it is Widam is more efficient in its operations than Almeera and uses few assets to generate more sales revenue. Thirdly, even though Almeera is more profitable, Widam is also relatively profitable and generates sufficient returns for its shareholders. In addition, even though it uses relatively more debts, it has infinite cover for its interest expense. Finally, it makes more money for their

Concert report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Concert report - Essay Example The variations are played without any gap. A person not having knowledge of music cannot differentiate in variations. Classical touch of music and use of different variations in continuity is the beauty of the concert. In the Tchaikovsky Variations – a fresh kaleidoscope joining together procedural fireworks with demonstrative lyricism and an exciting choice that motivated Liszt to favourably say: â€Å"This is real music!† The music is very delicate and musicians showed rhythm in moving from one variation to the next one. Antique-edged themes through each of the seven vibrantly contrast variations and postscript with a skilled concern for tonal range, colour and balance as well. Capuà §on’s agile solo line is competently playful, sad and fervent by turns, Gergiev accompanying with a love-struck precision of touch to offer a reading that is delicate but not very deliberate, elegantly refined without ever keeping superiority in danger. Although the musicians had to play for a long time but they controlled every moment of orchestra. The instruments used were mainly woodwind, horns and strings and a lot of effort is visible in coordination of instruments. The musician’s technical ability sounds very good and energetic. Specially the feelings which they convey in a variation and then smooth transition from one variation to another shows the technical quality and skill of musicians. This a great display of classic music. This performance is equal to famous Rostropovich/ Karajan performance that is on DG. Yes, they really seem well prepared for the concert. Just feel the lyrics and continuity of emotions and variation carried forward by the musicians. Every theme and variation was able to clearly convey the message to viewers and occupy their mental feelings with classical music. Now if we talk about the first variation, it is in triplets, and when it reaches the mid point then theme is redefined by orchestra. The sound is high quality and

Multiple Intelligences Theory and Sternbergs Triarchic Theory

Multiple Intelligences Theory and Sternbergs Triarchic Theory I will write the corrections between two theories Gardner`s Multiple Intelligences Theory and Sternbergs Triarchic Theory .I will discuss what are the aspects of similarities and differences between the theories. This assignment attempts to show how Gardner and Sternberg drew similar conclusion regarding human capacity and potential, examine Gardners eight intelligences and Sternbergs three kinds of intelligences (Vardin, 2003). I choose these theories because they are alike to some extent as well as that they are very famous and comprehensive these days. Some countries have made in the application of the schools and succeeded in doing so as USA (infed.org/thinkers/et-schon-htm-49k.). I choose Gardner`s theory in a particular because it supports that each person has a unique profile of intelligences but to varying degrees from others. Gardner said that intelligences are not only hereditary, but they also become acquired, so that we can strengthen the strong points and do not lose hop e of the weakness points but work to raise them (Gardner ,1997 ). What Gardner says raises our morale. Therefore I choose Gardner`s theory to compare with Sternberg theory in addition to similarities between of them. I will evaluate each theory in my teaching practice in primary school which of these theories I will agree or more strong than another. I will arrange my assignment first I will mention every aspect of both theories and discuss each one separately and provide differences and similarities in this capacity of this attribute and then I will apply each aspect in my context which is primary schools in Libya. The key aspects which I will compare are: both theories are critical of the unitary of intelligence, what these intelligences are in their opinions, both of them are holistic view and more inclusive notion, both of them generate ideas and provide feedback as the curriculum is developed, what both of them said for teaching approaches and assessment approaches, both theori sts view that culture contexts are important in relation to intelligences. Both of these theories are about intelligences and against the traditional concept of intelligence. Gardner multiple intelligences theory and Sternberg triarchic theory are about intelligences and both of them opposed intelligence is a general which asserts that intelligence is ability logical and linguistic. They are proposing that intelligences are thought of as a wide range of abilities. Sternberg`s and Gardner`s (1982) summarized the general intelligence theory by stating general intelligence can be understood componentially as deriving in part from the execution of general components information processing behaviour (http://www.personality research.org/papers/paik.html) .The traditional view of intelligence is defined success in problem solving ability to learn, capacity for producing nodegenetic solutions, understanding of complex instructions or simply all round cognitive ability. (Eysenck, 1982, p.8). However, Sternberg and Gardner defined intelligences in another way. According to Sternberg intelligence is mental activity directed toward purposive adaptation to, selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to one`s life (Sternberg 1985 p .45). Intelligences in this view mean that how an individual treats the environment change through his/her life and adapts with it. (Ibid, 1985). However, the definition of intelligences according to Gardner are ability to solve problem or fashion products that are of consequence in a particular culture setting or community (Gardner 1993: p, 15) and he also defined it in 1999 as a bio psychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture (Gardner 1999 p.34). Each of those theories has merits and evidences to support its claims (http://www.personality research.org/papers/paik.html).The traditional view of intelligence was measured by Stanford Binet intelligence scale for children IQ, Wechsler intelligence scale for children WISCIV, Woodcock Johnson test of cognitive ability and Scholastic Aptitude Tes t. However, in contrast, multiple intelligences theories opposed that. They say that short answer test cannot measure deep understanding but it indicates memorization skills. Furthermore, the traditional view of intelligence mentioned that people are born with intelligence and this intelligence cannot change over the life whereas the writer of multiple intelligences believes that intelligences are both genetic and acquired, and human being can improve intelligences through life. In teaching practice teachers in the traditional view taught students in the same way whereas in multiple intelligences theories teachers use a variety of ways to teach and assess students. Sternberg and Gardner agree that people have different types of intelligences (http://web.Cortland. Edu/and ersmd/ learning/traditional%20intelligence.htm). In my experience, I agree with Sternberg and Gardner that intelligence is multiple while I oppose the intelligence with the traditional view that intelligence is unitary. For example, in my educational context in primary school, it is not fair to describe a student as is not intelligent because he or she has not done well in the traditional test(paper and pencil) which is focused only on logical and linguistic intelligences and do not take account of other types of intelligences . This student maybe successful in other life skills, but he could not to be completed in the traditional exam. In addition, from my learning experience and what I hear from my fellow teachers, some students are giving new creative solutions to mathematical problems have not been studied before while they do not achieve in examinations measured by conventional paper and pen. Sometimes, I and my colleagues notice that some students are not smart in a particular area for example writing and reading while they a re smart in other areas therefore I support Gardner and Sternberg that human being has multi intelligences not just one. How Sternberg and Gardner consider the intelligences. Both of them agree that a human has different intelligences, which are independent of each other. In their views that individual differences intelligences, begin from the earliest years of life and when someone has strength in one area of ability, this is not ensuring strengths or weaknesses in other areas (Vardin, 2003).They state, in fact, that everyone has a unique profile (ibid, 2003). Both of them see individual development as a result between genetic and environmental factors (ibid 2003). However, the theorists did not agree on the number of intelligences. Gardner (1983) believes that there are seven types of intelligences linguistic, logical, bodily-kinaesthetic, musical, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal (Campbell, Dickinson, Campbell, 2004). Whereas Sternberg believes that there are three kinds of intelligences creative, analytical and practical (Sternberg, 1985). According to Gardner he asserts eight evidences for MI theory as follows, isolated two abilities from ea ch other by brain damage, exceptional individual such as prodigies and idiots savants, some core information processing operations, experiment psychology and cognitive psychology, symbol system, evolutionary biology (Gardner, Kornhaber, Wake, 1996) and psychometric findings (Gardner 1983:62). He describes two kinds of traditional intelligence which can easily practice in schools and next three kinds he classified them in art and the last two kinds they are more personal (Gardner 1999). The eight Kinds of intelligences according to Gardner as follow. Linguistic verbal intelligence. It contains sensitivity to the sound, rhythm, spoken and written language, and the capacity to learn usage language to express the meaning and to explain concepts and remember information as formal system such as writers, lawyers, speakers. Some forms in this intelligence include telling jokes, discussion and writing poems (Campbell, Campbell, and Dickinson: 2004). Logical -mathematical intelligence. We use our logical /mathematical intelligence to analyze problem logically, determining relation such as cause and effect and achieve mathematical operation. Some forms in this intelligence involve creating thinking, analyzing problems and discovering and using logical sequences (Kagan, Kagan, 1998). Bodily -kinaesthetic intelligence. Ability to use whole body or parts of the body such as movement gestures , facial, and hand gestures and enjoy in physical activities .( Kagan Kagan ,1998).This intelligence may see different from traditional views of intelligence.Bodily kinaesthetic intelligence involves the use of all or part of one`s body to solve problems of fashion products. And core operations associated with this intelligence are control over fine and gross motor action and the ability to manipulate external objects. (Gardner, Kornhaber, Wake 1996 p.209). Such as found in athletes, dancers and surgeons. Musical intelligence. In this intelligence Sternberg and Gardner agree on it and Sternberg call it creative intelligence .According to Gardner musical intelligence gives chance to people to creative, communicate, and understand meaning made out of sound .It is different from linguistic intelligence (Gardner kornhaber, wake 1996). People can gain a high degree in musical skills. Gardner himself has high degree in this intelligence and states I believe that I think musically I need music to work. I also hear music all the time in my head I think that my major activities to think and to read and to write occur in a very musical way. My literary work reflects the sorts of organization that I observed in composition I studied and played i.e. the development of themes ,the effects that something introduced at one point has much later back and forth(Gardner 1997,p 10). Spatial intelligence. We express this intelligence through pictures, sculpture, and arranging objects. Those strong in this intelligence enjoy designing, doodling, and drawing. Some forms this intelligence takes include map interpreting and making decorating, page, layout , design and make collages .(Kaga ,kagan 1998). It concerns the ability to perceived spatial information to transform this information, and to create visual images even without original references. Blind people also can use it because it is not dependent on visual sensation for example to build mental image of their homes or figurers out routes to work. Core abilities in this intelligence are ability to build images in three dimensions (Gardner, Kornhaber, Wake 1996). The last two intelligences are the personal intelligence. Interpersonal intelligence. It is ability to interact successfully with others. Some forms of this intelligence are leadership skills, friendship skills and ability to understand strength and weaknesses points for others (Kagan, Kagan, 1998).Interpersonal intelligence makes use of core capacities to recognize and make distinctions among others feelings, belief and intention In early development of this intelligence will be ability young people to distinguish from other individuals in their environments and enable them to carry out their work (Gardner, Kornhaber, Wake 1996 p.211). Intrapersonal Intelligence. It concerns ability to understand our own feeling images, dreams, moods and states. Gardner defined the intrapersonal intelligence over the years. After frames of mind(1983), Gardner focused on the feeling life in his original conception of intrapersonal intelligence, but that he had come to stress instead, the importance of having a viable model of oneself and of being able to draw effectively upon that model in making decisions about ones life (Gardner, 1993, p.xviii). This statement reflects cognitive learning. Defining intelligence in this view ways of thinking associated with different types of information. Gardner argues that intrapersonal intelligence is human only. (Kagan, Kagan 1998). According to him, each of these seven can be observed and measured. Moreover, everyone has seven kinds of intelligences in different levels; someone might be strong in musical intelligence and poor in logical intelligence so individuals are distinguished by their particular profile of intelligences (1999, 1983). More recently, Gardner opens the door to additional candidate intelligences (naturalist, spiritual, existential and moral intelligences). Naturalist intelligence. It is ability to classify and recognize natural patterns through encounters with natural world that involve appreciation for and understand flora and fauna (Lazear.2004). It enables people to recognize certain feature of the environment. It combines a description of the core ability with a characterization of the role that many cultures value (Gardner 1999, p.48). Inclusion of naturalist intelligence appears straight forward. He has added a naturalist intelligence in his list. Spiritual intelligence. Is more complex and seem more responsible (ibid 1999). Existential intelligence. Although existential intelligence might be attractive and concern with ultimate issue, Gardner is not arranging to add it in his list .Gardner state I find the phenomenon perplexing enough and the distance from the other intelligences are vast enough to dictate prudence at least for now(ibid :66). Moral intelligence:it is a concern with those rules, behaviours and attitudes that govern the sanctity of life in particular, the sanctity of human life and in many cases, the sanctity of any other living creatures and the world they inhabit (ibid p.70). In the other hand, Sternberg`s theory comprises three parts: componential, experiential, and practical. Sternberg labelled three components the met components, performance components, and knowledge -acquisition component (Sternberg 1985). Sternberg explains that different contexts and different tasks require different kinds of intelligences. He divided his theory the three parts as follow (Sternberg, 1985). Componential/Analytical sub theory. This is the sort of thinking which involve critical and problem solving, and is usually measured by traditional tests. Unfortunately, individuals with only this type of thinking are not necessarily able to creating unique ideas of their own because analytical giftedness often is tested without other. It is involved when human being responses such as compare and contrast evaluate, Critique, explain (Sternberg 1997). Experiential/creative sub theory. This is a second kind of thinking to generate new ideas and he divided it two parts novelty and automation. A novel situation. It is ability to solve problems in different and unfamiliar ways never experienced before (Sternberg 1997). Automated .It is familiar. It has been performed multiple times with the same or other processes. Practical thinking. Deals with the mental activity involved in attaining fit to contrast . (Sternberg, 1985 p.45), and it occurs when learners apply what they know to everyday life (Howie, 2009b). This thinking is dependent on three processes. Adaptation. It occurs when someone adapt to changes around him/her (Sternberg 1985). Shaping .It occurs when someone makes changes to adapt to the real world (Sternberg 1985). Selection. It concerns when a completely new alternative environment replaced the previous one, to meet the individual`s goals (Sternberg, 1985). Most people who are successfully intelligent are not equal in these three abilities, but they find ways of making the three abilities work harmoniously together (Sternberg, 2008). Sternberg agrees with Gardner in creative or musical intelligence but in other six abilities he classified practical and analytical intelligences. In my teaching practice, I agree with Gardner and Sternberg that each student has different intelligences from others. For example, in my class I have smart student in conservation while another student is smart in writing. The intelligent student in the conservation is not needed for intelligence or stupidity in other skills because each of these intelligences is independent of other intelligences. I also agree with them that intelligences are influenced by environmental aspects for example, if person has been done a particular work in a certain country, he/she may consider smart while if he/she does the same work in other country may classify him/her as not intelligent and vice versa. From my teaching experience I have two twin girls in my class; they have lived in different environments and circumstances. I have found these girls have different intelligences from each other. This may be some evidence that environment has a big role to refigure our intelligences into development or foil. On the other hand, I agree with Gardner that intelligences divide into eight intelligences, and it is possible to add others whereas I dispute with Sternberg those intelligences are just three. In my experience, I have noticed that intelligences of the students are not only creative or practical or analytical. For example, some students do not own those three intelligences so they cannot learn practical, analytical and creative ways. Does this mean they are not smart? However, these students may have other types of intelligences as Gardner said because when I explain the lesson in other ways by signals or move my body, they understand better. This means that they have Bodily -kinaesthetic intelligence, or when I read the lesson in a melodic way, student who has musical intelligence understand better than any other ways. Therefore, I have tendency with Gardner Multiple intelligences that students have eight kinds of intelligences as I mentioned them above. Inclusion view or holistic view. Both of psychologists put tendency forwards theories with multiple abilities or intelligences, which are a much more holistic view of abilities, learning to a much more inclusive notion of how individual can be able. When Gardner`s original listing of the intelligences in frame of mind (1983).There are discussions to other possible for inclusion. After many researches Gardner reached to three possibilities: A naturalist intelligence, a spiritual intelligence and existential intelligence (Gardner 1999:52). The final one for inclusion is moral intelligence; if people accept moral intelligence then it is possible to add it. It is inclusive to add intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences. Although he emphasises intrapersonal intelligence as near to met cognition, the non hierarchical nature of this list, he wishes to see executive function as an entity which emerge from other intelligences (ibid, 1999). Gardner points out that two people have not exactly the same profile of strengths and weakness and we can enhance any intelligence by concerted effort (Montessori, 2003). On the other hand, According to Sternberg when he did some studies in the diversity of students in different cultures, findings in these studies that students who achieve high analytical groups were mostly white and middle class, the high in creative and practical groups were not. He said when you expand the range of abilities considered, the range of student identified as gifted increase as well.(Sternberg, 2008 p.60). I agree with both theories that ability of human being is a more holistic view. Through my experience I have found that students capabilities are multiple, and they have abilities to do a lot of things. I have found some students who have natural abilities where they could learn by exploration a nature as an animals or plants around them. There are some students who have moral intelligence. This is very important to have in my religion and culture. We cannot avoid it, and I hope that Gardner add it to his list officially. There are a lot of intelligences which indicate the universality of human ability such as culinary, industrial intelligences and others. In addition the way in which intelligences present in different cultures is not limited to a certain category for example students from Europe or the Middle East or from Africa, all exhibit different kinds of intelligences. In my experience, it is possible to find creative ability in Europeans students and analytical ability in Afr ican students and vice versa. Both of them said about developing curriculum and teaching. Both of theories Gardner (1983) theory of multiple intelligences and Sternberg (1985, 1988) triarchic theory of human intelligences generate ideas and to provide feedback as the curriculums are developed. Schools have moved to organize their curriculum according to MI theory. They start to use videotapes and net works to explore abilities in students and to teach them away adapt to their potentials. MI is encouraged by the educational community in three reasons first, MI emphasizes that children have many intelligences, not just one, and these abilities are defined shaped, and combined by the environment. Second, MI focused on children. Finally, MI emphasis intelligences are different from culture to another. Many of schools focused on MI to arrange their curriculum and MI help teacher how to create ways to teach lessons to students. (Torff: 1997, 1998). Gardner`s urges that teachers must pay attention to unique intelligences profiles and individual differences when they teach their students. He believes that there are one way to teach for individual differences in intelligences profiles, teacher can teach students through taking a topic or domain and explains it in different intelligences approaches, or by using entry points to helping them grasp new material according to their intelligences ( Howie, 2009a). In addition, he argues that practical intelligence curriculum which includes two parts: The Yale portion of the curriculum, designed to teach skills used across content areas. This is taught by content teachers for two or three period per week separately. (Sternberg, Okagaki, Jackson 1990, p. 36). The Harvard portion of the curriculum, which emphasizes individual subject -matter infusion of the skills within the content class.(ibid, 1990, p. 36). According to Sternberg, teachers need to teach their students with three abilities for increasing achievements. In his view, teaching involves helping students to capitalize their strength and to correct their weaknesses. This means that teachers must use a variety of ways to teaching students some of the time, they encourage students to analyze, critical, evaluate, compare and contrast and in other times to create, imagine, invent, and other times to apply, implement and practice. Sternberg and his colleagues have carried out a study in the United States. In this study, they used the Sternberg triarchic abilities test. The children were divided into four groups : High analytical ,high creative, high practical, high in all abilities or low in all abilities, all students listened to the same introductory psychology lecture in the morning but different among them were the type of lesson in afternoon section with one approach critical, analysis, compare and contrast, second approach , i magine, discover, invent and explore, the third approach practical, apply and implement, and the fourth approach in the memory condition. They might ask to memorize the main aspects of a major theory. Their results suggest that students who were placed in afternoon sections that matched their abilities performed better than did student who attended afternoon sections mismatched (Sternberg .2008).In the other words when students learn in ways matched their abilities , they can perform better at least some of times. So a good teacher uses a variety of teaching methods which adapt with abilities of their students. Sternberg (1985) has found practical intelligence for schools PIFS curriculum is based on the four kinds of knowledge to adaptation to any environment: managing oneself, managing tasks, and working with (managing) others. Self management, the teacher and student discuss styles of thinking of student multiple intelligences (Sternberg 1988, 1990) and each student chooses own individual style which adapt with him/her. Managing tasks, which deals with topics such as put strategies to solve problems, to correct bad habits, understanding questions and taking tests. Cooperating with others (practical discussion in class, shift places with others, and solving communication problems. I agree with psychologists that the development of the curriculum must be commensurate with the needs and students capabilities. The teachers should use a variety of ways to teach students such as video, participation, collaborative groups, advanced technology and others to adapting with learners themselves. While I disagree with Sternberg that teachers use three ways to teach and assess students practical, analysis and creative because there are some students cannot understand in these three ways, does this mean they are not smart so I strongly agree with Gardner that teachers must teach students in eight ways or more. .This view is fitting with my plans in my future teaching practice and to give me a great help to understanding the capacities of the students and to help them to understand the lesson through unique profile of abilities. Each student has the right to discuss with the teacher the pedagogical approaches which best fit with him/her. This will be benefit the learning and teaching process in both the teacher and the student. In the future I will apply this theory in my teaching practice. For example, if I have class which it contains group of students, I will identify their abilities according to their responses or understandings in the class then I will teach them and assess them in ways that fit their abilities. For example, with linguistic intelligence group I may ask them to write story or to read text with correct pronunciation, mathematical intelligence group for example, I will give the numerical activities, computer programming, and solving mathematical problem, Intrapersonal intelligence group I will leave them to work by concentrating the subject themselves because they tend to work alone. I will explain the lesson by bodily movement to facilitate understanding the lesson for Bodily Kinaesthetic group. Students who have interpersonal intelligences I will learn them by putting them collaborative groups. Visual Spatial groups I will show the m visual images. Musical groups, I will read the lesson as song or may play musical instrument although this intelligence is difficult to apply in my religion because we do not have music in our schools. Nature intelligence group I will learn them outside the school in the nature environment although this intelligence also difficult as other one because we have limited time in class and we have a big number of students in the same class. Both of them consider intelligences in teaching and assessment approaches. Both of these theorists agree that teaching and assessment approaches consider in their theories but in different ways. Both of them agree that intelligence can be improved at any age the more we practice the more we become. According to Sternberg, he suggests that tests of intelligence are not complete in both sides either in applying or in design; they are not adequate in design, because they heavily depend on analytical ability and do not pay attention in practical and creative abilities. As well they are not adequate in implementation because they are predicted that ways are fixed rather than flexible (Sternberg, 2008). Sternberg and his colleagues designed studies which are the Rainbow project and SAT Reasoning test which measures practical, creative analytical skills. They tested 1,013 high schools and colleges; they gave them analytical questions as available in conventional test but also gave them crea tive and practical questions. The creative questions required from students to imagine for example, they may ask them to write new story or may show them pictures and ask them to create a story orally. The practical test required asking students to solve problems in real life as consequence their studies, there were critical findings. First, they discovered three factors on their tests one was creative thinking, a second factor was practical thinking, the third factor was multiple-choice problem solving (Sternberg, 2008). Second, they discovered that using broader tests for college admissions can enhance academic excellence. Third, they discover that they could substantially reduce ethnic-group differences on the tests. There are a lot of students from the majority group who learn in ways that are different from those who assessed from standardized tests. These children may have abilities to success in real life, but these abilities may not appear in conventional tests. There are al so other projects called Kaleidoscope project (ibid, 2008). He also adds that assessment approaches must match to each type of intelligences (Sternberg: 2000). However, in contrast, according to Gardner, he refers to the weak performance of standardised test two reasons first, test is too narrow, and it just measures linguistic and logical abilities and does not take account spatial, bodily, kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and musical abilities. Second, pencil and paper testing are far away from real life. The MI has driven a critique of standardized testing; it suggests alternative assessment that captures the wide range of intelligences. He opposed assessment by pencil and paper type. He points out that rather advocates building up profile by teacher observation and project. We can use contextualised assessment such as the Project Spectrum Approach which contain from variety of settings in pre schools and primary schools assessments including teacher observation and telling stories, activities and games to determine strength and weaknesses for children. As well there are other projects used as alternative teaching, learning and assessment for schools by Gardner and his colleagues such as Mather and ATLAS projects and Project Zero (Troff, 1997,1998). He suggests s that we can possess eight types of intelligence. Moreover, he believes there are probably others that we have not yet been able to test. Each of us is unique and unrepeatable. We are complex than any standard testing instrument can reveal. We must stop labelling children because labelling is an unfair practice (Lazear, 2004, 12, 16). In multiple intelligences :Howard Gardner (1993) says Now a huge body of experimental evidence exists to indicate that assessment materials designed for one target audience cannot be transported directly to another cultural setting ,there are no purely culture fair or culture build materials . Every instrument reflects its origins. There is also an accumulation of findings about the cognitive abilities of various kinds of experts. It has been shown that experts often fail on formal measures of their calculating or re asoning capacities but can be shown to exhibit precisely those some skills in the course of their ordinary work in such cases, it is instruments which purported to document the person level of competence (Gardner 1993 p.172). Gardner is concerned to help students creating unique intelligences profiles and he suggests that creating should be the main goal of intelligence testing. Furthermore, he believes that teach students in the same way and assess them only by using one kind of assessment written or standard tests are simply unfair. Students are different from each other and we must take these differences into account when we are looking to structure our schools and when we assess our students. For example, when student does not perform well on a writte

Essay --

â€Å"Research Paper: Winter Dreams† In â€Å"Winter Dreams†, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dexter’s dream can be related to the American Dream, but Fitzgerald represents it negatively, basically saying that the reality is the American Dream can never be reached. F. Scott Fitzgerald's life is a tragic example of both sides of the American Dream; the joys of young love, wealth and success, and the tragedies associated with excess and failure which shows through in this story (F. Scott). The American Dream is what every American wants to achieve. Which is basically wealth and a good looking spouse. Well this is exactly what Dexter Green wanted from the time he was 14 years old. He starts off working as a caddie at the Sherry Island Golf Club to associate and make connections wit the wealthy people there. â€Å"He wanted not association with glittering things and people, but wanted the glittering things themselves (Fitzgerald). Dexter Green eventually goes to college, and while there makes good investments that makes him wealthy. When Dexter Green meets Judy Jones, he sees that she is the most beautiful ...

Alternative Perspectives on Business

I am not sure if the way I felt is common in the society. But I would imagine it would be because of the individualistic mindset that most people have. Even my friends resist help if they can manage it. The parents, the school and other social institutions are helping perpetuate this kind of self-sufficiency and self-reliance. This is perhaps a crucial part of being part of the society. Deep down, I may be afraid to admit that I need help. Perhaps other people feel the same way too. My self-worth is dependent, in part, on my ability to make decisions for myself and do things for myself.If that is taken away from me, then I would feel like I lost my worth. I wanted to air my annoyance to the manager, which I promptly did. I was not really surprised that I acted as such because I am used to acting based on what I think is my right. I also felt like asking the lady directly to desist from following me was a bit rude. So I had to talk to her manager instead. It is so much easier to talk to a superior than to a subordinate. If I talked to the lady, myself, I might have condescended and reprimanded her harshly. I did not want to make a scene so I just talked to the manager.My motives were that I wanted to be discreet while making sure that my experience at the store was not spoiled. I know that I acted in my best interest and also in the interest of the store. If they followed my advice and just let their customers choose what they want while standing there patiently waiting and congenially for anything the customer asks, the sales might be a little better and customers will be happier. I would not have liked to behave otherwise. That would mean just letting go of what I felt was an affront to my shopping experience. I do not like sitting still when I felt that things are not going according to my liking.I was conscious that I was a customer and therefore I deserved the best possible treatment in the store. The mall and the store is designed for the customer to have the best experience in shopping. From the arrangement of products and the colourful promotional items, the customer or shopper is made to feel as if he is at the centre of the mall’s universe. Anything that suggests otherwise would therefore be treated like it was an intrusion into the personal life of the shopper. Managers also are being seen as the keepers of the ranks in the sense that they have the power over their subordinates in helping them do their jobs properly.They can also reprimand employees who do not perform according to the pre-agreed standards of behaviour within the organization. As such, the manager is seen as the ally of the customers in making sure that their shopping experience is protected and ensured. Synthesis There are power relations in almost all social settings. Even in the seemingly business-centred environment of the mall and department stores, there are power relations between and among the owners of the store, the managers, the employees and th e customers who visit the stores (Pred, 1996).While the customers have considerable power by virtue of the money that they will be using in purchasing products and services, the organisation also displays its power in dealing with the customers. The customers have the money and therefore they command the respect of the attendants and the managers in the store. This is also why the store is arranged in such a way that the customers’ shopping experience would be superb. Anything that could disrupt that is met with strict reprimand (Cuthbert, 2003). A store that cannot make a sale is close to being worthless and is on its way to bankruptcy.One thing I noted though is that there are more women on the stores than there are men. Quite probably, the men are working â€Å"behind the scenes† and are tasked with moving large boxes and other things that need to be moved every now and then. I could not rightly say that this is discrimination but perhaps, there is a preferred gende r when it comes to choosing attendants in particular areas of the store. This also opens up a whole new dimension of power relations. The manager I encountered was a middle-aged male who had the look of authority on him (Harding, 2004).While I felt nothing more than a coincidence during the incidence, it now dawned on me that perhaps the power relations within the store are arranged that way so that it would be easier to subdue the attendants for anything that might have been seen or reported as inappropriate behaviour. In addition to this, the customer is, most of the time, given a big deal of power in dealing with the attendants at the store. There are customers who are treated like spoiled brats while there are difficult customers who insist on having their way even in violation of store policy.Stores and malls arrange their space or architecture to maximize the purchasing power of buyers. As such, the products and services are arranged in such a way that customers will be entice d to buy. In exchange of this, customers also exert their power over the attendants and employees of the store so that they get something extra out of the money they will shed out as payment. The attendants, employees and managers also act as safeguards of the interests of the store while at the same time encouraging the customers to buy and spend on the stores. This kind of power relations or network is always at work within the store.What seemed like a simple act of buying something at the mall is actually a complex pattern of relationships involving a number of factors. For example, managers tend to act as guards for the owners of the store as much as for the customers. Most of the time, it is the employees who are caught in the middle. With the concepts I learned in the course, I manage to identify these power relations much more clearly than if I was just using my common sense. Because of my cultural affiliation and the way I treat shopping as a commonplace affair, I have becom e inured to it.The concepts discussed in the course helped me become more critical and draw on various theories in explaining what seems like commonplace behaviour, not only in the malls but in different social settings and situations. Reference Cuthbert, AR (2003). Critical Readings in Urban Design. New York: Blackwell Publishing. Harding, SG (2004). The Feminist Standpoint Theory Reader: Intellectual and Political Controversies. London: Routledge. Pred A, (1996). â€Å"Interfusions: consumption, identity and the practices and power . relations of everyday life† Environment and Planning A 28(1) 11 – 24.

The Piano Lesson Themes - Sutters Ghost

The Piano Lesson Themes - Sutters Ghost Supernatural themes lurk throughout August Wilsons drama, The Piano Lesson. But to fully understand the function of the ghost character in The Piano Lesson, readers may want to become familiar with the plot and characters of The Piano Lesson. Sutters Ghost During the play, several characters see the ghost of Mr. Sutter, the man who probably murdered the father of Berniece and Boy Willie. Sutter was also the legal owner of the piano. There are different ways of interpreting the ghost: The ghost is a product of the characters imagination.The ghost symbolizes oppression.Or it is an actual ghost! Assuming the ghost is real and not symbolism, the next question is: What does the ghost want? Revenge? (Berniece believes that her brother pushed Sutter down a well). Forgiveness? (This doesnt seem likely since Sutters ghost is antagonistic rather than repentant). It may simply be that Sutters ghost wants the piano. In Toni Morrisons beautiful foreword to the 2007 publication of The Piano Lesson, she states: Even a threatening ghost hovering in any room it chooses pales before the gripping fear of what is outside - the steady, casual intimacy with imprisonment and violent death. She also observes that Against years of menace and routine violence, wrestling with a ghost is mere play. Morrisons analysis is spot on. During the plays climax, Boy Willie enthusiastically battles the ghosts, running up the stairs, tumbling down again, only to go charging back up. Grappling with the specter is sport in comparison to the hazards of the oppressive 1940s society. Spirits of the Family Bernieces suitor, Avery, is a religious man. In order to disconnect the ghosts ties to the piano, Avery agrees to bless Bernieces house. When Avery, an up-and-coming reverend, passionately recites passages from the Bible, the ghost does not budge. In fact, the ghost becomes even more aggressive, and this is when Boy Willie finally witnesses the ghost and their battle begins. In the middle of The Piano Lessons chaotic final scene, Berniece has an epiphany. She realizes that she must call on the spirits of her mother, father, and grandparents. She sits down at the piano and, for the first time in a year, she plays. She sings for the spirits of her family to help her. As her music becomes more powerful, more insistent, the ghost goes away, the battle upstairs ceases, and even her stubborn brother has a change of heart. Throughout the play, Boy Willie demanded that he sell the piano. But once he hears his sister play the piano and sing to her deceased relatives, he understands that the musical heirloom is meant to stay with his Berniece and her daughter. By embracing music once again, Berniece and Boy Willie now appreciate the pianos purpose, one that is both familiar and divine.

Elderly drivers essays

Elderly drivers essays Hey! Get off the road Gramps! This is a statement I have heard many drivers reefer to when driving along side the elderly. I myself am a spectator when it comes to driving and I had always thought that the rude name-calling was a form of ageism from my generation. As I began to pay more attention, even my mother who is 50 years old would often get irritated driving behind a senior citizen. I wanted to find out if it was simply that a society was too impatient for its elders, or if these older drivers were really causing problems on the road. I chose two journal entries of contrasting views and tried to come up with my own solution to this problem. Melanie Crane has written For Safetys Sake, which as it states in the title, goes into depth on how unsafe it is for seniors to continue driving. While Rodger Cobb brings up the pros and cons to this sensitive subject with; Are Elderly Drivers A Road Hazard? Together they made me understand the dangers and importance of driving while aging. Although the two authors view points that I have chosen to discuss, do not concur with each other, they do come to an agreement that 65 years of age, is the customary age for identifying a senor citizen. The facts also state, that there is today a majority in the percentage of elderly Americans, there are half as many teenagers in correlation. Recent progress in medicine and technology also keeps the number of older Americans increasing in percentage, making the number larger each passing year. Melanie Crane stated; from 1987 to 1997, their numbers strengthened 2.1 times as quickly as the rest of the population. Furthermore, this increases the population of elderly drivers. Crane added that with this increased population there are increased risks, in 1997 when the elderly only held 13 percent of the population, they held 18 percent of automobile accidents. Crane driving home her point turns to the fact that by 2030 it is ...

History of Social Networking Websites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Social Networking Websites - Essay Example Users who join Social networking websites are required to make a profile of themselves by filling up a form. After performing this task, users are supposed to give out information about their personality attributes and personal appearances. Some social networking websites require photos but almost all of them will give details about one's age, preference, likes and dislikes. Some social networking websites like Facebook allow users to customize their profiles by adding multimedia content. (Geroimenko & Chen, 2007) The first hint of social networking websites was witnessed in the year 1997 through formation of a company called Sixdegrees.com. This company was the first of its kind; it allowed users to list their profiles, provide a list of friends and then contact them. However, the Company did not do very well as it eventually closed three years later. The reason for this was that many people using the internet at that time had not formed many social networks hence there was little room for maneuver. It should be noted that there were also other elements that hinted at Social network websites prior to 1997. For instance, dating sites required users to give their profiles but they could not share other people's websites. Additionally, there were some websites that would link former school mates but the lists could not be shared with others. (Cassidy, 2006) Thereafter, there was... They included things like diaries and friends' lists. Additionally, Ryze.com also established itself in the market. It was created with the purpose of linking business men within San Francisco. The Company was under the management of Friendster, there were also LinkedIn, Tribe.net and Ryze. The latter company was the least successful among all others. Tribe.net specialized in the business world and Friendster initially did well; this did not last for long. (Story, 2008) The most significant companies in the history of social networking websites are as follows Facebook MySpace Friendster The rest of the essay shall examine how these particular companies were formed. Friendster Friendster began its operations in the year 2002. It was a brother company to Ryze but was designed to deal with the social aspect of their market. The company was like a dating service, although match making was not done in the typical way where strangers are introduced to one another. Instead, friends would propose other friends they felt were most compatible with one another. At first, the Company grew exponentially. This was especially after introduction of a network for gay men and an increase in the number of bloggers. The latter would usually tell their friends about the advantages of social networking through Friendster and this led to further expansion. However, Friendster had established a market base in one small community. After their subscribers reached overwhelming numbers, the company could no longer cope with the demand. There were numerous complaints about the way their servers were handled because subscribers would experience communication breakdowns. As if this was not enough, social networks in the real world were not

E-commerce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

E-commerce - Research Paper Example The second exercise is on the comparison of online prices across the four major supermarket chains across UK and the prices of all the items have been compared to understand whether certain supermarkets are generally cheaper than certain others. Tesco and Asda have been found to be in general cheaper than Sainsbury's and Waitrose although further research in this area would be required to provide any conclusive evidence in this matter. The report however can definitely suggest that considering the lowered prices of online goods, more consumers would prefer to buy goods online in the coming years and online or internet shopping will definitely become more successful in the future. The expenditure for the week given is at 51 which would be slightly higher than the normal expenditure as the DVD, and Women's shoes amounting to 20.99 + 17.99 that is 38.98 are extra items bought which are not usually bought every week. The usual or average weekly expenditure considering these items bought will only be at 12.02 although at this time it is above 50. The expenditure for this week involves goods and items as diverse as washing powder, soft drink, women's shoes, mixed vegetables, ice cream, DVD, and red wine. ... The report however can definitely suggest that considering the lowered prices of online goods, more consumers would prefer to buy goods online in the coming years and online or internet shopping will definitely become more successful in the future. Keywords: Market price, online price, supermarkets, internet shopping, listed items. I - Summary of expenditure showing item, brand, size and cost and comments on how this would differ from average or normal expenditure Item Date Brand Size Cost Monday Washing powder 16-10-06 Ariel 1 kg 1.47 Tuesday Women's shoes 17-10-06 M&S 5 20.99 Wednesday Soft Drink 18-10-06 Coca Cola 2ltr 2.18 Thursday Mixed Vegetables 19-10-06 Tesco 500g .90 Friday Vanilla ice cream 20-10-06 Walls 2ltr 2.64 Saturday Red wine 21-10--06 Marquez de chive 75cl 4.83 Sunday DVD 22-10-06 Sainsbury's n/a 17.99 Total: 51.00 The expenditure for the week given is at 51 which would be slightly higher than the normal expenditure as the DVD, and Women's shoes amounting to 20.99 + 17.99 that is 38.98 are extra items bought which are not usually bought every week. The usual or average weekly expenditure considering these items bought will only be at 12.02 although at this time it is above 50. The expenditure for this week involves goods and items as diverse as washing powder, soft drink, women's shoes, mixed vegetables, ice cream, DVD, and red wine. The DVD and women's shoes as we have identified are some of the items that I wouldn't usually buy and can be considered as 'extra items' for the week. However these items seem to have raised the expenditure dramatically. II - Summary of expenditure showing item, brand, size and cost for online