A Reading and Referencing exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Reading and Referencing exercise - Essay Example The article uses British birth cohort panel data to generate an understanding of how education and level of qualifications have an impact on earnings of the person in the long run (Blundell et al., 2000).   The article, â€Å"learning styles and academic outcome: The validity and utility of Vermunt’s inventory of learning styles in British Higher education setting† is written by Dr. Elizabeth A. Boyle, Tim Duffy and Karen Dunleavy. The study was conducted in British University and provided examination of how Vermunt’s integrated model of learning provides varied academic results as they are based on the different learning styles (Boyle et al., 2003). Binsardi and Ekwulugo have written an article, â€Å"International marketing of British education: research on the students’ perception and the UK market penetration†. The article talks about education in UK and perception of international students about it. Moreover, it provides analysis of UK perfor mance in the market with respect to their education system (Binsardi & Ekwulugo, 2003).   An article by Philip Brown, â€Å"The third wave†: education and the ideology of parentocracy â€Å" talks about the different eras of schooling and education system and how children have shifted their priorities based on abilities and efforts to their parents’ wishes and consent resulting from ‘ideology of parentocracy’ (Brown, 1990). The last article relevant to the module is, â€Å"Testing the Relationship between Education and Political Participation using the 1970 British Cohort. â€Å"Mikael Persson writes the article, and it talks about education system of British Institutes and its effect on political participation. The data is extracted from British cohort study showing how the education system has evolved and how individual’s cognitive ability is being used. However, the study concludes that

The e-Project will be based on the United States Patent and Trademark Research Paper

The e-Project will be based on the United States Patent and Trademark Office as for my e-Project, www.uspto.gov. It will be an evaluation of how the USPTO interfaces with Businesses - Research Paper Example ch ‘promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries. USPTO records trademarks which are based on the Commerce Clause of the Constitution (Section 8 of Article 1, Clause 3). While working with this arrangement of safety, the United States industry has greatly benefited; there are new goods which have been manufactured, old products have been put to new use and it return has brought about employment opportunities for many Americans. The power of the American economy is greatly dependant on an efficient mechanism which is in place to guard new ideas in originality and ingenuity. The constant requirement of trademarks and patents highlights the resourcefulness of entrepreneurs and inventors in the United States. The Federal Agency USPTO is very much responsible for the achievements and progress which the nation has made technologically. This agency is responsible for advising the Unit ed State’s president, Government agencies in charge of IP (intellectual property) policy enforcement and protection as well as the Security of Commerce only that it also encourages a more effective and strong protection of the IP outside American borders. The Federal Agency, USPTO promotes efficient protection of the IP for entrepreneurs and innovators in the United States globally by collaborating with further agencies to guard strongly the IP provision in worldwide agreements and in free trade. Furthermore it grants education, preparation, and the ability in building plans which are formed to create admiration for the IP and to encourage the expansion of tough IP enforcement management by the United States trade partners around the world. (USPTO) The USPTO headquarters is comprised of 5 interrelated buildings which are located at 600 Dulany in St, Alexandria in Virginia. The workplace provides work for about 9000 employees, from engineers to scientists to attorneys and pretty much

Study of Integrated Science Essay Example for Free

Study of Integrated Science Essay The importance of science in today’s world is overwhelming and therefore the education system throughout the world has geared itself to provide the required training in scientific skills to meet this growing challenge. Many countries have transformed themselves from poor feudal type economies through the increasing application of science and technology. China and India are two outstanding examples as they have grown to become economic and industrial power houses and in several ways compete effectively with developed countries. Any country which does not give the needed assistance to the study of science usually lacks development. Through science, bridges are constructed, vehicles manufactured, roads constructed and knowledge expanded. In spite of the relevance of science mentioned above, the pupils of Mampamhwe M/A JHS 2 have difficulty in studying and understanding science. The three aspects of pure science and one applied science (Agricultural science) have been combined to form the basis for the study of science at the junior high school. Collectively, they are known as integrated science. During the end-of-term examination, less than 40% of the thirty five (35) pupils in the class barely get above the average mark of fifty (50) in integrated science. The pupils mentality that, integrated science is difficult and poor methods of teaching can be counted as factors that have facilitated the poor performance of the pupils in the subject. Not using the scientific method of solving problems in the teaching of scientific problems and solving practical questions raises an eyebrow on how pupils can grasp the concepts of the subject. With pupils living in a community which major occupation is farming (cocoa to be precise) and pupils themselves engaging in farming activities, it would have served as a good ground for the application of agricultural science and biology which forms part of integrated science. But this seems not to be the case with the pupils. With the relevance of the study of science to the improvement of the pupils’ mind and life and also to the community as a farming one, prompted the researcher to study and investigate ways of improving the study of integrated science at JHS 2. Statement of the problem The problem which prompted the researcher to carry out this research is the poor performance of pupils in integrated science among the JHS 2 pupils of Mampamhwe M/A. It is therefore against this background that the researcher has decided to use the experiential approach to help solve this problem. Purpose of the study The reason why the researcher is carrying out this research is to: a) Identify the causes of the poor performance of pupils of Mampamhwe M/A JHS 2 in integrated science. b) Assess the effects of the poor performance in integrated science on the pupils. ) Establish possible solutions that can help solve the poor performance in integrated science. d) Provide teachers with some guidelines in improving the teaching and studying of integrated science. e) Help parents understand the conditions that they can put in place to help their wards improve their performance in integrated science. f) Provide suggestions to managers of education in Ghana when planning the syllabus. Rese arch questions Research questions for this study include the following: i) What difficulties do pupils of Mampamhwe M/A JHS 2 face in the study of integrated science? i) What are the major causes of the poor performance of the pupils in integrated science? iii) What are the appropriate interventions that can be taken to address the problem? iv) What is the effect of the project on the problem? Significance of the study This research will help pupils to recognize effective ways of learning integrated science which can bring about an improved performance in the subject. It will also help teachers of integrated science to vary their techniques or methods of teaching and choose methods according to the nature of the topic. Last but not least, it will also enable curriculum planners to include this practical work in the JHS science syllabus so that pupils at the junior high schools can make use of it. Delimitations This project work is limited to improving the performance of integrated science among only JHS 2 pupils of Mampamhwe M/A. This is because that is the class that the researcher was assigned to teach and has fair knowledge of their learning abilities. Also, out of all the subjects on the JHS 2 timetable, the researcher chose to carry out his research on only integrated science since it’s the subject assigned to him to teach. Last but not least, there were many approaches that could have been used for this study but the researcher deemed it best to use the experiential approach Organization of the study The research work is organized in five main chapters. Chapter one is titled ‘Introduction’ and it comprises the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research questions, significance of the study, delimitations, limitations and organization of the study. Chapter two is the review of related literature. It consists of the ideas and views of other writers, internet and other sources. Chapter three discusses the methodology which includes the research design, population and sample selection, research instrument, data collection procedure and data analysis plan. Chapter four considers the analysis of data based on the findings and discussions of the findings. The last chapter summarizes, concludes and also makes recommendation after the study.   Literature review Review of related literature in this chapter involves the systematic identification, location and analysis of documents containing information related to the research problem. It is designed to review works on the importance of the study of science in the basic school. The knowledge gained through the study of science plays an important role in the general education of the school curriculum, therefore, a large number of studies pertaining to the teaching and learning of science by many educationist and writers. This chapter considers the contributions of other researchers and their proposal suggestions for correcting these difficulties. The contributions are placed under the following headings in this chapter. Definitions of science. What is integrated science? Importance of science. Importance of science education as a school subject. Causes of poor performance of pupils in integrated science. Experiential method of teaching. Definitions of science According to Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of science is Knowledge attained through study or practice, or Knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world. Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena. The term science also refers to the organized body of knowledge people have gained using that system. Less formally, the word science often describes any systematic field of study or the knowledge gained from it. (http://www. sciencemadesimple. com) According to Wikipedia (2012), Science is obtained from the Latin word scientia, it means knowledge. It furthered on to say that, science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. An older and closely related meaning still in use today is that found for example in Aristotle, whereby science refers to the body of reliable knowledge itself, of the type that can be logically and rationally explained. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Science). It goes on to say that, in modern use, science is a term which more often refers to a way of pursuing knowledge, and not the knowledge itself. Dictionary. com (2012) defines science as a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws. World English Dictionary (2009) also defines science as the systematic study of the nature and behavior of the material and physical universe, based on observation, experiment, and measurement, and the formulation of laws to describe these facts in general terms. The medical dictionary (2002) also says science is  the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena. Such activities restricted to explaining a limited class of natural phenomena. Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study. The science dictionary (2002) also defines science as the investigation of natural phenomena through observation, theoretical explanation, and experimentation, or the knowledge produced by such investigation. It continues to state that science makes use of the scientific method, which includes the careful observation of natural phenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis, the conducting of one or more experiments to test the hypothesis, and the drawing of a conclusion that onfirms or modifies the hypothesis. In general, science can be defined as the systematic observation and classification of natural phenomena in order to learn about them and bring them under general principles and laws. According to Twumasi (2009), Science has three main branches, namely; Chemistry, Biology and Physics. Chemistry is an experimental study of substances and the useful compounds that can be formed from these substances. Chemistry also has three branches which include inorganic, organic and physical chemistry. Physics is concerned with the forces that exist between objects and the interrelationships between matter and energy. Biology is the study of living things and their interactions with the environment. Biology is also divided into plants, animals and ecology. What is integrated science? Integrated Science is a straight forward, easy-to-read, but substantial introduction to the fundamental behavior of matter and energy in living and non-living systems. It is intended to serve the needs of non-science individuals who are required to complete one or more science courses as part of a general or basic studies requirement. It introduces basic concepts and key ideas while providing opportunities for students to learn reasoning skills and a new way of thinking about their environment. According to wiki. answers. com, integrated science is a combine study of all areas of the sciences or the introduction of some areas in sciences. It goes on to try to differentiate between science and integrated science by explaining that integrated science is a course with merged topics like biology, chemistry, etc. whilst science is a big body of knowledge, it is about everything around us even inside our own body. Importance of science Below are some importance of science as identified by www. mikebrotherton. com. 1. Science exercises the mind and teaches logical thinking. 2. Science encourages skepticism and questioning assumptions and looking at things in different ways. 3. Making important decisions based on science instead of superstition or demagoguery or hatred or fear etc often produces better results. 4. The techniques of science (logic, testing hypothesis, gathering, data, etc) can be applied in daily life for â€Å"small† personal problems and activities (purchasing decisions, playing games, cooking, debugging software, etc), not just for â€Å"big issues† like physics, astronomy, technological development, etc. 5. Through the study of science, horrible diseases can be cured, or prevented entirely, and it can still provide hope for those with as-yet-incurable diseases. . Through science, people who love each other can talk to each other whenever they want no matter how far apart they are in the world, and can be together the next day through improved ways of communication and transport. 7. Science can show us what has caused mass extinctions and point the way to preventing similar catastrophes in the future. 8. Science can make us feel big and special for understanding the age of the Earth, the nature of stars, and the size of the universe, even if those things dwarf us. 9. Science gives us superpowers, like looking across the universe, seeing atoms, flying across the Earth or to the moon, moving mountains, and harnessing the energy of the sun. 10. Science has helped us to understand ourselves and the environment. 11. It shows the best way of solving problems. Importance of science education as a school subject Science, as a subject is universal and knows no boundaries. The claims of Science for inclusion in the school curriculum came to be recognized after years of active and persistent efforts. Science almost revolutionarized human life and proved indispensable for existence of man. Now, supremacy of Science has been established in every field. In fact, so great is its importance for man and society that the present day people live in an age of science. No one perhaps needs an explanation at present to include science in the school curriculum. Canon Wilson, a famous educationist in 1867, in support of inclusion of science as a School subject wrote, Science teaches what evidence is, what proof is’’. English, History, Geography, Classics etc. re taught because they provide a liberal education. The main object of imparting education is to turn out intelligent citizens able to appreciate and enjoy the beauty and wonder of Nature. They should be efficient in all walks of life and should take delight in the wealth of culture of past generations and civilizations. Hence, Science should form an essential part of the curriculum as it is the only subject which affords k nowledge of certain facts and laws and helps in achieving the main object of education. According to www. preservearticles. om, Prakash (2011), the following are the arguments in favor of integrated Science to be placed in School Curriculum: 1. Science provides unique training in observation and reasoning. Science students reason from definitely ascertained facts and form clear concepts. It makes one systematic and enables him to form an objective judgment. 2. The discoveries have added to the prosperity of human race with vast increase of knowledge. Herbert Spencer in his, What Knowledge is of Most Worth gives information which study of Science furnishes. According to him, Science learning is incomparably more useful for our guidance in life. Other chief subjects too provide an intellectual training not inferior to that of Science. Practically, we live in a world of scientific discoveries. So science education cannot be neglected. 3. Prof. H. E. Armstrong says that Science is taught to provide training in and knowledge of Scientific method, which is useful in the life pursuits. So this needs a School base of Science education. 4. Science has its cultural value. It has a literature of its own. The Scientific discoveries of Galileo, Newton, Faraday, Darwin, Pasteur, Kelvin, Bose, Armstrong and others are treasures of mankind. So, Science has won the first rank of humanistic studies. 5. Science has utilitarian value. It trains the child to use his leisure properly. These are clearly illustrated in scientific hobbies. 6. Modern knowledge of Science provides great intellectual pleasure. An educated person is under very great disadvantage if he is not familiar with that knowledge. 7. Knowledge of the methods of observation and experiment in the different branches of Science helps pupils to develop a logical mind, a critical judgment and a capacity for methodical organization. . Science is useful in that it remedies some of the defects of the ordinary school education. It is found to be the most valuable element in the education of those who show special aptitude. Science provides discipline of mind. Causes of poor performance of pupils in integrated science The poor performance of pupils in integrated science can be attributed to many factors. Alsop (1985) said â€Å"if science is to be learned affectively i t must be experienced, (UNESCO, 1973)†. The laboratory is a unique fact of science education. Tamir (1989) also said that in the developing countries especially sub – Saharan Africa, there are a number of factors contributing to the poor performance in science. Thus low per capital income, predominantly rural populations, economy based on primary products, experience of political independence and limited access to school particularly at the secondary level. The sub — Saharan Africa is the region which has the greatest difficulties in providing the normal facilities of trained teachers, laboratories and equipment for teaching practical science. Also Toh (1990) said, prior knowledge, attitude to school, attitude to cience and academic self concept affect success in the performance in science investigation, and he continued to say that explicit understanding is not adequate for success in science investigation. Moreover, Torto (2003) said, gender disparity in education also leads to poor performance in science especially among woman. She said, female still have low access to education, low participation and poor performance in many subject. Many factors which are home, community and school based, continue to restrict development female education she said further that, factors within the classroom are not only uses of gender imbalances in education. Home based factors which include family size, household income, parents’ education, cultural and traditional beliefs all contributed substantially to poor female enrolment in school. Gott and Mishiter (1987) also added that, science education is in a state of rapid change. In recent years there has been an ongoing debate concerning the importance of concepts and process in our science courses. This debate has been brought into tighter focus since the autumn of 1988 in England and Whales with the advent of the national curriculum in science. Shito (1958) stated in the daily graphic that the community regards science students who are females as witches and ugly. In addition to this, Femsa project staff (1995) conducted and presented a research on the availability of resources and facilities for teaching and learning science as well as mathematics in Africa. They said that, where resources and facilities such as teacher textbooks, laboratories, chemicals, tools, textbooks, laboratory tools and equipment, teaching aids, store, office etc. are inadequate, it makes the teaching of science to become teacher centered. This type of approach is heavily dominated by the teacher as he or she lectures the subject, gives notes and demonstrates the practical aspect of the lessons. The students remain passive participants expected to listen and observe only. July (1925) said if science education is to be lectures and demonstration, then no results could be achieved in the future. He also added that any school that claims to teach science only theoretically is not a school. Morii (1434) said, a teacher is capable of teaching and implementing quality education if he is given what he is suppose to be given (an ancient scientist. He also added that the poor performance of science is due to low motivation given to teachers. According to Dzama (1999) causes of poor performance of pupils in science is as a results of absence of vocational incentives rather than by conflict between science and African traditional values and beliefs. He argued that conflict between science and traditional beliefs and values is not peculiar to Africans. He also demonstrated that in the growth of science in developed countries, improvement in the performance of students succeeded rather than proceeded industrial and technological development. Experiential method of teaching According to Wikipedia (2012), experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. Simply put, Experiential Learning is learning from experience. The experience can be staged or left open. Aristotle once said, For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. David A. Kolb helped to popularize the idea of experiential learning, drawing heavily on the work of John Dewey, Kurt Lewin and Jean Piaget. His work on experiential learning has contributed greatly to expanding the philosophy of experiential education. Experiential learning focuses on the learning process for the individual. An example of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals from a book. Experiential learning requires no teacher and relates solely to the meaning making process of the individuals direct experience. However, though the gaining of knowledge is an inherent process that occurs naturally, for a genuine learning experience to occur, there must exist certain elements. According to David Kolb, an American educational theorist, knowledge is continuously gained through both personal and environmental experiences. He states that in order to gain genuine knowledge from an experience, certain abilities are required: 1. the learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience; 2. the learner must be able to reflect on the experience; 3. the learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience; and 4. The learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience. Experiential learning can be a highly effective educational method. It engages the learner at a more personal level by addressing the needs and wants of the individual. Experiential learning requires qualities such as self-initiative and self-evaluation. For experiential learning to be truly effective, it should employ the whole learning wheel, from goal setting, to experimenting and observing, to reviewing, and finally action planning. This complete process allows one to learn new skills, new attitudes or even entirely new ways of thinking. Most educators understand the important role experience plays in the learning process. A fun learning environment, with plenty of laughter and respect for the learners abilities, also fosters an effective experiential learning environment. It is vital that the individual is encouraged to directly involve themselves in the experience, in order that they gain a better understanding of the new knowledge and retain the information for a longer time. As stated by the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand’’. According to learning consultants, experiential learning is about creating an experience where learning can be facilitated. How do you create a well-crafted learning experience? The key lies in the facilitator and how he or she facilitates the learning process. An excellent facilitator believes in the creed: You teach some by what you say, teach more by what you do, but most of all, you teach most by who you are. And while it is the learners experience that is most important to the learning process, it is also important not to forget the wealth of experience a good facilitator also brings to the situation. An effective experiential facilitator is one who is passionate about his or her work and is able to immerse participants totally in the learning situation, allowing them to gain new knowledge from their peers and the environment created. These facilitators stimulate the imagination, keeping participants hooked on the experience. Creating an experiential learning environment can be challenging for educators who have been taught through traditional classroom techniques. Identifying activities that allow learners to understand and absorb concepts can be a new and daunting experience. However, by providing direct experience in addition to standard written and visual materials, learners with different types of learning styles and strengths can be accommodated. Sudbury model of democratic education schools assert that much of the learning going on in their schools, including values, justice, democracy, arts and crafts, professions, and frequently academic subjects, is done by learning through experience. Summary Science can be defined as the systematic observation and classification of natural phenomena in order to learn about them and bring them under general principles and laws. Science has been part of man in time past and has even become more of man’s life in recent years. The usefulness of science can be seen by the things around us; the roads, bridges, cars, computers, refrigerators etc. The selection and study of some aspects of science as a whole is what is termed as integrated science. To defend the study of integrated science and science as a whole in schools, Canon Wilson, a famous educationist in 1867, wrote, Science teaches what evidence is, what proof is’’. According to Prakash (2011), Science learning is incomparably more useful for our guidance in life. Many researchers are of the view that, learning is best understood when it is experienced as stated by the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand’’. According to David Kolb, an American educational theorist, knowledge is continuously gained through both personal and environmental experiences. Also, Aristotle once said, For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. According to learning consultants, experiential learning is about creating an experience where learning can be facilitated. An excellent facilitator believes in the creed: You teach some by what you say, teach more by what you do, but most of all, you teach most by who you are.   This chapter talks about the research design that the researcher used in solving the problem, the population and sampling solution, research instruments, data collection procedure and data analysis plan. It also describes the type of research used in the study. It also involves the method of data collection, pre-Intervention, intervention and post- intervention stages. Research design Research design is a plan which specifies how data relating to a given problem should be collected and analyzed. It provides the procedural outline for conduct of any given investigation. The research design used is an action research design which is directed towards solving a specific problem at the classroom level. This type of research is usually undertaken by either a teacher or group of teachers in a school to solve a peculiar problem in the classroom or in the school as a whole. The design makes work very easier and simpler. This is due to the fact that, it does not involve inconveniences such as travelling etc. The design deals with a particular group of people in a given area concerned and helps to solve the problems which specifically affect him/her. Action research also helps the teacher to understand what actually goes on in teaching and learning situations. It is important in the sense that, it does not only enhance teacher’s professional status but also promotes teacher’s personal improvement of his/her practices. It is through action research that the teacher can evaluate his or her teaching effectively. Action research is also conducted with the purpose of solving classroom or local school problems through the application of the scientific method. Moreover action research helps teachers to understand better, all aspects of their practices in relation to the subject content, the curriculum, and the methods that are more appropriate to the levels of pupils in their class. Finally, action research helps teachers to be equipped with knowledge on the various approaches or methods that they can use to suit the children they teach. In spite of the outlined strength, the results of the design cannot be generalized. This is because the design does not cover a wide range of people and it seeks to detect and solve a problem affecting a particular group of people. This tends to be a weakness on the part of the action research. Population and sampling selection A population of 113 pupils at the junior high school was used for the study at Mampamhwe M/A JHS in the Obuasi Municipal Assembly. Though this number at the junior high school was considered, JHS 2 class was sampled for the study. The average age of the sampled class was fourteen (14) years. The table below shows the distribution of the sampled class. Table 3. 1 Distribution of pupils’ gender |Gender Number Percentage (%) | |Boys 16 44 | Girls 20 56 Total 36 100 | | | |This class was chosen for the research because the researcher was assigned to teach Integrated Science in that class. | | | Research Instruments I used two main strategies to detect how pupils learnt science. I initially had with pupils an oral discussion on a science topic and afterwards asked pupils oral questions on it. An exercise was later given to pupils based on the same topic discussed. Discussion The discussion method was aimed at finding out how pupils understand the principles of a topic if orally narrated and discussed in class. Discussion method stimulates critical thinking. Frequent questions whether asked by the researcher or the pupils, provide means of measuring learning and exploring in-depth the key concepts of the course. During discussions, pupils’ answers to questions could help the researcher to determine whether they have experienced what they are saying or they just read them from books. Exercise The purpose of the class exercise was to allow pupils to freely express themselves in the way they understood the topic that has just been taught. Pupils’ answers to questions will give the researcher the idea on how best they understand a topic when orally discussed with them. It also gives the researcher a clearer idea of how pupils think science is. Whether they think science is a written down facts that can never be tampered with or they think science is everything that goes on around them and they can verify each and every aspect of it. Data Collection Procedure Pre-Intervention Stage A lesson on corrosion and rusting from page 25 of pupils’ text book was selected and delivered by discussion method. Pupils had the basic concept of corrosion and rusting but could not different between the two. The factors responsible for rusting to occur were also discussed and few points were written for pupils to copy. From pupils’ answers given during the discussion, the researcher observed that pupils knew that rusting occurs on metals when they are left in the rain but cannot exactly tell what is responsible for it. This was explained to pupils. An exercise was then conducted to see how pupils understood the lesson. The exercise required pupils to state whether or not an iron can rust if it was kept a) under a bed b) on the ceiling c) in hot water d) inside a refrigerator e) in a hot water with oil spilt on the surface. Though pupils’ contributions to the discussion were favorable, about one-fourth of the class was able to score 3 out of 5 in the exercise. This showed that, pupils may have understood what was taught in the class but cannot apply it in real life situations. I looked at the exercise and recorded pupils correct answers without marking so that pupils could not tell whether they were correct or wrong. Besides that, there might have been some pupils in the class whose attention was somewhere else or did not understand what was been discussed but since most of the class were contributing, the researcher took it that, the whole class was contributing to the discussion. In practical lessons, this problem cannot be overlooked. Intervention Stage The class was divided into four (4) groups and each group was given an experiment to carry out. Each group was given three (3) new iron nails. The first group was asked to put their nails into a plastic or rubber container, cover it and place it under a bed for a week. The second group was asked to add water to their nails in a plastic container and place it inside the school refrigerator. The container should be left open. The third group was asked to also put their nails in boiled water, cover it and keep it for a week. The fourth group was also asked to place their nails into boiled water, pour oil on the surface and cover it tightly. After a week, pupils presented their experiments to the class and explained to the class the apparatus used for the experiment and what happened at the end of the experiment. Each member of the group had his/her own written report of how he/she saw the experiment go. One member of each group does the presentation with the other group members standing behind him/her. After the explanation, questions are thrown to the group and the other members are to answer. Some of the nails rusted whilst others did not. The absence of atmospheric oxygen in the boiled water covered with oil did not allow those nails to rust. So besides the fourth group’s setup, the rest of the setups caused the nails to rust due to the presence of oxygen or moisture. Post-Intervention Stage The class exercise that was given to pupils during the pre-intervention stage was again given to pupils to answer again. This time the researcher marked the exercise and saw many changes as compared to the answers they wrote before the intervention stage. Many wrong answers pupils wrote in the first exercise were corrected. Limitations Many problems may militate against this study but the few ones I would like to enumerate here include: 1. Problem of finance: The researcher will have to travel to other tertiary institutions to use their libraries if the researcher’s local library cannot provide the necessary books needed. Money will also be spent to buy airtime and data bundles to enable research on the World Wide Web. Without money, all these cannot be possible. 2. Time factor: The time at the disposal of the researcher is very limited and for that matter may not permit such an intensive coverage. Also there might be other written documents which may contain detailed information about this research work but due to the limited time available to the researcher, he may not review those documents.

Early Literacy and Numeracy Development

Early Literacy and Numeracy Development Describe the learning context The children aged five years old were matching, writing number symbols and copying number words (for those who can) from 1 to 10 as they created their number book with stamps. The children used stamps to quantify the numbers based on the number symbol reflected on each page. Five children sat around the table, getting ready for the activity. Child A began stamping number one on one page, followed by two, then three on subsequent pages. Child B also began stamping on the pages. Child A saw Child B who had more than 6 stamps on the number ‘5’ page told Child B. â€Å"you are wrong, is number 5†. Child B looked at me and I told Child B, â€Å"it’s alright, let’s do it again.† I asked Child B as I pointed to the number symbol â€Å"What is the number?† â€Å"5† replied Child B and Child B printed two stamps on the page. A while later, Child A has completed printing stamps on the number book and began copy writing of the number words. Child B then completed the stamping of number with my assistance. Child B mumbling counted it while printing the stamps reflected on the page. Then, Child B moved on to copy writing on the number symbols. When the children have completed, they had a sharing session on their number book. Analyse the learning for conceptual ideas I have explored in the readings Based on the above learning context, the analysis of the following numeracy and literacy ideas are observed. Sociocultural context has happened in this small group learning. Rogoff’s three foci of analysis – personal, interpersonal and community provide a useful tool for analyzing young children. It emphasized how children’s thinking is incorporated with and constituted by the setting, collaboration, signs and cultural tools (Robbins, 2007). From the personal focus of analysis, we can observe how Child A transforms during the course of the activity, and how Child A collaborate and relate to others (interpersonal focus of analysis) in the setting (contextual focus of analysis). Vygotsky described Child B’s muttering as ‘private speech’. He appeared to be giving himself guidance and reassurance that his written answer was correct, showing a development in his cognitive thinking as he selected, matched and gave himself confidence (Ahmed, n.d.). Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) describes the area between the child’s level of independent performance and what the child can do with support (Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding, n.d.). From the observation, Child A has reached her level of independence of understanding the quantifying of numbers and thus, she pointed out to Child B’s correction that he had six stamps on the number page five. Children learn these number names by imitating adults and as they practice counting, they often say nonconventional sequences of number names (Reys, Lindquist, Lambdin, Smith, Rogers, Falle, Frid, Sandra Bennett, 2012). Children reflecting counting principles may show confusion when counting, however, with encouragement and opportunities to count, children will develop efficient counting strategies with any specific directions (Clements Sarama as cited in Reys et al., 2012). Child B is observed to face difficulties in counting beyond five, thus, with assistance and encouragement from the teacher, he was able to complete counting one to one correspondence up to ten. Child A’s pointing of the number symbols to Child B assists in her recognition of symbols. Child A in this case is more knowledgeable other (MKO), who has a higher ability level than Child B, in creating the number book (McLeod, 2014). This is useful to Child B as he attempts to store knowledge and information making a connection of the symbol to the word. Eventually this knowledge will be stored as symbolic representation and classified under different categorizations, as proposed by Bruner (McLeod, 2008). Number symbols are essential prerequisites for children to move on to more sophisticated mathematical algorithms that include the use of symbols for relations, operations and punctuations. Children must make meaning of what they are learning so that they can understand the reasoning behind the operations (Sperry, 2009). However, understanding of mathematical concepts has to be built first to help children further their understanding and learning in abstract terms, such as symbols. As such, Child B is making meaning of the symbols and number words, connecting the two, constructing his own mental image and understanding and modifying his previous knowledge, after interaction with his peers, therefore creating a new schema (McGee Richgels, 2008). The speech of the children served different purposes, as described by Halliday (as cited in McGee Richgels, 2008). Child A’s use of regulatory language attempted to control Child B’s actions by highlighting his errors to communicate information by guiding and giving the correct information to Child B. Literacy practices are important to everyday lives of children and it does not take place in isolation to other social practices and interactions with adults and peers (Makin, Diaz McLachlan, 2007). Conceptualisations about literacy must take account of the social practices which include listening speaking, writing, viewing and critiquing (Makin et al., 2007). From the observations the children were engaged in speaking, listening to others, as well as writing of the numbers symbols and words. According to Vygotsky, he emphasized that learning occurs through social interaction and he viewed that language is an important tool for communicating with the world (McLeod, 2014). Through the interaction between the children and the teacher, the children developed number sense and picked up literacy skills. Lesson Plan – Enhancing this learning situation with a new literacy and a new numeracy outcome in the same lesson plan Lesson plan for the five years old Literacy Objectives The children will be able to: Use words in the proper sentence structure Write number symbols Copy writing or spell out three letter word such as ‘ten’. Response to questions and answer appropriately Numeracy Objectives The children will be able to: Use one to one correspondence Counting in sequence from 1 10 Compare long, short and same using the children’s names and more or less. Answer questions to demonstrate an understanding of How many objects up to 10. Social Objectives The children will be able to: To be able to build up their self-confidence by giving them opportunities to present in front of the class individually or in groups. To be open-minded and be receptive to suggestions Introduction Introduce the counting number book titled Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews to the children. Read the story to the children. Teacher to give out strips of paper with the children’s name written on it. Using the cooperative learning strategy, round table, each chair is labelled from one to ten and children will go to the number after they counted the letters on their names. Teacher will have a discussion on whose names are long, short or they are the same. Main Activity Read the story to the children again. This time, teacher will demonstrate the story by stopping with each picture and counting the black dots. Teacher to ask questions such as, â€Å"How many dots do you need to make the eyes on a fox? In a large group, teacher to ask questions and have them to demonstrate on the board. For example, teacher will have a picture card with two missing dots on the eyes of a dog and five missing dots on the balloons. Encourage the children to come forward to complete the pictures. Then, have the children to respond by asking, â€Å"Which one has more dots? How do you know?† Then, children to take turns to paste the correct number symbol to the number of dots on the board. Teacher to encourage the children to come out with creative ideas how on the dots can turn into based on the number of dots given. A book with five pages, including the cover and back of the book will be provided for children Then, in pairs, children to create their very own story about the 10 black dots. Using their creativity, they will design their cover page with the title and their name on the front. Children will use black dot stickers to make their own story through drawing and they will write their story line on each page. For example, â€Å"1 one dot can make a clock.† They will have to through the numbers in sequence. For those children who are still developing writing skills, they are encouraged to write the number words and symbols. Closure Once completed, using round robin, children will take turns to read their story to the class. At the same time, their peers will share their thoughts about their friend’s story on how they feel about it and the teacher will record the responses in LEA. This forms part of their peer assessment. The teacher will then document the responses and leave the children’s story at the learning area for children to revisit their work. Discussion with numerous links to the readings to justify the literacy and numeracy content in your lesson plan In the lesson plan, cooperative learning strategy is used as to get the children create interest in learning. Cooperative learning strategy does benefit the young children as it encourages group processes, foster social and academic interactions among peers and rewards successful group participation (Lyman Foyle, 1988). Linking back to Rogoff’s three focus of analysis, the cooperative learning strategy helps the child to move from being aware of him or herself to becoming aware of other children. In one of the research findings, it had shown that cooperative learning activities do improve children’s relationship with peers, especially from different culture. When children begin to work on task, cooperation can open up opportunities for sharing ideas, learning how others think and react to problems and practising oral language skills in small groups (Lyman Foyle, 1988). It also promotes learning dispositions and positive feelings towards school, teachers and peers. Joh n Dewey also believed that children learn best for highlighting the positive social value of education and the importance of educators where educators listened to the children then facilitate them through activities (Hill, 2012). Based on the lesson plan, a story book is used to enhance the learning situation with a new numeracy and literacy outcome. Early childhood educators have been increasingly recognized the potential of using storybooks and picture books to introduce mathematics learning for children even though the children may not immediately relate it with math concepts and ideas (Flevares Schiff, 2014). Taking in from Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective, some books have created a space for interaction and sharing or ideas presented by or analysed through the illustrations and text Flevares Schiff, 2014). Bringing in shared literature mathematics engages and socializes children into literacy aspect of shared reading and learning and the books can also be a springboard to address math concepts both at school and at home Flevares Schiff, 2014). In the lesson plan, children not only learn about numbers, they also learned to identify high frequency words, number words as they read and as well as practicing their writing skills. van den Heuvel-Panhuize and Elia (2012) have furthered explained that children’s books have an important role in teaching mathematics as the authors either refer to children’s books as a learning setting in which children can come across mathematics or as a tool that enhances to the learning of mathematics. In another study, it supports the idea that reading picture books to children has a lot of potential for mathematical ideas to children even without any prompting or any instructions (van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, van den Boogaard, Doig, 2009). With reference to the lesson plan above, the storybook sets as a basis to introducing one to one correspondence, number sequencing and as well as reading and listening skills. Howard Gardner appealed multiple intelligences are used concurrently and it balance each other as individuals developed skills (Brualdi, 1996). In the lesson plan, several intelligences are observed: Mathematical intelligence is seen where children used their logical thinking skills to work on number sequencing and one to one correspondence; Linguistic intelligence is used when children practice their speaking skills during the sharing session, writing their story, number words and symbol. Interpersonal intelligence is observed as the children work together, giving ideas objectively, creating their story and as well as intrapersonal skill where children build up their confidence level and speaking skills during their sharing session. References Ahmed, M. K. (n.d.). Private speech: A cognitive tool in verbal communication. Retrieved 1 March 2012 from http://www.iuj.ac.jp/faculty/mkahmed/privatespeech.html Brualdi, A. C. (1996). Multiple intelligences: Gardners theory. ERIC Digest. Flevares, L. M., Schiff, J. R. (2014). Learning mathematics in two dimensions: a review and look ahead at teaching and learning early childhood mathematics with children’s literature. Frontiers in psychology, 5. Hill, Susan. (2012). Developing early literacy: assessment and teaching (2nd ed). South Yarra: Eleanor Curtain Publishing. Lyman, L., Foyle, H. C. (1988). Cooperative learning strategies and children. ERIC Digest. Makin, L., Diaz, C. J., McLachlan, C. (Eds.). (2007). Literacies in childhood: Changing views, challenging practice (2nd ed). Elsevier Australia. McLeod, S. (2014). Lev Vygotsky. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html McLeod, S. (2012). Simply Psychology. Retrieved 10 March 2015, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/bruner.html Reys, R. E., Lindquist, M. M., Lambdin, D. V., Smith, N. L., Rogers, A., Falle, J., Frid, Sandra. Bennett, S. (2012). Helping children learn mathematics. Australia: John Wiley sons Australia. Robbins, J. (2007, August). Young children thinking and talking: Using sociocultural theory for multi-layered analysis. In Learning and Socio-cultural Theory: Exploring Modern Vygotskian Perspectives International Workshop 2007 1(1), 46-65. Sperry Smith, S. (2009). The language of math: communication and representation. In early childhood mathematics (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson. van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., van den Boogaard, S., Doig, B. (2009). Picture books stimulate the learning of mathematics. Australian journal of early childhood, 34(3), 30-39. van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., Elia, I. (2012). Developing a framework for the evaluation of picturebooks that support kindergartners’ learning of mathematics. Research in mathematics education, 14(1), 17-47. Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2015, from http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/scaffolding/ Names: Loo Si Hui (25687514) Page 1

Another Friday Night at the Military School :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

5:00. Another Friday night rolled around. I lay on my bed daydreaming. At fifteen, I left home to become a boarder at the military school, a private school far, far away from home. Since then, every Friday night had become a blurred feeling of boredom coupled with the same repeating people and places. Every time I looked for an answer to excitement, or simple entertainment, I hit a wall of restrictions. Due to these very annoying rules, I had no car or place to go. I lived in room 208 of a three-story dorm with a roommate who was not only thought insane, but also had even less of a social life than I did. My dorm held the image of a swinging tower of terror. Sophomores and new students filled up the first floor. They lived innocently compared to the rest of the dorm. They consistently stayed almost completely shut off from any kind of disobedience or adventure. My best friend Kyle's room unfortunately lay on the first floor. Second floor lived a little bit more dangerously. We learne d a few tricks to stay up late and pushed the rules a little harder than first. But neither first nor second floors touched the craziness contained in the third floor hall. They lived on the edge of the blade. Almost the entire hall consisted of seniors who had more guts then a Bruce Willis movie. I didn't dare venture onto the third floor, not because I felt afraid; I felt more curious than afraid. Being an insecure sophomore, I didn't know the first thing to say to the zoo full of seniors. This Friday began to bring back all the depressing feelings of past nights spent at the mall for 4 hours, or wandering the lonely streets of Chattanooga. "So what do you want to do tonight anyways?" I said with a sigh. "Same old, same old, I mean its not like we have much of a choice! Bus only goes to two places; the mall or downtown," Kyle exclaimed with a laugh. "Well, we better go check-in either way," I shrugged. 6:00. I stumbled down the hill to check-in with my dorm head, who waited suspiciously inside the dinning hall. I made my way through all the assorted trays, scooting chairs, and scrambling students. I finally arrived at my dorm head. He moved his eyes around more than his head to see me. Another Friday Night at the Military School :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay 5:00. Another Friday night rolled around. I lay on my bed daydreaming. At fifteen, I left home to become a boarder at the military school, a private school far, far away from home. Since then, every Friday night had become a blurred feeling of boredom coupled with the same repeating people and places. Every time I looked for an answer to excitement, or simple entertainment, I hit a wall of restrictions. Due to these very annoying rules, I had no car or place to go. I lived in room 208 of a three-story dorm with a roommate who was not only thought insane, but also had even less of a social life than I did. My dorm held the image of a swinging tower of terror. Sophomores and new students filled up the first floor. They lived innocently compared to the rest of the dorm. They consistently stayed almost completely shut off from any kind of disobedience or adventure. My best friend Kyle's room unfortunately lay on the first floor. Second floor lived a little bit more dangerously. We learne d a few tricks to stay up late and pushed the rules a little harder than first. But neither first nor second floors touched the craziness contained in the third floor hall. They lived on the edge of the blade. Almost the entire hall consisted of seniors who had more guts then a Bruce Willis movie. I didn't dare venture onto the third floor, not because I felt afraid; I felt more curious than afraid. Being an insecure sophomore, I didn't know the first thing to say to the zoo full of seniors. This Friday began to bring back all the depressing feelings of past nights spent at the mall for 4 hours, or wandering the lonely streets of Chattanooga. "So what do you want to do tonight anyways?" I said with a sigh. "Same old, same old, I mean its not like we have much of a choice! Bus only goes to two places; the mall or downtown," Kyle exclaimed with a laugh. "Well, we better go check-in either way," I shrugged. 6:00. I stumbled down the hill to check-in with my dorm head, who waited suspiciously inside the dinning hall. I made my way through all the assorted trays, scooting chairs, and scrambling students. I finally arrived at my dorm head. He moved his eyes around more than his head to see me.

A Philosophical Criticism of Augustine and Aquinas Essay -- Philosophy

A Philosophical Criticism of Augustine and Aquinas: The Relationship of Soul and Body       The relationship of the human soul and physical body is a topic that has mystified philosophers, scholars, scientists, and mankind as a whole for centuries. Human beings, who are always concerned about their place as individuals in this world, have attempted to determine the precise nature or state of the physical form. They are concerned for their well-being in this earthly environment, as well as their spiritual well-being; and most have been perturbed by the suggestion that they cannot escape the wrongs they have committed while in their physical bodies.      Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the evolution of philosophic thought, there have been many different views on the relationship of mind and body. The great philosopher Plato and the Neoplatonists held the belief that man's body is merely a prison of his soul, but St. Augustine later refutes this with his idea of the disembodied soul. He distinguishes between the concept of the physical form and the spiritual soul, and he argues that humankind can be redeemed because of the God spirit contained in the intellectual soul. This intellectual soul is not an inseparable part of the body, as St. Thomas Aquinas postulates. Instead, this soul is indeed the higher part of man, the state and well-being of man depends upon its stability.      Ã‚  Ã‚   St. Thomas Aquinas adjusts this theory. He claims that the soul and body are inseparable, and he states that the soul is the form of the body. St. Thomas further believes that God creates the soul and matter (physical body) simultaneously, and the body affects the nature of that soul. His conception of redemption is distinctly different from Augustine; he a... ...stine: essays on some aspects of his thought written in commemoration of his 15th centenary. Sheed and Ward, Ltd., London : 1945. Rev. D.J. Leary. St. Augustine on Eternal Life. Burns, Oates and Washbourne, Ltd., London : 1939. W. Andrew Hoffecker. Building a Christian World View, vol. 1: God, man, and Knowledge. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Phillipsburg, New Jersey : 1986. William S. Babcock. The Ethics of St. Augustine: JRE Studies in Religion, no. 3. Scholars Press, Atlanta : 1991. Armand Maurer. Being and Knowing: Studies in Thomas Aquinas and Later Medieval Philosophers, Papers in Medià ¦val Studies, no. 10. Pontifical Institute of Medià ¦val Studies, Toronto : 1990. Thomas Aquinas. Faith, Reason and Theology. Armand Maurer,translator. Medià ¦val Sources in Translation, vol. 32. Pontifical Institute of Medià ¦val Studies, Toronto : 1987.

Disengagement Theory Essay

This is when a person, usually an older person, withdraws from involvement or when someone’s relationships with other people slowly cut off or change. Older people may withdraw from involvement when they feel they are limited to try and interact with other people. It has been proved that a lot of older people were more involved with life when they were younger however some people disagree and feel there are a large number of people who do not withdraw from society. For example when they retire they may lose contact with a lot of their colleagues or if they or their friends/family have impairments such as hearing or visual impairments it could make it more difficult to interact with each other. Technology may also restrict older people as they may not have internet or phones to be able to interact with their friends and family. Activity Theory This theory highlights the importance of on-going social activity and believes older people should be encouraged to stay involved whilst suggesting that people will be more satisfied with their lives if they remain active as well as ensuring friendships and relationships are intact by interacting with others just the same. It also suggests that someone who remains an active member of society will increase their health and wellbeing and that own-age friendships should be developed. The only criticism of this theory is that some people are more than happy as they are and want to live alone not to mention the fact that not everyone is able to be as active as they would like. As you can see, these theories are completely different in comparison to one and other. One suggests as you get older you will withdraw from society and become unhappy whereas the other suggests you can stay happy and active if you want to and that you just need to remain in contact with different roles in society. If you follow the disengagement theory you are more likely to end up unhappy or lonely as your mental and even physical health may go on to deteriorate through lack of activity or interaction with the outside world and friends or family. On the other hand the activity theory promotes  positivity by encouraging the elderly to communicate and interact with others no matter what their situation. This theory suggests that the more active you are in society, the less chance you have of developing mental health problems such as dementia and that there is a higher chance of prolonging your life and staying healthy. This is because the more you interact with people, the less tim e you will have on your own feeling lonely or depressed as your mind will be busy with positive and happy thoughts instead. There are many different factors that influence ageing and each factor may have a different effect on how the person may age. The main factors would be the personal level of exercise and nutrition in life, health care and education accessibility as well as job roles and finances. Exercise and nutrition, especially from an early age can have a huge impact on how you age later on in life. It is known that premature ageing is caused by a poor diet and little exercise as this causes cell destruction and increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and cancer. A healthy lifestyle can help lower the chances of many illnesses and diseases as well as improving your psychological health, for example the healthier and active you are the more friends and activities you are likely to have to keep you happy and in touch with the world. Health care and education accessibility may also influence the way you age as poorer health care and education facilities may lead to poor health and stress which can affect the way you age and even cause premature ageing Similarly with job roles and finances a higher job role and income can mean a better life with better nutrition, exercise, health care and education helping to lead a more pleasurable life and cause slower ageing. Social isolat ion and bereavement can also take its toll on ageing as the upset and strain can lead you to age a lot quicker and look a lot older than you are due to the body and mind shutting down to try to relieve the stress. The main role for all health and social care workers is to treat and care for individuals whilst respecting their independence and wellbeing whether they are old, young, male, female, disabled etc. Every individual should have the same rights and independence whilst taking into consideration that not everyone will have the same needs and some may need more attention or care than others. Although freedom is important to the individual the health and social care worker must be aware of the extent of the independence to be given to the individual ensuring they are protected against any potential risks or dangers. Independence can be promoted in several different ways, such as: Respecting personal rights and privacy. Giving the individual freedom of choice (where possible). Allowing the individual to carry out actions for their selves, for example letting them wash themselves (where possible). Addressing the individual appropriately and by their preferred name. Using initiative to care for the individual to show genuine care and trust. Involving the individual and their family when making changes to care plans etc. It is important for health and social care workers to address the individual properly as it gives the individual a sense of comfort and trust that the staff will care and respect them. Thinking outside of the box and using initiative when working with the individual will make them feel at ease that you are not just at work to work but at work to care for them as an individual instead of a patient. A great bond and trust between staff and patients is vital. Involving the individual and family with care plans, meal plans and other changes will make them feel valued and that they are in the best hands as it can sometimes be upsetting to both the individual and family when someone they love is reliant on others to care for them. They can feel upset that they are no longer capable of looking after themselves and so the care from the staff can really make a difference. The patients’ freedom of choice is also very important as if the patient was constantly told what to they were to d o without any say they could end up upset or depressed and may even question their existence and feel worthless. Some  choices may not always be appropriate or possible so this means the staff must be trained and taught how to overcome these situations especially against patients that may prove a little difficult. Health and social care workers must work together to give all patients the best care possible. This means regular meetings with different levels of staff in the hierarchy so every staff member is kept in the loop to ensure patients feel valued and cared for, especially those with no family or friends. Regular training sessions may also be required so that the staff is updated regularly on how to approach certain situations with others sharing their experience and knowledge to everyone in the group.