Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Understanding Simple vs Controlled Experiments

Understanding Simple vs Controlled Experiments An experiment is a scientific procedure used to test a hypothesis, answer a question, or prove a fact. Two common types of experiments are simple experiments and controlled experiments. Then, there are simple controlled experiments and more complex controlled experiments. Simple Experiment Although the phrase simple experiment is tossed around to refer to any easy experiment, its actually a specific type of experiment. Usually, a simple experiment answers a What would happen if...? cause-and-effect type of question. Example: You wonder whether a plant grows better if you mist it with water. You get a sense of how the plant is growing without being misted and then compare this with growth after you start misting it. Why Conduct a Simple Experiment?Simple experiments usually provide quick answers. They can be used to design more complex experiments, typically requiring fewer resources. Sometimes simple experiments are the only type of experiment available, especially if only one sample exists. We conduct simple experiments all the time. We ask and answers questions like, Will this shampoo work better than the one I use?, Is it okay to use margarine instead of butter in this recipe?, If I mix these two colors, what will I get? Controlled Experiment Controlled experiments have two groups of subjects. One group is the experimental group and it is exposed to your test. The other group is the control group, which is not exposed to the test. There are several methods of conducting a controlled experiment, but a simple controlled experiment is the most common. The simple controlled experiment has just the two groups: one exposed to the experimental condition and one not-exposed to it. Example: You want to know whether a plant grows better if you mist it with water. You grow two plants. One you mist with water (your experimental group) and the other you dont mist with water (your control group). Why Conduct a Controlled Experiment?The controlled experiment is considered a better experiment because it is harder for other factors to influence your results, which could lead you to draw an incorrect conclusion. Parts of an Experiment Experiments, no matter how simple or complex, share key factors in common. HypothesisA hypothesis is a prediction of what you expect will happen in an experiment. Its easier to analyze your data and draw a conclusion if you phrase the hypothesis as an If-Then or cause and effect statement. For example, a hypothesis might be, Watering plants with cold coffee will make them grow faster. or Drinking cola after eating Mentos will cause your stomach to explode. You can test either of these hypotheses and gather conclusive data to support or discard a hypothesis.The null hypothesis or no-difference hypothesis is especially useful because it can be used to disprove a hypothesis. For example, if your hypothesis states, Watering plants with coffee will not affect plant growth yet if your plants die, experience stunted growth, or grow better, you can apply statistics to prove your hypothesis incorrect and imply a relationship between the coffee and plant growth does exist.Experimental VariablesEvery experiment has variables. The key variables are the independent and dependent variables. The independent variable is the one you control or change to test its effect on the dependent variable. The dependent variable depends on the independent variable. In an experiment to test whether cats prefer one color of cat food over another, you might state the null hypothesis, Food color does not affect cat food intake. The color of the cat food (e.g., brown, neon pink, blue) would be your independent variable. The amount of cat food eaten would be the dependent variable.Hopefully, you can see how experimental design comes into play. If you offer 10 cats one color of cat food each day and measure how much is eaten by each cat you might get different results than if you put out three bowls of cat food and let the cats choose which bowl to use or you mixed the colors together and looked to see which remained after the meal. DataThe numbers or observations you collect during an experiment are your data. Data are simply facts.ResultsResults are your analysis of the data. Any calculations you perform are included in the results section of a lab report.ConclusionYou conclude whether to accept or reject your hypothesis. Usually, this is followed by an explanation of your reasons. Sometimes you may note other outcomes of the experiment, particularly those that warrant further study. For example, if you are testing colors of cat food and you notice the white areas of all the cats in the study turned pink, you might note this and devise a follow-up experiment to determine whether eating the pink cat food affects coat color.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How Depth of Knowledge Drives Learning and Assessment

How Depth of Knowledge Drives Learning and Assessment Depth of Knowledge- also referred to as DOK- refers to the depth of understanding required to answer or explain an assessment-related item or a classroom activity. The concept of depth of knowledge was developed in the 1990s through research by Norman L. Webb,  a scientist at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. DOK Background Webb originally developed depth of knowledge for mathematics and science standards. However, the model has been expanded and used in language arts, mathematics, science, and history/social studies. His model has increasingly become more popular in state assessment circles. The complexity of an assessment task is increasingly more difficult because the level often increases requiring multiple steps to complete. Does this mean that learning and assessment should not include level 1 tasks? On the contrary, learning and assessment should include a diversified set of tasks requiring students to exhibit a range of problem-solving skills within each level of complexity.  Webb identified four distinct depth of knowledge levels. Level 1 Level 1 includes basic recall of facts, concepts, information, or procedures- the rote learning or memorization of facts- an essential component of learning. Without a strong foundation of basic knowledge, students find it difficult to perform more complex tasks. Mastering level 1 tasks builds a foundation allowing students to attempt to complete higher-level tasks successfully. An example of level 1 knowledge would be: Grover Cleveland was the 22nd president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889. Cleveland was also the 24th president from 1893 to 1897. Level 2 Level 2 depth of knowledge  includes skills and concepts such as the use of information (graphs) or solving problems that require two or more steps with decision points along the way. The foundation of level 2 is that it often requires multiple steps to solve. You must be able to take what is there and fill in certain gaps. Students cannot simply recall the answer though some prior knowledge, as is the case with level 1. Students must be able to explain how or why in level 2 items. An example of a level 2 DOK would be: Compare and contrast a composite, cinder cone, and shield volcano. Level 3 Level 3 DOK includes strategic thinking that requires reasoning and is abstract and complex. Students must analyze and evaluate complex real-world problems with predictable outcomes. They must be able to reason their way through the problem logically.  Level 3 questions often require students to pull from multiple subject areas using a range of skills to come up with a solution that works. An example would be: Write a persuasive essay, citing evidence from other sources such as text, to convince your school principal to allow students to have and use their cell phones in class. Level 4 Level 4 includes extended thinking such as an investigation or application to solve complex real-world problems with unpredictable outcomes. Students must strategically analyze, evaluate, and reflect over time often having to change their approach on their way to coming up with an amicable solution. An  example of this level of knowledge would be: Invent a new product or create a solution that solves a problem or helps make things easier for someone within the confines of your school. DOK in the Classroom Most classroom assessments consist of level 1 or level 2 type questions. Level 3 and 4 assessments are more complex to develop, and they are also more difficult for teachers to score.  Yet, students need to be exposed to a variety of tasks at differing levels of complexity to learn and grow. Level 3 and 4 activities are challenging in different ways for both students and teachers, but they also offer many benefits that level 1 and level 2 activities cannot provide. Teachers would be best served by using a balanced approach when deciding how to implement depth of knowledge into their classrooms.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Discriminatory Practices In The Federal Control Of American Education Coursework

Discriminatory Practices In The Federal Control Of American Education - Coursework Example Galston (2008) believes that this kind of system can still be and should be improved. The situation in the public schools right now describes a scenario in which drop-out rates are high and those who actually graduate lack the necessary competency. This translates to having a workforce which is not really ready for the real world. Likewise, Caruba (2004, August 4) espouses that the American youth of today pass through the educational system but do not even have sufficient literacy and mathematics skills. Basic knowledge of history, civics, geography, and science are not comprehensive. Federal lawmakers have passed increasingly restrictive laws and drastically escalated education spending, which ballooned from around $25 billion in 1965 (adjusted for inflation) to more than $108 billion in 2002. (as cited in Caruba, 2004, August 4) However, this seemingly large budget for education has not reflected in the research results which show that the programs implemented by the federal government are not successful in answering educational problems (McCluskey, cited in Caruba, 2004, August 4). It was during the administration of George W. Bush that education funding has ballooned from $38.4 billion in 2000 to $63.3 billion in 2004. More specifically, educational discrimination is evident in how funding has been allocated for projects in Massachusetts and Alaska alone as described in the $8.4 million program, â€Å"Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners† and the $119.3 million program for the â€Å"Teaching of Traditional American History initiative† respectively (McCluskey, cited in Caruba, 2004, August 4). This also shows how other students in this area seem to benefit largely while the rest suffer. On the other hand, the only way by which to veer away from federal control is to refuse the very money gathered through taxes paid by local citizens.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Does the European Commission really have the power of policy Dissertation

Does the European Commission really have the power of policy initiation in the EU - Dissertation Example The paper describes the history of European Union and European Commission and its power. The European Union (EU) is an organizational body which is formed by the union of 27 member states and holds such power which might be even more than that held by some of the most eminent international organizations, namely the United Nations. It is an economic and political organization which is considered to be a lesser version of a federation and its member states are located within Europe. The operation of the EU is in the hands of a hybrid system which consists of the independent organizations, government organizations (namely European Council, European Parliament) as well as the member states. The EU is comprised of institutions which include the European Council, the Council of European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Central Bank. The European Commission is an executive body of the European Union which is responsible for various functions, some of which include proposing of legislation, implementation of decisions, upholding the Union’s treaties, etc. It is also involved in the general day-to-day working of the Union. The European Commission works in the form of a cabinet government where in each member state has an appointed Commissioner to represent their home state.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of ESL Course Books Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of ESL Course Books Essay The use of course books in the ESL classroom is very common because the course books have the advantages of being visually appealing, easy for the teacher to prepare, and the activities fits well into the timetable. However, from the researcher’s own teaching experience, there are several problems and issues with the course books such as uninteresting topics, repetitive activities, and not enough language exposure. This in terms may affect the student’s learning attitude and motivation. Overall, using course books has its share of benefits and advantages such as having a well organized content with a consistency in the topics and genres for the four skill area (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Teachers who adopt a course book may also find it easier to teach since most of the preparation, including the types of activities, audios and in some cases, achievement tests, are already done by the publisher. This would be a great help to those inexperienced teachers who are just getting started into teaching. However, nothing in the world is perfect and teachers need to somehow solve the issues and problems that may come with ESL course books. These issues and problems may include finding ways to motivate students and teaching students academic skills not found in the course books. In this sense, the teacher’s job is not as easy as it seems. Many hours of planning and developing other activities are still required, but these planning and development will benefit both the student and the teacher by making the classroom activities more fun, more interesting, and result in more learning.

Friday, November 15, 2019

J.L. Mackies Evil and Omnipotence Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical E

J.L. Mackie's "Evil and Omnipotence" The philosopher J.L. Mackie wrote a very convincing piece on the problem of evil called â€Å"Evil and Omnipotence,† in which he attempts to show that one of the following premises must be false in order for them to be consistent with each other. #1. God is omnipotent. #2. God is morally perfect. #3. Evil exists. The problem of evil is a deductive a priori argument who’s goal is to prove the non-existence of God. In addition to Mackie’s three main premises he also introduces some â€Å"quasi-logical† rules that give further evidence to his argument. First he presumes that a good thing will eliminate evil to the extent that it can and second, that omnipotence has no limits. From these two â€Å"additional premises,† it can be concluded that a completely good and omnipotent being will eliminate all possible evil. After establishing these added premises Mackie continues with his piece to list and negate several theistic responses to the argument. A common objection to the problem of evil is to claim that good and evil are both necessary for each other to exist. They must be looked at as counterparts. Another way of putting it is that without experiencing evil, we couldn’t possibly recognize or know what is good. Evil must exist in order for good to exist in the same way that the concept of up must exist if there we are to conceive of down. Mackie denies that this is true however. He explains that good and evil cannot be logical opposites like up and down (or great and small) because up and down are not qualities. It wouldn’t make sense to favor up over down or vice versa as one could do with good and evil. Also, even if it were true that evil is necessary for us to conceive of good, we would only need a very small amount. And it wouldn’t seem right to say that very little evil exists in the world. A second and stronger objection to Mackie’s version of the problem of evil is explained to us using the terms 1st and 2nd order goods and evils. 1st order goods/evils are purely physical. Examples are pleasure and pain, happiness and misery. It is claimed by many theists that 1st order evils such as pain and suffering are necessary for 2nd order goods like courage and charity. However there exists what Mackie calls a â€Å"fatal objection† to this claim and that is that along with 2nd order goods there must also exist 2nd order evil... ...Contingency Argument that whether a contingent series of causes is infinite or not, that fact is now irrelevant because as long as the series as a whole is thought to be contingent the existence of God can still be proven. So the Contingency Argument looks something like this. #1. The universe as a whole is a contingent being. #2. The Principle of Sufficient Reason is true. #3. The existence of a contingent being must be explained by something other than itself. #4. There must be an external, necessary being. (God.) The obvious problem with the Contingency Argument is that we do not know whether or not PSR is true. It has been suggested by some philosophers that the existence of the universe is merely a â€Å"brute fact,† or that it is possible for the existence of something to be explained by nothing. Also one can easily reject the first premise due to the fallacy of composition. Just because all the parts of something exhibit a certain quality doesn’t mean that the whole of something exhibits that same quality. So although the Contingency Argument seems stronger than the Causal Argument, it still fails to prove anything because some of the premises can be rationally denied.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Case Study †Peter and Jackie Essay

1. What factors in Peter’s and Jackie’s family backgrounds increased their risk of divorce? The factors that occurred in Peter’s family background that increased his and Jackie’s risk of divorce is when Peter was 14 his parents divorced as well his father had an affair with another woman which later got them married. As well Peter’s mother, Ethel had left to England because she never really liked the lifestyle in Canada to start off with and she only immigrated there to improve her marriage life with her husband, and since that did not work out, she left. Whereas Jackie had left her home at her teenage years leaving her family behind in rural Alberta, Jackie had migrated to Ontario. 2. Why do you think Jackie married Peter? I think that Jackie married Peter because they both had shared many things in common, most of all they had married because they both didn’t have that family relationship with their parent and siblings. As well both of them felt strongly attracted to each other when they had met at Thunder Bay, both of them were seeking companionship and intimacy. As both of them are from outside the Thunder Bay area, it naturally drew them together. Most of all as being a couple gave them a sense of family that neither of them had experienced for a long time. Eventually their relationship became stronger and they got married within three months. 3. Identify the causes of Jackie’s infidelity. The causes of Jackie’s infidelity that were affected is by moving to Brampton, where she had completely cut herself off from her family of origin to become closer to Peter’s extended family. She also worked long hours of part-time job and and on top of that going to school had put a strain on her and Peter’s relationship and eventually she ended up in the hospital with a nervous breakdown. As well their relationship changed irreversibly and Jackie seemed to have no interest in making the marriage work and she spent less and less time with Peter as she was spending more time with her girlfriend whom she met had at her College. Peter and Jackie constantly got into arguments as it irritated Peter that she spends more time with her girlfriend than with him. Eventually she confronted Peter that she just realized she is a lesbian and has an affair with her girlfriend. Jackie left Peter and moved to Toronto with her girlfriend. 4. How might Peter’s relationship with Jackie have affected his subsequent relationships? Peter’s relationship with Jackie might have affected his subsequent relationships by the emotional stress and pain that he had sustained. In fact, he put his best effort into recovering from their relationship and felt like he failed as a husband in the relationship that he worked hard for to make the marriage successful. This loss eventually pursued him to find another partner but that did not lead to a marriage and the commitment he expected. The emotional stress that was gained from the elopement of Jackie definitely was in the mind of Peter which made him uncomfortable to move on in life and eventually led to a stroke which had prevented him from working and suffered from depression. 5. Why was there underlying conflict in Peter’s relationship with Mary, even though Mary was 43 when they started living together? What problems might that conflict have caused in their relationship? There was underlying conflict in Peter’s relationship with Mary, even though Mary was 43 when they started living together because Mary did not want to lose her right to pass on the status to her children by marrying a non-status man. The problems that might have been caused in their relationship are for a very depressing view on Mary by the society and culture she came from. She would seem lonely and as a result, she may start to regret the marriage and if she had children, the children would also be strongly affected. Frankly, the loss of her status would change her whole life and it is a big sacrifice especially when she grew up learning about her culture and how she attained the particular status if she had married Peter. 6. Suggest reasons why Peter’s history of intimate relationships with Lisa and Mary differs from that of his siblings. Peter’s history of intimate relationships with Lisa and Mary differs from that of his siblings because both Lisa and Peter have come from parents that have divorced, thus having a background of understanding what a good marriage looks like. Mary cohabitated and had parents who also cohabitated where marriage was not a true definition in their background. Since the background of both Mary and Lisa do not define marriage or had a troubled married life from their parents, it is evident that Peter’s relationships were weak and did not lead to a marriage. His siblings on the other hand would have found partners that came from parents that shared a great and supportive married lifestyle, thus pursuing them to follow their path.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Discuss psychological explanations of one eating disorder

Discuss Psychological explanations of one eating disorder. (8+16) Psychological explanations of obesity Include the psychodrama and the behaviorism approach. Behaviorism suggests three means by which obesity may occur; classical conditioning, operant conditioning and social learning theory. There Is a great deal of evidence for the behavioral explanation. Classical conditioning is where eating becomes associated with other behaviors that are often routine, leading to eating when not hungry for example snacking whilst watching TV.Evidence for this as a cause of obesity comes from Fletcher et alls ‘Do something different' study which shows how breaking such habitual associations prevents overeating, and so leads to weight loss, even for people who are not actually dieting. Furthermore, evidence for the role of operant conditioning, which is related to food being used as a reward, comes from Wanting at al who noted that people can turn to food and eat excessively for comfort, usin g food as a reward.However, operant conditioning alone cannot explain obesity, as we know there are biological factors which affect how rewarding retain foods are, therefore the behavioral approach as an explanation of obesity can be seen as reductionism. Operant conditioning, although not offering a full explanation for the causes of obesity, does have some good practical applications. Techniques using operant conditioning have been very successful in reinforcing healthy eating practices.Devoid and Yankton found Up's on such a programmer has an average weight loss of between 1 5 and 20 Lbs on the scheme. However, Just because it is successful in treating the eating disorder doesn't mean it can be seen as a viable cause for obesity. Social Learning theory is the third means by which the behaviorism approach suggests obesity may occur and it suggests that obesity is due to observing and imitating obese role models, particularly people we identify with in some way.In order for this to be valid, the relationship between one obese person and the role models around them has to be assessed. Chalks and Fowler did Just that and found that a person's chance of becoming obese Increased by 57% If they had a friend who became obese. However, although many extraneous variables were enthroned in this study, it was still only correlation in nature and correlation does not indicate causation meaning other factors such as biology or culture cannot be ruled out as other possible contributing factors to obesity.Although there is a great deal of evidence to support the behaviorism approach it can be seen as limited as it ignores biological and genetic factors that also have a great deal of support with regards to causing obesity, egg Standard et al who found a strong relationship between adopted and genetic mother's weight and no relationship between adopted and adoptive arena's weight. However, taking the deterministic nature of the behaviorism approach as a positive It does hav e an optimistic message with regards to beating obesity.Due to the fact the basis of the behaviorism approach Is that all behaviors are learned and can therefore be unlearned, means that obese people may be more willing to try dieting and other forms of lifestyle change more readily than if they futile. There is a problem with this view however as it focuses on the role of nurture rather than nature which can often cause blame to be put onto parents for their bees children.While in some cases this can have a positive effect as the parent realizes the necessity of educating their child on healthy food choices and not associating certain activities with food, it can also raise ethical issues as families are not protected from potential emotional harm from being blamed for their obese child's health issues. In addition to the behaviorism explanation of obesity, the psychodrama explanation of obesity offers an alternative on the causes of this eating disorder.The psychodrama explanation of obesity is based around Fraud's incept of problem behaviors in adult hood being due to unresolved conflicts that occurred during childhood development through the psychosocial stages with obesity being linked to unconscious desires of the oral phase. This could be caused by a lack of gratification in the oral stage or over gratification and both could lead to obesity. Evidence for the role of the ID (a structure of the unconscious mind that is concerned with gratifying needs) and oral fixation come from Grant and Borders who found that adult loneliness was a key issue in overeating for all Up's.Furthermore, bused Up's used food to ‘numb pain' whereas non abused Up's used it to recreate warmth and nurturing experienced in childhood that they missed in their lonely adult life. This shows the effect of both under and over gratification in the oral stage of psychosocial development. It seems that as an adult, emotional difficulties or trauma may lead to regression to the oral stage thus overeating. Eating may also result as a substitute for affection.However there are a few issues with this study; there was only a very small sample and the fact that the research was very sensitive means that the reliability of Up's recall may be questionable. However, as with the behavioral approach, there are practical applications associated with the psychodrama approach for example it highlights the need for social support; if a person does not feel lonely at a time of emotional distress, it seems the regression back to the oral stage and thus overeating may not occur.In addition to social support, the psychodrama explanation of obesity highlights the cause which can then be used to treat obesity, which in this case is a symptom of a larger problem; Hereford there is optimism attached to this explanation as with the behaviorism approach. Furthermore, Rounded et al has also found a link between childhood abuse and obesity. They found that child sexual abuse is associat ed with a doubling of odds of obesity in a telephone sample of 4,641 women.However once again there are methodological issues regarding this research as it is geocentric so cannot be generalizes to the wider population of both men and women- it lacks population validity. There is also further supportive evidence from Williamson et al who found NY form of abuse can lead to an increased chance of obesity showing regression into childhood and the oral phase in order to find missed gratification.However, there are many issues regarding the psychodrama approach including the fact that it cannot be investigated scientifically using the features of science that psychology attempts to follow. It is speculative in nature and based on philosophy of the mind rather than scientific fact. Therefore the validity and reliability of the explanation of obesity is very low. It can never be scientifically proven due to its nature so will

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Reach of Sovereigns Essays - Philosophy, Political Philosophy

The Reach of Sovereigns Essays - Philosophy, Political Philosophy The Reach of Sovereigns Thomas Hobbes and John Locke both discuss the ideas surrounding government and people in their writings. Both agree that, at a minimum, a government must protect its people and their property, but Locke proposes that a government's obligations extend beyon d that. Before one can discuss the purpose of society's government, the reason society and government arose in the first place should be investigated. Hobbes and Locke both wrote about the period before government, or the state of nature, and how it relate s to government. Although they differ in many regards, they have some overlapping principles; for instance, both feel that man is essentially free to do what he wants when he is in a state of nature. What Hobbes and Locke disagree on is what man does with this freedom. Hobbes feels that man is violent and selfish in the state of nature; therefore, man must fear other people. Locke, on the other hand, feels that man has an ingrained sense of morality, and while the s tate of nature is chaotic, is is not a war zone where people live in constant fear of one another as Hobbes proclaims. I tend to agree more with Hobbes's idea on humans in nature because, before anything else, man is an animal. Although people are born with traits such as empathy and compassion, m orals are a learned behavior as opposed to innate, so a man without society to teach him morals would be immoral. For example, without a government to regulate fishing rights on rivers, two people wanting to fish from the same bank would physically fight o ver it. The biggest and strongest would win, and the winner could fish. People had to fear each other. Although it may be possible for people who are afraid of each other to work together for long enough to build a society, it is highly unlikely. Something had to dispel people's fear of each other before a society could form, and nothing dispels a fear more quickly than a bigger fear. For instance, a student may be walking around late in the evening the night before an exam, very afraid that they may fail t he exam. If a mugger comes along threatening their life for their wallet, the student's worries about their exam will have disappeared completely because they are now occupied by this more imminent threat. This situation is analogous to an ancient person a nd their sovereign. Originally, the person is worried about their physical safety and the safety of their possessions when they are with other people, but once a powerful sovereign appears, the person and the people that would assault him or steal from him have something greater to fear. Potential assailants and thieves are too afraid of what the sovereign would do to them if they were caught committing crimes to commit said crimesgranted in primitive society they would not be called crimes. Regardless, t he rate at which people are assaulted and stolen from goes down enough under the rule of this sovereign that people do not have to constantly live in fear of other people. Over generations, they can even learn to live with others and develop a complex s oci ety. If people were not naturally animalistic and bruteish, society could stem simply from cooperation, and the presence of a sovereign who instills fear in people would be unnecessary. However, for people to cooperate, they need to trust each other, and w hen people are afraid of each other, as they are in nature, they cannot trust each other. The role of the sovereign is therefore to protect people and their possessions. However, this raises some questions. First of all, assuming that protecting people and property is the sole purpose of the sovereign (or government), to what extent can they go to protect their people or their people's property? In addition, what constitutes a person's self and property? Lastly, while Hobbes and Locke both agree that it is the sovereign's duty to protect their people's natural right to life and property, does a sovereign's duty extend past that? In absolute monarchies, Hobbes's idea of the structure of government, the sovereign's reign

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Graduate Admissions Essay Dos and Donts

Graduate Admissions Essay Dos and Don'ts Nearly all applicants to graduate school are required to submit one or several admissions essays, sometimes referred to as personal statements. This component of the graduate admissions application permits the admissions committee to see beyond the statistics to see you as a person apart from your GPA and GRE scores. This is your chance to stand out so make sure that your admissions essay truly reflects you. An essay that is truthful, appealing, and motivating can increase your chances of acceptance but a poor admissions essay can eliminate opportunities. How do you write the most appealing and effective admissions essay possible? Admissions Essay Dos Prepare an outline and create a draft.Answer all the questions asked.Make sure your essay has a theme or a thesis.Provide evidence to support your claims.Make your introduction unique.Write clearly and make sure it is easy to read.Be honest, confident, and be yourself.Be interesting and positive.Make sure your essay is organized, coherent, and concise.Write about yourself and use examples from your own life experiences.Use a mixture of long and short sentences.Discuss your future goals.Mention any hobbies, past jobs, community service, or research experience.Speak in the first person (I†¦).Mention weaknesses without making excuses.Discuss why youre interested in the school and/or program.Show, don’t tell (Use examples to demonstrate your abilities).Ask for help.Proofread and revise your statement at least 3 times.Have others proofread your essay. Admissions Essay Donts: Have any grammar or spelling errors. (Proofread!)Be wordy or use jargon (don’t try to impress the readers by using big words).Swear or use slang.Digress or be repetitive.Be boring (ask someone to read your essay).Generalize.Include cliches or gimmicks.Be comical (a little humor is okay but remember it can be misconstrued).Be defensive or arrogant.Complain.Preach.Focus on other individuals.Discuss politics or religion.Make lists of accomplishments, awards, skills, or personal qualities (Show, don’t tell).Write a term paper or an autobiography.Summarize your resume.Include information already cited on the application.Forget to proofread.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Effective parenting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effective parenting - Essay Example This essay is a critique of effective parenting. It highlights the practices that can enhance proper parenting, and the behaviors that parents need to avoid for the growth of their children. It is important for parents to realize that the manner in which they speak and the gestures they make amongst other expressions are significant for the growth of their children. Self-esteem in children largely depends on the behavior of parents Brooks (1997 p 67). For example, a little congratulation for good actions among the children means a lot in their development of self esteem. Self esteem is accomplished especially when the children are allowed to undertake tasks independently, which makes them realize their potential. This means that parents need to avoid trivializing the efforts of their children. The initial steps of a child mean a lot in the development of walking ability (Snow et al. 2001 p 103). It is therefore important for parents to ensure that they do not discourage their children by not showing appreciation of their efforts. Insults and quarrels are a major threat to effective development of children. Parents need to ensure that they use simple words when they warn the children concerning undesirable behavior. Rather than using insults, they need to use strong but controlled words to avoid generating frustration amongst the children (Ranga & Denise, 2006 53). Words such as â€Å"your brain must be very thick!† need not be used. Rather, parents are supposed to offer an understandable explanation of why children should act in a particular way and not the other. In essence, human beings learn from mistakes. Children should be allowed to learn effectively from their mistakes. Rewards are important in encouraging repetition of desirable actions. Children need to be reminded often regarding particular actions that were desirable to parents or other grown ups. Their initiatives also need to be

Friday, November 1, 2019

Should Stem cell research be federally funded Essay

Should Stem cell research be federally funded - Essay Example The potential contributions to treatment justify the claim for federal funding in order for stem cell research to achieve this potential. Funding for various specialized areas of stem cell research are required, including embryonic research, since development in one area affects progress in other areas. The difficulty in asserting this position is the lack of tangible treatment results to convince policymakers, legislators and the public to allocate federal funds for research advancement. On the other hand, those who oppose federal funding for stem cell research gravitate towards the argument that stem cell research involves the destruction of embryos, which have the potential for human life. Those who oppose federal funding for stem cell research do not denounce stem cell research in general but only stem cell research on human embryos. In effect, the federal government is participating in the destruction of life by funding stem cell research. With the two arguments grounded on very different belief systems, there appears to be no point of reconciliation for the two sides of the debate. The discussion describes stem cell research, the debate, the quest for federal funding, and political and legal trends, public opinion trends, and recommended solutions to support the response to the question: should stem cell research be federally funded? 2. ... These stem cells can be found in embryos at the early stage of development, fetal tissue and adult organs. Of these three sources, stem cells are more abundant and easier to isolate from embryos than from other sources, especially adult tissue. Moreover, reengineering stem cell is less feasible if these came from adult organs and more likely in stem cell from embryos. Stem cell research involves isolating and replicating stem cells from embryos and then reengineering stem cells to become any cell type. (â€Å"New Limits† 29) As such, progress in stem cell research for the purpose reengineering stem cells to become specific cell types would progress when working with embryonic samples. There are different kinds of stem cells depending on the degree of plasticity or variability in creating cell types. A totipotent stem cell is considered to have the greatest plasticity. A fertilized egg is a totipotent stem cell because it can create all human organs of a living organism. Totipo tent stem cells are used in fertility laboratories. During the initial stage of embryonic development, cell divisions lead to totipotent cells. Latter cell divisions give rise to more stem cells that are beginning to give rise to more specific cell types. (Biven 95; Wagner 8) A pluripotent stem cell emerges from the latter stages of cell division. An embryo has two layers, an outer layer that will form into the placenta and an inner layer called embryoblast that will form the human organism. The inner layer needs the outer layer to give rise to an organism. Pluripotent stem cell comprises of the inner layer of the embryo. By isolating the embryoblast, the potential to create an organism is eliminated, which comprises the foundation of ethical opposition to stem cell research.