About the Perseid Meteor Shower

About the Perseid Meteor Shower The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best-known showers in the year. Its one of the great astronomy events of Northern Hemisphere summer and Southern Hemisphere winter. It begins in late July and extends halfway through August, peaking around August 11 or 12th. When conditions are good, you might be able to see dozens of meteors per hour. It all really depends on the weather and what part of the meteor stream Earth moves through each year. Also, the viewing is best when theres no interference from the Moon, although you can still see the brighter meteors as they flash through the sky.   This year (2017) the peak of the shower occurs not long after full moon, so its light will wash out the view of the dimmer meteors. You will likely see a few bright meteors during this time, but dont buy into the hype about the best, the brightest shower.   Its hype and probably clickbait. Do your viewing armed with reasonable expectations and you will be rewarded (unless its cloudy).   What Causes the Perseids? The Perseid meteor shower is really material left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. It passes through our part of the solar system every 133 years. As it travels, this icy dirtball leaves behind tiny grains of ice, dust, rock, and other debris, similar to a messy tourist scattering debris from an automobile. As Earth makes its trip around the Sun, it passes through this debris field with some spectacular results, which we know as the Perseids. As Earth moves through the stream - which can stretch across 14 million to 120 million kilometers of interplanetary space -   its gravity interacts with the particles and spreads the stream out. As the comet passes by, it releases new bursts of particles, constantly refreshing the supply of material that will eventually collide with Earths atmosphere. The stream changes constantly, and this affects future Perseid meteor shower events. Sometimes Earth passes through rather thick areas of the stream, and that results in a heavy meteor shower. Other times, it traverses a thin part of the stream, and we dont see quite so many meteors.   Although there are many meteor showers annually, such as the Leonids, Lyrids, and Geminids, to name a few, the Perseid shower is the most reliable, and can be very spectacular if conditions are right. How it looks depends on several factors - ranging from whether the Moon is nearby (and bright enough to wash out the view) - to what part of the stream Earth encounters. The stream is not uniformly thick with particles, so some years the supply of materials might be less than others. In any given year, observers see anywhere from 50 to 150 meteors an hour on average, increasing at times to around 400 to 1,000 per hour.   The Perseid meteor shower, like other meteor showers, is named after the constellation from which it appears to radiate:  Perseus  (named after a Greek mythological hero)  which is located near Cassiopeia, the Queen. This is also called the radiant, since that is the direction the meteors seem to travel from as they streak across the sky. How Do I View the Perseid Meteor Shower? Meteor showers are easier to view than many other astronomical objects or events. All you need is a fairly dark location and a blanket or lawn chair. Always make sure you have a jacket handy, even if you live in a warm weather climate. Viewing late at night and early in the morning can expose you to some chilly temperatures. It may be useful to have a star chart  to help you locate Perseus, and other constellations while you’re watching, but it’s not a necessity. The shower is active from mid-July each year  when Earth enters the outer edges of the Swift-Tuttle stream.  The best viewing time varies but is often between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. around the 12th of August. The actual peak time ranges from the 9th to the 14th and then tapers off after that. For August 2017, the best viewing time is after midnight early in the morning of August 12th. There will be some interference from the Moon, which will be just past full. But, you should still be able to see the brightest ones. Also, start watching a few nights before and continue a few nights after; Perseids happen for nearly three weeks. Find a good, safe viewing area where you can get a clear view of the sky. Arrive early to set up, and  give yourself time to adjust your eyes to the darkness. Then, just sit (or lie) back, relax, and enjoy the show. Most of the meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, and streak across the sky. As you gaze, make note of the colors of the meteors as they streak through the sky. If you see bolides (larger streaks), note how long they take to traverse the sky  and notice their colors, too. The Perseids can be a very rewarding observing experience for anybody - from younger children to experienced stargazers.   Edited and expanded by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

How a Space Elevator Would Work

How a Space Elevator Would Work A space elevator is a proposed transportation system connecting the Earths surface to space. The elevator would allow vehicles to travel to orbit or space without the use of rockets. While elevator travel wouldnt be faster than rocket travel, it would be much less expensive and could be used continuously to transport cargo and possibly passengers. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky first described a space elevator in 1895. Tsiolkovksy proposed building a tower from the surface up to geostationary orbit, essentially making an incredibly tall building. The problem with his idea was that the structure would be crushed by all the weight above it. Modern concepts of space elevators are based on a different principle - tension. The elevator would be built using a cable attached at one end to the Earths surface and to a massive counterweight at the other end, above geostationary orbit (35,786 km). Gravity would pull downward on the cable, while centrifugal force from the orbiting counterweight would pull upward. The opposing forces would reduce the stress on the elevator, compared with building a tower to space. While a normal elevator uses moving cables to pull a platform  up and down, the space elevator would rely on devices called crawlers, climbers, or lifters that travel  along a stationary cable or ribbon. In other words, the elevator would move on the cable. Multiple climbers would need to be traveling in both directions to offset vibrations from the Coriolis force acting on their motion. Parts of a Space Elevator The setup for the elevator would be something like this: A massive station, captured asteroid, or group of climbers would be positioned higher than geostationary orbit. Because the tension on the cable would be at its maximum at the orbital position, the cable would be thickest there, tapering toward the Earths surface. Most likely, the cable would either be deployed from space or constructed in multiple sections, moving down to Earth. Climbers would move up and down the cable on rollers, held in place by friction. Power could be supplied by existing technology, such as wireless energy transfer, solar power, and/or stored nuclear energy. The connection point at the surface could be a mobile platform in the ocean, offering security for the elevator and flexibility for avoiding obstacles. Travel on a space elevator would not be fast! The travel time from one end to the other would be several days to a month. To put the distance in perspective, if the climber moved at 300 km/hr (190 mph), it would take five days to reach geosynchronous orbit. Because climbers have to work in concert with others on the cable to make it stable, its likely progress would be much slower. Challenges Yet to Be Overcome The biggest obstacle to space elevator construction is the lack of a material with high enough tensile strength  and  elasticity and low enough density to build the cable or ribbon. So far, the strongest materials for the cable would be diamond nanothreads (first synthesized in 2014) or  carbon nanotubules. These materials have yet to be synthesized to sufficient length or tensile strength to density ratio. The covalent chemical bonds connecting carbon atoms in carbon or diamond nanotubes can only withstand so much stress before unzipping or tearing apart. Scientists calculate the strain the bonds can support, confirming that while it might be possible to one day construct a ribbon long enough to stretch from the Earth to geostationary orbit, it wouldnt be able to sustain additional stress from the environment, vibrations, and climbers. Vibrations and wobble are a serious consideration. The cable would be susceptible to pressure from the solar wind, harmonics (i.e., like a really long violin string), lightning strikes, and wobble from the Coriolis force. One solution would be to control the movement of crawlers to compensate for some of the effects. Another problem is that the space between geostationary orbit and the Earths surface is littered with space junk and debris. Solutions include cleaning up near-Earth space or making the orbital counterweight able to dodge obstacles. Other issues include corrosion, micrometeorite impacts, and the effects of the Van Allen radiation belts (a problem for both materials and organisms). The magnitude of the challenges coupled with the development of reusable rockets, like those developed by SpaceX, have diminished interest in space elevators, but that doesnt mean the elevator idea is dead. Space Elevators Arent Just for Earth A suitable material for an Earth-based space elevator has yet to be developed, but existing materials are strong enough to support a space elevator on the Moon, other moons, Mars, or asteroids. Mars has about a third the gravity of Earth, yet rotates at about the same rate, so a Martian space elevator would be much shorter than one built on Earth. An elevator on Mars would have to address the low orbit of the moon Phobos, which intersects the Martian equator regularly. The complication for a lunar elevator, on the other hand, is that the Moon doesnt rotate quickly enough to offer a stationary orbit point. However, the Lagrangian points could be used instead. Even though a lunar elevator would be 50,000 km long on the near side of the Moon and even longer on its far side, the lower gravity makes construction feasible. A Martian elevator could provide ongoing transport outside of the planets gravity well, while a lunar elevator could be used to send materials from the Moon to a locatio n readily reached by Earth. When Will a Space Elevator Be Built? Numerous companies have proposed plans for space elevators. Feasibility studies indicate an elevator wont be built until (a) a material is discovered that can support the tension for an Earth elevator or (b) theres a need for an elevator on the Moon or Mars. While its probable the conditions will be met in the 21st century, adding a space elevator ride to your bucket list might be premature. Recommended Reading Landis, Geoffrey A. Cafarelli, Craig (1999). Presented as paper IAF-95-V.4.07, 46th International Astronautics Federation Congress, Oslo Norway, October 2–6, 1995. The Tsiolkovski Tower Reexamined.  Journal of the British Interplanetary Society.  52: 175–180.  Cohen, Stephen S.; Misra, Arun K. (2009). The effect of climber transit on the space elevator dynamics.  Acta Astronautica.  64  (5–6): 538–553.  Fitzgerald, M., Swan, P., Penny, R. Swan, C. Space Elevator Architectures and Roadmaps, Lulu.com Publishers 2015

Marketing Mix and Market Segmentation Research Paper

Marketing Mix and Market Segmentation - Research Paper Example They will be priced at $3.00 for the 250-gram burger. The company will establish restaurants in different locations where the burgers can be marketed. Customers will also have the opportunity to order the burgers from online platforms, both television and billboards will be used as the main marketing strategies integrated closely with digital marketing. Environmental factors such as social, economic, competitive, regulatory, and technological factors will affect the strategies developed in the marketing of the beef burgers. Evidently, there are ethical issues associated with the sale of beef burgers such as the need for companies to consider self-regulation in food advertisements as well as the promotion of quality and healthy foods. The business will also need to exhibit social responsibility by participating in the campaign against obesity (KoÃ… ¡Ãƒ ºtovà ¡ & Jarossovà ¡, 2014). If the business succeeds in the local market, there are opportunities for expanding into foreign markets after a critical market analysis. After considering the facts in this report, it is recommended that the beef burger business is a viable product that will register increased profitability in the future. The 4Ps represent one of the commonest and regularly used marketing mix approaches. The 4Ps approach was developed in 1960 and has been in use over the years. The 4Ps denote the product, price, promotion, and the place. Product: The beef burgers that will be sold will promote healthy eating and will have a diverse nutritional composition with the brand name H-beef burgers. The burgers will comprise of 100% pure ground beef that will be seasoned using pepper and salt. Other varieties will have cheese, onions, and other types of seasonings. The beef burger will provide energy, protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, dietary fiber, and sodium (Mckeown & Werner, 2010). The smallest size of  the burger will be 250 grams, which will represent a single serving.  

Strategic Alignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Alignment - Assignment Example Hong Kong is the heart of for the group with three properties in this city. These include the Landmark, Excelsior, and Mandarin Oriental. These properties have registered a greater performance despite the competition in the hotel segment in Hong Kong. Landmark, Excelsior, and Mandarin Oriental generate 38 percent of the total revenues of the group. Mandarin Oriental performs best and utilizes well the market space in Hong Kong contributing an approximate of 15 US dollars per square meter. The group has witnessed a heavy growth of visitors from the mainland China to Hong Kong. In the year 2011, China attracted about 28 million of visitors to Hong Kong. Mainland China recorded 28,100,129 in 2011 and 22,684,388 in the year 2010 (Group Communication 2). It was 67 percent of the total clients of the Mandarin Oriental. Relaxation for individual Visa Scheme in China to people visiting Hong Kong will benefit Mandarin Oriental in its ambitious project of investing in branded residences. This is the principal value driver, which will support Mandarin Oriental competitive method in the hotel industry in Hong Kong. The competitive method capitalizes on the growth of tourism industry in Hong Kong. Tourism industry contributed to growth of Hong Kong GDP by 15.2 percent. There are projections that GDP in Hong Kong will increase by 2.4 percent in 2012. The rate of visitors’ expenditure is favorable for this future and ambitious project of Mandarin Oriental. In 2011, the visitors’ spending was 6,094 US dollars. This was approximately 21 percent increase of the record of 2007 (Group Communication 1). This consistent growth in tourism expenditure will be an advantageous to Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong. Currently, the Mandarin Oriental uses creative marketing strategy that lays a lot of emphasis on the strengths of the group. The marketing plan addresses a comprehensive set of factors that influence the marketing for the hotel. Sound

Macbeth - How Shakespeare presents the characters in Act 3 Scene 1 Essay Example for Free

Macbeth How Shakespeare presents the characters in Act 3 Scene 1 Essay How do their words thoughts and actions make the scene such a dramatic and important scene in the play? In the majority of Shakespeares compositions, Act 3 usually consists, in terms of context, the most important scenes in the play. Macbeth is no different; Act 3 and in particular Act 3 Scene 1 is the point in the play where events are rapidly building to a dramatic and tragic climax. In the previous scenes the audience witnessed the violent assassination of the much loved King Duncan by Macbeth followed by the (said / mentioned) murderers inevitable election as king. In a historical context, the general public at the time of the productions release would have understood the significance and seriousness of Macbeths actions more so than modern day audiences. Regicide was not only seen as an evil act against king and country but also against God. The Divine Right of Kings was widely believed; which stated every monarch is selected by God and has sole right to the throne (usurper). More notably, genuine threats such as the Gunpowder Plot against the ruler at the time, King James I, made the murder of King Duncan not only more believable but something audiences could actually relate to. Act 3 Scene 1 commences with a condemning soliloquy by Banquo. He shares with the audience his strong accusations regarding the manner in which Macbeth has become King Speaking dangerously of deceit and treason, Thou playedst most foully fort, Shakespeare cleverly aligns Banquo with the audience and in doing so emphasizes the shocking nature of King Duncans murder. In the soliloquy there is also a reference to the witches predictions for Banquos descendants, myself should be the root and father of many kings. This line would have been of great interest to King James I as it suggests he is a descendant of Banquo. Some critics argue that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth to flatter the new king. The direct relation between Banquo and King James is hinted a few times during the play. Add this to the fact Shakespeare altered Holinsheds version of events that were written years earlier then you could be mistaken for agreeing with the critics. Shakespeare made Macbeth solely responsible for Duncans murder when actually Banquo was an accomplice to the murder. Proud to be in their new role, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth greet Banquo very majestically, heres our chief guest. Shrewdly, they attempt to make Banquo feel important and well appreciated, If he had been forgotten, it had been a big gap in our great feast. However this was all a big act, as the audience was about to find out. I imagine in this part of the scene Lady Macbeths introduction would have been very grand and regal as if she loved her new role. After all, she had finally achieved what she and her husband had always dreamt of, My dearest partner of greatness. Shakespeare makes it clear that Macbeth is now king by altering slightly the way in which Macbeth behaves and addresses others. He exposes a kinder, more inviting aspect to his personality by hosting a feast, Tonight we hold a great feast and Ill request your presence. The verb request is significant because it implies the invitational is optional, however I dont believe anyone would turn down an offer from the King as there may be serious consequences. Macbeth continues to take great interest in Macbeths proposed journey which causes the audience to suspect that Banquo might be in danger. Arguably for the very first time in the play, we witness the devious and crafty personality of Macbeth. Shakespeare uses a combination of irony and flattery in his writing to hide the fact Macbeth is actually intensively interrogating Banquo, fail not our feast and Ride you this afternoon are two examples of this. The quote fail not our feast is ironic because the audience have been discretely made aware that Macbeth intends to have Banquo murdered whilst he is out riding and will therefore not return for the feast. After dismissing Banquo, Macbeth makes a rather bold and surprising decision to do the same with his wife, Till supper time alone, while then God be with you. I believe this to be the point in the play where the tide turns. Up until now, it has been Macbeth who has relied heavily on his wife. He consulted everything with her. However, now that he finally has the crown upon his head, I think he feels that she has nothing left to offer. Personally this is pure ignorance on Macbeths part and sense this might be a catalyst for his downfall -Macbeths hamartia. A hamartia is basically an error in judgement, a cause of a tragic heros (in this case Macbeth) misfortune. Lady Macbeth aids his downfall, as she has pushed him to become so ambitious and arrogant that he feels he will be more successful without her. However, Macbeth has other hamartias which are explored further on. If I was directing this scene, I would strive to get the key point across. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have just been crowned king and Queen of their beloved nation. The honeymoon period has just begun and they both absolutely adore their new roles, Thou hast it now King, Cawdor, Glamis, all. Therefore, I would endeavour to make sure this comes across to the audience by ensuring the actors were dressed accordingly; royal robes and jewellery etc. Also, the actors should portray a relieved and joyful persona to illustrate the fact that Macbeth and his wifes efforts have finally been rewarded. During Macbeths soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1, Shakespeare reveals the characters true colours. Macbeth explains that despite Banquo being his best friend, he understands that Banquo must be murdered in order for him to remain in power; to be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus. This extract would confirm the audiences earlier thoughts and feelings about Macbeths intentions with Banquo. It also proves that the compassion and sincerity he showed towards Banquo in their last conversation was just an act. Shakespeare compares Macbeths feelings about Banquo to an actual event in the past, as it is said Mark Antonys was by Caesar. Macbeth acknowledges Banquos integrity but cannot help feeling that perhaps he is the Achilles heel to making him last upon the throne. Just as in Ancient Rome, Mark Antony was said to be in fear of Octavius Caesar. Throughout the soliloquy you get the sense that Macbeth has constant mood swings. His feelings vary rapidly, from fear of Banquo at the beginning; our fears in Banquo stick deep. to pure hatred of Banquo at the end, No son of mine succeeding, for Banquos issue have I filed my mind. His change in character is particularly noticeable when compared to Act 2 Scene 1. During this soliloquy, Macbeth has little conviction when contemplating the murder of Duncan whereas now he speaks confidently with passion and conviction. Which is startling seen as he is about to have his closest companion murdered. As the murderers appear on stage, the audience are immediately made aware that Macbeth has already spoken with them Was it not yesterday we spoke together. This extract implies that Macbeth had been planning to kill Banquo for a while. This is arguably the first time we see a ruthless side of Macbeth. It proves to the audience that this murder is not just a spur of the moment thing. Shakespeare includes a range of techniques when Macbeth is trying to persuade the henchmen to murder Banquo. Firstly, Macbeth tries to justify the murder by using reverse psychology on the two men, Know that it is he who held you so under fortune. Here; Macbeth is obviously testing the murderers character and resolve. He needs to know how willing they are, luckily for Macbeth they are prepared to do anything in the needs of king and country, I would set my life on any chance. Secondly, Macbeth questions their courage, to which the murderers respond assertively We are men. One thing I cannot comprehend is why Macbeth is even bothering to persuade them. Surely Macbeth has the right to order anyone about never mind two members of the lower class society. After all he is the King. However, I think this represents a key aspect of Macbeths personality. I think persuading the murderers is his way of persuading him he is doing the right thing. By persuading them, he is at the same time convincing himself that the deed is righteous. This would suggest that Macbeth is not pure evil but instead someone who loves power and is prepared to do anything to remain powerful. Macbeth changes dramatically as a character throughout the play. Initially, Macbeth was tortured with remorse after Duncans murder but upon hearing of Banquos successful assassination he is elated. His vaulting aspiration was driving him to desperate measures and he was unable to impede it. Macbeth had already risked his life to obtain the throne so he had no choice but to employ Machiavellian customs to preserve it. Macbeths vision of Banquo ghost at a royal banquet only steers him closer to insanity. The appearance of Banquos ghost at the royal banquet horrifies Macbeth. Shakespeare brilliantly uses irony to make Banquos emergence very dramatic, Sweet Remembrancer! Upon hearing the witches prophecies, Macbeth is unleashed down a spiral of swift deterioration that causes him to become blinded by desire. It is clear that Macbeths objective was driven by the prophecies made by the three witches; hail to thee Thane of Cawdor that shalt be king hereafter. He was willing to do or pay anything to ensure that they actually occur. At first Macbeth is appalled at the witches proposal of killing Duncan, his King and fellow countryman, but eventually he surrenders to both Lady Macbeth and the evil forces. Lady Macbeth and the witches overwhelm his morals setting off a catalogue of events resulting in Macbeths downfall and second hamartia. The presence of supernatural forces in Shakespeares Macbeth, provides much of the plays dramatic tension and mounting suspense. Several supernatural hallucinations throughout the play profoundly affect Macbeth; culminating with the evil forces overpowering Macbeth and his morals. For example, the prophecies of the three witches and the appearance of Banquos ghost. These two points in the play would have been very significant for the audience at the time. Witches were associated with using uncompromising potions, flying, becoming invisible at will and using disguises for the evil spirits in control of them. In Shakespeares time, a large proportion of people believed in witches. Hundreds of thousands of women were accused of employing the mentioned familiars to cause misfortunes and disasters. As a result, many were either executed or tortured. Even King James I was personally frightened of witches, passing a law that condemned anyone connected with witchcraft. In hindsight, it is now clear that witches were just innocent people used as scapegoats for mistakes made by others. Macbeth is a prime example of Shakespeares use of the tragic pattern. The play begins with the rise and fall of a man of high estate. This is followed by a flaw in character, Duncans trust in Macbeth for example, a gentleman on whom I built absolute trust. Then murder, exile and alienation of enemies and allies; King Duncans Murder, the Princes flee, murder of Banquo and dismissal of Lady Macbeth. All leading to the gradual isolation of the tragic hero, tragic recognition of the flaw by the tragic hero; and now a wood comes toward Dunsinane and eventually the death of the tragic hero. Macbeth is slain by Macduff. Tragic patterns similar to this one are used in every one of Shakespeares renowned tragedies.

Sickle Cell Anaemia :: Free Essays

Sickle Cell Anaemia The disorder affects the red blood cells, which contain a special protein called haemoglobin . The function of haemoglobin is to carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body. People with Sickle Cell Anaemia have Sickle haemoglobin which is different from the normal haemoglobin. When sickle haemoglobin gives up its oxygen to the tissues, it sticks together to form long rods inside the red blood cells making these cells rigid and sickle-shaped. Normal red blood cells can bend and flex easily.Blocked blood vessels Because of their shape, sickled red blood cells can't squeeze through small blood vessels as easily as the almost donut-shaped normal cells. This can lead to these small blood vessels getting blocked that then stops the oxygen from getting through to where it is needed. This in turn can lead to severe pain and damage to organs. Everyone has two copies of the gene for haemoglobin; one from their mother and one from their father. If one of these genes carries the instructions to make sickle haemoglobin (HbS) and the other carries the instructions to make normal haemoglobin (HbA) then the person has Sickle Cell Trait and is a carrier of the sickle haemoglobin gene. This means that this person has enough normal haemoglobin in their red blood cells to keep the cells flexible and they don't have the symptoms of the sickle cell disorders. They do however have to be careful when doing things where there is less oxygen than normal such as scuba diving, activities at high altitude and under general anaesthetics. If both copies of the haemoglobin gene carry instructions to make sickle haemoglobin then this will be the only type of haemoglobin they can make and sickled cells can occur. These people have Sickle Cell Anaemia and can suffer from anaemia and severe pain. These severe attacks are known as Crises. Over time Sickle Cell sufferers can experience damage to organs such as liver, kidney, lungs, heart and spleen. Death can be a result.

Barriers Of Implementing Technology In Education

Over the past fifty years or so, teachers and parents have read and heard forecasts of an impending educational revolution each time a new technological innovation arrived on the scene. Fifty years ago, radio broadcasting was suppose to revolutionize education. Soon thereafter, teaching machines were predicted to bring sweeping changes.Next, television was touted as the medium that would solve problems facing education. Now, the computer is being hailed as the next technological innovation to have a major impact on the educational process.Modern education, in fact, has sustained a long-term interest in the use of educational technology as a means to design more efficient learning opportunities for students. There are tools on how to use the new electronic technologies and this includes: skills software; computer graphics; word processors; telecommunications; simulations; multimedia/hypermedia; virtual reality and distributed learning.. In a field with such a wide range of powerful an d complex tools, experts cannot help but disagree about what teachers need to know and even where they should begin.Not long ago, many experts advised teachers who wanted to become capable computer users learn to write computer programs in languages such as FORTRAN and BASIC. To become computer literate, many assumed that teachers needed to know enough about the technical workings of computers to follow. Few people today believe that teachers need this much technical skill, but textbooks still provide wide varieties of information for beginning technology users. The following steps are needed to take by the beginning technology users: †¢ Develop a philosophy.Teachers must observe where current resources and types of applications fit in the history of the field. Then they must begin developing personal perspectives on the current and future role of technology in education and in their own classrooms. †¢ Purchase products. Teachers must become informed, knowledgeable consume rs of computer products and select wisely among available alternatives. †¢ Identify the problems. Teachers must be able to troubleshoot computer systems they use frequently in order to discriminate between problems they can correct and those that will require outside help.†¢ Speak the language. Sufficient understanding of the terms and concepts related to technology allows users to exchange information with other teachers and experts and to ask and answer questions to expand their knowledge. †¢ See where technology fits in education. In perhaps the most important- and the most difficult- challenge, teachers must identify specific school activities where technology can help to improve existing conditions or to create important educational opportunities that did not exist without it. As part of this process, teachers decide what they need to make these changes occur.This process of determining where and how technology fits is known among users of educational technology as integration. Successful integration requires a connection between how people learn and how teachers employ technology to assist and enhance this learning. DISCUSSION Computer networks offer a significant opportunity for improving the educational climate, especially in situation calling for teaching at a distance in settings which are either primarily educational or primarily business oriented. Computer-based education networks are characterized by a large-scale central computer connected by a communication link to remote terminals.Students work at the remote terminals either individually or in groups. The major advantage of computer-based systems to the student is the potential for individualizing instruction.. Student progress can be continuously evaluated and the student can be assigned to appropriate learning activities. Individualization of instruction is possible because of the one-to-one interaction between the educational system and the student. As far as the student is co ncerned, this is a confidential interaction between himself or herself and the system.The fact that the student is one of many persons using the system at the same time, and the fact that a record is often made of the students’ progress, do not seem to detract from the feeling of individuality and confidentiality on the part of the student. The significant problem for many students in using computer-based system, especially adults, is the typing ability required for the use of the system. The need for typing can be minimized by the use of programming techniques that limit the complexity of responses. System malfunctions are another disadvantage of computing networks and are very frustrating to the individual student.Malfunctions can occur either in the computing itself or in the communication links between the computer and the terminal. While the geographic and time-scheduling of computer-based systems can be an advantage, it can also be a limitation. The terminals themselves and communication links are expensive. At present they cannot be universally located throughout the world. The distribution of other educational materials, such as books, can be accomplished with considerably more ease. Information technology (IT) can be a very effective distance learning medium.The IT package consisted of word processing, spreadsheet and communications software (via Telecom Gold) and a personal computer. IT is an interesting teacher. It can make learning easier and more attractive; for example, a resource for learning about animals could include written information about their habitat, and pictures of it. There could be video clips showing the animal running, accompanied by animated diagrams of the operation of their skeletal structure and muscles. IT is also a patient and responsive teacher. Software does not tire of waiting for a response.Computer Aided Learning software can give pupils immediate feedback. Pupils are rewarded as they make incremental progress. T his can be particularly helpful where pupils have learning difficulties. Rewards can be structured so that pupils are motivated to learn. IT is pupil centered. Unlike traditional didactic teching, strategies for teaching IT will emphasize pupil centered, resource-based learning. This helps IT teachers with the particularly exaggerated problems they have in planning and controlling continuity, progression, differentiation, and breadth and depth of learning.After citing some of the benefits derived from using IT, what therefore, has inhibited a greater use of IT in management education? One reason may be a paucity of good quality educational material for use with computers. Another reason may be a lack of incentive or a resistance to change. Economic reason is also a possibility. Until very recently the use of IT as an instrument for individual learning has been prohibitively expensive. However, the reduced purchase price of the microcomputer has helped lower that barrier. Many teache rs are busy with their daily routines and can find any excuse when asked to add something new.â€Å"Why change what is working? † Many teachers find that it is easier to maintain the status quo: staying with what has been comfortable. Some teachers are afraid of taking any risk and exposing themselves as lacking skills, especially in front of their students. According to Rick Maurer, this fear of change can be categorized into three levels of resistance. Level One: â€Å"Resistance to any use of technology. † These teachers do not understand what the administration is trying to accomplish, or doubt if the school realizes how much technology will cost in time or money.They have their own ideas about what the school should do-they like the status quo, and believe the timing is wrong. Their main concern may just be fear of letting others know what they don't know. Level Two: â€Å"Deeper than the use of technology. † These teachers believe the administration has ma de promises before which they did not keep. They are afraid that technology use is really the start of something deeper and fear if they do not use technology, they will no longer be included as â€Å"in. † Actually, many of these teachers may be worn out by taking on so many changes all at once and may not be completely opposed to using technology.Level Three: â€Å"Deeply embedded resistance. † These teachers may have developed deeply entrenched distrust over many years. They fight anything the administration is supporting because values differ from what teachers want and what administration is proposing. Teachers need a great deal of motivation when it comes to implementing technology in the classroom (Gahala, 2001). There are many obstacles to overcome. Technology can be very intimidating for many teachers â€Å"because introducing technology almost always requires new learning† (Dyrli & Kinnaman, 1994).â€Å"Teachers may lack the time and the motivation to learn technology skills . The integration of technology into the curriculum will not succeed without giving teachers ample time to practice, explore, conceptualize, and collaborate† (Gahala, 2001). This can be done by inviting them to join the school technology planning committee. â€Å"Solicit teachers' participation on the technology planning committee and explain why their participation is important† (Conner, 2002). Another barrier to consider is the cost of technology to be implemented.Computer-based systems are more expensive to set-up. Hardware and softwares must be purchased and staff must be re-trained or recruited. Some disturbance and expense can be expected due to the need for the installation of additional electrical power circuits and computer network cabling and redecoration in parts of the school. Besides the high initial cost, the primary problem with investing in technology is the changing pattern of technology usage along with revisions in the associa ted definition of â€Å"adequate resources†.Maintenance and security for existing resources also became important cost issues. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, new directions in technology use replaced the emphasis on microcomputers with the trend toward multimedia and integrated learning systems. Schools now face a dual challenge that seems likely to remain the only constant amid changing educational technology. Monetary costs associated with the implementation of computer-based technology system includes : 1) Capital cost of computer and network hardware and software; 2) Installation cost, including classroom and laboratory renovation.; 3) Hardware and software upgrades; 4) Support personnel for hardware and software installation, repair, and maintenance; 5) Support personnel and facilities for training and support of users (instructors and students). Obsolete computers are replaced with more powerful computers, which include more sophisticated peripherals and networ k connections. These computers, software, and the associated infrastructure require a greater level of training to use and maintain. Public school systems in the U. S. are currently spending $4,100,000,000 on hardware and software [8].A detailed study of K-12 education estimates that a reasonable target spending for technology should be approximately $300/student, compared to $70/student now being spent [9]. A 1996 forecast predicts spending on educational technology by K-12 and higher education to rise from $6Ãâ€"109 to $14Ãâ€"109 by the year 2000 [10]. As a specific example in higher education, Virginia Tech, which has 25,000 total students, is spending $10-million over four years in an Instructional Development Initiative for classroom and faculty infrastructure.Computer projection equipment is being installed in classrooms, and approximately 1500 faculty members are receiving information technology training and a computer. Once all faculty members complete the course, another 4-year cycle will begin. The dollar amount of this initiative does not include money spent by individual colleges, departments, and research groups for information technology for educational use. Oberlin quotes a total expenditure of $40-million on information technology for a Research-I university of 25,000 students [11].This figure translates to $1,600 per student per year, and does not include the money spent by individual students who can afford their own personal computers, peripherals, and software. Whether purchased with government support, tuition, student fees, or personal funds, the use of information technology is increasing the cost of education. Moreover, other problems may arise during the implementation of technology and these include the following: 1) Methods of working are distorted to fit the requirements of the software used.If the software is not sufficiently flexible so that it can be changed to support current or proposed methods of working then these may have to be adjusted to match the requirements of the software. 2) Bringing new IT-based systems into use can be time-consuming, as it is prudent to continue with both the old system and the new system until it is clear that the new system is working effectively. 3) Software may not do what is required of it. This may happen when the software does not work as it should or because new demands are made for additional facilities that the software is not designed to supply.CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION: Nowadays, technology is rapidly moving and we cannot help but to cope with the advancement. It is true that using technology in education is very expensive and time consuming but it was worth the cost. Unfortunately, lack of global long-range planning often amounts to wasted efforts and excessive costs. For an innovation to be successful, teachers need to learn new skills and they may need to unlearn beliefs about students or instruction that have dominated their professional careers (Darling, Ham mond & McLaughlin, 1996).Thus teacher professional development is at the heart of sustaining an innovation. Student support and enthusiasm for the local innovation also played an important role in motivating teachers to continue to carry out and improve the innovation. Teachers want to do what is best for students to enhance their learning. If they believe that students are benefiting from a particular innovation, they in turn will be willing to devote additional time and effort required to maximize the advantage brought on by the innovation.Likewise, educators must resolve many complex issues in order to apply technology solutions to educational problems. They must address many concerns before and during implementation to ensure that technology will have the desired effects on students and schools. These concerns range from funding to selection and placement of technology resources. The author believes that regardless of the downfall of technology, computer-based system of educatio n must go on to continuously improve learning. REFERENCES: 1. Conner, D. (2002, April 12). Technology planning: Closing the communications gap Education World.Retrieved March 19, 2004, from http://www. educationworld. com/a_tech/tech152. shtml 2. Crawford, R. (1997). Managing information technology. London: Roulledge. pp. 131-135. 3. Dyrli, O. E. , and Kinnaman, D. E. (1994, January). Gaining access to technology: First step in making a difference for your students. Technology and Learning, pp 16-50. 4. Crawford, R. (1997). Managing information technology. London: Roulledge. pp. 131-135. 5. Gahala, J. (2001, October). Critical issue: Promoting technology use in schools. Retrieved March 29, 2004, from http://www. ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te200. htm 6. Maurer, Rick. (1995) Beyond the Wall of Resistance: Unconventional Strategies that Build Support for Change. Bard & Stephen. 7. Norton, P. & Sprague,D. (2001). Technology for teaching. USA: Allyn & Bacon. pp. 23-30. 8. Data from a Quality Education Data (QED) report(1996), quoted in J. Chem. Ed. 73, A248. 9. Glennan, T. K. ; Melmed. (1996) A. Fostering the Use of Educational Technology: Elements of a National Strategy; RAND: Santa Monica, CA. http://www. rand. org/publications/MR/MR682/contents. html 10. CCA Consulting Inc.(1996) quoted from News, Resources, and Trends, June 28, 1996, SyllabusWeb, Syllabus Press: Sunnyvale, CA. http://www. syllabus. com/ntr06_28_96. html. 11. Oberlin, J. L. (1996) â€Å"The Financial Mythology of Information Technology: The New Economics,† CAUSE/EFFECT , 19(1) issue of Spring 1996, 21; http://cause-www. colorado. edu/information-resources/ir-library/abstracts/cem9616. html 12. Darling-Hamilton, L. & McLaughlin, M. W. (1996). Policies that support professional development in an era of reform. In M. W. McLaughlin & I. Oberman (eds. )Teacher learning: New policies,new practices. NewYork: Teachers College Press.

Mousetrap Car

Law of Conservation of Energy said that Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it may be transformed from one form into another, but the total amount of energy never changes. By winding the spring on your mousetrap car, you store energy in the spring as potential energy. This stored potential energy will convert energy into kinetic energy as the mouse-trap car begins to move. But there is friction and in order to overcome friction you have to do more work.Friction converts energy into heat and sound which takes away energy from your motion, causing the car to stop as its energy is turned into other forms. When designing a mousetrap car, there are two variables that truly determine the overall performance: friction and energy. If my mousetrap car has too much friction, the energy in the spring will be turned too quickly and my mousetrap car will not travel very far or accelerate very fast. The smaller the friction is, the farther the mousetrap will move my car.It your car has a force advantage, then your car will move super fast Law of Conservation of Energy said that Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it may be transformed from one form into another, but the total amount of energy never changes. By winding the spring on your mousetrap car, you store energy in the spring as potential energy. This stored potential energy will convert energy into kinetic energy as the mouse-trap car begins to move. But there is friction and in order to overcome friction you have to do more work.Friction converts energy into heat and sound which takes away energy from your motion, causing the car to stop as its energy is turned into other forms. When designing a mousetrap car, there are two variables that truly determine the overall performance: friction and energy. If my mousetrap car has too much friction, the energy in the spring will be turned too quickly and my mousetrap car will not travel very far or accelerate very fast. The smaller the friction is, the farther the mous etrap will move my car. It your car has a force advantage, then your car will move super fast

4 Examples of Recommendation Letters You DONT Want From Counselors

4 Examples of Recommendation Letters You DON'T Want From Counselors SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Since school counselors support students through all four years of high school, they can write some of the best, most personal letters of recommendations. At the same time, they have the added challenge of writing lots, often hundreds, of letters for all the college-bound students on their caseload. While almost all counselor references will comment positively on a student, there can still be bad ones that don't offer a whole lot to a student's college application. Let's look at examples that demonstrate the four most common reasons a recommendation letter is bad: it's impersonal and generic, it's repetitive, it gives no specific examples, or it expresses serious reservations about a student. Bad Recommendation #1: The Generic Letter A generic recommendation letter is probably the most common problem for counselors with large caseloads of students. The following example illustrates animpersonal recommendation letter. Dear Admissions Committee, I'm writing to recommend June for admission to your undergraduate program. I've been her school counselor for the past four years. She is a strong honors student and always does well in her classes. I've heard nothing but good things about June from her teachers. June is a responsible and involved student. She's active in a number of clubs at the school and has contributed positively to our school community. June challenges herself in her classes and gets along well with her peers. She's a motivated, reliable, and driven student who applies herself to all her endeavors. June has earned a 3.71 GPA. Her dedication to her academics has impressed all of us at the high school, and I'm confident that she will continue to demonstrate the same commitment at college. June balances her time well among her many responsibilities and is curious about a diverse range of subjects. I look forward to seeing her continue to explore her interests and delve deeply into her passions. In closing, I highly recommend June for admission to your college. She's intelligent, active, and curious. For any further information, please contact me atgeneralinfo@gmail.com. Sincerely, Ms. Smith So what exactly makes this letter come off asgeneric, and why is that so bad for a rec letter? The Break Down This letter doesn't really say anything unique about June. In fact, if you just plugged in a different name, checked your pronouns, and adjusted the GPA, it could be a generic letter aboutany number of students. Admissions officers can tell pretty easily if a rec letter seems like a form letter with only the student's name and a few personalizing details plugged in. While a letter like this technically fulfills the recommendation requirement, it doesn't fulfill its role in the application, which is toreveal something insightful and personalabout the student and differentiate her from other applicants. This letter uses boring, tired language and doesn't go beyond cliches. June is "responsible, involved, and active," but so might be all the other competing applicants.What makes her unique?What specific examples can her counselor give to impart a meaningful assessment of June's academic and personal strengths? Finally, this letter does little to hone in on specific interests of June's. While it's not uncommon for students to go into college undecided, it's still important to talk about their particularinterests and goals.June is "curious about a diverse range of subjects," but what moves her? What has she exceled in or pursued? What does she enjoy doing? Since this letter lacks impactful language, specific examples, and insightful personal details, itstays on the surfaceand reads like a generic form letter. This kind of letter won't stand out to admissions officers, and it doesn't suggest that June and her counselor had a familiar relationship. Admissions officers may not pay much attention to this letter, which is a serious drawback compared to another student's application with a glowing counselor rec. Another type of bad recommendation letter that comes off as impersonal is one that predominantlyreports facts and figures.While it may use more positive language, like in the following example, it still comes off as distant and unsupported by anything beyond the student's resume. Bad Recommendation #2:The Resume-Repeating Letter This next example may be complimentary, but notice how it mostly justturns the bulletpoints on the student's resume into full sentences.This type of letter could be written by anyone with a copy of Ben's academic and extracurricular record. Dear Admissions Committee, It's my pleasure to recommend Ben for admission to your undergraduate program. I've gotten to know Ben over the past four years as his school counselor. Having earned a 3.8 GPA, he has risen to the top 20% of his class. His excellence in academics and involvement in a number of clubs and sports has made him an asset to our school community. As a member of the National Honors Society, Ben has achieved strong grades throughout high school in a range of classes, including AP classes in World History, Chemistry, and French. As part of his community service, Ben helps other students improve their grades and study skills with one on one tutoring after school in the library. While Ben's a strong, hard-working student, he also achieves outside of the classroom. Ben has played on the soccer team since freshman year, earning the title of Most Valuable Player in th grade. While practice and games keep him busy, he is also active in French Club. A self-described francophile, Ben has won the French language award two years in a row and practiced his language skills on the class trip to France in 2013. After returning from the trip, he presented photographs at a show at the local library and won 2nd place for Best Landscape. All this while working part-time as a cashier at a local bookstore sophomore and junior year. Ben impresses everyone he knows with his accomplishments. I'm confident that he will continue to excel in college. He has my strong recommendation. For any further information, please feel free to contact me atjustthefacts@gmail.com. Sincerely, Mr. Sencillo Overall, I would say this letter leaves a better impression than the first one. At least it can't be applied to almost any other student. But it still falls short on a number of fronts. Let's break down exactly how this letter misses the mark. The Break Down This letter leaves a better impression than the initial generic one, but it doesn't go beyond what Bendoesto reveal who Benis.Admissions officers want to get a deeper glimpse into thecharacterof each applicant. They already know what a student does based on his application. They're hoping the recommendation will illuminate why he's made the choices that he has. A recommender could shed light on this by discussing a student'svalues, motivations, goals, and strengths. In this letter, Ben seems to have a special affinity for French culture and language. He also enjoys photography. Tomake the letter more personal,the counselor could talk about how Ben became a "francophile" and what this may mean for his future study and profession. Does he consider himself an artist? Does he love landscape photography as a way to express his admiration of the great outdoors? Ben sounds like an interesting, dynamic individual, but this letterleaves the reader wanting more.It should fill in the blanks and give a more holistic vision of Ben as a student and person. Someone reading this letter should have a much clearer sense of who Ben is, even without meeting him in person. One easy way to see that a letter probably has too much data and not enough real, deep assessment is by looking for numbers. Ben's relatively short letter includes a lot of numbers: 3.8 GPA, top 20%, th grade, 2013, 2nd place, for instance. These come off as data points. While they're accurate, theyconvey technical informationrather than meaningful examples of Ben's character. To truly communicate a holistic assessment of an applicant, a letter shouldgo beyond the facts.This next example actually has the opposite problem. It describes the candidate with glowing adjectives, but offers little to no evidence to back up its complimentary assessment. This writer seems to want admissions officers to just take her word for it. We're going to need to see some examples of your work. Bad Recommendation #3:The "Just Take My Word for It" Letter This letter uses more specific, powerful language than the first two to endorse the student. However, itgives few examplesto illustrate its points. Just as students need to dig below the surface in their personal essays, recommenders should give meaningful examples in their letters. This letter merely describes, when it also needs to demonstrate. Dear Admissions Committee, It is my pleasure to recommend Gina for admission to your college. As her school counselor for the past four years, I've watched Gina grow into a mature, compassionate, and dynamic young woman. I'm happy to give her my highest recommendation for this exciting next chapter in her life. Gina is an intelligent and hard-working student who has impressed her teachers with her curiosity and dedication. She's especially interested in literature and poetry and contributes her writing to the school literary magazine. Gina is interested in majoring in English next year and continuing to hone her craft. In addition to being a motivated student, Gina gets along well with others and is a caring friend. She has a kind nature and genuinely cares for those around her. She never has a bad word to say about anyone and is the first to lend a helping hand in a tough situation. Gina's open-minded, amiable personality makes her an asset to classroom discussions. She works and gets along well with others and has impressive interpersonal and social skills. In closing, Gina is a caring, motivated student and friend, and she has my highest recommendation. I'm confident that she will be a great success in her college community. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Sincerely, Ms. Honey Ms. Honey seems to think very highly of Gina. Unfortunately, her letter might not go too far in boosting Gina's chances of admission. Let's go over why it's not so effective. The Break Down This letter represents the flip side of the "resume-repeating letter" in that it'sall assessment and few facts or examples.The writer calls Gina caring, compassionate, mature, curious, and open-minded, but she gives few examples to support her characterization. The only concrete piece of information that the writer gives is that Gina likes literature and writes for the school literary magazine. The writer should provide specific stories about Gina thatillustrateher compassion, maturity, or curiosity. When was she "the first to lend a helping hand"? What does she write about for the magazine? How has she shown her counselor her impressive interpersonal skills? This letter would be a lot more memorable, not to mention believable, if it described circumstances or observations in which Ginademonstrated these personal qualities.Without them, it loses impact and meaning and pales in comparison to more specific, supported recommendation letters. Finally, this last example suggests that the counselor had a lot of reservations about recommending her student. While recommenders should present a balanced assessment, focusing on the reservations without presenting sufficient strengths wouldn't be helpful for a student's application. Bad Recommendation #4:Recommended, with Reservations Admissions officers have a lot of experience reading hundreds or thousands of recommendation letters. They can read between the lines and pick up on subtleties. If a counselor usesa lot of loaded phrases that express hesitationabout a student, without balancing them out with a student's strengths, then the letter could come off as negative overall, like in the following example: Dear Admissions Committee, I am writing to recommend Charlie for admission to your college. As his school counselor for the past four years, I've watched Charlie come a long way after a rocky freshman year. I'm confident in his potential to apply himself at college and to continue to grow as a student. Charlie is motivated to continue his education next year. He's especially interested in the sciences and is considering majoring in Biology. His th grade biology teacher noted Charlie's effort and improvement over the year. Charlie is drawn to cellular biology and has expressed interest in working in a research lab. Charlie played drums in the school band in junior year. He enjoyed performing at school concerts. This year he's recommitted himself to focusing on his academics and sharpening his study skills to prepare for the demands of college. I'm impressed with Charlie's hard work and am confident that he will continue to grow and mature in the years to come. I recommend Charlie for admission to your program. He's a hard-working student with a tremendous amount of potential. Please be in touch with any questions. Sincerely, Ms. Collins It's not necessarily a bad thing to speak to a student's potential and room to grow in a recommendation letter, but where does this example fall short? The Break Down This letter focuses almost entirely on Charlie's growth in the future, without saying very much about what he's done so far. It does suggest growth and progress on his part, but theoverall emphasisis on how much further Charlie still has to improve. Ms. Collins talks about his potential so many times without presenting much that's positive about hiscurrent strengths.Even if he has struggled academically, she could talk about his personal qualities, character, relationships with others, or involvement at the school. Because she seems like she's grasping for things to say about Charlie, this letter barely fulfills its role as arecommendation. Instead, it comes off more like a word of caution. These four examples illustrate the most common reasons why a counselor letter of recommendation could miss the mark. Besides being generic, data driven, unspecific, or full of reservations, what other features can weaken letters of recommendation for college? What Else Makes a Recommendation Letter Bad? Some other features that would drag down a recommendation letter include, It's too short.Letters should be a full page. Any shorter than this wouldn't convey enough information, and it would suggest that the recommender wasn't motivated to put much time or thought into it. It's not proofread.Errors of grammar or spelling give that same impression of carelessness and lack of investment in helping the student. It's not customized to the college or program.Actually, a lot of teachers and counselors upload the same letter to the Common Application for students to send to all their colleges. However, if a student is set on a particular program or an especially selective college, like Harvard, then the recommendation letter could be strengthened by speaking specifically to the student's fit with that program or school. Some of these issues are easy to avoid. Proofread your letters to make sure there are no grammatical errors or inaccuracies. Brainstorm before writing to make sure you have enough material to provide a full portrait of the student. Rather than listing every accomplishment a student has ever made, a stronger letterhighlights a few key interests and goalsof the student's. That way it's focused and specific. Students should share detailed "brag sheets" and talk to their counselors to make sure their counselors have all the information. They shouldshare what would go into their ideal letter, like if they want their counselor to highlight their passion for community service, poetry, or engineering. As long as both counselors and students take the time toplan,reflect, and communicate, then bad letters like the ones above can be avoided. Instead, students will get memorable, outstanding, and insightful letters of recommendation for their college applications. What's Next? Are you working with students as a school counselor or college counselor?This in depth guide goes over the steps counselors should take to produce a high quality, outstanding letter of recommendation. Do teacher recs differ from counselor recs at all?Read about what teachers should include in their reference letters for their students. Now that you've read all these examples of bad letters, take time toread the good ones.Here are examples of strong recommendation letters written by counselors and teachers (coming soon). Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Dialogue Activities for ESL Students

Dialogue Activities for ESL Students Practicing dialogues is a great way for English students to test their skills and develop a better grasp of the language. Dialogues are useful for a number of reasons: Dialogues provide models on which students can base their own conversations.Dialogues force students to focus on language production in a way that helps them practice correct usage.Student-created dialogues can be used to encourage creativity.Dialogues can be used as a basis for listening to comprehension exercises. Using dialogues  to help students develop their  conversation skills  is a  common practice in most English classes. There are a number of different ways to go about incorporating dialogues into classroom activities. The suggestions below encourage students to role-play and practice new tenses, structures, and language functions. Once students become familiar with these new language elements, they can then use the dialogues as models to practice writing and speaking on their own. Vocabulary Exercises Using dialogues can  help students become familiar with standard formulas used to discuss different topics. This is especially helpful when practicing new idioms and expressions. While these expressions might be easy to understand on their own, introducing them through dialogues can help students immediately put the new vocabulary into practice. Divide students into pairs and give each pair a topic to talk about. Challenge each student to incorporate a few given idioms or expressions into their dialogue before time runs out. Gap Fill Exercises Dialogues are perfect for gap fill exercises. For example, take a sample dialogue and delete keywords and phrases from the text. Choose a pair of students to read the dialogue to the rest of the class, then ask the other students to fill in the missing words and phrases. You can also have students create their own sample dialogues and quiz each other to see how well they can fill in the blanks. Dialogues for Role-Playing and Acting Having students  write dialogues for short scenes or soap operas helps them focus on correct expressions, analyze language, and develop their writing skills. Once students have completed their scripts, have them act out their scenes and skits for the rest of the class. Dialogue Dictations Have students write sample dialogues for popular TV shows such as The Simpsons or The Office. Alternatively, write a script together as a class, and have each student be responsible for a particular character. This exercise gives students time to  pay attention to details as the plot moves forward. Memorizing Dialogues Have students memorize simple dialogues as a way to help them improve their vocabulary skills. While old-fashioned, this type of rote work can help students build good habits as their English skills improve. Open-Ended Dialogues Create sample dialogues that show the words of only one speaker, then have students complete the dialogues using a list of responses youve provided. Another variation is to provide only the beginning or end of a sentence for each speaker. Completing this type of open-ended dialogue can provide a bigger challenge for upper-level English learners. Recreating Scenes Have students re-create their favorite scenes from different movies. Ask a group of volunteers to act out a scene in front of the class, then compare their version to the original.

Security of our nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Security of our nation - Essay Example As a direct result of the fact that an increased level of interconnectedness and communication links diverse communities and individuals the world over, the nature and scope of existing threats to national security it might be posed by elements that would wish to do the United States harm has been drastically increased. Yet, in order to more completely understand the issues relating to domestic and international eavesdropping/spying that has been proven to exist by the leaks of whistleblower Edward Snowden and others, the following analysis will focus upon the key issues, the stakeholders involved within the scope of this espionage, and the technology involved. By regarding these issues and focusing on the political and ethical ramifications that these issues entail, the analysis will be able to pinpoint the way in which this issue is currently defined. Firstly, with regards to the key issues, it can be understood that the right and expectation to privacy is the first and most presci ent of all. Whereas constitutional scholars have argued for decades over whether or not the Constitution in and of itself guarantees or somehow implies a right to privacy, the fact of the matter is that this has come to be something of an expected norm within the American society and the way of life. As such, the revelations concerning the fact that millions upon millions of phone calls, emails, instant messages, social networks, chats, texts, and web searches are stored and analyzed by a litany of different computer algorithms and analysts has rekindled the debate and focused many individuals upon the key issue of privacy and the means through which personal information can or should be intercepted in the name of national security (Hill 19). The second key issue that exists within this particular analysis is whether or not a domestic spy agency is allowed to intercept communications of American citizens if these communications are not taking place between the individual and someone outside the country and/or taking place between American citizen and an individual who is a suspect or person of interest with regards to national security. This is the more ignored aspect of the debate. Ultimately, the intelligence agencies within the United States, the CIA, the DIA, the NSA, and a litany of others, are all bound by a central and constraining rubric. This central rubric concerns the fact that these agencies are not allowed to spy on United States is within the United States. However, the revelations of whistleblower Edward Snowden point to the fact that agency such as the NSA have flagrantly been ignoring this rule for years. In seeking to gain a greater deal of understanding with regards to the stakeholders of this particular issue, the reader can come to a simple understanding; that each and every individual within the United States and throughout the world is impacted by the actions that are being taken by the National Security Agency and other intelligence gro ups are tracking, recording, and monitoring the communications of individuals around the globe. This delineation of â€Å"everyone† as a potential stakeholder in this process is underscored by the fact that recent documentation and revelations by Edward Snowden and others have pointed to the fact that the information of

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

Quotation - Essay Example Actions, which might threaten or lead to loss of life contradict the right, and thus need condemnation (Freeman 5). All constitutions of the world recognize and respect the right to life and that any person who attempts or violates it faces stiff penalty. For instance, when a person kills another person, he faces life sentence for violating the right of the deceased to live. This is evident in several countries such as in the Middle East whereby tyrants who had been accused of mass murder of human beings got punished. Former Iraq president, Saddam Hussein was hanged for killing many people during his reign (Freeman 5). Therefore, since nobody provided right to life to a fellow being, he or she has no right of taking such right from another being by killing or threatening. However, there are some instances when such right is denied or when a person accused of killing a fellow human being is pardoned (Freeman 9). Such situation arises when the accused was trying to defend himself or he rself from murder by the deceased. This normally happen when in times of conflict such as war or when a person turns wild and desires to kill. Moreover, when a person kills the other, and thus turns to be a security threat to public, police officers kill him (Freeman 9). A good instance occurs during mass shootings which have characterized the U.S.A. and which have left many people grieving from loss of loved ones. A recent incident was the US school shooting in Brooklyn, Newtown. Consequently, all constitutions on earth recognize and respect the right to liberty of all human beings. People have a right to be free from all forms of bondage and slavery. Capturing or enslaving a fellow human being is currently an international offence condemned by all nations (Freeman 11). Unlike in the past when people were taken as slaves due to debt or as war captives, all constitutions of the world prohibit the act and even imposes heavy penalty on the offenders. Since God created human beings whe n they were not under the rule or authority of anybody, no person should be denied such right. Right to liberty ensures that people move around the earth doing as they wish with their freedom so long as they respect and accord the same to other people (Freeman 14). Therefore, people who capture their fellow human beings contradict the right to liberty. Such acts include those witnessed by illegal groups such as militants or pirates who capture sailors and keep or otherwise kill them. A good example is the capturing of sailors in Indian Ocean by Somali pirates who demand huge ransom in order to release the captives. This action is bad and illegal since it contravenes the captives’ right to move (Freeman 14). However, the right to liberty is restricted in some instances. Such instances include when a person commits a criminal offence, and thus convicted and sentenced to imprisonment. While serving a prison term, a person is denied the right to be free (Freeman 14). This is a fo rm of punishment directed at the prisoner in order to compel him to change from criminal activities. Human beings also have a right to lead a happy life on earth. Such freedom is God – given and thus, nobody should be denied (Freeman 27). God created human beings to be happy creatures and thus, should thank him for such right by worshiping him. Therefore, actions, which inhibit man from pursuing happiness on earth go against the right and thus, need condemnation. Thus, human beings have a