Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Education Teac

Philosophy of Education I began my college education in 1987. I attended two full years and one part-time year before accepting a position with an engineering firm in 1992. I was employed there for the next nine years and was promoted three times. Even though this was a good stable career, I was not satisfied. I have always wanted to be a teacher. I never gave up hope and continued to take a class when I could. In the fall of 2001, I had the opportunity to work part-time and finish my degree. I am so excited to achieve my lifetime goal of becoming an educator. Almost everyone has a teacher they remember. Some are remembered for being a positive influence. Others are remembered for negative traits they exhibited. Often times a student never forgets the impact a certain teacher had on the outcome of their lives. My goal is to be the teacher who puts forth the extra effort for my students so they may achieve all their dreams. I would like to be the teacher students remember, not because I was nice or made things fun, but because they were challenged to learn. Within my classroom, I hope to create a nurturing environment so each child can learn to his or her fullest potential. Being a teacher carries so much responsibility. In addition to teaching each child effectively, you are also a role model and example in your classroom. Children model behavior they are exposed to at home as well as at school. Principals, teachers, coaches, and aides should be...

Prohibition of Alcohol

Salvatore Norge Tim Walsh English 101-L01 3 November 2010 Arguing Positions: Prohibition of Alcohol Alcohol abuse is an extremely ravaging calamity, and many resolutions have developed as a result of its effects. The eighteenth amendment was ratified in 1920, and eliminating the legal use of alcohol was adopted. Also known as the prohibition of alcohol, it became effective in the United States of America. Its intentions were to prevent the manufacture, import, export, sales, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages.After thirteen years of execution, it was repealed in 1933 due to the ratification of the twenty-first amendment. Alcohol is presently legal throughout the United States, and approximately one-hundred thousand deaths occur each year attributed to alcohol. Is prohibition the answer? Prohibition has delivered a handful of issues to the United States. Crime rates dramatically increased as groups, street gangs, and gangsters were involved in multi-million dollar orga nizations dealing with illegal sales of alcohol.Saloons quickly evolved into areas used for illegal sales and consumption of alcohol, which were later known as speakeasies. Social problems were attributed to the prohibition era, and played a wide role with public opinion. Thing began to heat up as repeal was eagerly anticipated. Alcohol abuse is presently a serious problem in the United States. Risk and health loss is rapidly increasing, and alcohol remains accessible to anyone meeting certain legal requirements. The use of alcohol is persevered throughout America, and it’s held accountable for a large number of problems.In 2005, there were 43,443 alcohol related traffic fatalities in the United States. Sixty percent of all homicides are attributed to alcohol. The abuse of alcohol affects the psychological state as well. There are more than twelve million alcoholics in the United States, and alcoholism is considered the number one drug problem in the country. Hundreds of thou sands of family members and friends are directly affected from this concern. Imagine the number of alcoholics that would seek help if their addictive substance was illegalized.Who would respect the prohibition of alcohol once returned? It’s likely for both the law and alcohol to be abused considering another prohibition. That would cause more chaos for the country. On the other hand, alcohol isn’t always necessarily being abused. Moderate alcohol drinkers tend to live long and healthy lives. A glass of wine a day may increase heart health, and alcohol doesn’t stop its benefits with the heart. A few drinks a day may lower the risk of a variety of illnesses and extend life.It seems that arguments for legalization of alcohol are holding ground against prohibition. The controversy has allocated the country waist deep in obstacles, and who wants to obtain such a conceding way out? The authorities of the United States have appeared to resign against fighting the illeg al use of alcohol, and have resumed all opportunity for legal access to alcohol use. Why haven’t controlled substances been illegalized anticipating future issues with drug wars? Numbers don’t lie, and neither does a positive attitude behind a righteous cause.

Life of Pi: the Good Kind of Lie

Sometimes a lie is better than the truth. Now I’m not saying that you should lie to your parents about the dent on their car or lie to your friends about getting lucky with that girl last weekend, but every so often a situation comes along in which a small fabrication will better warrant the situation. In the novel Life of Pi, the author Yann Martel tells a fantastic story about a young boy at sea, trapped on a lifeboat with a 450lb Bengal tiger. During their journey, the unlikely castaways face an epic adventure of survival; crossing paths with such characters as a homicidal hyena, a motherly orangutan, a dead on arrival zebra, and a French blind cannibal. In the end the two find sanctuary after 227 days upon their arrival to the coast of Mexico. Now I know what you’re thinking. â€Å"This sounds pretty unbelievable†. Well you’re right to think so, but the truth in this case, is something you’re better off not knowing. The end of the novel brings about the knowledge that the animals in the story were in fact people and their grim deaths, including that of his mother, Pi had witnessed. Given the setting, this shouldn’t be seen as a lie, but rather as story telling. The act of story telling is a great thing. It can drum up adventure in the heart of the audience, make you feel a great deal of emotion for someone you’ve never met or isn’t even real, but to some it is a way to cope with an occurrence in which the truth is too terrible to deal with. We’ve always been taught never to lie and therefore it is an act that is seen as wrong be any means, however, given the right circumstances telling a lie, whether it be to yourself or to others, is the best possible way to avoid a traumatic experience of the past. Throughout the story Pi tells the more enjoyable version of his story, though the realization of this does not occur to the reader until the end of the novel. Through retrospection it is easy to see the fiction and the significance it holds. To the best of my knowledge the first part of the story appears to all be true, however, in this segment Pi does find way to state his distaste for those who only wish to believe what can be proven true and logical. The best example can be found in chapter 22 in its entirety. Being a strong believer in God, so much so that he embraces three of His religions, it is surprising that Pi can easily accept the choices of Atheists, but denounce those who are agnostic (those who don’t know who to side on the subject). Chapter 22 reads, â€Å"I can well imagine an atheists last words: , â€Å"White, white! L-L-Love! My God! —and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, â€Å"possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,† and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story. †(Martel 80) Pi describes factuality as dry and yeastless, further strengthening the readers understanding of how he feels about logical facts. The second part of this quote that is significant is his use of the phrase â€Å"the better story†. Showing that what isn’t real is often the ‘better’. With the end of Part One of the novel comes then end of what’s real and transitions into fiction. Since the second part of the story is a fabrication in its entirety, it seems redundant to try to state the many times when fiction trumps over the truth. Instead, it seems that the better idea would be to pinpoint the section where Pi is driven to admit the truth behind his adventure at sea. The best examples of the fact vs. fiction theme come after a lengthy interrogation on Pi by Two Japanese men who represent the company who owned the freighter which was transporting Pi and his family across the ocean. After being asked the true nature of his story one too many times Pi finally broke the ice with the simple question, â€Å"So you want another story? † (380) This was then followed by the significant statement, â€Å"The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story? † through examination of this comment it is found that he means that life is just a story told by the storyteller. Pi is saying that he willing to tell the to representatives the real story, but in knowing the real story they are missing out on the previously discussed â€Å"better story†. He brings this up further with the quote, â€Å"I know what you want. You want a story that won’t surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won’t make you see higher or further or differently. You want a flat story. An immobile story. You want dry, yeastless factuality. † (381) It’s obvious that Pi is warning the two men once more that the truth isn’t always what you want to hear and also further representing the theme of truth vs. iction. Though this novel is filled with different themes, and many of those who read it speculate on which is the main theme. I believe that the theme of the importance of story telling is without a doubt, Yann Martel’s main point that he tries to get across to the reader. He makes it evident in all parts of the story and the twist at the end is based on the subject. In all it is important to remember that lying is bad, but sometimes the truth is too. Storytelling is a healthy medium between the two and can even help to cope with the most traumatic of experiences.

Cardiovascular Case Study: Atrial Septal Defect

Atrial Septal Defect(ASD) is a very large problem concerning the heart in its overall function. When the heart, being the core of the cardiovascular system, has issues; it effects the rest of the body as a result. The core of the problem resides in the atrial septum. Normally the heart is divided into four separate chambers. But a person with atrial septal defect has an atrial septum that allows the blood from the left side of the heart back into the right side. This results in increased pulmonary blood flow and diastolic overload of the right ventricle.By having this constant left-to-right shunt, it can alter the pulmonary vascular resistance leading to hypertension or even the reversal of the shunt itself. There are three types of Atrial Septal Defects: ostium secundum, ostium primum, and sinus venosus. The opening of the atrial septum may be small, on the count of the foramen ovale failing to close; or large, when the septum is completely absent from the heart itself. There is a v ery logical explanation between Ryans inability to gain weight, as well as not taking an interest in food during meals.His body isn't able to grow normally because the exchange of nutrients and waste products in his body is completely deficient. He isn't absorbing the adequate amount of nutrients that his body needs. Him being 11-months old, this causes a huge problem because nutrition is extremely important. His heart is working less efficiently, which makes the blood traveling throughout his body subsequently deficient as well. All of the systems in Ryans body are going to be affected by his diagnosis of Atrial Septal Defect. Ryans growth and development is not appropriate for his age.Ryan was born weighing 7lbs, and now, 11 months later he is 15. 4 lbs. He is close to being a 1 year old, and his birth weight should be a little less that triple the amount that he was at birth. Ryan should be approximately 21 lbs at his current age, leaving about a 5-6 lb deficit. Ryans parents sta ted that he doesn't crawl or attempt to stand because of the fact that he gets out of breath easily. This is being caused by the Atrial Septal Defect. All he can do is sit unsupported, which he should have been able to do at 8 months.At 11 months old, Ryan should be able to stand upright holding onto an adults hand, as well as feed himself finger foods and drink from a sippy cup. He should be able to pull himself up to a standing position as well. Also, sleeping after eating is just an indication of how much energy it is for him to complete a meal, which is making him uninterested in food overall. Again, all of these factors seem to be affected by his current diagnosis. Ryan is currently on Digoxin 200 micrograms and Furosemide 10 mg q day.He is prescribed Digoxin because this medication increases overall cardiac output as well as slowing the heart rate. This is good for Ryan, because at this point he is not receiving the appropriate amount of output needed for his growth and develo pment. Furosemide is a diuretic that treats fluid retention as well as hypertension. This is important because when there is a defect with the heart, pulmonary issues may occur when fluid retention begins. Also, Ryan is currently predisposed to hypertension because of his condition. Ryans current Potassium level was at a 2. 9 mml/L.Adequate levels of Potassium compared to his age should be at 3. 3-4. 7 mmol/L. Too little Potassium affects the hearts frequency as well as contractions. His Digoxin levels were tested to see if the medication was becoming toxic. He was at a 2. 6 ng/ml which is in the upper limits, but not enough to be considered toxic. Here are some examples of nursing diagnosis' that patients like Ryan would have: Risk for deficient fluid volume related to preoperative diarrhea. Impaired nutrition; less than body requirements. Decreased cardiac output related to pre-existing compromise in cardiac function.Fatigue related to decreased cardiac output. Nursing Diagnosis' for Ryan Post Operative would be: Risk for infection related to surgical incision. Acute pain related to post operative surgery. Impaired verbal communication related to age. Risk for aspiration related to immobility. Teaching is such a vital component in ensuring that all patients are fully aware of their medical condition. Ryan, being an 11 month old, the teaching must go to his parents. They will need to be supplied information about Atrial Septal Defect, surgeries involved, and the prognosis when completed.They will need specific information about the medications that Ryan is going to be on. They will need to be aware of the medications actions, side effects, and possible signs of toxicity/allergies. If Ryan were to have surgery, they would need to be taught how to care for the incision properly to avoid infection. They will need to know the signs and symptoms of infection. Last, they will need to ensure that they are constantly promoting proper growth and development with Ryan, so a daily plan must be made. That includes activities, diet, etc.

Compare the use of motivation theories at Center Parcs Essay

I will be researching different job types in Center Parks so I can see the different management styles of each sector and I shall be looking at the motivational factors within the organisation. Three different job roles at Center Parcs and what theorist is involved. The first job I will be looking at is a Water sports Instructor, they’re looking for somebody who can windsurf, use a dinghy, a powerboat, a kayak and is confident in abseiling, rock climbing and playing football. You will be asked to instruct people in all of the above, first-aid is a must as you will be working with activities which could all pose a significant risk to health including activities including deep, cold water. They also expect that you maintain a professional attitude at all times, despite the customers getting on your nerves. Staff will be given free day passes to the park, I think this is typical of Mayo as people like to feel like the part of the team, this also meets their social needs at work. If they’re working in a team then you have a good chance to get your ideas across to other team members for them to take action on your ideas, suggestions and opinions. The second job I will be looking at is a food and beverage assistant, they require that you maintain a professional attitude at all times, they state that your duties are table services, preparing the restaurant to a set standard, taking orders, bar duties and you must serve drinks from the bar, serving meals, cleaning and tidying up at the end of your shift. You will be handling a lot of cash through your shifts, they expect you to be honest about it and full training will be given to work with cash in hand. You must ensure that all the guests are happy with their stay and their meals. The theorist behind this would in fact be Taylor, this is driven by money as you’re handling quite a lot of money. As with this you’re typically paid by every table you clean, take orders from and hours behind the bar (as one of my friends mention, she got paid by every table she cleaned and took orders from). Taylor also comes into play as you get a bonus at the end of the month and a t ypical bonus at the end of the year (around Christmas time) and  this makes employees strive to do as much as they can as it is a performance related bonus. The last job I will be looking at is a Lifeguard, they’re looking for somebody to assist in the â€Å"smooth running of the subtropical swimming paradise† by guarding the inside and outside of the pool areas, the lifeguard must maintain a high standard of hygiene in order to offer the best services to holiday guests. They also request that you maintain a professional and a reliable attitude at all times and to put the safety of their swimmers first. The motivational theory behind this job would be Herzberg as being a lifeguard can bring some sense of achievement, this proves that you are qualified to take care of people, watch them and possibly save their lives when the time comes. A high hygiene standard is required for this and this can be an achievement in itself as if you get through this shows you have nearly impeccable hygiene. Conclusion I think Center Parcs has chosen different rewards, for example different bonuses and different objectives to obtain these bonuses and different material bonuses such as free day passes and unlimited use of services and stations around the park, because it scales with the difficulty of the job. For example, anybody can be a beverage assistant but it takes a lot of qualifications and knowhow to become a life guard and since lifeguards are scarce and they’re offering really competitive pay and bonuses to compete with other companies that want life guards. It’s the same with Water sports instructors as they have to be highly skilled in all forms of water sports, it takes a lot of time to get that much knowledge of water sports so it’s a difficult job to do as you need to remember everything. I agree that this is one of the best policies to have as the bonuses and rewards scale with the harder jobs. The harder the job, the better the rewards.

Explain why it is both necessary and helpful to study the context of prior history Essay

Explain why it is both necessary and helpful to study the context of prior history, especially the experiences of participants in that history, in order to understand what is valued by these participants. Also, what resources will be most helpful to you as a student of history? Introduction: It has long been said that, â€Å"if we don’t know where we are coming from we will not know where we are going†. In other words knowledge of prior history allows us to avoid making past mistakes and serve as a guide to the future. In addition a well-rounded understanding of history can help us to make more informed present and future decisions. â€Å"History requires us to think outside of our own experiences in time and place, fostering empathetic thinking, appreciation of diversity, and understanding of the relationship between context and judgment† (The National History Center, 2013). Valuable and beneficial sources of history include Primary and Secondary sources. Primary sources as it relates to history are the â€Å"raw materials† gathered from the same time period of the topic/event, which forms the foundation of historical research and writing. Secondary sources are gathered from primary resources and have been analyzed then presented in the form of books or articles by historians. History can be thought of as never changing; but history, like memories actually is always changing. Though the dates and statistics may not change, how they are interpreted can vary. For example, historians are always at work re-evaluating the past, asking new questions, examining new sources and finding new meanings in old documents to highlight the perspective of new knowledge and experience for a better understanding of the past (McNeill, 2013). Knowledge of prior history allows for a better understanding of the â€Å"who, what, were, and when† at that particular time in history. We do not always learn from the mistakes that history has shown us; as observed in recent events with the war on terror where, the United states seem to have repeated  the same mistakes in Iraq as were made in Afghanistan. One can argue that if knowledge of the past has been collected and learned over the centuries, then poverty, injustice, immorality and war should not exist. For this reason it is important to recognize that knowledge of the past does not assure avoidance of its failures and mistakes, however understanding the past and its patterns improves one’s ability to analyze the present and make better predictions of future outcomes. As a student engaging in the study of history valuable sources as mentioned in the introduction are Primary sources which include personal diaries, journals, letters or videos from witnesses of the event. Secondary sources can be considered as arguments/interpretation of a primary source and include library databases, textbooks, journal articles and news articles. Conclusion It is both necessary and helpful to study the context of prior history as it creates a view of other people’s feelings and opinions, allowing people to place situations in an appropriate context in the present. Secondary sources of history are valuable. However to best understand the context of history and the values of the participants, nothing is as valuable as a primary resource which include the personal accounts of people having experienced the event. References: The National History Center. (2013). The history major and liberal education. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 95(2), Retrieved from http://www.aacu.org/liberaleducation/le-sp09/le-sp09_history.cfm McNeill, W. (2013). Why study history?. Retrieved from http://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/archives/why-study-history-(1985

The Homeless Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Homeless - Assignment Example In addition, homelessness can be caused by mental disorders, drug abuse and discrimination by the society due to certain reasons like sexual orientation. Some other people find themselves homeless owing to domestic violence, mortgage foreclosures, eviction by tenants and forced expulsion by government in order to set the land aside for other developments. The problem of homelessness was not existent in pre-historic times. Initially, human beings lived in traditional shelters such as caves, huts, and tents. Building these structures was easy and everyone could afford a dwelling because natural building materials were readily available and almost everyone knew how to build. However, during the modern times, the art of building became professional and expensive. Many individuals migrated to urban areas during the industrial revolution. Increased homelessness occurred because of higher land and house prices and strict housing codes. People who were unable to pay the exorbitant rental fees were evicted and, therefore, became homeless. Around 1500s, the homeless in England were punished because they were seen as unauthorized beggars. However, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, they provided them with housing and training for jobs, instead of punishment in order to prevent them from over-relying on the state. The homeless people on the s treets in the United States increased after the American civil war (Bloom, 2005). More people were left homeless in the 1930s because of the Great Depression, which also resulted in increased poverty. In the 1970s, the homeless population increased due to de-institutionalization of people with mental illnesses. The psychiatric, outpatient, and social services that were promised to these people were not provided and, consequently, most of them ended up being homeless. In the 1980s, the number of homeless people increased