Engage Parents In their Childrens Early Learning Assignment

Engage Parents In their Childrens Early Learning - Assignment Example Social barriers result from cultural institutions and structure that encroach on individuals including ethnicity and gender (Tassoni, et al., 2010). Social barriers influence the ability of parents to participate in their children’s early learning and include asylum seekers, travelers, disabled parents, foster carers, and parents located remotely from the school. While some parents find it, difficult to integrate into the school community others demonstrate reluctance or failure to attend school meetings that could affect their level of involvement in school. Cultural barriers involve lack of recognition of values that are not automatically acquainted with different cultural attitudes towards child rearing except those of the natives. Cultural barriers are common especially for immigrants, refugees, and traveling parents who find it difficult to integrate into culturally different schools. Time barriers are common especially for families with parents working, single parent, or more than one child (Smit, et al., 1999). Two working parents’ means there is a shortage of time to participate in school activities or assist children with schoolwork at home. Additionally, single parents have too much on their schedule with little or no time left for participation in children learning. (Bruce, et al., 2011) Circumstance barriers including school governance regulations create a barrier to parent involvement especially by holding regular parents meetings with parents to inform them of new school regulations (Tassoni, et al., 2010). The resulting structure of the school creates circumstances that are uncertain to the parents. Language barriers are common between schools and immigrant parents with only one language of communication (Smit, et al., 1999). In such cases, the schools do not effectively engage the parent in school activities.

Jury Nullification Paper Essay Example for Free

Jury Nullification Paper Essay In this paper I am going to explain whether ethnicity influences courtroom proceedings and judicial practices, and give some examples of ethnicity-based jury nullification, a sanctioned doctrine of trial proceedings wherein members of a jury disregard either the evidence presented of the instructions of the judge in order to reach a verdict based upon their own consciences. It espouses the concept that jurors should be the judges of both law and fact. Ethnicity in court is an important factor depending were your venue of court is located, and the jurors selected to the court. If in a court room there are jurors that are all white and are jurors for a case involving a white man that killed a African American man, may cause the jurors to listen to the white man case rather than the African American individual. In some cases if the white man story is little probable to happen the jurors will then have to take more time and listen closer to both of the stories. Jurors are told when in court that they have to judge by the facts and not by preferences in ethnic groups or color of skin, some do listen some do not take any facts they just prefer to select the person who is less guilty or if they see a similarities in themselves with an offender. One example of a preferred jury was a case that took place on the night of February 26, 2012, in Stanford, Florida, George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old African American high school student. George Zimmerman, a 28 year old Hispanic, was the neighborhood watch coordinator for the gated community where martin was temporarily staying and where the shooting took place. Martin and Zimmerman where in a confrontation while martin was walking thru the gated community while on the ground Zimmerman shot Martin killing him. When officers arrived on scene they took Zimmerman into custody and attended his injuries, then questioned for five hours. Under the state law of Florida it is legal to defend yourself while being under attack and you are able to use lethal force. Zimmerman stated that martin was reaching toward Zimmerman’s gun but no evidence was found. The jury decided that Zimmerman was not guilty, there was controversy in this case because martin was a young black kid who dressed different and was judged by that. The jury I believe looked at Martin as a bigger threat than Zimmerman. In this case a young black male was judged incorrectly by people who saw him as kid that was not going on the correct path, and on the other side they see a person who was keeping a watch on his community and keep them safe. Some people just see a Hispanic male getting away with murder and a African American kid who was killed harshly. For this case 5 of the 6 jurors were considered white and 1 mixed race, in this county were the case took place in Florida only 10 percent of the population are African American. Even though when selecting a jury there is people who make sure there are no bias selection of jurors, sometimes jurors when in court change their minds because they relate to the case or because some similar situations have happen to that juror or a close relative. When jurors relate to cases it starts to become a bias situation, for example if a case of a women that was beaten by a husband because of infidelity, some jurors if women will take the women side and will maybe go against the husband. Otherwise if the jurors are mostly men the men will tend to reduce sentence or even find a reason to liberate the husband accused of beating his wife due to infidelity. When facing a court case such as the famous case of Rodney King the jurors gave a harsh punishment to the police officers not because they were bias, but because the footage of the people who are there to serve and protect were acting like animals and very unprofessional. In this situation the jury were mainly concerned that these officers that were in duty to serve and protect the community can act so savagely, in this case there was a clear bias situation the jurors were not looking at the officers as heroes because they took down a man that was drugged up, the jurors saw the police beating  a man that was defense less and without any help. There will always be all sorts of bias and sometimes racism inside of the court room, jurors are chosen the best as possible but sometimes it just is not enough to sentence a case correctly. Jurors have the responsibility to give the case to the innocent person and to help the judge make the correct decision, but sometimes jurors make mistakes and are guided by their emotions and not the facts, when that happens the case becomes a bias case and usually in favor of the person the jurors think is innocent. In my opinion jurors should be taught and learn on how to use the facts to see all the details of the case, jurors should also be taught different types of classes on looking at all the evidence in favor and not in favor, the jurors should also take in mind that the person being sentenced also have families and deserve a fair opportunity on their criminal case. The diversity on the juror stand should be always permitted I believe there should not be more Whites or Blacks or Hispanic jurors there should be a fair amount of jurors for all ethnicities this will bring a balance and a fair judgment of all the cases in court. This will bring more fairness and belief to the court system and will help the judges job easier and trust the people of the juror stand. To conclude, jurors should be a very great help for criminal cases but they always have to judge with intelligence and with fairness.

Olaudah Equiano :: essays research papers

Olaudah Equiano   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Olaudah Equiano was an African American that fell into slavery. He was forced like many other African Americans during the 17th and 18th century. In the short story about Olaudah Equiano, it tells about his life and what he went through being a slave. The Narrative has some similar things that we went over in class. I am going to discuss a few topics about Equiano and other slaves.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First, there was a lot of trading or bartering going on with the white slave owners. They would use their slaves as a material item and not think of them as a person. They thought of them like a product or money. The trade involved the Americans, the Africans, and finally the West Indies. America mostly traded rum for slaves, Africa traded there own people (which would become slaves to whomever owned them) for sugar and molasses with the West Indies. The West Indies would trade rum, molasses, or sugar to America for slaves. This created a “Triangular Trade.'; It was the most popular and resourceful method to get slaves, rum, or any other thing that a certain country wanted. It worked out for everybody trading except for the slaves. Equiano was traded for such items in the Narrative. The first person to “own'; Equiano was a Quaker named Robert King. He did most of his business in the West Indies. Equiano was eventually traded for sugar cane and was forc ed to go on a slave ship. The conditions were horrible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Equiano was transported on a slave ship called the “Zong.'; The British Republic owned the Zong. Equiano, as well as the other slaves were stuffed under the cargo area. There was so many slaves that they could hardly breathe. They were always hungry because of the little amount of food and the large amount of slaves. Disease spread throughout the ship causing many slaves to die. They would also die of hunger and getting beaten so much by the white crew onboard. Equiano had to survive in these conditions for long periods of time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Equiano was from Nigeria and lived in a powerful village called Essako. The British kidnapped him in 1756. He was kidnapped with his sister and dragged away from there home. A lot of the whites would just go into villages and start taking African Americans to be their slaves or to trade them for goods.

Merry Christmas Essay -- Personal Narrative Essays

Christmas break had just started and a chilly gust of air blew right through me as I walked up to my front door, still in shock from the night’s trauma. Dave called me as I was driving home from my boyfriend, Mike’s house and said that he needed to talk to me about Julie, my best friend and his girlfriend. Because we were also good friends, I, of course, agreed. He was driving home from a basketball camp and said he would call again when he was on his way over. I thought nothing of it because I knew that he and Julie had recently taken a break from each other in order to possibly save their relationship, just like Mike and I had done almost three weeks earlier. I figured he wanted to ask me questions about how Mike and I were handling it and what he could do to reconcile with Julie. He called around nine o’clock and said he had just driven across the causeway and would be at my house in five minutes. I hurriedly threw on a sweatshirt over my long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. Dave came to the door and told my parents we were going out for ice cream. My mother knew better and flashed me a questioning look because I am lactose-intolerant and cannot eat ice cream. But I shrugged it off thinking that he just didn’t want to tell my parents that we were going to go talk about our respective relationship problems. We climbed into his white Jeep Cherokee and headed out of my neighborhood. I asked him, â€Å"Where are we going exactly?† And he said, â€Å"Down to the beach where it’s quiet and we can talk without anyone overhearing us.† This should have tipped me off. We pulled into a parking spot at The Boardwalk, a popular hang-out for high-school students during summer, and climbed out of the car. We walked down the decrepit wo... ...ng to Louisville the next morning to spend Christmas with my family, and we had to get up at 4:30 am. I walked into my room and locked the door behind me. I was supposed to call Mike back after â€Å"talking† with Dave, but I wanted nothing to do with boys. Yes, I loved Mike, but I didn’t know how to explain what happened or what he would think of me. So I just jumped in the shower and climbed into bed, all the time trying to pretend that I hadn’t just been raped by someone who I thought was my friend. It’s been almost four years now, and I’ve recovered quite well. I am still currently with Mike, who does not hold the fact that I was raped against me. He listens to me when I need to talk about it, holds me when I need to be held, and does so without judging me. Telling him was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Now all I have to do is tell Julie.

Integrity

Danielle Shingleton Exemplification essay 10/3/10 Integrity We are presented with choices every day. Many are easy to make and cause very little stress, but some choices can be extremely difficult and have significant consequences. The difference between making the right choice or the wrong one is often determined be a persons character, which is based upon the qualities of integrity, responsibility, and honesty. Gaining an understanding of these three character traits and how to build them is critical to creating a lifetime of positive outcomes. Honesty is the quality or fact of being honest.Finding a pen off the floor and giving it to a teacher is honesty. Not keeping the pen was respectful and honest, in order to reach self actualization and have integrity, you have to have needs met like food and water, love and care from friends and family, especially self confidence. Honesty means basing one’s actions on an internally consistent outline of principles. Depth of principles and devotion of each level to the next are key determining factors. One said to have integrity to the extent that everything they do and believe is based on the same core set of values.While those values may change, it is their consistency with each other and with the person’s actions that determine their integrity. The concept of integrity is directly linked to responsibility. Responsibility is acknowledging that you are solely responsible for the choices in your life. Taking on a job while still in high school and maintain good grades if very possible. Accepting that you are responsible for what you choose to feel or think. Accepting that you cannot blame others for the choices you have made.And protecting and nurturing your health and emotional well being. When a person is trustworthy, he or she can be relied upon to be honest, reliable, and loyal which means they have integrity. But its equally important to be respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and demonstrate good c itizenship. Good citizenship can be viewed in many ways. Hitler viewed his actions as reliable, honest, fair, and thought he was demonstrating good citizenship by eliminating a different race. The Nazis saw Hitler as a man with integrity. We saw Hitler as a cruel unfair man without integrity.Good character and integrity are easiest to demonstrate when facing public disapproval, but the true test comes when you can potentially get away with anything because then nothing is at stake but your own conscience. Trustworthy is very similar to truthfulness, uprightness, and honor. Truthfulness is when a person consistently tells the truth, and is honest. Honor is the equality of being honorable, and to show respect for others. These simple but powerful words are components of integrity. A person of integrity does exactly what he says and says exactly what he means.There is no conflict between his thoughts and actions. His actions are consistent with the values he professes. According to Dr. William Manninger, A building without integrity may receive structural damage, or even collapse, in a storm. Similarly, people without integrity are blown about by the winds of misfortune and destroyed by catastrophes, for they lack the firmness, solidity, and strength of character to weather any storm. This means that integrity is one of the six essential qualities that are the key to success. The other five are sincerity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, and charity.Integrity is about doing what is right rather than what is appropriate. Not everyone has integrity; the family life has a major impact on a person’s values and principles. When you have integrity you know it as much as everyone else around you does. Just because someone makes a few simple mistakes here and there doesn’t mean they have no integrity. Low integrity is when people get punished, they feel guilty, and lose respect from family and friends. You have a bad reputation, your actions result in problems, accidents, injuries, even death.You also get other people into trouble, by blaming everyone else but yourself. There are benefits to having high integrity, such as; being happy and making other people happy, you have peace of mind, and no guilt feelings. You feel good or satisfied at having done the right thing. As you gain respect from family and friends, you may become an inspiration to others. A person with integrity will have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. it’s not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what profess but what we practice that gives us integrity. † â€Å"A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times. † â€Å"Living with integrity mean: Not s ettling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking the truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are harmony with your personal values.Making choices based on what you believe, and not what other believes. † You cannot become â€Å"Integridized† in one day. In order to have integrity, you have to go through milestones in your life. No one can persuade you to become integridized. It’s all personal beliefs and doing the right thing. The majority of integrity comes from the home life. Family and friends play a major role in a person’s life. Being though the right things and to be honest and have goals and be true will have more integrity in life than anyone else. Let’s say one day you find one hundred dollars in your school.Would you keep it, or would you hand it to the teacher? You don’t lie, and you are reliable. You can always be de pended on you are trustworthy; people are able to put their trust in you. That is integrity, by not keeping the money and turning it in. That little person talking to you in the back of your head telling you turn it in is part of having integrity! According to Mark D. Rasche, in his Biblical Integrity days of praise article, â€Å"let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. † â€Å"Some have said that integrity can be measured by what a person does when no else is looking.While this may be an indicator of integrity, it is not the real litmus test. According to scripture, the true gauge of a man’s integrity is his heart. The worlds evaluates a person’s integrity from hat it see’s in a man’s outward behavior. God judge’s integrity from what he sees in a man’s heart, for â€Å"every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondered the hearts†. In other words, man measure integrity from the outside, and God measure integrity from the inside. † I truly believe integrity is not lost in America. Integrity is not found on the surface you have to dig deep within in to uncover it.You hear all the time people saying the, â€Å"There are no men of integrity left. † This is not true. Men and women of integrity are everywhere. Think about this, how many people pass your car, house, and your place of business each day and do not steal from it? We spend too much time focusing on people without integrity and we forget to celebrate and show gratitude to those who do what is right every day. What you focus you attention and actions on you will receive. If you search the world for examples of people failing you will find all the examples you are looking for.The same is true for those that seek examples of integrity. If you focus your attention on discovering people that do what is right you will find integrity everywhere you look. You might not have to look very far to find what y ou are searching for. Chances are you will only need to look inside yourself. Yourself improvement blog, article: the most important trait of successful people! States that â€Å"a life lived with integrity-even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come† says author of article Denis Waitley Integrity Danielle Shingleton Exemplification essay 10/3/10 Integrity We are presented with choices every day. Many are easy to make and cause very little stress, but some choices can be extremely difficult and have significant consequences. The difference between making the right choice or the wrong one is often determined be a persons character, which is based upon the qualities of integrity, responsibility, and honesty. Gaining an understanding of these three character traits and how to build them is critical to creating a lifetime of positive outcomes. Honesty is the quality or fact of being honest.Finding a pen off the floor and giving it to a teacher is honesty. Not keeping the pen was respectful and honest, in order to reach self actualization and have integrity, you have to have needs met like food and water, love and care from friends and family, especially self confidence. Honesty means basing one’s actions on an internally consistent outline of principles. Depth of principles and devotion of each level to the next are key determining factors. One said to have integrity to the extent that everything they do and believe is based on the same core set of values.While those values may change, it is their consistency with each other and with the person’s actions that determine their integrity. The concept of integrity is directly linked to responsibility. Responsibility is acknowledging that you are solely responsible for the choices in your life. Taking on a job while still in high school and maintain good grades if very possible. Accepting that you are responsible for what you choose to feel or think. Accepting that you cannot blame others for the choices you have made.And protecting and nurturing your health and emotional well being. When a person is trustworthy, he or she can be relied upon to be honest, reliable, and loyal which means they have integrity. But its equally important to be respectful, responsible, fair, caring, and demonstrate good c itizenship. Good citizenship can be viewed in many ways. Hitler viewed his actions as reliable, honest, fair, and thought he was demonstrating good citizenship by eliminating a different race. The Nazis saw Hitler as a man with integrity. We saw Hitler as a cruel unfair man without integrity.Good character and integrity are easiest to demonstrate when facing public disapproval, but the true test comes when you can potentially get away with anything because then nothing is at stake but your own conscience. Trustworthy is very similar to truthfulness, uprightness, and honor. Truthfulness is when a person consistently tells the truth, and is honest. Honor is the equality of being honorable, and to show respect for others. These simple but powerful words are components of integrity. A person of integrity does exactly what he says and says exactly what he means.There is no conflict between his thoughts and actions. His actions are consistent with the values he professes. According to Dr. William Manninger, A building without integrity may receive structural damage, or even collapse, in a storm. Similarly, people without integrity are blown about by the winds of misfortune and destroyed by catastrophes, for they lack the firmness, solidity, and strength of character to weather any storm. This means that integrity is one of the six essential qualities that are the key to success. The other five are sincerity, humility, courtesy, wisdom, and charity.Integrity is about doing what is right rather than what is appropriate. Not everyone has integrity; the family life has a major impact on a person’s values and principles. When you have integrity you know it as much as everyone else around you does. Just because someone makes a few simple mistakes here and there doesn’t mean they have no integrity. Low integrity is when people get punished, they feel guilty, and lose respect from family and friends. You have a bad reputation, your actions result in problems, accidents, injuries, even death.You also get other people into trouble, by blaming everyone else but yourself. There are benefits to having high integrity, such as; being happy and making other people happy, you have peace of mind, and no guilt feelings. You feel good or satisfied at having done the right thing. As you gain respect from family and friends, you may become an inspiration to others. A person with integrity will have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. it’s not what we eat but what we digest that makes us strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; and not what profess but what we practice that gives us integrity. † â€Å"A person is not given integrity. It results from the relentless pursuit of honesty at all times. † â€Å"Living with integrity mean: Not s ettling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. Asking for what you want and need from others. Speaking the truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. Behaving in ways that are harmony with your personal values.Making choices based on what you believe, and not what other believes. † You cannot become â€Å"Integridized† in one day. In order to have integrity, you have to go through milestones in your life. No one can persuade you to become integridized. It’s all personal beliefs and doing the right thing. The majority of integrity comes from the home life. Family and friends play a major role in a person’s life. Being though the right things and to be honest and have goals and be true will have more integrity in life than anyone else. Let’s say one day you find one hundred dollars in your school.Would you keep it, or would you hand it to the teacher? You don’t lie, and you are reliable. You can always be de pended on you are trustworthy; people are able to put their trust in you. That is integrity, by not keeping the money and turning it in. That little person talking to you in the back of your head telling you turn it in is part of having integrity! According to Mark D. Rasche, in his Biblical Integrity days of praise article, â€Å"let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. † â€Å"Some have said that integrity can be measured by what a person does when no else is looking.While this may be an indicator of integrity, it is not the real litmus test. According to scripture, the true gauge of a man’s integrity is his heart. The worlds evaluates a person’s integrity from hat it see’s in a man’s outward behavior. God judge’s integrity from what he sees in a man’s heart, for â€Å"every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondered the hearts†. In other words, man measure integrity from the outside, and God measure integrity from the inside. † I truly believe integrity is not lost in America. Integrity is not found on the surface you have to dig deep within in to uncover it.You hear all the time people saying the, â€Å"There are no men of integrity left. † This is not true. Men and women of integrity are everywhere. Think about this, how many people pass your car, house, and your place of business each day and do not steal from it? We spend too much time focusing on people without integrity and we forget to celebrate and show gratitude to those who do what is right every day. What you focus you attention and actions on you will receive. If you search the world for examples of people failing you will find all the examples you are looking for.The same is true for those that seek examples of integrity. If you focus your attention on discovering people that do what is right you will find integrity everywhere you look. You might not have to look very far to find what y ou are searching for. Chances are you will only need to look inside yourself. Yourself improvement blog, article: the most important trait of successful people! States that â€Å"a life lived with integrity-even if it lacks the trappings of fame and fortune is a shining star in whose light others may follow in the years to come† says author of article Denis Waitley

10 Classes of Careless Usage

10 Classes of Careless Usage 10 Classes of Careless Usage 10 Classes of Careless Usage By Mark Nichol If you find yourself making any of the following types of errors, general or specific, brush up on your writing with grammar guides and usage handbooks and/or any or all of the other strategies mentioned at the end of this post. 1. Appending an s to words in which, in most usage, the letter should not be included (for example, regards, as in â€Å"in regards to†) or that, in American English, have dropped it altogether (backward). (Using the -st ending in such words as amidst and amongst is a similar sign of poor usage.) 2. Using the incorrect form of pronouns writing, for example, â€Å"My friend and myself† instead of â€Å"My friend and I† or â€Å"That happened to she and I at the same time† rather than â€Å"That happened to her and me at the same time.† (If you don’t like the way that sentence looks, either, write, â€Å"That happened to both of us at the same time.†) 3. Using unnecessarily complicated words or phrases in favor of simpler, well-established terms: utilize instead of use, â€Å"prior to† in place of before, subsequently instead of later. 4. Using nonwords: irregardless, supposably, theirselves. 5. Using plural forms of words instead of singular ones: â€Å"a criteria,† â€Å"a phenomena.† 6. Using less when fewer is appropriate: â€Å"There are less boxes than I thought† instead of â€Å"There are fewer boxes than I thought.† 7. Using euphemisms: â€Å"He passed away last year† instead of â€Å"He died last year.† 8. Using badly in place of bad in such sentences as â€Å"He feels badly about the decision.† 9. Adding extraneous prepositions: â€Å"That’s too small of a shirt for you.† 10. Employing erroneous wording of idiomatic phrases: â€Å"for all intensive purposes† instead of â€Å"for all intents and purposes.† So, how do you know if you’re making such mistakes? Printing this representative list out and tacking it up next to your computer is all well and good for reminding you about these ten pitfalls, but what about the hundreds of others that plague writers? A combination of strategies is called for: Do Your Homework Borrow or buy some of the books listed in the post I linked to in the first paragraph, or check out the resources reviewed on this site. You needn’t read these guides cover to cover; just browse each one to determine whether its content or presentation style is appropriate for you, then, a few pages at a time, work your way through the ones that work for you. Read Role Models Seek out high-quality prose: leading magazines and newspapers and great literature. You don’t have to give up reading your favorite blogs or pulp fiction (some of which is/are very well written), but divide your leisure reading between the exemplary and the acceptable so that you can distinguish between the two and recognize well-constructed prose. Go Back to School Take a writing or editing class, whether offered as part of a university’s regular curriculum or as a continuing-education course. Whether you earned an MA in literature is irrelevant. You probably didn’t focus on the mechanics of writing during your college years, but now it’s time to do so. Ask for Backup Get a friend or a colleague whose writing or editing skills you respect to look over shorter pieces for you and flag grammar and usage errors. (Emphasize that you’d like them to merely call out the problems; you’ll solve them.) This strategy doesn’t work if you’ve completed a novel or a thick report, unless you can pay or trade for services, but when applied to short stories or modest work projects, it will help you develop your skills. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Precedent vs. Precedence50 Synonyms for "Song"

Reaction Rate Definition and Equation

Reaction Rate Definition and Equation The reaction rate is defined as the rate at which the reactants of a chemical reaction form the products.  Reaction rates are expressed as concentration per unit time. Reaction Rate Equation The rate of a chemical equation may be calculated using the rate equation. For a chemical reaction: a  A   b  B →  p  P   q  Q The rate of the reaction is: r k(T)[A]n[B]n k(T) is the rate constant or reaction rate coefficient. However, this value is not technically a constant because it includes the factors that affect reaction rate (most notably temperature). n and m are reaction orders. They equal the stoichiometric coefficient for single-step reactions, but are determined by a more complicated method for multi-step reactions. Factors That Affect Reaction Rate There are several factors that influence the rate of a chemical reaction: Temperature: Usually this is a key factor. In more cases, raising the temperature increases the rate of a reaction because higher kinetic energy leads to more collisions between reactant particles. This, in turn, increases the chance some of the colliding particles will have sufficient activation energy to react with each other. The Arrhenius equation is used to quantify the effect of temperature on reaction rate. It is important to note some reaction rates are negatively impacted by temperature, while a few are independent of temperature.The Chemical Reaction: The nature of the chemical reaction plays a large role in determining reaction rate. In particular, the complexity of the reaction and the state of matter of the reactants is important. For example, reacting a powder in a solution typically proceeds faster than reacting a large chunk of solid.Concentration: Increasing the concentration of the reactants increases the rate of a chemical reaction.Pressure: Increasing the pressure increases the rate of reaction. Order: The reaction order determines the nature of the effect of pressure or concentration on rate.Solvent: In some cases, a solvent does not participate in a reaction, but does affect its rate.Light: Light or other electromagnetic radiation often speeds up reaction rate. In some cases, the energy causes more particle collisions. In others, light acts to form intermediate products that affect the reaction.Catalyst: A catalyst lowers activation energy and increases reaction rate in both forward and reverse directions. Sources Connors, Kenneth (1990). Chemical Kinetics:The Study of Reaction Rates in Solution. VCH Publishers. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-471-72020-1.Isaacs, Neil S. (1995). Section 2.8.3. Physical Organic Chemistry (2nd ed.). Harlow: Addison Wesley Longman. ISBN 9780582218635.IUPAC (1997) Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the Gold Book).Laidler, K. J.; Meiser, J.H. (1982). Physical Chemistry. Benjamin/Cummings. ISBN 0-8053-5682-7.

Meiji restoration. essays

Meiji restoration. essays The Meiji Restoration had a massive impact on Japan from 1868 1914. The Meiji Restoration impacted upon Japan by modernizing Japans military and introducing compulsory education. The Meiji Restoration also transformed Japan into an industrial country instead of a solely agricultural country. Japan wanted to have a more organized, better-equipped military and trained along Western lines. The Meiji government modeled the new army around the German army, which was clearly the best in the world at the time. The leaders of the army were from the Choshu clan; Choshu held the top position in the Imperial Japanese army well into the 20th century. In order to man the new army, the Meiji government introduced conscription in 1873. All men regardless of their social class had to serve for three years in the normal army and 4 years in the reserves. It was now forbidden to posses swords; the impact of this was that the Samurai lost their status and were no longer warriors. It also supported social change. Japan established an Imperial Navy, modeled on the British Royal Navy, the worlds best at the time. Japan purchased modern steam-powered war-ships from the British and the Navy was organized and trained along British lines. Most officers were recruited from the Satsuma clan, again the Samurai were excluded and this impacted on them enormously. At the beginning of the Meiji Restoration there were a variety of thoughts and practices concerning mass education. On July 18th 1871 the Meiji government established a Ministry of Education and August 3rd 1872 established a new national education system Gakusei. The earlier form of education were Terakoya ( village or town schools often in local temples) or Gogaku ( semi-official schools ). This new form of education meant compulsory education. Gakusei the Fundamental Code of Education was introduced as the first national scheme of mas ...

Arugmentative essay on which is better the pc or the mac computer

Arugmentative on which is better the pc or the mac computer - Essay Example Both fruit would have supporters lauding the differences in inherent nutritive value, taste, and texture of each. When we compare an Apple Mac to a MS Windows PC, two traditional feasible choices for personal and business computing, though, the subjective should be thrown out of the window and the facts wisely considered. While it is true that Windows has been ‘virally’ (pun intended!) popular, the time has come for certain misconceptions about the Mac to be cleared up and how it will be a very good choice. The inevitable argument against the Mac is that it is more expensive than a Windows PC. While at times true, the fact is it often costs less than or about the same as its Windows counterpart. A Windows PC’s cost does not include multimedia software and hardware that you will need or want. By buying the extras, you pay more than the cost of a Mac which comes bundled with software like iLife. Consider long-term savings: Macs have been proved to be less expensive to run than Windows. The reputable CIO magazine quoted an Enterprise Desktop Alliance survey as finding the total cost of ownership (TCO) with a Mac to be much lower than a Windows PC. â€Å"Macs were cheaper in six of seven computer management categories: troubleshooting, help desk calls, system configuration, user training and supporting infrastructure.† (Kaneshige). Almost half the respondents reported licensing fees were about the same on both these platforms. In 2002, Apple, introduced the OS X, an operating system (OS) based on UNIX. Specialists consider it one of the most advanced, stable and secure OSs available commercially. It is a multimedia sensation thanks to its architecture and graphics. Users find the OS X smart, agile and a delight to use. In comparison Windows OSs have been compared to bulky, lumbering giants plagued by crashes requiring restarts that cost time and money. In Windows if you erroneously shift a folder or a file such as a program file

Should Smoking be Prohibited on Campus Speech or Presentation

Should Smoking be Prohibited on Campus - Speech or Presentation Example The debate of whether or not to ban smoking on campus has been there for quite a while, particularly since the start of the 21st century. Seeing more and more college campuses putting bans on smoking presently creates a huge debate platform for both defenders and proponents. While some think that such campus smoking bans mostly remain effective on certain levels in discouraging the newly independent college students to continue smoking, critics claim that college smoking bans are a product of pure authoritative rule under which no individual freedom is allowed. According to latest report, all campuses of University of California will be banning smoking as a result of which every campus would become smoke-free over the course of two years as the UC President compelled the chancellors of all the campuses nationwide to begin implementing smoke-free policies (Rojas, 2012). Discussion of causes: Defenders of campus smoking bans claim that smoking practices on campus seriously interfere wi th a healthy educational atmosphere and if such bans are taken seriously by more and more management authorities and strictly implemented, vivid changes can be seen happening in favor of mental and physical wellbeing of the students. ... s, to break free from the spell of conservative norms they are taught by their parents at homes which is why they fall for heaving smoking while absolutely disregarding the sanctity of their educational institution. Because continuing smoking habit on campus can potentially fuel a student’s mind to develop vast distance between him/herself and abiding by the educational requirements, so smoking should be absolutely banned on campus according to defenders of ban imposition. Campus smoking bans are not very old because it was not before 2000 that smoking-free campuses began surfacing in America. From this, it can be ascertained that smoking-free colleges are essentially a consequence of an increase in the health awareness and consciousness in the educated society which has occurred in the 21st century. The smoke-free spree was fuelled by the fact that no one could pass in or out of a door on any campus without going through a corridor fraught with smoke (Patterson, cited in Stei nberg, 2011). Students began smoking on campus in such a staggering number that it raised huge concern for the education, health and mental wellbeing of a student which is why smoking bans are getting more and more common with every passing day. Colleges that have imposed the ban on smoking should continue with the ban because it is one of the most important health concerns. Smoking is potentially dangerous for health as it is known to be a cause of several diseases that include but are not limited to oral cancer, lungs cancer and heart attack. Smoking in colleges should be prohibited also because smoking happens to be the first step in the way towards drug addiction for a lot of students. Being young and immature, students start exploring the world of narcotics and drugs starting from smoking

Copyright Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Copyright Law - Essay Example The internet is so vast that nobody can possibly keep a check or control on pictures or text being plagiarized or copied without permission from the owner. This report will identify the methods of preventing infringers from using, sharing or downloading images from the internet without the permission of the photographers. It also discusses in detail the proposal of the research including the objective of the research; the problems faced by photographers and their concerns; ways of preventing the infringement on copyright; and later the methodology to be used in the research is stated. This has a great relevance in the present scenario since the World Wide Web is threatened by excessive illegal use of photographs, write-ups, designs etc by uncountable number of users. The exclusivity of such works of creativity is at stake due to people who steal it for their own vested interest, depriving the owner from his rights of selling his original work. Though it's practically impossible to find out or keep a tab on sharing or usage of such works without permission, the research will definitely focus on aspects that may not be the perfect solution for the problem but a remedy atleast to bring down the practice, if not curb it completely. In the moder 2. Research Questions The research questions for this study will be: a) Do photographers have a copyright on their pictures b) How can photographers protect their rights c) What are the different types of infringements d) What are the various method of protecting images from being copied illegally 3. Literature Review 'The obvious problem arises when people say 'if something is on the net, then it must be free'. You can download photographs very easily'. Patricia L. Baade (1996-1997) In the modern world, with the advances of the technology, the infringement of copyright law is taking place not only in the real life but in the World Wide Web as well. In comparison with the real life, where infringing materials can be destroyed and their authors punished, the internet cannot be shut down. Therefore, it is often used for illegal purposes. The materials infringed can be of various characters: be it musical files, films, sound recording or photographs. This research paper will focus on one type of the works, namely works of photographers. A lot of research has been done on this subject in the past since there is a great concern among the photographers that with the development of Internet and other technology it would be very hard to control the ways their works are being published. Anybody and everybody in the present scenario feels free to download and

Three Main Stages in a Listening Lesson and Activities Suitable For Essay

Three Main Stages in a Listening Lesson and Activities Suitable For Each Stage - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that when the learners have been able to listen accurately, they are in a better position to refine their understanding of the grammatical structure of the content being taught and also apply it to develop their own vocabulary. The planning of a listening lesson should be systematic  so that the teacher can prepare the students for listening just before the actual listening lesson begins, and continue to prepare them during the actual listening lesson and even after the lesson. The systematic planning is necessary, owing to the fact that learners can experience problems in understanding and the subsequent interpretation of the content of the listening lesson. Thus, there are three main stages that a listening lesson should undergo in order to enhance the chances of the students’ understanding, comprehending and interpreting the content accurately. These stages are: Pre-listening is the first stage in a listening lesson, which occurs before the actual listening of the text by the learners begin. Pre-listening is a vital stage in the listening lesson, due to the fact that it acts as a preparation stage for the learners to get an idea of what they are going to listen. One of the major goals why the Pre-listening stage is important in a listening lesson is that it is the necessary stage for offering the necessary motivation to the learners. Motivation is important because it is the element that arouses the interest of the students in the text, making the students ready to listen keenly to the content. Therefore, the role of the teacher at the Pre-listening stage should be that of motivating the learners through creating interest and raising their curiosity regarding what the listening text contains.

Research Method-The Problem of Online Shopping Essay

Research Method-The Problem of Online Shopping - Essay Example With online shopping, less time is spent in queues and travels, less money is used in traveling to the stores, chances for pilferage are abated and the geographical barriers between the consumer and the retailer are significantly attenuated. Nevertheless, it is a fact that any human construct is inherently flawed, its merits and many benefits notwithstanding. Online shopping having been contrived by man is not an exception. It is against this backdrop that some of the shortcomings of online shopping are to be discussed forthwith. Problem statement Serious problems accost online shopping, despite its many advantages. The need to tackle these problems is necessitated by the desire to make online shopping more efficient and more secure. The import of this is that it is only upon these problems being discussed, that online shopping can be made more secure, efficient and more user-friendly. There can never be the provision of a viable and sustainable solution without the identification an d discussion of co-occurring problems. The flipside of this is that the failure to discuss these problems is bound to leave online shoppers susceptible to security breaches and general and systems malfunctions. Background and rationale This study is sustained against the backdrop of online shopping’s popularity which continues to suffuse almost all trading blocks. At the moment, online trading or shopping is steadily growing, just as Shah (2012) points out that it has grown from 0.4% in the first quarter of 2012 to 3.9% in the third quarter of 2011. With this growing popularity, the need to strengthen online shopping against its pitfalls remains paramount. Likewise, there can be no strengthening of online shopping without the accurate identification of the loopholes that characterise online shopping. This means that the main intention of this study is not to merely discount online shopping on the account of its weakness. On the contrary, the necessity of this study is precipi tated by the need to ultimately seal the problems of online shopping by identifying the same problems first. Literature review According to a research study that Weiyin-Hong, James and Kar-Yan (2005) conducted and discussed in the Journal of Management Information Systems, the chief problem of online shopping is fraud and security concerns. Some of the problems that border on security matters include identity theft, preponderance of spyware and faulty products. Courtesy of the research study in the Journal of Management Information Systems, Weiyin-Hong, James and Kar-Yan (2005) established that the problem of insecurity is compounded by another sub-problem which is the inability to physically inspect online merchandise before the transaction. The same problem is further aggravated by the merchant’s inability to detect fraudulent purchases. Fraudulent purchases are made with stolen cards, or fraudulent circumventing systems that regulate online purchases. Conversely, clients h ave also had to contend with security shortfalls when participating in online shopping. One of the security breaches that online shoppers have to deal with is phishing. Phishing happens in an instance where online shoppers are duped into thinking that they are dealing with a genuine or reputable dealer. Thus, these online shoppers proceed to feed their private

Three Main Stages in a Listening Lesson and Activities Suitable For Essay

Three Main Stages in a Listening Lesson and Activities Suitable For Each Stage - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that when the learners have been able to listen accurately, they are in a better position to refine their understanding of the grammatical structure of the content being taught and also apply it to develop their own vocabulary. The planning of a listening lesson should be systematic  so that the teacher can prepare the students for listening just before the actual listening lesson begins, and continue to prepare them during the actual listening lesson and even after the lesson. The systematic planning is necessary, owing to the fact that learners can experience problems in understanding and the subsequent interpretation of the content of the listening lesson. Thus, there are three main stages that a listening lesson should undergo in order to enhance the chances of the students’ understanding, comprehending and interpreting the content accurately. These stages are: Pre-listening is the first stage in a listening lesson, which occurs before the actual listening of the text by the learners begin. Pre-listening is a vital stage in the listening lesson, due to the fact that it acts as a preparation stage for the learners to get an idea of what they are going to listen. One of the major goals why the Pre-listening stage is important in a listening lesson is that it is the necessary stage for offering the necessary motivation to the learners. Motivation is important because it is the element that arouses the interest of the students in the text, making the students ready to listen keenly to the content. Therefore, the role of the teacher at the Pre-listening stage should be that of motivating the learners through creating interest and raising their curiosity regarding what the listening text contains.

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (CPM, ASPA, Research Paper

IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS (CPM, ASPA, TCMA, IG, ETC.) - Research Paper Example Increasing productivity does not merely mean to give the output or product in the industry in a very minute time rather it is the collection of number of quantitative and qualitative determinants which ensure the productivity. The first determinant to measure the productivity is the quality of the product that is produced by the work force. If the requirements of the customers are being met in the optimal way and the satisfaction graph of the client is increasing then definitely the work force, machinery and managerial group of that organization will be called as productive (Bradford, 1997). Increasing productivity through professional organization has been an emerging phenomenon of the present time as every organization cannot sort out the way to ensure the increase of productivity within or outside the premises of the work place. There are certain factors which have to be analyzed prior to the start of the process of increasing and augmenting productivity. The Professional associat ions make sure that the productivity factors are increased according to the demand and needs of the customers and the peculiar requirement analysis is done in order to fulfill the requirements of the organization and individuals (Alchian & Demsetz, 1972). The productivity factor largely depends upon the input given at the start. The input can be in the form of hired workforce, raw materials and hardware. The professional associations make sure that the productivity is increase by taking the perspective of the ratio and proportion of the input and output terms so that the efficiency also remain the focus of the organization. For example if the firm will produce the output of a very good quality within very less time then no doubt the productivity will said to be greater in the acute terms but the fact of the matter is that the efficiency is lessened because there is not inculcation of the cost effectiveness of the company and the company will shut down within a very less time frame. The productivity has to incur the production cost and the budgeting factors of the locality. The professional associations take all the stakeholders on board in order to make sure that no party is outside the hierarchical structure so that the productivity can be increase in a very effective and nominal way. There is a diverse choice of productivity increasing options in the modern world because the professional organizations are being deployed by almost every organization of good repute. One of the most acclaimed and renowned professional associations that are known for their great performance in helping to increase productivity of organizations and individuals are American society of administrative professionals (ASAP). This association helps the individuals and organization to work on different aspect of the professional and social life to increase and improve the productivity. As far as the professional services are concerned they conduct different training programs, webinars, w orkshops and seminars in order to educate people about nurturing their skills and building interpersonal relationships so that the

Comparing Hedonistic and Utilitarian Products Essay Example for Free

Comparing Hedonistic and Utilitarian Products Essay Utilitarian Consumption: The consumption of products has tangible benefit for consumer. In western culture, such products are often labeled as practical or necessary. Utilitarian products are purchased and consumed to satisfy consumer’s practical or functional needs. Utilitarian consumer behavior has been described as ergic, task-related and rational. In the marketing literature choice and decision with respect to utilitarian products and informed by the utility maximizing perspective. Thus the consumption of utilitarian products is more instrumental. The motivation initiating the need for a utilitarian product suggests that these products are primarily thought of in terms of their functional performance. Hedonic Consumption: The consumption of products for fun, amusement, fantasy, arousal, sensory stimulation, or enjoyment. Hedonic, pleasure-oriented consumption is motivated by the desire for sensual pleasure and fun. In western culture such products are often labeled as frivolous or decadent. The concept of hedonic consumption recognizes that individuals consume many types of products because of the feelings and images that are associated with the product. The cognitive motives driving the consumption of hedonic products are arguably the need to satisfy symbolic and value-expressive motives such as ego gratification, social acceptance and intellectual. Hedonic products have pleasure potential whereas utilitarian products perform functions in everyday life. Products with pleasure potential provide intangible, symbolic benefits and are likely to hold greater potential for evoking positive emotions in a consumer. Consumer decision making process: Consumers are often faced with these types of choices between hedonic and utilitarian alternatives that are at least partly driven by emotional desires rather than cold cognitive deliberations. Hence, these choices represent an important domain of consumer decision-making. Yet much of the pioneering work in behavioral decision theory has largely focused on the cognitive aspects of decision-making without exploring its emotional dimensions. Consumer decision is driven by functionality, usage and benefits out of various functions of product in the case of utilitarian consumption. But the decision making process is obsessed by symbolism, status, value-expression and social acceptance. For example: the decision of buying bread is driven is by its generic functions and attributes not by brand or image, which are already underlined and understood by every consumer. In case of designer suit the decision is influenced by its brand, image, labels and certain associations like brand ambassador , designer and promoters or co-owner also.

Issues Involved In Attracting Visitors To Museums Tourism Essay

Issues Involved In Attracting Visitors To Museums Tourism Essay In addition to its collection, preservation and educational role museums must also attract the largest possible audience to survive. Discuss this statement with reference to Heritage Tourism and a major London museum. Heritage tourism is a sector inside the tourism industry that has strong historical importance. It covers an area or object that can symbolize a culture, nature or just a specific environment that is important to remember and preserve throughout history. Widely mentioned in the 1990s the importance of heritage tourism grew becoming one of the most important sectors in the tourism industry, Palmer (1999) Heritage tourism is a very broad and multifaceted. It attempts to preserve the past for the benefit and interest of future generations. It can be represented through many forms such as literature, culture and traditions, architecture, landscapes and a variety of other objects. Heritage tourism is quite a new concept in tourism and it is complex because it differs from person to person depending on their beliefs, culture, traditions and/or nationality. It is easy to understand that heritage tourism is related to museums. Museums have a strong link with heritage tourism. Museums are meant to preserve all kinds of things that are relevant to history and make them available throughout the years. The main purpose of a museum is to sell history through an exhibition, preservation and storage of symbolic objects. Museums attempt to explain the importance of these objects and make it a enjoyable experience to its visitors. Most of the facts and events that we know about our history are because of the role that museums have in preserving history as well as explaining it Marstine (2006). Museums can be owned by the public and private sector and this can influence they way they operate and interact with the public and what they exhibit. Museums focus on many specific areas of history and, as they are business and they are managed in order to make profit, many exhibitions are prioritized according to the visitors interests, Garrod, (2008.) Museums focus primarily on visitors who are interested and are receptive to changes on their views and opinions about the world Langer (1993) Visitors of museums should understand the topic that the museum is trying to cover by questioning and reasoning. There can be two types of museum visitors defined by Langer (1993) and Moscardo (1996): the mindful and the mindless. A mindful visitor accepts information through various interpretations and is able to contextualize them. Being a mindful visitor means that one is able to accept that there is no single correct way to interpret a single historical situation. A mindless visitor finds other interpretations besides the one he or she possesses irrelevant as these visitors are not receptive as the mindful ones. They are not receptive to other interpretations or viewpoints because they are unable to question the information they already possess. Usually they are subject to believe and follow a single definition and/or stereotype. They are usually not interest, do not really know about the exhibition and do not care much about it. A good museum has to be entertaining for both types of visitors. A museum has to consider different morals, cultures, ideologies, traditions and political views from its visitors in order to offer them a good experience and make their visit interesting and worth their time and money spent. The Natural History Museum The Natural History Museum is located in London, England on Exhibition Road, in South Kensington, together with the science museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and has charitable purposes. It has been called The Natural History Museum since 1992 due to the Museums and Galleries Act. The museum has five specific collections related to botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology. These five collections have around 70 million objects in total. The Natural History Museum is famous worldwide for its dinosaur exhibition that includes a large diplodocus dinosaur skeleton. The Natural History Museum is referred to in many research projects, focusing on areas such taxonomy, identification and preservation. Some of the items are as important scientifically as they are historically since Charles Darwin has worked with them directly. The museum has a large library that holds many scientific research books, articles, hand written documents and art collections. However this library is only accessible by appointment. Geological Museum The Natural History Museum joined the Geological Museum in 1986 from the British Geological Survey. The museum is internationally known for its James Gardiner exhibitions of the active volcano and earthquake devices. The museum has also hosted the first electronically generated exhibition called Treasures of the Earth. The galleries in the museum were redeveloped in 1996 and renamed The Earth Galleries. The galleries in the Waterhouse building were also renamed as The Life Galleries The Geological Museum shows examples from the 19th century of display techniques used in the Waterhouse building. Neal Potter designed the central atrium, where visitors are transported to this area through an escalator made out of plates that symbolize earth. The walls were made out of recycled materials with representations of the major stars and planets. The background has six imagines that demonstrate how older generations viewed earth. Darwin Centre Named after Charles Darwin, the Darwin Centre holds a collection of preserved animals, a work place for scientific researchers and recent educational visitor experiences. It was built in two phases and it is one of the most important ventures in the Natural History Museum. Phase one hosted the zoological items, mainly preserved in alcohol. Phase two holds the botanical exhibits. Phased two opened in 2009 and it is in a shape of a giant cocoon. The Darwin Centre became famous for Archie an eight meter long giant squid that hangs in the middle of the centre. The Attenborough Studio Named after Sir David Attenborough, a prestigious broadcaster and presenter, the Attenborough Studio holds the most important footages on natural History. In collaboration with the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) the Attenborough Studio has as its main goal to share science education and preservation efforts through multimedia material, becoming a vital part of Darwin Centre. The West side of the building also keeps a wildlife garden, where various types of plants are on display and a possibly new type of insect species similar to the ant was discovered in 2007. The Museum also holds four different galleries that are differentiated by colour and contain different things, they are as follows: Red Zone: Earth Lab, Earths Treasury,Lasting Impressions, Restless Surface, Earth Today and Tomorrow, From the Beginning, The Power Within, Visions of Earth. Green zone: Birds, Creepy Crawlies, Ecology, Fossil Marine Reptiles, Giant Sequoia and Central Hall, Minerals, The Vault, Our Place in Evolution, Plant Power, Primates, Investigate. Blue zone: Dinosaurs, Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles, Human Biology, Marine Invertebrates, Mammals (Blue Whale), Nature Live. Orange zone: Wildlife Garden, Darwin Centre. The Natural History Museum has become incredibly popular with its visitors over the years, because of its range of diverse things to see. It is not only popular for educational school trips but all kinds of people can come and find something they will be interested in. Politics The issue of politics in Museums can show in a clear way the attitude a certain nation may feel toward an issue in history, or how people have different ideas about what happened. For example, visiting a museum that has exhibits and galleries regarding past conflicts, these museums will portray their countries military objectives and assets as positive, this aides in the nations patriotism and makes nationals of the country proud when they visit. The recreation for some galleries and exhibits in the Natural History Museum rely mainly on the accuracy of the way that certain things are shown, as not many exhibits depict conflict in the past but are more focused on science, astrology and the earth as well as its living plants and animals. Dallen and Boyd (2003) say that One persons landmark may be an object of hostility to another Individuals may disagree the way that certain things are explained in the Museum, however the museum has had input from many reliable scientists and professor s over the years whose opinion on some exhibits and galleries cannot be argued. It is important to listen and understand the views that all individuals have regarding how things were in the past. For example issues that revolve around how the Earth came to be formed, some organizations disagree with the well known theory of the Big-Bang. Although not all organizations agree with each other, these are the kind of politics that are relevant to The Natural History Museum. Authenticity Authenticity is very important for museum visitors. According to Halewood and Hannom (2001) museums are appreciated by their visitors due to some of their characteristics, such as: Originality; Workmanship; Cultural and historical accuracy; Aesthetics Functions and use. In order to grant authenticity and organization academic expertise is essential for the success of any museum Shenhav-Keller (1993). The study of authenticity is a critical success factor for museum visitor management. The feeling of being in front of something that has been preserved since its creation is what most museums expect to offer to their visitors Marstine (2006). Visitors expect to see the objects on the museum as they were originally, this provides authenticity and should be prioritized in order to get full satisfaction from the museum visitors. Sometimes authenticity cannot be achieved because objects might not be in their original state and museums should try to restore them or create similar pieces to the originals (replicas). The Natural History Museum contains a number of authentic objects both old and new in its galleries and exhibits. For example the River Thames Whale that managed to get stuck in the River Thames in 2006, this whales bones have been arranged together and are now temporarily on display. The Darwin Centre also holds tens of millions of specimens that were once alive, most famously is the giant squid named Archie that hangs in the middle of the centre. The Museum also contains many authentic ancient fossils that have been found over the years, they are on display in the Green Zone area, as well as a completely authentic wildlife garden in the Orange Zone. A lot of the things to be seen in the Natural History Museum have also been manufactured or been made from originals so they are not entirely authentic. However the fact that they are replicated gives the visitor an idea of what an authentic original would have been like. Visitor Management The Natural History Museum received over 832,000 visitors during the year of 1958, and in 2009 visitor arrivals reached four million. Of course the museum was not so advanced in 1958 and has expanded dramatically since then, but the opening of such areas of the museum as the Darwin Centre and the Geological Museum have increased the amount of visitors over the years. The museum did not allow free entry until 2001, during the year 2000 visitor arrivals were only 1.7million but rose 42% during the month October, 2009, thanks to the help of the new and exciting Darwin Centre, this was the Museums busiest ever month. The following months even more visitors came to visit the National History Museum, this unusually high attendance of visitors was known within the museum as the Darwin effect. Hall McArthur (1996) stated that visitor management is the Management of visitors in a manner which maximises the quality of the visitor experience whilst assisting the achievement of an areas overall objectives The Natural History Museum has a dedicated Visitor Services team that makes sure that the needs of all visitors are adequately met during their visit. It is possible to call the customer services team before you arrive at the museum to find out when a good time to visit might be. For example elderly or disabled individuals may wish to visit the Museum when it is not so busy. The fact that the staff at the Museum can provide information on a good time for the individual calling to visit maximises their experience. The Museum also contains a cafe and other areas where visitors can refresh themselves with a drink or something to eat, as well as numerous bathroom facilities should they need to use them. Most exhibits and galleries are interactive and allow the visitor to get involved with what they are learning making it a more enjoyable experience. Should the visitor speak another language other than English there are also translations in other languages for many of the Museums descript ions and galleries. It is essential for Museum directors to take into account not only the comfort of the visitors who are being welcomed to the museum, but of course the valuable artefacts that are inside the museum as well as the condition of the museum itself. It is important that these museum directors manage their museum so that it remains in a good condition, and does not get damaged by an overflow of too many visitors at a particular time. Enough money must also be spent on restoring any damage that may have occurred due to too many visitors or lack of respect from individuals towards the museum site and its content. For this reason museums must limit the amount of visitors that are inside at any one time, or a daily limit in order to preserve the building for future use. Garrod and Fyall (2000) say that Conceivably, the higher weighting that is generally accorded to conservation might be the result of the particularly strong notion of futurity that is often associated with heritage assets. It is easy for this Museum in particular to become a victim of over-use as the admission is free, so managers must look carefully into the methods they use to control the flow of visitors coming in and out. The Visitor Services team at the National History Museum has many stewards both inside and outside that make sure everyone who is waiting in line is comfortable and aware of the time they must wait. The Museum directors make sure that they let the same proportion of people in the Museum that are also leaving the Museum. Conclusion We can see from this report the issues that are involved when attempting to attract the most visitors possible to a Museum. These issues revolve around Politics, Visitor Management and Authenticity of the contents of the Museum. We have seen that it is very important to control visitor management, not only for the comfort and safety of the visitors but also in order to uphold the quality of the Museum, its galleries and exhibitions. If a Museum becomes too crowded it is not a pleasant experience at all and will deter the visitor from returning. Authenticity is another issue that some visitors find of great importance if they feel that what they are seeing is not genuine, or has not been replicated to look genuine they will feel cheated and not return to the Museum again. Finally the politics involved are something that attracts visitors depending on the nature of the Museum as there are not much politics involved with The Natural History Museum. The Natural History Museum has had a good plan to accommodate visitors when they arrive at the Museum, they have had a very long time over the years to perfect their visitor management plans. The general management of this Museum has made it one of the most popular in the United Kingdom, attracting four million visitors in 2009 and has been very successful in attracting maximum amount of visitors whilst preserving and sustaining the contents of the Museum and the building itself.

Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Biographies Edgar Allan Poe Essayws

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe's contributions to American literature have become increasingly more prominent as the years have passed. As short fiction has become a more accepted genre in literary circles, Poe's theories are studied with more passion. Although he lived a rather melancholy existence, Poe did experience moments of joy, and desired to capture beauty through poetical form. Indeed, what he left behind for the literary world was his gifted genius, revealed through his poetry, fiction, and criticism. The darkness that seemed to surround Poe's life began as an infant. Poe was born January 19,1809 in Boston Massachusetts, the second son of David and Eliza Poe. Soon afterward, David Poe abandoned the family. Two-years later Eliza passed away, succumbing to tuberculosis. After her death, Poe, his infant sister, Rosalie, and brother William were separated. William was sent to live with their paternal grandparents. Poe moved to Richmond Virginia to live with John and Fannie Allan; Rosalie was taken in by another family in Richmond (Silverman 1-15). John Allan was a successful businessman; the poverty that Poe had been accustomed to was a thing of the past. Although not extravagant with Poe, John Allan ensured that he had a quality education. While in living in England with the Allans, he attended private academies and continued his education in private schools when they returned to the states. Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in 1826. While there, he accumulated a large debt. He appealed to John Allan to repay the debts but Allan refused. He believed that Poe was in debt due to gambling and his addiction to alcohol (Silverman 29-38). The greatest contributor to Poe's despair would have to be his self-inflicted addiction to alcohol. His foster family's social status made his alcoholism a shameful vice, and a source of conflict. Using it as an escape of sorts, Poe's life was greatly affected by the substance, disrupting his work, his first engagement, and his time with his foster family. After he left his family, he tried to make a life in Boston, where he found his relatives poor, but giving. Reunited with his brother, William, Poe found him dying at the haunting age of 24. His writing became more insistent, as he found himself rejected by several newspapers. He eventually married his cousin, Virginia, who b... ...an Poe's life was one full of despair and depression. Perhaps it was this state of mind which made him fearless, allowing him to voice his opinion in spite of the criticism directed at him. Today, his words are being regarded with a newfound significance, for short fiction has become a genre in and of itself. His theories on writing will continue to be studied for generations to come. Though his place in literary circles was uncertain before, his place in the literary cannon is undeniable today. Works Cited: Hart, James David. The Oxford Companion to American Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983 Jacobs, Robert D. Poe: Journalist & Critic. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1969. May, Charles E. Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Poe, Edgar Allan. Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1993 Rosenheim, Shawn, and Stephen Rachman, eds. The American Face of Edgar Allan Poe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995 Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe, Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. New York: Harper 1992 Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Biographies Edgar Allan Poe Essayws Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe's contributions to American literature have become increasingly more prominent as the years have passed. As short fiction has become a more accepted genre in literary circles, Poe's theories are studied with more passion. Although he lived a rather melancholy existence, Poe did experience moments of joy, and desired to capture beauty through poetical form. Indeed, what he left behind for the literary world was his gifted genius, revealed through his poetry, fiction, and criticism. The darkness that seemed to surround Poe's life began as an infant. Poe was born January 19,1809 in Boston Massachusetts, the second son of David and Eliza Poe. Soon afterward, David Poe abandoned the family. Two-years later Eliza passed away, succumbing to tuberculosis. After her death, Poe, his infant sister, Rosalie, and brother William were separated. William was sent to live with their paternal grandparents. Poe moved to Richmond Virginia to live with John and Fannie Allan; Rosalie was taken in by another family in Richmond (Silverman 1-15). John Allan was a successful businessman; the poverty that Poe had been accustomed to was a thing of the past. Although not extravagant with Poe, John Allan ensured that he had a quality education. While in living in England with the Allans, he attended private academies and continued his education in private schools when they returned to the states. Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in 1826. While there, he accumulated a large debt. He appealed to John Allan to repay the debts but Allan refused. He believed that Poe was in debt due to gambling and his addiction to alcohol (Silverman 29-38). The greatest contributor to Poe's despair would have to be his self-inflicted addiction to alcohol. His foster family's social status made his alcoholism a shameful vice, and a source of conflict. Using it as an escape of sorts, Poe's life was greatly affected by the substance, disrupting his work, his first engagement, and his time with his foster family. After he left his family, he tried to make a life in Boston, where he found his relatives poor, but giving. Reunited with his brother, William, Poe found him dying at the haunting age of 24. His writing became more insistent, as he found himself rejected by several newspapers. He eventually married his cousin, Virginia, who b... ...an Poe's life was one full of despair and depression. Perhaps it was this state of mind which made him fearless, allowing him to voice his opinion in spite of the criticism directed at him. Today, his words are being regarded with a newfound significance, for short fiction has become a genre in and of itself. His theories on writing will continue to be studied for generations to come. Though his place in literary circles was uncertain before, his place in the literary cannon is undeniable today. Works Cited: Hart, James David. The Oxford Companion to American Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1983 Jacobs, Robert D. Poe: Journalist & Critic. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1969. May, Charles E. Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of the Short Fiction. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991. Poe, Edgar Allan. Tales of Mystery and Imagination. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited, 1993 Rosenheim, Shawn, and Stephen Rachman, eds. The American Face of Edgar Allan Poe. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995 Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe, Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. New York: Harper 1992

Barclays plc: Socially Responsible Corporate Behaviour Essay -- Busine

Barclays plc: Socially Responsible Corporate Behaviour How does Barclays plc fulfil its obligations to their stakeholders in terms of ethical business practice and socially responsible corporate behaviour? According to The Institute of Business Ethics (cited in MORI, 2003), â€Å"80% of the public believe that large companies have a moral responsibility to society but 61% also thought large companies don’t care†. Why this shocking conclusion? Due to major accounting scandals such as Enron and WorldCom the public’s confidence in organisations have decreased. Why is there now an increasing demand for organisations to behave ethically and responsibly? Ethics is seen as ‘†¦ a system of morals or rules of behaviour’ (Mullins 1999) meanwhile the definition of corporate responsibility taken from Sims (2004) states that’†¦ business behaviour that is likely to engender the trust and commitment of stakeholders towards the company.’ Changes in people’s values and beliefs have also led to this demand. Yet, to what extent are organisations responding to the changing needs of society? For this analysis, the focus of this issue will be centred on Barclays plc and whether this company is fulfilling its ethical and socially responsible behaviour towards its stakeholders. In order to ascertain the effectiveness of these policies and validity of their claims, many different sources will have to be taken into consideration. As stated by MORI (2003) Barclays is ‘†¦ an international financial services group engaged primarily in banking, investment and asset management. It is one of the largest financial services group, operating in nearly 70 countries and employing 74,800 people.’ How is Barclays able to satisfy its various stakeholders, considering its vast operations and the intense scrutiny the financial sector has come under? Stakeholders are ‘†¦ individuals or groups who are affected by the goals, operations or activities of the organisation (Mullins, 1999). Who are Barclay’s stakeholders and what influence do they have? Barclay’s key stakeholders are their employees, customers, shareholders and the communities in which they operate. Below is a table adapted from Sims (2003, p41) showing what stakeholders expect from an organisation. To fulfil the purpose of this assigned the stakeholders of Barclays will be incorporated within the table. .. ...r financial institutions lending money to Angola, a country that has high human rights violation. Overall, considering the current climate where many firms are facing increasing public scrutiny Barclays is making progress in the right direction. They were once a bank that was making ethical gaffes to one that has won awards for its policies. Barclays is an example of an ethically engaged company, it has listened to criticisms faced in the past and is trying to respond in a positive way. This was recognised by the title of their 2004 report ‘Behaving responsibly’ which contradicts their previous report about putting profits first. More need to be accomplished at Barclays though; they should state some of their policies more clearly (as in the case of the Angolan government and the support of oppressive regimes). Despite all this, there is evidence to suggest that Barclays is doing as much as possible to satisfy all its various stakeholders but more progress needs to be made. In order to achieve their aim of becoming a leader in ethical and socially responsible behaviour they just need to continue in the same direction and respond to the changing needs of society.

An Analysis of Freud’s Critique of Religion Essay

In his book Future of an Illusion, Sigmund Freud critique uses his method of psychoanalysis on religion. By comparing the relationship between human and religion to that of a child and his parents Freud effectively demonstrates that religion is a product of the human mind. After exposing religion as a an illusion Freud concludes that humanity will be better off when it has forgone religion. This paper will argue that Freud’s assertion that religion is an illusion is correct because of it’s blatantly traceable evolution through the history of the human civilization and psyche. The first argument that Freud makes in his assault on religion regards civilization. Freud argues that human civilization arose as a result of mankind’s needs to protect itself from nature. â€Å"It was precisely because of these dangers with which nature threatens us that we came together and created civilization.† (Freud 19) As a result of the need for organization and manpower to prepare defenses against nature, the instincts of men had to be controlled. He furthers this argument by saying that two human traits, laziness and the unwilling nature of the masses to listen to reason are responsible for the necessity of the rule of law. Freud then describes the various methods of coercion that can be employed by civilization to halt instinctual privation. The most important of which he points out as being religion. The main reasons that Freud ranks religion as being/having been the most important tool in civilization are it’s ability to explain the various inequities and inexplicable phenomena that afflict human civilization. Freud points out how ancient civilizations used religion to â€Å"humanize† nature. By making these natural terrors beings that could be dealt with just like men it allowed people the chance to react to and have the illusion of influence on nature. He also illuminates with slight sarcasm how convenient religion is in it’s ability to rectify all the trials and tribulations of life for us. â€Å"Everything that happens in this world is an expression of the intentions of an intelligence superior to us, which in the end, though its ways and byways are difficult to follow, orders everything for the best.† (Freud 23) The existence of this divine creature who creates justice for us ensures that the masses will not stray from the laws and tenets of religion  and society for fear of being judged by this entity. Religion is also valuable to civilization for it’s ability to explain death. Thanks to religion, death became something other than simply the termination of a life. Death stopped being the end and was recasted into the role of a doorway to another existence. As though knowing that the continuation of life were not enough, religion furthers it’s own appeal by promising that the afterlife will be better than life on Earth. The afterlife itself also serves a function as well. A desire to gain entry into this afterlife will cause many of the masses to renounce their instincts. Another argument Freud makes is how religion is an attempt to fill in the gaps where civilization and the pursuit of life cannot make individuals happy. He says that, â€Å"The urge to rectify the shortcomings of civilization which made themselves painfully felt† is fulfilled by religion. (Freud 27) This can be seen throughout modern society in many different forms. It is telling that quite often individuals who are extremely ill, paralyzed, poor, or otherwise frowned upon by civilization and culture tend to be more religious. Later Freud turns his argument to the legal historical proof surrounding religions. Using an analogy of a child learning geography and simply accepting on faith that the places he sees on a map exist rather than going on a journey around the world, Freud attacks religious doctrines. He does this by pointing out that though the child takes on faith what he sees on the map, he could take a journey around the world and see for himself that these places indeed exist. He then applies this same manner of thinking to religious doctrines when he asks what these kind of claims these doctrines are founded on and why we should believe them? The answers he says are that they were believed by our ancestors and that it is forbidden to question them. Freud points out that it is the latter point which highlights society’s own awareness of â€Å"the insecurity of the claim it makes on behalf of its religious doctrines.† (Freud 33) The own paranoia that religions have of even questioned shows how much they realize that their beliefs do not follow reason. As Freud shows us the early church recognized this all too well when it instituted a doctrine that maintained that religious doctrines  do fall under the microscope of reason. The most common religious document of all time, The Bible, holds a particular Proverb that further illustrates the paranoia or religion against reason. â€Å"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding†. (Proverbs 3:5) Another important concept that Freud uses to critique religion can be found in his broad background in psychology. He alludes greatly the Oedipus complex in his dealings with God and the individual. According to Freud, humankind is similar to a child who needs to be protected and supported in his/her everyday life, thus he/she sees God as supportive, protective father. Freud gives his own theories far too much justice in this regard. One does not need to regard God as a father-figure to believe in him. There are many people who believe in God but do not accept God as a beneficent omnipotent being. However, we cannot say that Freud in his genius could not apply psychoanalysis to these other divinations of God and rectify them to individual situations. Freud’s best argument in favor of religion’s existence as an illusion is when he describes the convenient nature of religion to particular times of civilization. Freud says that we know approximately at what periods and by what kind of men religious doctrines were created. He also argues that it is very telling how religion tells us almost exactly what we want to hear. â€Å"We shall tell ourselves that it would be very nice if there were a God who created the world and was a benevolent providence, and if there were a moral order in the universe and an afterlife; but it is a very striking fact that all this is exactly as we are bound to wish it to be.† (Freud 42) Freud’s assertion that religions are in fact illusions created to deceive men into reunouncing their instincts for the advancement of civilization is based entirely on generalizations about all religions. These generalizations, however, can be well supported when one looks back throughout history. Religion could easily be compared to a chameleon that changes it’s color to fit whatever the needs of civilization are to survive. It is ironic that religion can be traced throughout history as being so adaptable given the intransigent foundations of religion. Whether or not religions really are illusions as Freud’s ultimate conclusion states, there is undoubtedly a clear link between religion and the evolution of civilization. A fantastic example of religion changing it’s color in order to better fit the evolution of civilization can be seen in the ancient Order of the Knights of the Temple Mount or Knights Templar. The Knights Templar in the middle ages were created to be the shock troops for Europe’s holy war against the infidels. When this war was lost and the military arm of the knights were no longer needed, the organization was systematically eliminated. It’s leaders were charged with heresy and killed and it’s wealth was confiscated, simply because the organizations purpose no longer coincide with church doctrine. Another great example of religious adaptability can be seen in the evolution of Christianity in Rome. As the old religions in Rome were in decline and material decadence had taken over, Christianity appeared over the horizon as one of the saving graces of the Roman empire. As the threat from barbarians grew in on the empire’s borders grew, so did Christianity place in Rome. It was eventually elevated to being the state religion under the empire Diocletian. Even Christianity would not be able to save Rome from the barbarian hordes. In their hour of defeat Romans were undoubtedly able to pray and ask for salvation from Christ. It is interesting that such a doctrine would arise shortly before a time of annihilation. Finally, it is important to note the role of religion in capitalism. Capitalism, as pointed out by Marx, is a vastly unfavorable system of economy for many people. While some would argue that it allows people the freedom make their own destinies, others would say that capitalism traps some in a cycle of poverty. Either way, those who are born poor are in a highly disadvantaged situation to those who are rich. That is, in this world. With religion and the afterlife, all are on an equal playing field. In fact, the poor even have quite an advantage. â€Å"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God† (Matthew 19:24). This type of thinking has been fundamental for the stability of capitalism throughout history. No amount of earthly wealth  could ever compare to the golden paved streets of heaven and eternal bliss. Freud’s critique of religion demonstrates the disturbing correlations between religion and civilization and shows us the true motives behind religions existence. Freud proves that religion was a product of the human necessity to protect itself from nature and the need that arose from there to stop our own instincts from destroying our creations. In conclusion, Freud disproved the claims of religious doctrines as being divinely originated, but he did not disprove God. His belief that it was time for civilization to grow up from religion may be correct but it will never happen. Religion is far too embedded in civilization to ever be removed by simply showing the educated it’s true purpose. Like life on this planet, religion has adapted to whatever environment our 8000 year old civilization has placed it. Even if everyone knew religion to be nothing but an illusion, that knowledge alone would not be enough to make that illusion disappear from the psyche of humanity. People would have to have a conscious desire to not believe in religion for it to be eliminated. This desire to discover the truth would be outweighed by the desire of a majority of humanity to rectify the inexplicable world of death and injustice to their own lives.

Education in the Philippines Essay

Education in the Philippines is managed and regulated by the Department of Education, commonly referred to as the DepEd in the country. The Department of Education controls the Philippine education system, including the curriculum used in schools and the allocation of funds. It also regulates the construction of schools and other educational facilities and the recruitment of teachers and staff. Before Philippine independence in 1946, the country’s education system was patterned on the system of its colonial powers, Spainand the United States. However, after Philippine independence, its educational system changed radically. Until 2011, the basic education system was composed of six years of elementary education starting at the age of 6, and four years of high school education starting at the age of 12. Further education was provided by technical or vocational schools, or in higher education institutions such as universities. Although the 1987 Constitution stated that elementary education was compulsory, this was never enforced.[citation needed] In 2011, the country started to transition from its old 10-year basic educational system to a K-12 educational system, as mandated by the Department of Education.[3] The new 12-year system is now compulsory, along with the adoption of new curriculum for all schools (see 2010s and the K-12 program). The transition period will end with the 2017-2018 school year, which is the graduation date for the first group of students who entered the new educational system. All public schools in the Philippines must start classes on the date mandated by the Department of Education (usually the first Monday of June), and must end after each school completes the mandated 200-day school calendar organized by the Department of Education (usually around the third week of March to the second week of April). Private schools are not obliged to abide by a specific date, but must open classes no later than the last week of August. Tertiary schools in the Philippines has varied grading systems. Most universities [including institutes and colleges], particularly public institutions, follow the grade point system scale of 5.00 – 1.00, in which 1.00 is the highest grade and 5.00 is the lowest possible grade. Some universities may follow the 1.000 – 4.000 grading system. Patterned after American universities. This system uses the 4.0 grade point equivalence as  the highest grade, while 1.0 grade point equivalence is considered the lowest possible grade. 0.0 grade point equivalence is considered a failing mark. The General Weighted Average is a representation (often numerical) of the overall scholastic standing of students used for evaluation. GWA is based on the grades in all subjects taken at a particular level including subjects taken outside of the curriculum. Representation of the subjects taken only in a specific curriculum is called the Curriculum Weighted Average (CWA).[1][2] Education in the United States is provided by public schools and private schools. Public education is universally available, with control and funding coming from the state, local, and federal government.[4] Publicschool curricula, funding, teaching, employment, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards, who have jurisdiction over individual school districts. State governments set educational standards and mandate standardized tests for public school systems.[clarification needed] Private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum and staffing policies, with voluntary accreditation available through independent regional accreditation authorities. 88% of school-age children attend public schools, 9% attend private schools, and nearly 3% are homeschooled.[5] Education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state.[6] This requirement can be satisfied in public schools, state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. In most schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school. Children are usually divided by age groups into grades, ranging from kindergarten and first grade for the youngest children, up to twelfth grade as the final year of high school. There are also a large number and wide variety of publicly and privately administered institutions of higher education throughout the country.