Facilitating Learning And Assessment In Practice The WritePass Journal

Facilitating Learning And Assessment In Practice Introduction Facilitating Learning And Assessment In Practice IntroductionNursing StandardsFacilitating Learning and AssessmentReflective CommentaryConclusionReferences AppendicesRelated Introduction I am a registered nurse based in a ward that manages spinal and orthopaedic conditions among patients. Currently, I am finalising my training as a qualified mentor. This paper presents a reflective account of my experiences in facilitating, teaching, and assessing student learning during their learning practice. It also highlights the learning outcomes drawn from the experience. Due to ethical considerations of any academic publication, which demands confidentiality, and anonymity of the persons that were actively involved in my encounter, this paper omitted names or used pseudonyms in the development of the account (Polit Beck, 2008). Practice-based learning provides the students with needed experience, which is an essential aspect of skill development that enhances their ability to effectively interact with clients as well as their families by developing the student’s communication, interpersonal, psychomotor, and technical skills (Myall et al., 2008). Practice-based learning is also an effective opportunity that allows the learners to link theory and practice, which are vital in the learner’s professional development (Zachary, 2011). Furthermore, practice-based learning is essential in a nursing career due to its vocational nature as well as its role in determining the learner’s clinical competency and hence protecting the public from instances of incompetency in nursing practice (NMC, 2008). Through demanding and instilling high standards of professionalism during assessments, practice-based learning makes sure that nursing students are able to effectively practice before they are registere d as nurses (Myall et al., 2008). This demonstration of my eligibility to assess and supervise nursing students in practice coupled with successful completion of this training will allow me to be an effective mentor in nursing (Price, 2007). Therefore, I will be able to actively participate in the development of future nurses that will meet the needs of patients, which are increasing in diversity and complexity (Polit Beck, 2008). Nursing Standards In order to promote adherence to specific attributes that support assessment and learning in practice, the nursing standards offers specific guidelines that must be met by teachers, practice teachers and mentors (NMC, 2008). Specifically, the fixed requirements cover standards, frameworks, and information on the approaches for assessment in nursing practice. There standards are defined by eight domains including: leadership, evidence-based practice, context of practice, creating a learning environment, learning evaluation, assessment and accountability, learning facilitation, and establishment of valuable working relationships (NMC, 2009). Linking these domains to my own practice, I hold high regard for leadership and formation of useful working relationships. Establishment of good working relationships is essential in nursing as a nurse works together with the patients family in ensuring the best nursing care is provided for the patient (Polit Beck, 2008; Appendix 1) enhancing the standards of care. Good working relationship is also important in minimizing the negative student experiences building on the student’s competency in practice (NMC, 2008). Consideration of the imperativeness of family-centred approach to nursing care and the promotion of good working relationships demands effective leadership. To be specific, leadership in my case involves influencing others, improving nursing care, and role modelling (NMC, 2009). This demands application of a situational approach to leadership when handling different leadership situations at work. In my work setting, leadership is broad ranging from handling the pat ient’s family issues, which requires participative leadership, or directing a practicing student, which demands assertiveness. However, it is imperative for a nurse to act in the best interest of the patient (Price, 2007) which can best be achieved through autocratic approach to leadership. Consequently, establishment of effective leadership and relationships require knowledge, skill, and experience and are vital in the provision of high-quality nursing care (Myall et al., 2008). There are several professional challenges that I encountered during the assessment   which emanated from the complexities related to staffing levels and hastiness in the ward that negatively influence the quality of practice assessment (Polit Beck, 2008). The sustained pressure from clinical commitments and the limited time availability affects the process of student supervision and assessment during practice-based learning (NMC, 2009). More so, there may be inconsistency in achievement, which affects the process of student assessment with regard to their fitness to practice (NMC, 2008). In other cases, some students in practice-based learning do not conform to the existing support systems for instances of failure limiting their learning and effectiveness of the assessment. In addition, the supervisor may be reluctant to fail an incompetent learner due to perception that he process is too complex or general poor assessment, this also posed a challenge in my practice. The existing nursing standards that guide learning and assessment of students in practice offer frameworks for nursing mentors. However, the document is limited, as it does not consider all competence assessment aspects (Myall et al., 2008). Therefore, some forms of assessment are subjective as much as the framework for assessment is provided due to the intrinsic nature of the nursing profession and the variations in nursing skill-set to be assessed. It is challenging to establish a comprehensive assessment of competency especially due to learners’ spontaneous action to utilise their skills, knowledge, and attitude from an emotional intelligence perspective (Bradshaw Merriman, 2008). These issues are enhanced in situations where a mentor fails to fail instances of incompetency among learners (Myall et al., 2008). These problems are resolved through the use of sign-off mentors that offer final evaluation of the students before being accredited to be effective to service as pro fessional nurses at the end of nursing training program (NMC, 2009). Consequently, more support to the nursing standards is needed to promote effectiveness of learning assessment for practice-based learning. This support is provided various nursing documents such as nursing guides, which offer strategies and support for practitioners in the nursing profession. Facilitating Learning and Assessment This is an important approach for assessing skills, knowledge and attitudes among nursing students (Price, 2007) and is complex in nature with the focus of promoting objectivity in the assessments (Bradshaw Merriman, 2008). The ensure the diversity of the nursing settings are accommodated during the assessments, there are several assessment approaches that can be used in student mentorship programs including mini clinical assessment exercise, direct observation, case-based discussion, and mini peer assessments (Myall et al., 2008). Mini clinical assessment exercise offers an overview of student performance of key clinical skills. This assessment approach works both in routine patient encounter as well as ward environment. Direct observation of procedural skills involves observing a nursing student which conducting a clinical procedure where the observer provides necessary feedback at the end of the procedure. A good example of a clinical procedure that can be observed is preparation of a dressing trolley by a student. Case-based discussion, on the other hand, involves an interview aimed at exploring judgment and behaviour such as asking the student to list what he/she observed during a specific patient care program. Finally, mini peer assessments encompass a team of qualified professionals that offer feedback on the performance of an individual. The process of selecting the method of assessment should consider its cost effectiveness, educational impact, acceptability, validity, and reliability (Bradshaw Merriman, 2008). Assessing a student’s craft knowledge helps the student to reflect and develop based on experiential learning (NMC, 2009). Effective assessment should focus on developing insights into a students craft and formal knowledge in order to understand the students ability to assess risks and utilise learned knowledge in meeting practice requirements (Price, 2007). There are four vital areas that cover student assessment, namely motivation, performance, skill, and knowledge. Even though continuous assessment is known to promote effective positioning of a student’s performance, it has limitations with regard to reliability and validity. Therefore, successful implementation of student assessment require coordination between service providers and educators to ensure the assessment approach is appropriate in terms of its summative and formative perspectives which are imperative in promoting a working linkage between theory and practice (Myall et al, 2008). Mentorship program in clinical setting is complex due to the pressure emanating from the need of sustained student assessment in front of the patients and their family as well as other professionals, which may raise anxiety among the students as well as assessors, which may negatively impact on the assessment process (Bradshaw Merriman, 2008). Anxiety may be caused by a variety of reasons including curriculum changes, which may undermine the assessor’s competency, the student’s readin ess during assessment, and the assessors feeling of competency with regard to the assessment process. This portfolio outlines an assessment of the competency of a nursing student with regard to the appropriate use of pain assessment tools. I considered this to be vital in the profession of nursing due to the importance of pain assessment skills in nursing care as it is classified as the fifth vital sign in nursing (Murray et al., 2008). Considering the requirement that nursing students should actively participate in vital signs, developing this competency is vital for patient safety (Price, 2007). Further, I considered this assessment to be a direct observation of a procedural skill where I was available during the whole process while offering feedbacks and assessments on the process (NMC, 2009). To ensure the assessment was a success, I developed a plan that included a criterion for implementing the process as well as questions that were used for testing the levels of understanding exhibited by the learner. Furthermore, the assessment plan was developed with the consideration for th e student’s level of practical and theoretical learning (Myall et al., 2008). The questioned used in the assessment were open-ended to allow the student to offer the rationale behind their action path. This was important in developing deeper insight into the leaner’s competency, as well as promotes appreciation of diverse approaches to skills application (Murray et al., 2008). The assessment was initiated after ensuring the ward was quiet enough to minimise the effects of a noisy setting on the assessment program. The process commenced with an official introduction between me and the student as an approach to familiarization between me and the student to minimise instances of anxiety (Price, 2007). After that, I proceeded by informing the student my expectations, the timeline, and offered my reassurance that the process was not formal as I was just interested in observing the process and offering my feedback at the end of the process (Murray et al., 2008). As much as I managed to develop effective background information needed to establish an effective assessment void of anxiety, I did not inquire about the learner’s previous experience, which could have assisted in the assessment process. As much as I had previous encounter with the student, lack of enough background information hampered my effective participation in the growth of the student durin g the practice-based learning. Furthermore, I did not clearly identify the outcomes of the assessment at the beginning of the assessment. As much as appropriate information was provided and the environment was conducive, developing a summary of discussion could have enhanced the levels of student conceptualization of the expectations as well as minimize anxiety and confusion (NMC, 2009). When the student completed the first process, I asked the student several questions. These questions were established to evaluate the student’s communication skills, their understanding of the problem at hand, and general nursing skills (Murray et al., 2008). From the assessment, I observed that the student effectively communicated with the patient as well as the patient’s family a clear illustration of practical application of family-centred approach to nursing (Price, 2007). The student also effectively addressed the nursing situation at hand, as he utilised Wong-Baker pain rating to stabling the pain situation by the patient (Wong et al., 2001). After the student had gained an appropriate pain score, I asked the student a question regarding the appropriate frequency for observing pain, in which the response of the student was appropriate (Bradshaw Merriman, 2008). From the case, it was evident that I had a problem with my communication skills as I had to repeat myse lf severally before the student could understand what I was addressing. Lowering my communication speed is necessary to enhance the student’s ability to comprehend the information given to them during assessment and minimise on instances where students are overwhelmed by information that is faster than their processing rates. I offered the student a feedback session with the aim of promoting proactive learning relation with the student (Murray et al., 2008). This feedback included active involvement of the student in the development of an action plan for dealing with the identified inconsistencies during the assessment. Considering that the student demonstrated competency in the skill that I was assessing, the action plan was centered on increasing the number of alternative approaches that can be used in applying the skill with the focus on increasing the student’s reflexive skill and hence a holistic competency (Zachary, 2011). The process of provision of the feedback considered developing a positive and constructive impact on the student to assist the student in building self-esteem, cultivating a positive working relationship as well as a supportive learning environment which are important aspects that reduces anxiety during nursing practice (Myall et al, 2008). Research has demonstrated that st udent-mentor relationship influences the student’s learning experience (Price, 2007) and therefore, effective communication between the mentor and the learner can illicit competency concerns at early stages to minimise instances of failure (Zachary, 2011). Even though the student and the mentor may feel sad due to a failed assessment, it is vital for the mentor to appreciate failure as avoiding to report of failure may have an adverse effect on the progression of the student (Bradshaw Merriman, 2008). This feedback was provided immediately after the assessment session as an approach to providing the student with prompt support and offer immediate corrective measure for any unpleasant conduct exhibited by the student during the session (Zachary, 2011). Based on the assessment and my individual reflections on the outcomes, I identified various areas of my practice that require improvement. Specifically, my feedback on the assessment was limited and did not offer the student a wider scope on improvement. Furthermore, my speaking speeds need to be slowed to ensure effective communication. I also need to focus on developing in-depth background information about the student before the assessment as well as offering the student the expected outcomes of the assessment. In addition, asking the patient about the service will also enhance the determination of the performance of the student as well as development of an effective feedback. Reflective Commentary Mentorship is an important leadership characteristic (Zachary, 2011). Transformational leadership is founded on the ability of an individual to influence others through affecting their thinking. Adoption of this approach of leadership in nursing promotes autonomy as well as enabling the students to realise their full potential. It is also central to encouraging the development of excellent Interprofessional rapport (Myall et al., 2008). By becoming a role model at work through formulating solutions to problems that exist within nursing mentorship, I will be able to benefit myself as well as the student. This influence can also be transferred to other situations in the nursing environment, which will culminate to a better outcome in my nursing practice (Price, 2007). Common obstacles to mentorship such as staffing issues, hectic hospital environment, and clinical commitments influence my ability to perform as a mentor and hence the development of an effective relation with the student is essential (Price, 2007; Appendix 2). Due to the hectic nature of the nursing environment it is challenging to get time for developing a written feedback for the student however to enhance by mentorship capability I need to establish relationship with other mentors that is founded on sharing evaluation feedback as an approach to building my scope with regard to student evaluation. Being able to share with other mentors about feedback can also expand my evaluation to the benefit of the student. As much as this approach is effective in enhancing a student mentorship program in hospital settings, it is challenging especially in cases where other mentors are not interested in sharing their experiences and work limiting its usability. Promoting teamwork in mentorship can be an effective approach to overcoming this obstacle. Dealing with the problem of anxiety requires innate understanding of the student, which implies discussing with the student the most appropriate way for implementing the assessment. This is effective as it encourages the student to be actively engaged in the assessment program and also creating a better relationship between the mentor and the student (Zachary, 2011). Conclusion The process of student assessment is only successful if it is administered objectively and fairly. As much as this approach may result to some emotional distresses by both the assessor and the student, it is imperative for the success of a mentorship program and prevention of negative implications on the student’s advancement. It is also necessary for ensuring approved nurses are competent enough to guarantee patient safety. Therefore, I am determined to ensure that students that I mentor, assess and approve and fit and competent to service as nurses in their respective fields. To achieve this, I will focus on developing a closer working relationship with the students to ensure all competency issues are identified and addressed timely. This is important in ensuring the students that I encounter do not face surprises later during their summative assessment or even when practicing as registered nurses. Furthermore, involvement of the patients and their families in the assessment of my students will be a major trademark of my mentorship and assessment program as I regard inputs by the patient vital to determining the competency of the student nurse. Consequently, as much as the practice of assessment and mentorship is challenging and compound in nature, I believe that effective application of relevant knowledge and skills while focusing on the expected outcomes, it is possible to deliver efficiently in this function. This reflection process has enriched my understanding on the concept of mentorship and its significance in the nursing profession. It has also enhanced my perception of the concept of professional and personal development. I believe that if I eliminate the few areas of weakness that I have identified in the reflection, I will be able to offer effective mentorship and assessment for nursing students in clinical practice. References Bradshaw, A., Merriman, C. (2008). ‘Nursing competence 10 years on: fit for practice and purpose yet?’  Journal of Clinical Nursing,  17(10): 1263-1269. Murray, C., Grant, MJ., Howarth, ML., Leigh, J. (2008). ‘The use of simulation as a teaching and learning approach to support practice learning.’ Nurse Education in Practice,  8(1): 5-8. Myall, M., Levett†Jones, T., Lathlean, J. (2008). ‘Mentorship in contemporary practice: the experiences of nursing students and practice mentors.’  Journal of clinical nursing,  17(14): 1834-1842. Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC. (2009). Additional information to support implementation of NMC Standards to support learning and assessment in practice. London, UK : Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Nursing and Midwifery Council, NMC. (2008). The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives.  London: NMC. Retrieved from nmc-uk.org/aArticle.Aspx Price B. (2007). ‘Practice-based assessment: strategies for mentors.’   Nursing Standard, 21 (36), pp. 49-56. Polit, DF., Beck, CT. (2008).  Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Zachary, LJ. (2011).  The mentors guide: Facilitating effective learning relationships. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. Appendices Appendix 1: Critical thinking competency standards Source: drake.edu/media/collegesschools/soe/images/msld/competency_model.png    Appendix 2: Essential competencies for an effective mentor

Defining the Middle Ages

Defining the Middle Ages One of the most frequently asked questions about medieval history is, When did the Middle Ages start and end? The answer to this simple question is more complicated than you might think. There is currently no true consensus among historians, authors, and educators for the precise dates- or even the general dates- that mark the beginning and end of the medieval era. The most common time frame is approximately 500-1500 C.E., but you will often see different dates of significance marking the eras parameters. The reasons for this imprecision become a little more clear when one considers that the Middle Ages as a period of study has evolved over centuries of scholarship. Once a Dark Age, then a romantic era and an Age of Faith, medieval times were approached by historians in the 20th century as a complex, multifaceted era, and many scholars found new and intriguing topics to pursue. Every view of the Middle Ages had its own defining characteristics, which in turn had its own turning points and associated dates. This state of affairs offers the scholar or enthusiast the opportunity to define the Middle Ages in the manner that best suits his own personal approach to the era. Unfortunately, it also leaves the newcomer to medieval studies with a certain amount of confusion. Stuck in the Middle The phrase Middle Ages has its origins in the fifteenth century. Scholars of the time- primarily in Italy- were caught up in an exciting movement of art and philosophy, and they saw themselves embarking on a new age that revived the long-lost culture of classical Greece and Rome. The time that intervened between the ancient world and their own was a middle age and, sadly, one they disparaged and from which they disassociated themselves. Eventually the term and its associated adjective, medieval, caught on. Yet, if the period of time the term covered was ever explicitly defined, the chosen dates were never unassailable. It may seem reasonable to end the era at the point where scholars began to see themselves in a different light; however, this would assume they were justified in their view. From our vantage point of considerable hindsight, we can see that this was not necessarily the case. The movement that outwardly characterized this period was in reality limited to the artistic elite (as well as to, for the most part, Italy). The political and  material culture  of the world around them had not radically changed from that of the centuries preceding their own. And despite the attitude of its participants, the  Italian Renaissance  did not spontaneously burst forth from  nowhere but was instead a product of the preceding 1,000 years of intellectual and artistic history. From a broad historical perspective, the Renaissance cannot be clearly separated from the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, thanks to the work of historians such as  Jacob Burkhardt  and Voltaire, the Renaissance was considered a distinct time period for many years. Yet recent scholarship has blurred the distinction between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It has now become much more important to comprehend the Italian Renaissance as an artistic and literary movement, and to see the succeeding movements it influenced in northern Europe and Britain for what they were, instead of lumping them all together in an imprecise and misleading age. Although the origin of the term middle ages may no longer hold the weight it once did, the idea of the medieval era as existing in the middle still has validity. It is now quite common to view the Middle Ages as that period of time between the ancient world and the early modern age. Unfortunately, the dates at which that first era ends and the later era begins are by no means clear. It may be more productive to define the medieval era in terms of its most significant and unique characteristics, and then identify the turning points and their associated dates. This leaves us with a variety of options for defining the Middle Ages. Empires Once, when political history defined the boundaries of the past, the date span of 476 to 1453 was generally considered the time frame of the medieval era. The reason: each date marked the fall of an empire. In 476 C.E., the  Western Roman Empire officially came to an end  when the Germanic warrior  Odoacer  deposed and exiled the last emperor,  Romulus Augustus. Instead of taking the title of  emperor  or acknowledging anyone else as such, Odoacer chose the title King of Italy, and the  western empire  was no more. This event is no longer considered the definitive end of the Roman empire. In fact, whether Rome fell, dissolved, or evolved is still a matter for debate. Although at its height the empire spanned territory from Britain to Egypt, even at its most expansive the Roman  bureaucracy  neither encompassed nor controlled most of what was to become Europe. These lands, some of which were virgin territory, would be occupied by peoples that the Romans considered barbarians, and their genetic and cultural descendants would have just as much impact on the formation of western civilization as the survivors of Rome. The study of the Roman Empire  is  important in understanding medieval Europe, but even if the date of its fall could be irrefutably determined, its status as a defining factor no longer holds the influence it once had. In 1453 C.E., the  Eastern Roman Empire  came to an end when its  captial  city of Constantinople fell to invading Turks. Unlike the western terminus, this date is not contested, even though the Byzantine Empire had shrunk through the centuries and, at the time of the fall of Constantinople, had consisted of little more than the great city itself for more than two hundred years. However, as significant as Byzantium is to medieval studies, to view it as a  defining  factor is misleading. At its  height, the eastern empire encompassed even less of present-day Europe than had the western empire. Furthermore, while Byzantine civilization influenced the course of western culture and politics, the empire remained quite deliberately separate from the tumultuous, unstable, dynamic societies that grew, foundered, merged and ​​warred  in the west. The choice of Empires as a defining characteristic of medieval studies has one other significant flaw: throughout the course of the Middle Ages, no  true  empire encompassed a significant portion of Europe for any substantial length of time.  Charlemagne  succeeded in uniting large portions of modern-day France and Germany, but the nation he built broke into factions only two generations after his death.  The Holy Roman Empire  has been called neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire, and its emperors certainly did not have the kind of control over its lands that Charlemagne achieved. Yet the fall of empires lingers in our perception of the Middle Ages. One cannot help but notice how close the dates 476 and 1453 are to 500 and 1500. Christendom Throughout the medieval  era  only one institution came close to uniting all of Europe, though it was not so much a political empire as a spiritual one. That union was attempted by the Catholic Church, and the geopolitical entity it influenced was known as Christendom. While the exact extent of the Churchs political power and influence on the material culture of medieval Europe has been and continues to be debated, there is no denying that it had a significant impact on international events and personal lifestyles throughout the era. It is for this reason that the Catholic Church has validity as a defining factor of the Middle Ages. The rise, establishment, and ultimate fracturing of Catholicism as the single most influential religion in  Western  Europe offers several significant dates to use as  start- and end-points for the era. In 306 C.E.,  Constantine  was proclaimed Caesar and became co-ruler of the Roman Empire. In 312 he converted to Christianity, the once-illegal religion now became favored over all others. (After his death, it would become the official religion of the empire.) Virtually overnight, an underground cult became the religion of the Establishment, forcing the once-radical Christian philosophers to rethink their attitudes toward the Empire. In 325, Constantine called the  Council of Nicaea, the first  ecumenical council  of the Catholic Church. This convocation of bishops from all over the known world was an important step in building the organized institution that would have so much influence over the next 1,200 years. These events make the year 325, or at the very least the early fourth century, a viable starting point for the Christian Middle Ages. However, another event holds equal or greater weight in the minds of some scholars: the accession to the papal throne of  Gregory the Great  in 590. Gregory was instrumental in establishing the medieval papacy as a strong socio-political force, and many believe that without his efforts the Catholic Church would never have achieved the power and influence it wielded throughout medieval times. In 1517 C.E.  Martin Luther  posted 95 theses criticizing the Catholic Church. In 1521 he was excommunicated, and he appeared before the  Diet of Worms  to defend his actions. The attempts to reform ecclesiastical practices from within the institution were futile; ultimately, the  Protestant Reformation  split the Western Church irrevocably. The Reformation was not a peaceful one, and religious wars ensued throughout much of Europe. These culminated in the  Thirty Years War  that ended with the  Peace of Westphalia  in 1648. When equating medieval with the rise and fall of Christendom, the latter date is sometimes viewed as the end of the Middle Ages by those who prefer an all-inclusive view of the era. However, the sixteenth-century events that heralded the beginning of the end of Catholicisms pervasive presence in Europe are more  frequently  regarded as the eras terminus. Europe The field of medieval studies is by its very nature eurocentric. This does not mean that medievalists deny or ignore the significance of events that took place outside of what is today Europe during the medieval era. But the entire concept of a medieval era is a European one. The term Middle Ages was first used by European scholars during the  Italian Renaissance  to describe their own history, and as the study of the era has evolved, that focus has remained fundamentally the same. As more research has been conducted in previously unexplored areas, a wider recognition of the importance of the lands outside Europe in shaping the modern world has evolved. While other specialists study the histories of non-European lands from varying perspectives, medievalists generally approach them with regard to how they affected  European  history. It is an aspect of medieval studies that has always characterized the field. Because the medieval era is so inextricably linked to the geographical entity we now call Europe, it is entirely valid to associate a definition of the Middle Ages with a significant stage in the development of that entity. But this presents us with a variety of challenges. Europe is not a separate  geological  continent; it is part of a larger land mass properly called Eurasia. Throughout history, its boundaries shifted all too often, and they are still shifting today. It was not commonly recognized as a distinct geographical entity  during  the Middle Ages; the lands we now call Europe were more frequently considered Christendom. Throughout the Middle Ages, there was no single political force that controlled all of the  continent. With these limitations, it becomes increasingly difficult to define the parameters of a broad historical age associated with what we now call Europe. But perhaps this very lack of characteristic features can help us with our definition. When the Roman Empire was at its height, it consisted primarily of the lands surrounding the Mediterranean. By the time  Columbus  made his historic voyage to the New World, the Old World stretched from Italy to Scandinavia, and from Britain to the Balkans and beyond. No longer was Europe the wild, untamed frontier, populated by barbarian, frequently migratory cultures. It was now civilized (though still often in turmoil), with generally stable governments, established centers of commerce and learning, and the dominant presence of Christianity. Thus, the medieval era might be considered the period of time during which Europe  became  a geopolitical entity. The fall of the  Roman Empire (c. 476) can still be considered a turning point in the development of Europes identity. However, the time when the migrations of Germanic tribes into Roman territory began to effect significant changes in the empires cohesiveness (the 2nd century C.E.) could be considered the genesis of Europe. A common terminus is the late 15th  century when westward   exploration  into the new world initiated a new awareness in Europeans of their old world. The 15th century also saw significant turning points for regions within Europe: In 1453, the end of the  Hundred Years War  signalled the unification of France; in 1485, Britain saw the end of the Wars of the Roses and the beginning of an extensive peace; in 1492, the Moors were driven from Spain, the Jews were expelled, and Catholic unity prevailed. Changes were taking place everywhere, and as individual nations established modern identities, so too did Europe appear to take on a cohesive identity of its own. Learn more about the early, high and late middle ages.

National Ward Level Classification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

National Ward Level Classification - Essay Example Population census is a tool for the government and other authorities to get the knowledge of the people residing in the country and their whereabouts. The chosen census variables were selected on the basis of the requirement of the modern age and are regarded as the most reliable document by many writers. Population census is done after every ten years in UK. People are distributed in it with the help of different classification. Classification is to distribute the population on the basis of their locality etc. population is calculated by the government by dividing it into different clusters. With the help of clustering people, it gets easy for the government to keep the record of people, their occupation, age, job and other characteristics. This helps them in getting different benefits for their people. Data records are important nowadays for security reasons as well. Questionnaires were distributed among the citizens for the population census. People had to answer different questio ns which were comprised on four pages. The security of personal information was made sure by the government. The method of gaining the results of the questionnaire was digitalized. The forms were passed through machines which detected answers and kept a record of them. The paper was recycled later. Ward level classification was developed by the available for the office of national statistics. With the help of different formulas the population census is calculated and stored in databases. Details of the methodology of the national ward level classification and how the clusters were labeled. The chosen census variables were selected, the purpose of the multivariate statistical analysis techniques used and how labels (names) were decided for the final set of clusters at the different levels in the hierarchy.   2.1 Census The census is the count of people and households and is the most reliable source of information (ONS, 2011). According to the Office for National Statistics (2011), it is made sure that every individual is included in the survey. The UK census provides a comprehensive picture of the entire population residing there. The population census in the United Kingdom is carried out after every ten years. In UK, the population census is carried out regularly after every decade with the exception of the year 1941 due to war (Barrow, 2012). 2.2 Classification It is the distribution of population on the basis of similar features or attributes that come together in groups or patches. The classification area, ‘geo-demographics’ is used for the purpose of understanding the classification for population census. According to Harris, Sleight and Webber (2005, pp.2), geo-demographics is the segmentation of people by getting the knowledge of the fact that where they reside. 2.3 Cluster Analysis and details of methodology of classification The segmentation of people on the basis of where they reside etc is making clusters of people into groups whose in formation is easy to analyze. The cluster analysis is however a complex process. In the cluster analysis none of the information is wrong but things differ place to place and person to person. Arabie, Hubert and Soete (1996, pp. 341) discuss that Milligan proposed a seven step process for the cluster analysis. The difference between clustering and cluster analysis lies in the means by which clusters are formed and steps in the analysis. Milligan seven steps are clustering variables, clustering elements, variable standardization, and measure of association, clustering methods, number of clusters and interpretation and testing (Arabie, Hubert and Soete, 1996, pp. 341-343). 2.4. 2001 population census UK and ward level classification There were different variables selected in the 2001 population c

Read the garduition story and after that answer the 3 question of end Essay

Read the garduition story and after that answer the 3 question of end of the story - Essay Example Angelou surprises her reader by relating her thoughts during the course of the graduation ceremony. She explains how the white politician takes the stage and insults the students by implying that the only jobs for which blacks are suited is manual labor and sports. The most jarring moment for the reader occurs at the end of the essay when Angelou describes the class singing the Negro National Anthem as a form of protest. 2. The ancient tragedy Angelou is describing is the tragedy of the slave being sold on the dais during the time of slavery in America. Angelou depicts the disgrace of this event. Professor Parsons is on the stage, but just like the slave being sold at auction, â€Å"his eyes said he was no longer with us.† He is detaching himself from the situation just as his ancestors did. Angelou changes the tragedy by relieving the disgrace at the end of the ceremony. Instead of ending in tragedy as the sale of a slave does, the graduation ceremony ends with a note of hope. As Angelou states, â€Å"we were on top again.† 3. Like Angelou, I was involved in an event in school that I greatly anticipated. I was very active in the drama club in high school. We would always put on three plays a year, and each one was a production that took a tremendous amount of effort to create. The technical crew would spend hours after school making sure that the sound and lighting was perfectly timed. The art classes at school would help paint the sets, and various students would build different sets using the tools from the woodworking class. The mothers of all the drama club students would stitch the costumes. I was always a part of the cast, in minor roles and major roles. One year, we chose a particularly difficult production, Alice in Wonderland. The costumes were very elaborate and took months to create. Because of the psychedelic nature of the play, the sets required bright colors and

The analysis of TV shows Essay Example for Free

The analysis of TV shows Essay 1.1. Background Language is an illogical naming system of vocal symbol by means of which members of social group to cooperate or communicate (Bloomfield, 1933). Language has many variations since humans as the users of it are very creative. The more creative they are, the more variety the language has, but before the language experiences variations, it first undergoes changes, which make it look variable. Such changes occur mainly because humans are interacting with each other, whether it is through face to face meeting or through social media, like TV. TV has been influencing people’s speech in the term of their lexicon, by airing some shows, which expose many new terms. In this case, those shows involve influencing characters to spread the new terms. The influence is not only caused by their good look, but also from their typical lexicons that they use in their shows. Such influence is easy to make a change in the speech specially those, who watch and admire the characters fervently, the teenagers. The teenagers here are those, who are physically and mentally still growing in adolescent period, particularly teenagers in the age of nine to fifteen years old. They tend to use some lexicons, used in the TV shows. No wonder, this phenomenon is a must to be analyzed. A study done in London says that people undergo language change because they are introduced linguistic changes by members of social group with most social status (Holmes, 1947: 208). In this case, the artists or the characters, admired by the children, introduce them a new lexicon that influences their speech. The introduced lexicons are sometimes using foreign languages such as English and Malay, and they are always uttered in a typical intonation by the speakers. Thus, this happening must be analyzed in concern of the decreasing ability of children to use the standard form of Bahasa Indonesia or EYD (Ejaan Yang Disempurnakan). However, we do not have to force the children not to use those specific lexicons, because we still have to appreciate that those lexicons are the products of the speakers’ creativity. 1.2. Research Problems Based on the elaboration above, there are four formulated problems as follow: 1. How is the speech, used by children, that undergoes a language change? 2.How is the use of the changed language? 3. Why do children adapt the new lexicons? 4. How do children react towards the change in their speech? 1.3. Purposes of the study According to the background and the formulated questions, there are two purposes of the study. They are the general purpose and the specific purpose. The general purpose of this study is to appreciate the creativity of humans to produce new terms in a language in order to make the language vary. The specific purposes are drawn below. 1. To describe the speech used by children that undergoes a language change. 2. To describe the use of the changed language.  3. To describe the reasons why children adapt the new lexicons. 4. To describe children’s reaction towards the change in their speech. 1.4. Scope of the study The scope of this study is children in the age of nine to fifteen years old in Singaraja, who watch TV at least once per day. There are some concerns being analyzed in the study. They are the changed speech, the use of the changed speech, the reasons why children adapt the new lexicons, and the children’s reaction towards the change in their speech. In regards to the use of the changed speech, this study is limited to the oral communication done between children and children, and between children and adults. In finding the data, this study will be done in two places. The first place is on Jalan Pulau Komodo, Gang Aditya and the second one is in SMP Negeri 1 Singaraja, which is located at Jalan Gajah Mada 109, Banjar Bali, Buleleng. Those places are chosen because there are many children found there. The methods used in this study are observation, questionnaire, and interview. 1.5. Significance of the study The results of this study are expected to give benefits as follow: 1. Theoretically, this study results the description of TV shows’ influences towards children’s language, which is hoped to increase the enrichment of Sociolinguistics, specifically in the term of language change that happens due to the influence of TV shows. 2. Practically, this study is beneficial for university students and lecturers. For university students, this study  can be used as additional information about the influences of TV shows towards children’s language from the view of Sociolinguistics. For lecturers, this study can be used as a teaching material in relation to the happening of children’s language change. Besides, the result of this study is also expected to help other researchers as a reference when doing a study that is related to Sociolinguistics. 3. The result of this study is also helping society to react wisely towards the language change that happens to their children. The society will also be aware that various changes in a language are a normal condition because humans are becoming more creative as time goes by. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURES REVIEW In order to solve the problems in this study, the researcher is using some theories stated in some literatures. It is believed that a good study is a study that is based on strong and relevant theories. The theories used are stated as follow. 2.1. Language and Society As noted on neoenglish.wordpress.com in December 2010, language is a social-cultural-geographical phenomenon. To identify a language, people have to bear in mind that it will involve the geographical area in which the language is spoken, the culture and the society in which it is uttered, the speakers, the listeners, and also the purpose of the language. Language and society are two substances that are inseparable. Members of society cannot interact without a language and language does not exist if there is no society living. It is in society that humans acquire and use a language. In brief, by a language, humans can communicate and adapt to the environment socially and physically. Without a language, humans hardly communicate to each other. Even if they are able to, by using gestures, it will be very limited since gestures cannot describe all words that human think. The use of spoken language gives more chances to human to cooperate or interact rather than using media outside a language. 2.2. Speech Community Speech community is a group of people who use the same variety of a language,  share specific rules for speaking, and for interpreting speech (Nordquist, 2014). Speech is a form of social identity and is used, consciously or unconsciously, to indicate membership of different social groups of different speech communities (The Study of Language, 5th ed., 2014). Members of a community share a same feeling that they belong to the same group by using one variety of speech. In a speech community, the members are not only sharing the speech that they use, but also the norms in the speech itself. If members of a society use a same variety of speech, it means that they see the norms in the speech itself in a same way. People may become the members of a same community because they share at least on thing in their lives with the other people. In brief, people who share the same occupations, livings, or hobbies have the same view of the norms in a speech that make them become a speech community. 2.3. Language’s functions There are three basic functions of a language as noted on www.philosophy.lander.edu , in 2009, they are informative, expressive, and directive. Language is informative means that it functions to describe the world or reasons about it and it has a truth value. Language is expressive means that it reports the feelings or attitudes of the writer or the speaker. Meanwhile, the directive function of a language means that it is used for the purpose of causing or preventing overt action. In a nut shell, it is clear that every language has its own purpose. Even, it may be sometimes unacceptable for a certain group of people, but there is still a purpose made by the speaker in the language itself. The functions of a language are actually abundant. Because humans as the users of the language, use it to convey every activity that they do, and humans’ activities are uncountable. 2.4. Kinds of Language Cicero in 2011 stated that there seemed to be three kinds of language; they are namely slogan, factual, and thought. Slogan is a language that contains clichà ©s or ritualistic statements. It is usually found in a romance or fantasy writing. Sometimes, slogan language is also called idle talk, because when it is said, it does not matter for the hearers, since they already knew what was going to be said. Factual language is a language that involves science or statistical data. It is usually used by the speakers to  support what they have said before in order to convince the hearers that their statements are true. On the other hand, thought language is a language that neither use clichà ©s nor statements of truth. This type of language differs from the others in the way that it involves thinking. Thus, it is rarely used by people, since it requires the hearers to think about the utterance that they receive. Thought also sometimes makes the speakers change their utterance, because t he hearers might not receive their thought well. 2.5. Language Attitude Based on www.sil.org, in 2014, people have attitudes, feelings, beliefs, about language in general, their language, and the language of other people. The attitude of someone towards his language cannot be directly observed because it is demonstrated through actual behavior. Such happenings like how people treat other languages, how people do speech convergence, and how people stay stubbornly by doing speech divergence show their attitude towards particular language. The assessment of language attitudes necessitates asking questions about opinions of someone towards other people’s language. A positive attitude to another language will make a good maintenance towards the language being perceived. In the contrary, a negative attitude to another language may cause a neglecting towards each other’s language. CHAPTER 3 METHODS This study is done in order to elicit the needed data or information. The problems discussed in this study are analyzed by using some methods that include: (1) Research Design, (2) Setting of the Study, (3) Subjects of the Study, (4) Instruments, (5) Procedure of Data Collection, and (6) Procedure of Data Analysis. 3.1. Research Design This study is using descriptive qualitative design. This design is used as a procedure in identifying or depicting the real phenomenon happening in the setting of the study. Thus, the data in this study include the changed speech, the use of the changed speech, the reasons why children adapt the new lexicons, and the children’s reaction towards the change in their  speech, which are described in narrative verbal words. The purpose of descriptive qualitative study is to describe the real information based on the analyzed variables. Before this study was conducted, the researcher firstly visited the places that should be observed, they were on Jalan Pulau Komodo, Gang Aditya and in SMP Negeri 1 Singaraja, in order to familiarize the researcher and the children that are involved in this study. 3.2. Settings of the Study There are two places are used as the settings of the study. The first one was in a housing that is located on Jalan Pulau Komodo, Gang Aditya. There were 5 children being observed in this place. The second one was in SMP Negeri 1 Singaraja, which is located at Jalan Gajah Mada 109, Banjar Bali, Buleleng. In this place, there were also 5 children observed by the researcher. 3.3. Subjects of the Study The subjects of this study are the children in the settings of this study. Subjects of the study fall into three, they are (1) people, humans that researcher ask about the studied variables, (2) paper, documents or other printed media that are used by the researcher and has a correlation with the study, (3) place, spaces that the activities are conducted in (Arikunto, 1989). The subjects of this study are 10 children in total, on Jalan Pulau Komodo, Gang Aditya and in SMP Negeri 1 Singaraja. 3.4. Instruments As a support to the method in collecting the data, the researcher used some appropriate instruments that were coherent with the goal of this study. The instruments are observation, questionnaire, a note book, and a hand phone to record the interview. All the instruments are well-prepared to get supportive data for this study. 3.5. Procedure of Data Collection Based on the problems being discussed, there are some methods used to find the data of the problems. The methods that are used to find the data of children’s speech that undergoes a language change are passive participation observation and interview. This observation was done by using a recorder in a hand phone to record the specific lexicons used by the children of this study. To gain the data of the use of the changed language, the researcher  used observation method, particularly, passive observation method. A questionnaire was also given to each of the children to get the data of the reasons why children adapt the new lexicons. The questionnaire contained some comprehensible questions to answer. Before the questionnaire was answered, the researcher gave some explanations to the children about the questionnaire. To obtain the data of children’s reaction towards the change in their speech, a questionnaire was used. 3.6. Procedure of Data Analysis After having the collected data from the recording of the passive participation observation and interview, the results were then transcribed in the research. The data of the questionnaire answered by the children were also transcribed in the research. The data were next descriptive qualitatively written in the form of narrative verbal words. At the end, there was a conclusion taken about the influence of TV shows towards the children’s speech. CHAPTER 4 FINDING AND DISCUSSION In this part, the result of the study is described consecutively based on the studied problems that include: (1) The speech used by children that undergoes a language change, (2) The use of the changed language, (3) The reasons why children adapt the new lexicons, and (4) Children’s reaction towards the change in their speech. 4.1. Result of the study In this study, there were five questionnaires given to children, two times of observation, and five interviews were done to the other five children. The interviews were done between an adult and a child involved in each session. The data which are related to the problems studied, drawn as follow 4.1.1. The speech used by children that undergoes a language change The method used to elicit the data of the speech used by children that undergo a language change is observation. It can be seen that the lexicons adapted by children are still in the form of short phrases. They are used occasionally when the meaning of the lexicons can be delivered to the hearers. The example is the lexicons â€Å"Betul, betul, betul† adapted by two children at the age of nine. They used those lexicons only when they could get the chance to say that. One of the two children used those lexicons when he was asked by his friend whether he was going to move to another place. Still, most of the children’s speech adapts small numbers of lexicons, only from the TV shows that they like or even the character that they favor. Most of the lexicons used by 10 children are still simple. They reach words that are used in the TV shows that they like, which are mostly dedicated for children. The most obvious symptom gotten from their speech is that they used certain intonation to deliver the adapted lexicons. As in the lexicons â€Å"Betul, betul, betul† the intonation tends to be raising. It happened because they just solely imitate what the TV shows air to them. If the TV shows broadcast certain adapted lexicons by children with a raising intonation, then the children who copy that will tend to use the same intonation. However, in small cases, like what happened to another two children at the age of fifteen, they could make a bit variation to the lexicons that they adapt. Sometimes, they joked by slowing down or fastening the speed of saying the lexicons. Even the last syllables of the lexicons may be sometimes taken, as in the lexicons â€Å"Betul, betul, betul†, which were shortened into â€Å"Tul, tul, tul† by one of the fifteen-year-old children. The use of the changed speech was mostly done with their friends. It is because their friends could accept that and find that the use of the changed speech was fun. Another possible reason is their friends were using some adapted lexicons from other TV shows. Conversely, the use of the changed speech decreased when they talked to their parents or adults around them. The reason might be because the adults could not accept that as a form of appropriate speech when the children were talking to the elderly. Another plausible reason was because the adults did not use the lexicons, adapted by children, in their daily speech. The relationship between the children with the people that they are talking to also determines the use of the changed speech. It was found that the changed speech of children came up when they talked to close relatives or close friends. It is likely because they feel that the hearers can accept whatever speech that they use due to the closeness. However, when they talked to foreigners, guests, or other people that they rarely saw, the speech used by the children changed into the casual one that is the speech that could be accepted by anyone in their surroundings. 4.1.2. The use of the changed speech The data of the use of the changed speech are the results of the observation, questionnaires, and interview done by the researcher, which are presented as follow. 4.1.2.1. Communication between children and children Communication 1 Child 1: Yang nawang ape artine hot dog. Child 2: Tawang, anjing panas artine Child 1: Naa Naaa tidong ento tidong ento. Communication 2 Child 1: Yang be maan Shen Long tuni di Bloody Roare Child 2: Ajaan? Nyen keanggon? Child 1: Jenny keanggon Child 2: Meh nyaan, kan Shen Long aeng. Ngolok- ngolok gen gaene Child 1: Hahaha gurau je Communication 3 Child 1: Ri, abaang charger laptope Child 2: Oke fix, gampang From the data presented above, it can be seen that the adapted lexicons were used frequently by children when they were talking to each other. Mostly, the situation was very informal and they combined the lexicons with their regional dialect. The adapted lexicons were mostly used to fulfill the feeling of contentment of the speaker, because when they used the lexicons, they felt like they resembled the characters in the TV shows. Another function of the adapted lexicons is to soften the situation. As shown, in Communication 2, child one wanted to soften the situation between him and the interlocutor because he had lied to the interlocutor in the beginning. The use of the adapted lexicons is mostly accompanied with Balinese and Bahasa Indonesia. The accompaniment of Balinese is used when they are at home or playing in the housings around their living. However, the accompaniment of Bahasa Indonesia is used when they are at school, because most students are using Bahasa Indonesia there.

King Lears Transition in Shakespeares Play, King Lear Essay -- King

King Lear's Transition in Shakespeare's Play, King Lear In the play King Lear, by William Shakespeare, the main character, Lear, takes the audience through his journey toward his enlightenment. At the beginning of the play Lear appears to be an arrogant man who is too much of the flesh. He associates money and power with love and respect. Thus, when Lear has given all this material possessions to his daughters, Goneril and Regan, he begins his long journey of self discovery. Through an analysis of two passages, one can see the transition of Lear from a man blinded by the flesh to a caring and compassionate madman that sees the truth. The first passage comes from act I, scene iv. Lear's arrogance is illustrated in this passage as he commands nature to make Goneril infertile ; "Dry up in her organs of increase, / And from her derogate body never spring / A babe to honour her!..." (I.iv.245-258). As Lear speaks angrily to an external subject, nature, he is really speaking angrily inwardly to his subconscious. As seen in Oedipus Rex, the realisation of a truth is very painful process and often brings out strong emotions such as anger. Usually the truth is presented to a character in small increments so as not to overwhelm the character. Thus, the anger displayed by Lear is a reflection of the pain he feels from his daughter's betrayal. The contrary of this is found in the second passage. In this scene the audience is shown humble Lear. When he says "Let copulation thrive; for Gloucester's bastard son / Was kinder to his father than my daughters / Got 'tween the lawful sheets. / To't luxury, pell-mell! for I lack soldiers." (IV.vi.110-114). This supports that Lear is much humbler. As seen in the first excerpt, Lear command... ...ence to better understand the nature of Lear; That is, what is going on inside him. Through these two passages, one can see the changes in Lear's language and the imagery he conveys about nature. These changes are a representation of Lear's transformation from a sane man, blinded of the truth, to a madman, closer to the truth than any sane man. This study supports that Lear's character has made a significant advance in his journey towards the truth. Works Cited Clemen, Wolfgang. The Development of Shakespeare's Imagery. New York, NY, USA: Methuen & Co. 1977. Shakespeare. "King Lear." Elements of Literature. Ed. Robert Scholes, Nancy Comley, Carl H. Klaus, and David Staines. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1990. Young, David. Shakespeare's Tragedies - A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, USA: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1993.

Analysis of Meno’s Question to Socrates

In Plato’s dialogue, Meno, Socrates is asked a paradoxical question about what virtue is by Meno. â€Å"How will you enquire, Socrates, into that which you do not know? What will you put forth as the subject of enquiry? And if you find what you want, how will you ever know that this is the thing which you did not know? † Socrates retorts that if you already know what you are searching for, then you do not have to search.Alternatively, if you do not know what you are looking for, the search is indeed futile. However, Socrates attempts to explain to Meno why it is that he will be able to find what virtue is by introducing the idea that knowledge is inherent in the individual as it is passed along through the soul. When Meno demands proof of this concept, Socrates provides an example of a slave boy using â€Å"inherent knowledge† to calculate the length of a square needed to double it’s own area.This experiment shows Meno that virtue, along with other knowled ge, can indeed be discovered through the inherent knowledge in one’s soul, and only has to be â€Å"remembered† to become of use. When Meno proposes his argument to Socrates that a search for what you do not know is impossible, he is reasoning that if one does not know what it is they are trying to find, one will never know if they have found it. Meno seeks to understand how an individual can find new knowledge if they have no clue how to find it or how to comprehend the discovery of it.Socrates acknowledges Meno’s argument and states that â€Å"man cannot enquire either about that which he knows, or about that which he does not know; for if he knows, he has no need to enquire; and if not, he cannot; for he does not know the very subject about which he is to enquire† (Meno, Plato). Meno believes that this proves his own argument, but Socrates proposes an alternate way to attain knowledge. Socrates speaks of â€Å"priests and priestesses† who  "say that the soul of man is immortal† (Meno, Plato).Also, he says the soul has kept all the knowledge from previous â€Å"lives† that it has had, and therefore knowledge is obtained through recollection instead of learning. Socrates attempts to prove his theory by providing an example with one of Meno’s slaves. His experiment is simple. Socrates calls over a slave boy and asks him about squares. The boy knows has some knowledge of the properties of squares including the fact that they have four equal sides, they can be divided in half, and the area is equal to the side multiplied by the other side.However, when Socrates asks the boy to determine the length of a side necessary to double the area of a 2Ãâ€"2 foot square, the boy mistakenly says 4 feet (which would yield a square 4 times too large). The slave proposes a length of three feet, but is wrong again. Here Socrates makes a note of the â€Å"torpedo’s touch† (Meno, Plato) or â€Å"aporiaâ⠂¬  (Aporia, Burbules), which means that the boy knows that he does not know.Socrates states that this state of mind is better than believing false knowledge, because one will know that there is knowledge to seek. Socrates maintains that throughout the experiment he was never teaching the slave, but only asking of his opinions. Therefore, the knowledge that the slave called upon must have already been inherent if he had not learned it before (since slaves had little education the boy was the perfect example for Socrates to demonstrate this â€Å"inborn knowledge. ) Socrates makes his argument clear: if the slave had no knowledge of what is was he was searching for (the length of the side), and the information was not taught to the boy, then the information must have already been inherent in the boy’s soul. Here is Socrates’ argument in Premise/Conclusion form: P: Slave isn’t taught. P: Slave has no prior knowledge. P: Immortal soul contains knowledge. C: Knowl edge must come from one’s immortal soul. P: You do not know what you are trying to find. P: You are not taught what you are trying to find.P: Your soul contains inherent knowledge. C: You can find what you are searching for through recollection of the knowledge â€Å"stored† in your soul. Socrates’ proofs are meant to enforce his views that knowledge such as virtue must be searched for, â€Å"that a man should enquire about that which he does not know† (Meno, Plato). Citations: Burbules, Nicholas C. â€Å"Aporias, Webs, and Passages: Doubt as an Opportunity to Learn. † Curriculum Inquiry 30. 2 (2000): n. pag. Aporia. 2000. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. . Plato, and R. S. Bluck. Meno. Cambridge [Eng. : University, 1961. N. pag. Print.

Chapter 3 Quiz

1 of 30 Which of the following is a flow variable? A. the value of the house in which you live B. the balance in your savings account C. your monthly consumption of hamburgers D. the number of hamburgers in your refrigerator at the beginning of the month 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. As explained in Section 2-1, a flow is a quantity measured per unit time and a stock is a quantity measured at a given point in time. 2 of 30 Which of the following is not a stock variable? A. government debt B. the labor force C. the amount of money held by the public D. inventory investment 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is D.Inventory investment is a quantity measured per unit time, so it is a flow variable. See Section 2-1. 3 of 30 Gross domestic product (GDP) is A. a stock. B. a flow. C. both a stock and a flow. D. neither a stock nor a flow. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. GDP is a quantity measured per unit time, so it is a flow. See Section 2-1. 4 of 30 GDP measure s A. expenditure on all final goods and services. B. total income of everyone in the economy. C. total value added by all firms in the economy. D. all of the above. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is D. See Section 2-1 for a discussion of what GDP measures. of 30 Suppose that a farmer grows wheat and sells it to a baker for $1, the baker makes bread and sells it to a store for $2, and the store sells it to the customer for $3. This transaction increases GDP by     A. $1. B. $2. C. $3. D. $6. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. As explained in Section 2-1, GDP includes only the value of the final goods and services. Therefore, this transaction increases GDP by $3. 6 of 30 Which of the following is not included in GDP? A. the salary paid to a federal judge B. the value of housing services enjoyed by homeowners C. the value of automobile services enjoyed by car owners D. he value added by a shipping company that transports goods from the factory to retail stores 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. In principle, GDP should include the imputed rent on automobiles, but in practice it does not. See Section 2-1. 7 of 30 In which case is total expenditure in an economy not equal to total income? A. If total saving is larger than total investment. B. If net exports are not zero. C. If inventory investment is negative. D. None of the above—they are always equal. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is D. As explained in Section 2-1, total expenditure in an economy always equals total income. of 30 All other things equal, GDP will rise if A. imports rise. B. exports fall. C. durable goods consumption rises. D. military spending falls. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. A rise in imports, a fall in exports, or a fall in military spending will decrease GDP. A rise in durable goods consumption will increase GDP. See Section 2-1. 9 of 30 Which of the following statements describes the difference between real and nominal GDP? A. Real GDP i ncludes only goods; nominal GDP includes goods and services. B. Real GDP is measured using constant base-year prices; nominal GDP is measured using current prices.C. Real GDP is equal to nominal GDP less the depreciation of the capital stock. D. Real GDP is equal to nominal GDP multiplied by the CPI. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is B. For a discussion of the differences between real and nominal GDP, see Section 2-1. 10 of 30 If production remains the same and all prices double, then real GDP     A. and nominal GDP are both constant. B. is constant and nominal GDP is reduced by half. C. is constant and nominal GDP doubles. D. doubles and nominal GDP is constant. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. Real GDP is measured in constant prices, so it is unaffected by a price increase.Nominal GDP is measured in current prices. If prices double, so will nominal GDP. See Section 2-1. 11 of 30 Real GDP equals A. nominal GDP minus net exports. B. nominal GDP divided by the GDP deflator. C . nominal GDP multiplied by the GDP deflator. D. GDP minus depreciation. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. As explained in Section 2-1, real GDP equals nominal GDP divided by the GDP deflator. 12 of 30 If production remains the same and all prices double relative to the base year, then the GDP deflator is     A. 1/4. B. 1/2. C. 1. D. 2. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is D.As explained in Section 2-1, the GDP deflator equals nominal GDP divided by real GDP. If prices double, nominal GDP will double and real GDP will be unchanged. Therefore, the GDP deflator will equal 2. 13 of 30 Consider the following table: APPLES ORANGES Year Production/Price Production/Price 1995 20/ $0. 50 10/$1. 00 2000 10/ $1. 00 10/$0. 50 If 1995 is the base year, what is the GDP deflator for 2000? A. 0 B. between 0 and 1 C. 1 D. greater than 1 Question not answered 14 of 30 To obtain the net national product (NNP), start with the gross national product (GNP) and subtract     A. depreciat ion. B. epreciation and indirect business taxes. C. depreciation, indirect business taxes, and corporate profits. D. depreciation, indirect business taxes, corporate profits, and social insurance contributions. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is A. For an explanation of NNP, see Section 2-1. 15 of 30 To obtain national income, start with GNP and subtract A. depreciation. B. depreciation and the statistical discrepancy. C. depreciation, indirect business taxes, and corporate profits. D. depreciation, indirect business taxes, corporate profits, and social insurance contributions. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B.National income equals GNP minus depreciation and the statistical discrepancy. See Section 2-1. 16 of 30 Approximately what percentage of national income consists of compensation of employees? A. 10 percent B. 25 percent C. 70 percent D. 95 percent 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. The components of national income are discussed in section 2-1. 17 of 3 0 Which of the following is not considered investment? A. A family builds a house in which it plans to live. B. A car dealer stores some of this year's models for next year. C. An individual purchases several pieces of antique furniture. D. A firm buys a computer for word processing. out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. As discussed in Section 2-1, the reallocation of existing assets among different individuals is not investment for economy. 18 of 30 Suppose that Jones builds a new house, then she sells it to Smith, and then Smith sells it to Williams. The total net investment from these transactions is     A. zero. B. 1 house. C. 2 houses. D. 3 houses. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is B. As explained in Section 2-1, building a new house counts as investment; selling an existing house does not. 19 of 30 The consumer price index (CPI) A. measures the price of a fixed basket of goods and services.B. measures the price of a basket of goods and services that constantly chan ges as the composition of consumer spending changes. C. measures the amount of money that it takes to produce a fixed level of utility. D. is one of the many statistics in the National Income Accounts. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is A. The CPI measures the price of a fixed basket of goods and services. See Section 2-2. 20 of 30 Suppose that the typical consumer buys one apple and one orange every month. In the base year 1986, the price for each was $1. In 1996, the price of apples rises to $2, and the price of oranges remains at $1.Assuming that the CPI for 1986 is equal to 1, the CPI for 1996 would be equal to     A. 1/2. B. 1. C. 3/2. D. 2. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. The CPI measures the change in the price of the typical consumer’s basket of goods. Since the price of the basket was $2 in 1986, and it is $3 in 1996, the CPI for 1996 is equal to 3/2. See Section 2-2. 21 of 30 Consider the following table: | Consumption Goods| Nonconsumption Goods| Year| Prod uction Price| Production Price| 1995| 20/$0. 50| 10/$1. 00| 2000| 10/$1. 00| 10/$0. 50| If 1995 is the base year, the CPI in 2000 is A. 0. B. 1/2. C. 1. D. 2. 0 out of 1Incorrect. The correct answer is D. The CPI is a measure of the price of a fixed basket of consumption goods. Since the price of consumption goods doubled between 1995 and 2000, the 2000 CPI will equal 2. See Section 2-2. 22 of 30 Which of the following statements about the CPI and the GDP deflator is true? A. The CPI measures the price level; the GDP deflator measures the production of an economy. B. The CPI refers to a base year; the GDP deflator always refers to the current year. C. The weights given to prices are not the same. D. The GDP deflator takes the price of imported goods into account; the CPI does not. out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. For a discussion of the CPI and the GDP deflator, see Section 2-2. 23 of 30 All other things equal, if the price of foreign-made cars rises, then the GDP deflat or     A. and the CPI will rise by equal amounts. B. will rise and the CPI will remain the same. C. will remain the same and the CPI will rise. D. and the CPI will rise by different amounts. 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. Goods and services produced abroad do not enter the GDP deflator, but are included in the CPI if the foreign goods are in the consumers’ basket. See Section 2-2. 24 of 30General Motors increases the price of a model car produced exclusively for export to Europe. Which U. S. price index is affected? A. the CPI B. the GDP deflator C. both the CPI and the GDP deflator D. neither the CPI nor the GDP deflator 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. The GDP deflator is affected because the cars are produced domestically. The CPI does not change because the cars are not consumed domestically. See Section 2-2. 25 of 30 Which of the following events will cause the unemployment rate to increase? A. an increase in population, with no change in the size of the labor force   B. proportionally equal increase in the labor force and the number of unemployed workers   C. an increase in the labor force with no change in the number of employed workers   D. an increase in the number of employed workers with no change in the number of unemployed workers 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is C. The unemployment rate is defined as the number of unemployed workers divided by the labor force. If the labor force increases and employment does not change, the unemployment rate will increase. See Section 2-3. 26 of 30 An example of a person who is counted as unemployed is a A. retired worker below the mandatory retirement age.B. part-time worker who would like to work full-time. C. senator who resigns her job to run for president. D. student going to school full-time. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. For a discussion of who is considered unemployed, see Section 2-3. 27 of 30 Suppose that a factory worker turns 62 years old and reti res from her job. Which statistic is not affected? A. number of unemployed B. unemployment rate C. labor force D. labor-force participation rate 1 out of 1 Correct. The answer is A. The factory worker willingly leaves her job so she is not considered to be unemployed.See Section 2-3. 28 of 30 Suppose that the size of the labor force is 100 million and that the unemployment rate is 5 percent. Which of the following actions would reduce the unemployment rate the most? A. 1 million unemployed people get jobs B. 2 million unemployed people leave the labor force C. 3 million people join the labor force and they all get jobs   D. 10 million people join the labor force and half of them get jobs 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. The unemployment rate is equal to the number of unemployed workers divided by the size of the labor force.If you calculate it for each of the above situations, you will see that it is most reduced when 2 million unemployed people leave the labor force . See Section 2-3. 29 of 30 Suppose that a Canadian citizen crosses the border each day to work in the United States. Her income from this job would be counted in     A. U. S. GNP and Canadian GNP. B. U. S. GNP and Canadian GDP. C. U. S. GDP and Canadian GNP. D. U. S. GDP and Canadian GDP. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is C. Her income is counted as U. S. GDP and Canadian GNP. See Section 2-1 for the definitions of gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP). 0 of 30 Suppose that an Italian working in the United States renounces his Italian citizenship and is granted U. S. citizenship. Which of the following will happen? A. Italian GDP will fall; U. S. GNP will rise. B. Italian GNP will fall; U. S. GNP will rise. C. Italian GDP will fall; U. S. GDP will rise. D. Italian GNP will fall; U. S. GDP will rise. 0 out of 1 Incorrect. The correct answer is B. The worker’s income was counted as Italian GNP and U. S. GDP. After the worker becomes a U. S . citizen, his income is counted as U. S. GNP and GDP. Therefore, Italian GNP falls and U. S. GNP rises. See Section 2-1.

Battle of Waxhaws in the American Revolution

Battle of Waxhaws in the American Revolution The Battle of Waxhaws was fought May 29, 1780, during the American Revolution (1775-1783) and was one of several American defeats in the South that summer. In late 1778, with the fighting in the northern colonies increasingly becoming a stalemate, the British began to expand their operations to the south. This saw troops under Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell land and capture Savannah, GA on December 29. Reinforced, the garrison withstood a combined Franco-American attack led by Major General Benjamin Lincoln and  Vice Admiral Comte dEstaing the following year. Seeking to expand this foothold, the British commander-in-chief in North America,  Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, mounted a large expedition in 1780 to capture Charleston, SC. The Fall of Charleston Though Charleston had defeated an earlier British attack in 1776, Clintons forces were able to capture the city and Lincolns garrison on May 12, 1780 after a seven-week siege. The defeat marked the largest surrender of American troops during the war and left the Continental Army without a sizable force in the South. Following the American capitulation, British forces under Clinton occupied the city. Escaping North Six days later, Clinton dispatched Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis with 2,500 men to subdue the South Carolina back country. Advancing from the city, his force crossed the Santee River and moved towards Camden. En route, he learned from local Loyalists that South Carolina Governor John Rutledge was attempting to escape to North Carolina with a force of 350 men. This contingent was led by Colonel Abraham Buford and consisted of the 7th Virginia Regiment, two companies of the 2nd Virginia, 40 light dragoons, and two 6-pdr guns. Though his command included several veteran officers, the majority of Bufords men were untested recruits. Buford had originally been ordered south to aid in the Siege of Charleston, but when the city was invested by the British he received new directions from Lincoln to assume a position at Lenuds Ferry on the Santee River. Reaching the ferry, Buford soon learned of the citys fall and commenced withdrawing from the area. Retreating back toward North Carolina, he had a large lead on Cornwallis. Understanding that his column was too slow to catch the fleeing Americans, Cornwallis detached a mobile force under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton on May 27 to run down Bufords men. Departing Camden late on May 28, Tarleton continued his pursuit of the fleeing Americans. Armies Commanders Americans Colonel Abraham Buford420 men British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton270 men The Chase Tarletons command consisted of 270 men drawn from the 17th Dragoons, Loyalist British Legion, and a 3-pdr gun. Riding hard, Tarletons men covered over 100 miles in 54 hours. Warned of Tarletons rapid approach, Buford sent Rutledge ahead towards Hillsborough, NC with a small escort. Reaching Rugeleys Mill mid-morning on May 29, Tarleton learned that the Americans had camped there the previous night and were around 20 miles ahead. Pressing forward, the British column caught up with Buford around 3:00 PM at a location six miles south of the border near Waxhaws. The Battle of Waxhaws Defeating the American rearguard, Tarleton sent a messenger to Buford. Inflating his numbers to scare the American commander, he demanded Bufords surrender. Buford delayed responding while his men reached a more favorable position before replying, Sir, I reject your proposals, and shall defend myself to the last extremity. To meet Tarletons attack, he deployed his infantry into a single line with a small reserve to the rear. Opposite, Tarleton moved directly to assault the American position without waiting for his entire command to arrive. Forming his men on a small rise opposite the American line, he divided his men into three groups with one assigned to strike the enemy right, another the center, and the third the left. Moving forward, they began their charge approximately 300 yards from the Americans. As the British approached, Buford ordered his men to hold their fire until they were 10-30 yards away. While an appropriate tactic against infantry, it proved disastrous against cavalry. The Americans were able to fire one volley before Tarletons men shattered their line. With the British dragoons hacking with their sabers, the Americans began surrender while others fled the field. What happened next is a subject of controversy. One Patriot witness, Dr. Robert Brownfield, claimed that Buford waved a white flag to surrender. As he called for quarter, Tarletons horse was shot, throwing the British commander the ground. Believing their commander to have been attacked under a flag of truce, the Loyalists renewed their attack, slaughtering the remaining Americans, including wounded. Brownfield insinuates that this continuation of hostilities was encouraged by Tarleton (Brownfield Letter). Other Patriot sources claim that Tarleton ordered the renewed attack as he did not wish to be encumbered with prisoners. Regardless, the butchery continued with American troops, including wounded, being struck down. In his report after the battle, Tarleton stated that his men, believing him struck down, continued the fight with a vindictive asperity not easily restrained. After approximately fifteen minutes of fighting the battle concluded. Only around 100 Americans, including Buford, succeeded in escaping the field. Aftermath The defeat at Waxhaws cost Buford 113 killed, 150 wounded, and 53 captured. British losses were a light 5 killed and 12 wounded. The action at Waxhaws quickly earned Tarleton nicknames such as Bloody Ban and Ban the Butcher. In addition, the term Tarletons Quarter quickly came to mean that no mercy would be given. The defeat became a rallying cry in the region and led many to flock to the Patriot cause. Among those were numerous local militias, particularly those from over the Appalachian Mountains, which would play a key role at the Battle of Kings Mountain that October. Vilified by the Americans, Tarleton was decisively defeated by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan at the Battle of Cowpens in January 1781. Remaining with Cornwallis army, he was captured at the Battle of Yorktown. In negotiating the British surrender, special arrangements had to be made to protect Tarleton due to his unsavory reputation. After the surrender, the American officers invited all of their British counterparts to dine with them but specifically forbade Tarleton from attending.

Dawn Kills Animals

Dawn Kills Animals Proctor and Gamble tests on animals, they dont want to stop, but they want the public to think they are animal-friendly. Last night, I saw a very disturbing commercial for Dawn dishwashing liquid. The commercial claims that thousands of animals caught in oil spills have been saved by being washed in their dishwashing liquid. The video depicts a penguin, a duckling and an otter, all covered with oil, being bathed with their dishwashing liquid. In the before video, you can see how the duckling stumbles and struggles to walk. In tiny letters at the bottom of the screen, it says, simulated demonstration. This was not footage of an actual rescue. They intentionally covered at least three animals with tempera paint and corn syrup to simulate oil, just so they could wash them on camera. If Dawn really is used to wash oil off of animals, why couldnt they use footage of an actual rescue? The company then has the audacity to put up a website at DawnSavesWildlife.com, extolling their role in wildilfe rescue. Meanwhile, Proctor and Gamble, the parent corporation that owns Dawn, continues to test on animals and defends animal testing: We must conduct research involving animals to ensure materials are safe and effective. Not to be branded monsters, they have joined with The Humane Society of the United States in a partnership committed to the elimination of animal use for consumer product safety evaluation. Im guessing that this guarantees that HSUS will not target PG in any campaigns. PG, if you were really committed to the elimination of animal testing, you would stop it. Today. Now. Stop the lip service. Stop pretending. What you can do: Boycott Proctor Gamble products. Contact Proctor Gamble at 513-983-1100 or via email at comments.impg.com (Update: It appears that PG has now disabled this email address), to tell them you are boycotting all of their products until they stop testing on animals. Its not always easy to tell which brands are owned by PG and the list is always changing, so try to familiarize yourself with this list, from the official PG website. Dozens of brands are part of the PG corporation, including Dawn, Gillette, Cover Girl, Pampers, Tampax, Clairol, Febreeze, Tide, Mr. Clean, ​Crest and others. Iams and Eukanuba are also owned by PG and sponsor the Iditarod, so there are at least two reasons to boycott these two brands. Even better, boycott all companies that test on animals. Two apps available on iTunes make it easy to carry around a list of companies that dont test on animals. Cruelty-Free and BNB (short for Be Nice to Bunnies) are both compatible with the iPhone or the iPod touch. July 21, 2009 Update: I just spoke to Cory, a representative at PG, and told him that Im not swayed by the Dawn Saves Wildlife campaign, and if PG really cared about animals, they would stop animal testing. Cory was very nice and said that he would pass along my comment. He also said that PG is required by law to conduct animal testing. I told him that was not true. Federal law requires drugs to be tested on animals, but no law requires household products to be tested on animals. Cory said that the EPA requires new chemicals to be tested on animals. But thats not the same as requiring all household products to be tested on animals. A dishwashing liquid can be made using known, reliable ingredients, without creating new chemicals. There are lots of cruelty-free companies making the same types of cleaning products that PG makes, without animal testing. Our very civil conversation ended with my accepting Corys offer to send me a pamphlet about PGs animal testing, but turning down his of fer of coupons for PG products. Regardless of the certification from AHA, the animal rights position is that animals should not be used for entertainment or commercials, and should not be covered with paint or corn syrup. Correction, July 22, 2009: The original postincorrectly stated that during the filming of the commercial live animals were covered with oil. However, according to American Humane Association, the animals were covered with a mixture of tempera paint and corn syrup designed to simulate oil. The original post also suggested that animals may have been injured or killed during the filming of the commercial. American Humane Association was on set to supervise the filming of the commercial and certified that No animals were harmed during the taping.

The Navajo of North America Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Navajo of North America - Research Paper Example These dwelling were designed to accommodate their economic activities across the seasons of the year (Iverson, 1981). The nomadic lifestyles of these people also accommodated the old gathering practices in addition to the crop growing activities which were later assimilated from the neighbors they came into contact with during their migratory patterns. The traditional economic organization of the Navajo formed groups of men who raided other communities for livestock. The raiding parties were composed of able bodied men whose expeditions led to the expansion of the herds of sheep and goats that were reared within the Navajo area. The community also formed traveling groups during their nomadic life. These groups traveled long distances in search of greener pastures and water for their livestock (Brugge, 1983). This was motivated by ambitions of attaining economic status in the community through the ownership of livestock. Moreover, there was need for commerce where animal products were exchanged for money in addition to the needs of the family for food. The economic organization of the Navajo revolved around the rearing of goats and sheep in addition to the growing of crops. These practices were adopted from the Spanish and the Pueblos whom they came into contact with during the 17th century. The animal products from sheep and goats were important for either personal use or for sale. The Navajo area expanded with the growth in the agricultural activities of rearing livestock and growing of crops. There was need for more land to accommodate their animals and crops and hence they increased their settlement into a larger portion of land through acquisitions (Carlson, 2006). The agricultural activities of the Navajo people were improved by the innovations in technology and farm equipment which facilitated