Living in a Digital Nation essays

Living in a Digital Nation essays The United States and many other countries have now entered the digital age, an era where electronics, media, and the worldwide web are right at our fingertips anywhere and anytime that our hearts desire. Workplaces, schools, and households have now become more technology friendly and are assimilating into this fascinating age of discovery and innovation. According to Virginia Heffernan, a published author and writer for The New York Times, "65 percent of today's grade-school kids may end up doing work that hasn't been invented yet." Even children are being introduced to electronics and the Internet at a young age, which means the future holds a lot of promise. Technology has flourished and become apart of one's everyday life, and some might even say we abuse it because of our need to be constantly connected; however, it is a beneficial tool to have, and I have welcomed it into my life with open arms. It has allowed me to get my work done easily, helped me make connections, taught me realizations about myself. Also, technology and the Internet are here to stay, which has led me to the conclusion that they will greatly impact my future. Being part of the digital age has made work and business easier. For example, taking online classes is something I was recently introduced to over the summer, and my English course, being my third online class has made me see how a classroom can be brought into a digital setting. Classes offered online are very useful because sometimes a class' time conflicts with my schedule. I am able to do everything online, which leaves some sort of anonymity between my peers, which I like because I am able to state my opinion without fear of being judged in an actual classroom setting where everyone turns and looks at you when you have a contribution to make. Because of the Internet, people are able to get a vast amount of work done The Internet has come very far...

Radiocarbon Dating - Reliable but Misunderstood

Radiocarbon Dating - Reliable but Misunderstood Radiocarbon dating is one of the best known archaeological dating techniques available to scientists, and the many people in the general public have at least heard of it. But there are many misconceptions about how radiocarbon works and how reliable a technique it is. Radiocarbon dating was invented in the 1950s by the American chemist Willard F. Libby and a few of his students at the University of Chicago: in 1960, he won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the invention. It was the first absolute scientific method ever invented: that is to say, the technique was the first to allow a researcher to determine how long ago an organic object died, whether it is in context or not. Shy of a date stamp on an object, it is still the best and most accurate of dating techniques devised. How Does Radiocarbon Work? All living things exchange the gas Carbon 14 (C14) with the atmosphere around them- animals and plants exchange Carbon 14 with the atmosphere, fish and corals exchange carbon with dissolved C14 in the water. Throughout the life of an animal or plant, the amount of C14 is perfectly balanced with that of its surroundings. When an organism dies, that equilibrium is broken. The C14 in a dead organism slowly decays at a known rate: its half life. The half-life of an isotope like C14 is the time it takes for half of it to decay away: in C14, every 5,730 years, half of it is gone. So, if you measure the amount of C14 in a dead organism, you can figure out how long ago it stopped exchanging carbon with its atmosphere. Given relatively pristine circumstances, a radiocarbon lab can measure the amount of radiocarbon accurately in a dead organism for as long as 50,000 years ago; after that, theres not enough C14 left to measure. Tree Rings and Radiocarbon There is a problem, however. Carbon in the atmosphere fluctuates with the strength of earths magnetic field and solar activity. You have to know what the atmospheric carbon level (the radiocarbon reservoir) was like at the time of an organisms death, in order to be able to calculate how much time has passed since the organism died. What you need is a ruler, a reliable map to the reservoir: in other words, an organic set of objects that you can securely pin a date on, measure its C14 content and thus establish the baseline reservoir in a given year. Fortunately, we do have an organic object that tracks carbon in the atmosphere on a yearly basis: tree rings. Trees maintain carbon 14 equilibrium in their growth rings- and trees produce a ring for every year they are alive. Although we dont have any 50,000-year-old trees, we do have overlapping tree ring sets back to 12,594 years. So, in other words, we have a pretty solid way to calibrate raw radiocarbon dates for the most recent 12,594 years of our planets past. But before that, only fragmentary data is available, making it very difficult to definitively date anything older than 13,000 years. Reliable estimates are possible, but with large /- factors. The Search for Calibrations As you might imagine, scientists have been attempting to discover other organic objects that can be dated securely steadily since Libbys discovery. Other organic data sets examined have included varves (layers in sedimentary rock which were laid down annually and contain organic materials, deep ocean corals, speleothems (cave deposits), and volcanic tephras; but there are problems with each of these methods. Cave deposits and varves have the potential to include old soil carbon, and there are as-yet unresolved issues with fluctuating amounts of C14 in ocean corals. Beginning in the 1990s, a coalition of researchers led by Paula J. Reimer of the CHRONO Centre for Climate, the Environment and Chronology, at Queens University Belfast, began building an extensive dataset and calibration tool that they first called CALIB. Since that time, CALIB, now renamed IntCal, has been refined several timesas of this writing (January 2017), the program is now called IntCal13. IntCal combines and reinforces data from tree-rings, ice-cores, tephra, corals, and speleothems to come up with a significantly improved calibration set for c14 dates between 12,000 and 50,000 years ago. The latest curves were ratified at the 21st International Radiocarbon Conference in July of 2012. Lake Suigetsu, Japan Within the last few years, a new potential source for further refining radiocarbon curves is Lake Suigetsu in Japan. Lake Suigetsus annually formed sediments hold detailed information about environmental changes over the past 50,000 years, which radiocarbon specialist PJ Reimer believes will be as good as, and perhaps better than, samples cores from the Greenland Ice Sheet. Researchers Bronk-Ramsay et al. report 808 AMS dates based on sediment varves measured by three different radiocarbon laboratories. The dates and corresponding environmental changes promise to make direct correlations between other key climate records, allowing researchers such as Reimer to finely calibrate radiocarbon dates between 12,500 to the practical limit of c14 dating of 52,800. Constants and Limits Reimer and colleagues point out that IntCal13 is just the latest in calibration sets, and further refinements are to be expected. For example, in IntCal09s calibration, they discovered evidence that during the Younger Dryas (12,550-12,900 cal BP), there was a shutdown or at least a steep reduction of the North Atlantic Deep Water formation, which was surely a reflection of climate change; they had to throw out data for that period from the North Atlantic and use a different dataset. We should see some interesting results in the very near future. Sources and Further Information Bronk Ramsey C, Staff RA, Bryant CL, Brock F, Kitagawa H, Van der Plicht J, Schlolaut G, Marshall MH, Brauer A, Lamb HF et al. 2012. A complete terrestrial radiocarbon record for 11.2 to 52.8 kyr B.P. Science 338:370-374.Reimer PJ. 2012. Atmospheric science. Refining the radiocarbon time scale. Science 338(6105):337-338.Reimer PJ, Bard E, Bayliss A, Beck JW, Blackwell PG, Bronk Ramsey C, Buck CE, Cheng H, Edwards RL, Friedrich M et al. . 2013. IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0–50,000 Years cal BP. Radiocarbon 55(4):1869–1887.Reimer P, Baillie M, Bard E, Bayliss A, Beck J, Blackwell PG, Bronk Ramsey C, Buck C, Burr G, Edwards R et al. 2009. IntCal09 and Marine09 radiocarbon age calibration curves, 0-50,000 years cal BP. Radiocarbon 51(4):1111-1150.Stuiver M, and Reimer PJ. 1993. Extended C14 data base and revised Calib 3.0 c14 age calibration program. Radiocarbon 35(1):215-230.

Public Health Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Public Health - Research Paper Example In the following discussion, the researcher shall enumerate on the concept of public and community health by tracing its historical development, and comparing it to each other. The objective is to identify the differences and similarities between public and community nursing, and its impact on acute care setting. Health, according to the World Health Organization can be defined as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity" (Stanhope and Lancaster 322). This definition has evolved over the centuries due to several historical health events which shall be discussed as follows: Historically, health care can be traced to the Greeks. They initiated the concept of self-care as the basis for developing a system of health care for the public. They believed that if individuals were free of disease, practice hygiene and care for themselves, then the community would be healthy. Based on this concept in the United States active promotion of health care developed during the 19th century when concern for the spread of epidemic and diseases due to poverty, dirty environment, and lack of awareness among the people led to the first public policies (Scutchfield, Mays and Keck 11). At the time public health organizations developed by political entities were defined as institutions for policing epidemics through quarantine, and keeping diseases at bay. The first American Public Health Association was formed on an entirely different platform as compared to today. The purpose of the Association was to practice public sanitation, and worked in conjunction with medical practit ioners, lawyers, engineers, lay reformers and on. This was more community focus rather than policy based holistically. Yet, it was different from community health, and operated based on national economic and social reforms, and was political in

Communication Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Communication Theories - Essay Example Another criterion that can help me through my pronouncement is that creativity is my department. I have always been enormously creative and therefore I prefer studying a field that necessitates creative minds so that I may easily excel in it. Due to this reason, I get more dragged towards studying marketing as marketing is all about creativity, new ideas and innovations that help in promoting any particular thing. The advantages of marketing that I perceive over communication is that while studying communications I can only utilize my power of communicating whereas marketing will help me exploit both of my capabilities, i.e., communicating as well as creativity. Marketing involves communicating as well as convincing one’s words to others along with ingenious, inspiring and innovative activities, but, communication only involves skills to exchange a few words well with the mass. (â€Å"What is marketing?†) One disadvantage that I feel about marketing is that I might get employed by such a company that produces unhealthy stuff such as tobacco, cigarette etc. in such a case I will have to promote unhealthy and hazardous products and convince people to buy and use them. Marketing infatuates me more than communications but still, there are its drawbacks that compel me to ponder more and more over both the fields before the final

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Fracking Essay Example for Free

The Good, Bad and Ugly of Fracking Essay There is a gold rush going on right now. Man is breaking the earth, looking for natural gas. It’s a mad scene, with hucksters on every side of the issue. There is a lot going on underground and that process is called Fracking. The word alone can stir up controversy. The process of extracting natural gas through hydraulic fracturing or â€Å"fracking,† might summon in someone’s imagination an environment and damaged communities. Natural gas hides from sight it is invisible. Perhaps envisioned a prettier picture—one that involves clean-burning fuel, job growth and affordable energy. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that fracking â€Å"is the process of injecting large volumes of water, sand and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to break up shale formation allowing more efficient recovery of oil and gas† (Walter). This practice has grown rapidly over the course of the last decade thanks to improved technologies, but it also has fostered debates concerning its environmental, health and safety impact along the way. The process of hydraulic fracturing – shooting water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into underground wells to release natural gas – is a divisive issue. Some say it dumps chemicals into ground water supplies; others argue it causes earthquakes, and still others think it can revolutionize America’s energy industry. Environmentalists argue that fracking contaminates ground and surface water – a charge the gas companies deny. Here’s the problem: the fracking process begins with a well drilled deep underground. Horizontal passages are then drilled outward from the bottom of the well. Water, sand and chemicals are pumped at high pressure through the water is insignificant, and it has never been proven that those chemicals rise ground water supplies. On the other hand, environmentalists say the downward drilling process, if done poorly, releases chemicals into both ground and surface water. Both arguments are strong, which is why no one can agree whether fracking is a good or bad thing. The science is not settled; arguments are hurled back and forth by both gas companies and environmentalists. On the earthquake issue, seismologists say it is possible fracking can cause small earthquakes. The British Geological Survey researched the Blackpool earthquakes, and the conclusion was reasonable. However, they did come back and say, â€Å"the chances of getting a very large earthquake are insignificant† (Walter). Meanwhile, a contaminated water supply is a hotly-debated issue: there have been cases where fracking has polluted water supplies as a result of poor oversight and procedures, but it does seem that if done correctly, fracking is not nearly as environmentally disruptive as traditional oil and gas extraction. One thing that is settled are the benefits homegrown natural gas adds to the US energy industry. As chemist and author rich Trzupek wrote recently: â€Å"America has become, in the eyes of energy professions, the Saudi Arabia of natural gas thanks to shale gas. The doe estimates that shale gas reserves alone are 750 trillion cubic feet. (McGraw). Combines with other domestic sources of natural gas, the United States has enough natural gas to last for over a century, and the numbers continue to climb. In areas where shale gas drilling is happening, the good times are rolling. Not only are people making money from the energy sales, jobs are created down the line, from the companies who support drilling operations down to the service industries that provide workers with food and shelter† (McGraw). According to Carlton Carroll, American Petroleum Institute (API) the oil and natural gas industry’s number one priority is safety. It is very important to maintain a perfect safety record but even one incident is way too many. In a December 2012 press release, API called the extraction from natural gas from shale â€Å"the most important domestic energy development in the last fifty years†¦poised to reshape American manufacturing. † And Chevron’s web site touts the practice for â€Å"providing the United States with reliable, affordable, cleaner and responsibly produced energy† (Walter). Developing these natural gas resources can help enhance the country’s energy security, strengthen local and state economies, and fuel job growth. Many Americans, oppose any kind of pollution. However, here are reasons to support fracking: 1. It can lead to our nation becoming energy independent 2. It will provide an enormous boost to our state and local economies 3. It has already driven down natural gas prices to the point where utilities are replacing dirty coal-fired power plants with cleaner natural gas-burning plans and increasingly vehicles are burning natural gas instead of dirtier gasoline 4. It will provide many well-paying jobs to geologists, well drillers, office workers, truck drivers, construction workers, and many more. So what is the snag—and how serious is it? Communities where fracking has taken place, notably in Ohio and Pennsylvania, protest the noise and scarring of the landscaping during the initial explorations. Restoration and compensation can better those concerns. The most significant fear is that the wastewater with chemicals from the fracking process, called, flowback, can contaminate the aquifers and drinking water. State regulators in Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennslvania, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming have stated that there have been no verified or documented cases of groundwater contamination as a result of hydraulic fracking (Zuckerman). The process uses about 99 percent water and sand, the rest being a solution of a few chemicals (Zuckerman). Most drilling experts have asserted that it is highly improbable that fracking liquids will contaminate drinking water. Fortunately, no cases exist in which the fracking process itself has caused drilling liquids to contaminate drinking water. The issue then is whether the flowback hazard can remain at acceptable levels. The real risk of water contamination comes from these flowback fluids leaking into streams or seeping down into groundwater after reaching the surface. This can be caused by leaky wellheads, holding tanks or blowouts. Wellheads are made sufficiently safe to prevent this eventuality; holding tanks can be made secure; and blowouts, while problematic, are like all accidents caused by human error. The energy industry has long stressed that fracking and water contamination has never been definitibely linked.

Case Study: Murder of Ashley Smith Essay -- Scott Jones, Frederick Joh

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze the practices conducted by law enforcement during the investigation of the murder of Ashley Smith. The following pages will discuss the crime scene investigation, the evidence collection, the investigative steps following the initial crime scene investigation, the interviews of witnesses and suspects, and other strategies performed by the acting case investigators. Constitutional challenges have surfaced regarding specific pieces of critical evidence and a section of this paper will analyze the admissibility of this evidence. Lastly this case’s law enforcement processes will be contrasted with textbook processes in an effort to determine the validity of the case’s outcome. The Crime Scene On 11/3/00, two truck drivers discovered the deceased body of fourteen-year-old Ashley Smith in a wooded area behind the Pizza Hut, located on Old Annapolis Rd. Local authorities were dispatched and D/CPL. Glenn Case was designated as the primary investigator on the case. Upon arrival, D/CPL. Case observed that the medical examiner had already examined the body, evidence had been collected, photographs of the crime scene had been taken both on ground and from a helicopter (aerial view), and D/CPL. Case was advised that the victim had not yet been identified. The victim’s body had what appeared to be several stab wounds to her neck and abdominal area. D/CPL Case will later be advised by medical examiners that the victim had been stabbed thirty-four times and had also been manually strangled. The victim’s body was positioned with her head facing towards the Pizza Hut parking lot. The positioning coupled with bloody drag marks on the concrete suggested that the victim had been ... ...e resulted arrest of the suspects reflects this applicably. References Bond, J. (2007). Value of DNA Evidence in Detecting Crime. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 52(1), 128-136. Moston, S., & Engelberg, T. (2011). The Effects of Evidence on the Outcome of Interviews with Criminal Suspects. Police Practice & Research, 12(6), 518 - 526. State by State Compliance. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.vegress.com/index.php/can-i-record-calls-in-my-state Swanson, C. R., Chamelin, N. C., & Territo, L. (2012). Criminal investigation. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation (2000). Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement-Research Report (NCJ 178280). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice website: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications/fsc/april2000/twgcsi.pdf

Abandon Baby Essay

The abandoned of babies issue is a social disease of our society that lack of humanity values. This problem should not happen in our country which is opposite from our cultural and religious values. Abandonment cases are viewed as a social disease that will shackle our country from being a caring society as the fourth of the nine of Vision 2020 challenge to establishing a fully moral and ethical society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards. See more: Recruitment and selection process essay Most young generations cannot make out and consider what the good and bad things are. It could get rid the moral values in each young generation. The statistics released by Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) regarding the cases of abandon babies in our country since 2005 until January this year was very surprising. Datuk Seri Mohd. Bakri Mohd. Zinin the Director of Criminal Investigation Department in Bukit Aman was disclose the most worrying statistic. Based on PDRM statistics, in the last six year there are 517 recorded cases of abandoned babies. The statistic shows that 517 of infants discharged, 203 boys, 164 girls and 150 are imperfectly formed infants. The worse cases were reports on year 2008 with 102 cases followed by 91 cases on 2010. Over the past six years, only 37 were successful suspects under arrest to help investigations, including four this year. The phenomena of babies born out of wedlock being abandoned or thrown is becoming a worrying trend there has not been any comprehensive study carried out to find their causes and to suggest remedies to shorten the trend including having preventive programmes to youths and teenagers.

Morality and Crime Essay

Argument 1 : Morality itself causes crime Detail 1 : Low morals Detail 2 : Lack of parental guidance and supervision Detail 3 : The lack of religious education Argument 2 : Morality is the basis of all human actions Detail 1 : Good foundations of morality Detail 2 : Nations with low crime rates Detail 3 : Morality influences human emotions and instincts. Argument 3 : Morality creates awareness to the effects of crime Detail 1 : Awareness prevents crime Detail 2 : Awareness promotes security Detail 3 : Awareness becomes a way of life. Concession : Some crimes are not morally motivated Detail 1 : Crimes that are caused by mental illnesses Detail 2 : Crimes of passion (spur of the moment) Detail 3 : Crimes by impulses or reaction (uncontrollable action) Refutation : Low level of crimes that are not morally motivated Detail 1 : Major crimes are morally motivated Detail 2 : Sickness can be controlled but morality issues cannot be suppressed Detail 3 : Moral values can help people make better choices Conclusion : In conclusion, it can be seen that low morals causes crime to occur. So how can crime be the problem? The root of all crime is the low levels of moral values in a person and the choices they make. Therefore the only way to reduce the level of crime in the society is by revamping the morals of the society. This shows that morality is the true and actual problem to the society. Thus, if all the parties work together to increase the level of morality then crime would no longer appear as a problem and further crimes can be prevented. Crime cannot be eradicated totally but it can be lessened to a certain level.

buy custom Critique of IAR and NAEP Assessment Processes essay

buy custom Critique of IAR and NAEP Assessment Processes essay Whether used for high-stakes decisions or classroom-based formative decisions, the most fundamental element of any educational assessment is validity (Russell Kavanaugh, 2011). IAR validity focuses on the accuracy of information collected about students, the accuracy of inferences made based on that information and the appropriateness of decisions about students, schools, teaching and learning that are based on those inferences (Russell Kavanaugh, 2011). On the other hand, large-scale assessment programs such as NAEP have traditionally attempted to assess students using single instruments administered to students under the same conditions. As a result it has been acknowledged that this practice does not give valid information (Russell Kavanaugh, 2011). The importance of evaluating these two programs is to discover problems and additional requirements early to prevent more serious issues that may arise later in their use. Through evaluation, stakeholders can determine which assessment programs to continue and which ones to end (IAR, 2011). Critical evaluation of these programs will ensure quality and build client confidence about purchasing, or using the assessment procedure. Effective assessment will assist the users to prioritize resources by identifying program components that are most effective or critical (IAR, 2011). The evaluation of Instructional Assessment Resources (IAR) should ensure that students attain self assessment which will in turn help students to develop critical reflection as they have to evaluate their own and other students work. IAR does not provide the opportunity for students to learn responsibility towards others via assessment and to learn to make critical judgments. Frankland (2007) says that an assessment process such as IAR should play a fundamental role in all aspects of learning where individuals and groups have to be accountable for their work. IAR should enable students to grow their ability to be realistic judges of their own performance and the ability to monitor their own learning. In order to be more effective, IAR should involve learners in the assessment of self development and learning. This will motivate them to think about what had been learnt to a certain point, where the gaps are, and how to fill up or minimize the gaps (Frankland, 2007). The assessment process should introduce the concept of individual judgment to students and ensure effective communication among teachers and peers. Carless, Joughin Li (2007) noted that assessment processes should lead to both the award of a reliable grade and contribute to productive student learning. The major challenge of IAR is that students spend too much time being tested and lack enough time in productive learning. The key stakeholders in these two learning processes should note that learning is much more than the accumulation of grades. On the other hand, NAEP does not give students motivating assessment activities which involve them in productive learning experiences. Therefore, NAEP assessment process is likely to lead to better student grades because it involves students actively in the assessment, engages them with standards and encourages them to monitor and improve their own work. NAEP assessment process presents a major challenge to tutors because they carry potential share of workload. Carless, Joughin Li (2007) argues that tutors are forced to share ideas, strategies, worksheets, model answers, quality exemplars or follow-up tasks as part of the process of streamlining assessment. Ehlers Schneckenberg (2010) learned that the main purpose of student assessment has been as a mechanism for comparing individual learners as a screening or selection process. NAEP assessment process has not provided access to individuals to continued education and progression to higher degrees, to entry into the civil services and to progression for jobs and careers (Ehlers Schneckenberg, 2010). Instead this process is predicated on measuring the differences between individual students based on race, ethnicity and gender. NAEP assessment process has led to pressure for objectivity through standardized tests which are set that the bright or hard working students get it right and the dull or lazy ones get it wrong (Ehlers Schneckenberg, 2010). Both NAEP and IAR use technologies in their assessment processes. Ehlers Schneckenberg (2010) says that technology has been focused on the development of simple multiple choice question and answers designed both for easy marking and for standardized test provision (p. 441). More emphasis should be put on the trends being assessed. Traditionally, university assessment was focused on a mastery of a body of scholarly knowledge defined by experts in a subject and the ability to research about that body of knowledge (Ehlers Schneckenberg, 2010). Nowadays, assessment has been more focused on professional standards as defined by external bodies. The main aim of NAEP has been to compare institutions and to provide a comparison of the attainment of individual learners rather than as a measurement of quality in terms of learning processes (Ehlers Schneckenberg, 2010). The stakeholders in IAR should be cautioned that the process is central because quality is seen to be congruent with the move from teaching to learning and to new processes of knowledge development outlined in the curriculum. Ehlers Schneckenberg (2010) mentioned that critiques of both IAR and NAEP should also be based on the effect on student motivation and coming from those seeking to develop assessment based on reflection on learning, particularly through the introduction of e-portfolios (p. 441). Both IAR and NAEP assessment processes should allow students to garner rewards from their participation in the assessment processes. Palomba Banta (2001) says that through their participation in the assessment process, students should be given small incentives for participating in surveys or testing projects. This is because the real payoff to students for their involvement in assessment should be an opportunity to learn more than they would have learned without it (Palomba Banta, 2001). Both NAEP and IAR programs should review their strategies to meet their full potential to engage faculty, students and other stakeholders in a systematic effort to improve quality of education. Instructional Assessment Resources (IAR) Goals and strengths IAR conducts regular assessment of teaching in order to improve the instruction itself. IAR (2011) says that teaching assessment allows the instructors to monitor student learning and make necessary adjustments to improve their teaching. One of the strengths of IAR is that its teaching assessments help teachers to avoid surprises in end-of-course evaluations (IAR, 2011). As a result, IAR (2011) indicated that the assessment process embraces evaluation of student satisfaction with course organization, exams, assignments, and instruction throughout the term giving room for mid-course adjustments and the improvement of student satisfaction. According to IAR (2011) IAR student assessment entails the assessment of student learning through assignments, tests, and portfolios. Recommendations for improvement IAR assessment process should consider individual student interests, abilities, cognitive styles, and rates of learning, patterns of developed abilities, ethnicity, sex, social class and their motivations (Clark Zimmerman, 2004). The IAR measures should be sensitive to pluralistic issues and reinforce achievements of all students not just those from a particular background or social class. Clark Zimmerman (2004) mentioned that students achievements should be focused on and celebrated so they are motivated to learn, and teachers will be provided tools that allow them to deliver quality instruction to all students including those who are talented in given fields (p. 145). Consequently, IAR assessment processes should use accurate scoring keys for selected rsponse assessment and good scoring guides for extended written response and performance assessment (Stiggins, Arter Chappuis, 2004). Regardless of how carefully the whole process has been planned, things can still go wrong that result in inaccurate estimates of achievement. Stiggins, Arter Chappuis (2004) says that some of the problems that may arise from the process can be solved by adhering to the test development process (p. 114). Evaluation measures used IAR uses three types of evaluation which include: needs, process and outcome evaluation.Needs evaluation is typically used in program planning. IAR (2011) indicated that this evaluation helps determine which program aspects or activities are most needed and for which population. Generally, this method is used to help build up new programs or justify existing program components. Process evaluation investigates the implementation process of a program (IAR, 2011). This approach is useful to appraise program activities and categorize any essential improvements or changes (IAR, 2011). Outcome evaluation helps determine the overall effects or outcomes of the program in relation to program intentions. IAR (2011) says that this method may indicate whether the program objectives were met and also includes any recommendations for improvement. IAR assessment process employs scenario based higher order thinking evaluation. Nilson (2010) says that scenario based higher order thinking evaluation is a series of multiple choice items based on a new realistic stimulus such as tables, graphs, diagrams and data set. In addition, Schuh (2011) says that the assessment process may face the challenge of availability of resources to support the initiative. In addition, a structured assessment instrument such as IAR is not be limited to needs, process and outcome evaluation. Schuh (2011) noted that institutions using this process are not limited by the specific questions within the assessment tool. Additional measures needed Teachers and students need to construct the way forward for classroom assessment practice together. McInerney, Brown Liem (2009) says that students comments suggest their actions are shaped by their past experiences and the future they anticipate, so it is important to realize that changes to teacher and students roles and responsibilities will take time (p. 101). The main criticisms of IAR are based on the desires of empirical scholars to have a stable population to acquire hard data that can be treated statistically and reported as predictive (Dorn, 1999). This means that there is a need for the student and subject matter content to be measured is stable and predictable. IAR faces challenges in its effort to assess performances in real-life situations because both the student and school undergo change (Dorn, 1999). The IAR assessment process should embrace a deductive process in which critical theories are applied to the students outcomes. Christ (1997) says that students should be urged to apply the same theories to their own work after learning in a formal critique. McInerney, Brown Liem (2009) articulated that a good assessment process should allow us to review aspects of the learning context and teacher assessment actions to consider how they might better support the formative function of classroom assessment. The IAR process should provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do. McInerney, Brown Liem (2009) cautioned that the use of IAR should accommodate student goals as part of fostering a climate where assessment is viewed at a minimum, as a joint teacher-student responsibility. The entire process must value the suggestions as feedback that signals respect for students and their ideas and prompts students to actively engage in learning assessment process (McInerney, Brown Liem, 2009). How this supplementary data can enhance the results and conclusions. The team involved in the design and implementation of IAR student assessment should have insider information about challenges going on in students lives, which may have undue influence over their final report on the students progress (Orrell, Cooper Bowden, 2010). IAR assessment process should consider that students and peers gain much from playing an active role in the assessment process. Orrell, Cooper Bowden (2010) further says that self assessment is a powerful tool for learning when adequately supported and developed. They also noted that when students are required to review and critique their behavior by IAR process they will if guided appropriately develop their meta-cognitive ability. The supplementary data should be used to ensure recognition, accurate interpretation and respect for diversity, evaluators should ensure that the members of the evaluation team collectively demonstrate competence (AEA, 2004). Competence would be reflected in evaluators seeking awareness of their own assumptions, their understanding of the worldviews of different participants and stakeholders in the evaluation. AEA (2004) stated that the use of appropriate evaluation strategies and skills in working with different student groups will enhance the results and conclusions. The supplementary data will enhance diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, socio-economics, or other factors pertinent to the IAR evaluation context (AEA, 2004). National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Goals and strengths NAEP administers assessments in twelve subject areas which include Reading, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Arts, Civics, Economics, Geography, and U.S History. Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) says that NAEP has chronicled academic achievement for over a quarter century. This is because it has been a valued source of information about the academic proficiency of students in the United States (Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell, 1999). It provides among the best available trend data on the academic performance of elementary, middle and secondary students in key subject areas (Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell, 1999). NAEP measures national and state progress toward the third National Education Goal and provide timely, fair, and accurate data about student achievement at the national level, among states and in comparison to other nations (Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell, 1999). It also develops sound assessments to measure what students know and can do as well as what they should know and be able to do. Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) noted that NAEP helps states and other link their assessments to the National Assessment and use National Assessment data to improve education performance (p. 68). Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) says that one of the strengths of NAEP assessment is that it has set an innovative agenda for conventional and performance based testing and in doing so it has become a leader in American achievement testing. NAEPs prominence has made it a victim of its own success. Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) indicated that recent demands for accountability at many levels of the educational system, the increasing diversity of Americas school age population, policy concerns about equal educational opportunity, and the emergence of standards based reform have had demonstrable effects on the program (p. 56). Regulators in the education sector and other with legitimate interest in the status of United States education have asked NAEP to do more beyond its central purpose. The main strength of NAEP is that without changing its basic design, structural features have been added to NAEP in response to the growing consistency for assessment in schools. Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) says that the state testing program, the introduction of performance standards and the increased numbers of hands-on and other open-response tasks have made NAEP more complex (p. 57). Recommendations for improvement Moreover, Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) says that NAEP cannot and should not attempt to meet all the diverse needs of the programs multiple constituencies. From NAEP assessment program, it clear that the nation needs a new definition of educational progress. The program should thus provide a more comprehensive picture of education in America. Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) thus mentioned that NAEP should only be one component of a more comprehensive integrated system on teaching and learning in Americas schools. The current NAEP achievement survey fails to capitalize on contemporary research, theory, and practice in the disciplines in ways that support in-depth interpretations of student knowledge and understanding (Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell, 1999). Full student involvement is not evident in NAEP assessment process. Palomba Banta (2001) says that an important challenge with this approach is whether or not students will take seriously their responsibilities to participate in assessment activities (p. 24). In this context, the assessment teams should promote course-embedded assessment so as to draw on the natural motivation of students to do well in their studies. These assessment programs should encourage students to also serve on program assessment committees, participate in design of portfolio or other assessment projects, critique existing techniques through focus groups and assist in conducting assessment projects (Palomba Banta, 2001). Evaluation measures used NAEP assessment process comprises two elements: the long-term trend assessments and the main assessments (NAEP, 2004). The long-term trend assessment process uses considerably the same assessments after a certain period of time, each time a subject is evaluated, in order to determine student progress in that subject over time (Kitmitto Mello, 2008). On the other hand, the main assessments is regularly adapted to reflect current curriculum policies, content currently in use in the nations schools, and enhancements in techniques of educational measurement (NAEP, 2004). NAEP staff administers the long-term trend assessment to students who are part of the NAEP long-term trend sample (NAEP, 2011).Students areasked to complete a questionnaire to provide context fortheresults. NAEP (2011) indicated that the questionnaires are presented to students as an intact form in therevised assessment. However, in the original assessment given in previous years thesequestions are interspersed with the cognitive items (NAEP, 2011). NAEPs student evaluation measures should reach beyond capacities of large scale survey methods. Pellegrino, Jones Mitchell (1999) indicated that the current assessments do not test portions of the current NAEP frameworks well and are ill-suited to conceptions of achievement that address more complex skills (p. 65). In this context, student achievement should be more broadly defined by NAEP frameworks and measured using methods that are matched to the subjects, skills and populations of interest (Kitmitto Mello, 2008). In NAEP assessment process, the evaluation plan should be shared with students ahead of time to make the learning targets clearer. This implies that students should be involved throughout a unit, by establishing where each days instruction fits into the plan or by writing practice test questions periodically for each cell of the plan as a form of review (Stiggins, Arter Chappuis, 2004). Data collected in the assessment process should provide quality comments on which areas require significant improvement. Mann (2006) says that the teams involved should conduct further analysis to examine the pattern of the quality of assessment comments from the data. According to Mann (2006), students ability to critique, assess and evaluate improves with practice. Additional measures needed Critics of NAEP assessment program especially those groups representing specific vested interests have raised several complaints about the nature and implications of writing prompts developed by test makers (Flood, 2003). Flood (2003) noted that there have been concerns with privacy invasion, racial/ethnic/religious, regional biases exceeding the background limits of writers found voice in these complaints. Preskill Catsambas (2006) says that there is always a need to allow for more in-depth responses regarding in-person training while conducting the assessment. This will increase the effectiveness, usefulness, and appeal of current training and support. According to Evans, Economy Forney (2009), legitimate concerns should be expressed about lack of inclusiveness in the whole assessment process. The process should not be based on gender, race, ethnicity and other dominant groups within institutions. Rather the process should measure students knowledge of basic facts in specific areas. Another additional measure should be the inclusion of many constructs rather than one assessment scheme. Evans, Economy Forney (2009) studied that combining all notions can result in confounding notions, especially in terms of what is perceived as being more developed. With these additional measures in place, the end result of NAEP assessment should demonstrate to what extent teachers and students meet their objectives (Clark Zimmerman, 2004). The process should inform students about what they need to do to improve and at the same time provide teachers with information that can help them recognize their successes and make revisions when required (Cla rk Zimmerman, 2004). How this supplementary data can enhance the results and conclusions The differences observed among racial/ ethnic subgroups can almost certainly be associated with a broad range of socioeconomic and educational factors and may not be fully addressed by NAEP assessment program (Williams, 1995). As a result NAEP assessment program should bring out the differences between public and non-public schools. Nevertheless, the process should articulate differences in reading performance and its effectiveness. Also educational programs within the states, the challenges posed by economic constraints and student demographic demands should be addressed by the program (Williams, 1995). Davis (2007) says that the NAEP average scores should depict the progress over a certain period of time and show were declines occur in the average scores of all graders. The supplementary data will help the evaluators to close the gaps among ethnic groups and promote equity in the nations educational systems (Davis, 2007). The supplementary data will enhance results and conclusions. This is because the measures will reduce the programmes high sampling and administration costs. Teddlie Reynolds (2000) learned that the data will ensure that substantial modifications are made to test the design itself, so that the later assessment resembles traditional standardized achievement tests (p. 275). They further say that despite the compromises made in the overall program, the data will promote a concerted effort over the years to maintain special bridge samples whose testing conditions are comparable to the earlier NAEP assessments. Conclusion The recommendations and results evident in these two assessment processes are meant to portray some aspects of the condition of education in the country. They are best looked at as implying various ideas to be further observed in light of other assessment processes. They also elaborate on the many issues contributing to educational achievement among the teachers and students. A critical review of both IAR and NAEP has provided a dependable measure of their achievement and trends of were improvement is required at the national and state levels in various grades and subjects. The motivation behind IAR and NAEP assessment process should be the success and improvement of student performance at state and nation level, but not on the basis of race, disability, ethnicity and gender. Buy custom Critique of IAR and NAEP Assessment Processes essay

Biography of Louis Pasteur, Health Sciences Pioneer

Biography of Louis Pasteur, Health Sciences Pioneer Louis Pasteur (December 27, 1822–September 28, 1895) was a French biologist and chemist whose breakthrough discoveries into the causes and prevention of disease ushered in the modern era of medicine. Fast Facts: Louis Pasteur Known For: Discovered pasteurization, studies of anthrax, rabies, improved medical techniquesBorn: December 27, 1822 in Dole, FranceParents: Jean-Joseph Pasteur and Jeanne-Etiennette RoquiDied: September 28, 1895 in Paris, FranceEducation: Collà ¨ge Royal at Besancon (BA, 1842; BSc 1842), Ecole Normale Supà ©rieure (MSc, 1845; Ph.D. 1847)Spouse: Marie Laurent (1826–1910, m. May 29, 1849)Children: Jeanne (1850–1859), Jean Baptiste (1851–1908), Cà ©cile (1853–1866), Marie Louise (1858–1934),  Camille (1863–1865) Early Life Louis Pasteur was born December 27, 1822 in Dole, France, into a Catholic family. He was the third child and only son of  poorly educated tanner Jean-Joseph Pasteur and his wife Jeanne-Etiennette Roqui. He attended primary school when he was 9 years old, and at that time he didnt show any particular interest in the sciences. He was, however, quite a good artist. In 1839, he was accepted to the  Collà ¨ge Royal at Besancon, from which he graduated with both a BA and a BSc in 1842 with honors in physics, mathematics, Latin, and drawing, gaining. He later attended the prestigious Ecole Normale Supà ©rieure  to study physics and chemistry, specializing in crystals, and obtaining the French equivalents of an MSc (1845) and a Ph.D. (1847). He served briefly as a professor of physics at the Lycee in Dijon, and later became a professor of chemistry at the University of Strasbourg. Marriage and Family It was at the University of Strasbourg that Pasteur met Marie Laurent, the daughter of the universitys rector; she would become Louis secretary and writing assistant. The couple married on  May 29, 1849,  and had  five children: Jeanne (1850–1859), Jean Baptiste (1851–1908), Cà ©cile (1853–1866), Marie Louise (1858–1934), and Camille (1863–1865). Only two of his children survived to  adulthood: the other three  died of typhoid fever, perhaps leading to Pasteurs drive to save people from disease.   Accomplishments Over the course of his career, Pasteur conducted research that ushered in the modern era of medicine and science. Thanks to his discoveries, people could now live  longer and healthier lives. His early work  with the wine growers of France, in which he developed a way to pasteurize and kill germs as part of the fermentation process, meant that all kinds of liquids could now be safely brought to market- wine, milk, and even beer. He was even granted U.S. patent 135,245 for Improvement in Brewing Beer and Ale Pasteurization.   Additional accomplishments included his discovery of a cure for a certain disease that affected silkworms, which was a tremendous boon to the textile industry. He also found cures for chicken cholera, anthrax in sheep, and rabies in humans. The Pasteur Institute In 1857, Pasteur moved to Paris, where he took up a series of professorships. Personally, Pasteur lost three of his own children to typhoid during this period, and in 1868, he suffered a debilitating stroke, which left him partially paralyzed for the rest of his life. He opened the Pasteur Institute in 1888, with the stated purpose of the treatment of rabies and the study of virulent and contagious diseases. The Institute pioneered studies in microbiology, and held  the  first-ever class in the new discipline in 1889. Starting in 1891, Pasteur began to open other Institutes throughout Europe to advance his ideas. Today, there are  32 Pasteur institutes or hospitals in 29 countries throughout the world. The Germ Theory of Disease During Louis Pasteurs lifetime it was not easy for him to convince others of his ideas, which were controversial in their time but are considered absolutely correct today. Pasteur fought to convince surgeons that germs existed and that they were the cause of disease, not bad air, the prevailing theory up to that point. Furthermore, he insisted that germs could be spread via human contact and even medical instruments, and that killing germs through pasteurization and sterilization was imperative to preventing the spread of disease. In addition, Pasteur advanced the study of virology. His  work with rabies led him to realize that weak forms of disease  could be used as an immunization against stronger forms.   Famous Quotes Did you ever observe to whom the accidents happen? Chance favors only the prepared mind. Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Controversy   A few historians disagree with the accepted wisdom regarding Pasteurs discoveries. At the centennial of the biologists death in 1995, a historian specializing in science, Gerald L. Geison  (1943–2001), published a book analyzing Pasteurs private notebooks, which had only been made public about a decade earlier. In The Private Science of Louis Pasteur, Geison asserted that Pasteur had given misleading accounts about many of his important discoveries. Still, other critics labeled him a fraud. Death Louis Pasteur continued to work at the Pasteur Institute until June 1895, when he retired because of his increasing illness. He died on September 28, 1895, after suffering multiple strokes. Legacy Pasteur was complicated: inconsistencies and misrepresentations identified by Geison in Pasteurs notebooks show that he was not just an experimenter, but a powerful combatant, orator, and writer, who did distort facts to sway opinions and promote himself and his causes. Nevertheless, his accomplishments were tremendous- in particular his anthrax and rabies studies, the importance of handwashing and sterilization in surgery, and most importantly, ushering in the era of the vaccine. These accomplishments continue to inspire and cure millions of people. Sources Berche, P. Louis Pasteur, from Crystals of Life to Vaccination. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 18 (2012): 1–6.Debrà ©, Patrice. Louis Pasteur. Trans. Forster, Elborg. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998.Geison, Gerald L. The Private Science of Louis Pasteur. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1995.  Lanska, D. J. Pasteur, Louis. Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences (Second Edition). Eds. Aminoff, Michael J. and Robert B. Daroff. Oxford: Academic Press, 2014. 841–45.Ligon, B. Lee. Biography: Louis Pasteur: A Controversial Figure in a Debate on Scientific Ethics. Seminars in Pediatric Infectious Diseases 13.2 (2002): 134–41.Martinez-Palomo, Adolfo. The Science of Louis Pasteur: A Reconsideration. The Quarterly Review of Biology 76.1 (2001): 37–45.Tulchinsky, Theodore H. Chapter 6: Pasteur on Microbes and Infectious Diseases. Case Studies in Public Health. Ed. Tulchinsky, Theodore H.: Academic Press, 2018. 10 1–16.

Panopticism review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Panopticism review - Essay Example The tower was to be made in such a manner that only the people operating it had the vantage view of the prisoners. The prisoners could not have any clear view of their jailers. The organization of the panopticon increased the potency of power in the minds of the prisoners and made the control of the prison more efficient. In essence, the ideals of total control of the prison facility as imagined by Foucault borrowed from the quarantines against the plague as practiced in the seventeenth century (Veyne 54). The process of quarantine involved the determination of a range of processes that maintained some strict discipline in affected villages including locking people within their houses and keeping away the keys. The nature of discipline was regulated in ways that ensured easy control of the villages by the authorities. Threats of death were used to ensure compliance. Critics contend that the panopticon was modeled on the desire by the seventeenth century societies to protect civilizations from the scourge of the plague. Others contend that the objective was aimed at achieving a perfect society. Some of the issues that continue to attend to the matters of society are largely determined by the desire by central authorities to design the codes of ethics for their subjects. Such objectives often come into conflict with the theories that reinforce the need for human freedom and liberty. Critics of panopticism argue that governments do not have the moral authority to suppress the liberties and freedoms of the governed. They add that the idea of a perfect society is illusory and defeatist in nature. As such, they seek to demonstrate ways in which the processes of governance can be moderated in ways that support the free reign of the will of the governed. Within a modern context, Foucault’s panopticism could be conceptualized in terms of the structural