Homers Odyssey and Epic Literature Concepts and Vocabulary Flashcard

Homers Odyssey and Epic Literature: Concepts and Vocabulary

Constructivism in Learning and Teaching

Constructivism in Learning and Teaching Constructivism is a system of learning where the students do not just passively absorb information. Educational experts were concerned with what was going on in the mind of the student. There is active participation from the students. They are taught to relate the knowledge they are being given by the teachers and relating it to their experiences in life.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Constructivism in Learning and Teaching specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This approach in education is important as it teaches the students to be critical thinkers. They become active and motivated in the classroom. Students learn to construct their own understanding of the learning material or literature. The students become autonomous and independent thinkers. With this approach in learning the students learn to engage more in problem solving and stop being passive. The skill of problem-solving is important and even assists the st udent in his adult life. It is a skill for life and that is what education should be. The student develops in his mental processes. It is a process of discovery for the student as he experiments with ideas at problem solving and getting solutions for the issues in his environment. The theory of constructivism learning is based on several concepts. Learning for the student will depend on what he or she already knows or has experienced. In the area of literature, students are motivated to relate the story or characters to what they already know or what they have experienced. Secondly, learning should be about the students inventing ideas concerning the learning materials. It may involve students analysing their old ideas in light of the learning materials and changing their old news to conform to what they are learning. When a student encounters information that is contrary to their way of thinking, then he finds himself at a state of disequilibrium. The student therefore has to chang e or alter his way of thinking in order to attain equilibrium. The whole process therefore is about inventing ideas instead of the student just accumulating facts and information. It is therefore a student centred class where the teachers facilitate the process of students hypothesize, predict, pose questions, research and invent (Collins, 2008). Students look at the world under the influence of their experiences and social interactions. Whenever a new experience is encountered the student tends to analyse the old experiences and the new experience. The student therefore tends to really consider prior experiences. If this is the way that people behave, then the educational approach in the classroom should take advantage and use an approach that helps the student enjoy learning.Advertising Looking for article on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The teacher therefore is a facilitator who has to know the inter actions between the students and their external environments. The student is shown which interactions with his environment will provide an opportunity for growth and is actually healthy (Huang, 2002) The teacher in the constructivist classroom has to possess certain qualities. He should be highly flexible and creative as he interacts with the students. The teacher is trained on how different students use their own experiences, prior knowledge and experience to construct meaning. When it comes to literature, there can be no single interpretation of a piece of reading. There are several and different interpretations and all of them may be correct. The teacher’s interpretation is not always the only correct way of perception. At the end of the day, it is a highly democratic environment where the students and teachers are able to interact and participate in the learning process. References Collins, R. (2008). Enhanced Student Learning Through Applied Constructivist Theory. Transf ormative Dialogues: Teaching Learning Journal, 2(2). Web. Huang, H. (2002) Toward constructivism for adult learners in Online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology.,33 (1)27-37. Web.

Discussion Questions on Change Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion Questions on Change Management - Essay Example The planned change management approaches include the organization management approach, the change management approach, the contingency approach and the processual approach (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Organizational change management therefore depends on the type of type of approach or model that organization chooses to use. There has been intense debate concerning the use of organizational development and processual approaches. Processual approach to change management as advocated for in the journal views change as an ongoing process that should be done within a period. Processual approach gives top managers of organization the role of initiating and influencing change management processes in their respective settings. Organizational development as an approach to change management relies extensively on soft factors in order to achieve transformation. The problem with soft factors in change management is that they are unable directly influence various change management programs that ar e initiated in organizations. Although organization development approach advocates for the use of soft factors such as visionary leadership, culture, and motivation in organizational change management, they cannot successfully contribute to the implementation of transformation projects or changes in organizations. Unlike organizational development approaches, processual approaches rely on hard factors of change management. These factors can be directly and indirectly be measured by organizations, can be externally and internally communicated in organizations and they are capable of influencing change management in organizations in quick and efficient ways (Sirkin, Keenan, & Jackson, 2005). Role of Vision Vision is important in change management process as it focuses the change management process and effort towards one goal. Creation and developing change management vision is also significant as it identifies strategies and ways for the achievement of the desired organization changes . In most cases, the vision usually shows clearly how the achievement of the outlined changes will improve or benefit the organization. Vision can inspire, motivate, and engage people in organization towards the realization of change management goals (Dobbs & Walker, 2010). Vision is also significant to sustainability of organization changes since it directs people in organizations towards a shared vision by creating meaning and identity (Sirkin, Keenan, & Jackson, 2005). Effective Communication Communication enables messages to be generated, interpreted between people within the organization thus it links people, and create relationships. In processual approach, effective communication is crucial and should be an integral part of the whole process. Effective communication is required during change management process since it is the mode at which new behaviours and ideas can be imparted to employees (Sirkin, Keenan, & Jackson, 2005). During change management process in organizations , top management often communicate the vision with a view to influence and empower employees to work towards the achievement of the new vision through open communication strategy. Business leaders and top managers in organization usually use effective and continuous communication strategies to drive home the need for change in their organizations (Cushman & King, 2005). One-on-one conversations between to managers and other employees concerning the need for organizational change is an

Politics of the Middle East Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Politics of the Middle East - Essay Example Historically, governments throughout the Arab world has been structured according to Islamic tradition and law in one form or another. This dates back to the Constitution of Medina, which was established by the Prophet Muhammad himself. This constitution provides the framework for Islamic tradition. The Prophet Muhammad is a revered figure and, while this establishment of a constitution did not imply written government law, it served to form the foundation for Muslim culture world wide. This culture has existed for centuries, and remains to this day. As mankind advances intellectually and technologically, however, the Arab Spring is an example of an increasing frustration with long standing values and principles that have remained in place across generations. It must be noted that the Arab Spring is not a fight against Islam. On the contrary, it is a fight for more individual freedoms and rights and a gradual loosening of cultural restrictions that have been in place since the time o f the Prophet. This needs to be balanced with a desire to maintain a strong Islamic faith, which when coupled with cultural norms, can prove quite difficult to do. From the foundation of Islam, much of the Arab world was tribal based. There were multiple tribes and families represented, and Muhammad saw Islam as a way to bring them all together under a common religious banner. This Constitution, therefore, was the first formal agreement amongst all of the tribes represented in the region, and actually led the way to the formation of the first Islamic state in the region.

Museum Project Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Museum Project - Movie Review Example The personages in the art piece are elongated, and the artist has emphasized linear decoration as well as remote facial expressions. The artist also uses decoration technique that was common in the 14th century known as punched decoration. This is evidence in the painting where one can see flattened pieces of metalwork with designs embedded in the piece. To the viewers’ one could say that this painting is unusual and unique. The audience can see that the child is wearing a coral necklace depicting that it will protect him from evil while also he is holding a goldfinch in his hand symbolizing his future sacrifice. The donor Knight on the left can be said to possess an affluent, aristocratic background because of the Cross of Malta that he wears on his sleeve (Soares 1). The other man on the right dressed in red can be said to be a high-ranking church official because of the style and colour of his clothing. These two instances of portraiture represent the increasing grandness of the individual in the Renaissance era. The child and Madonna are painted in tempera on wood, and the viewer can see the different armaments of the painting’s dimensions. The aspect of the painting is 48.75 by 21 inches and was painted in Late Medieval. According to Soares, the inscriptions and markings of the painting are Cecchus Petri de Pisis Mepisit AD MCCCLXXXVI, which are painted along the bottom of the painting frame (1). The use of punched decoration by Pietro is one of the painting’s characteristic that was used in the Early Italian Renaissance painting. This technical innovation used is depicted by the use of flattened pieces of metalwork with designs embedded in the art piece (Soares 1). The Renaissance paintings had engaged frames, which were made of wooden strips affiliated to the outside edge of the panel, which is the case in Madonna and Child painting. This is also evident in the painting Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

Underdetermination, Instrumentalism and Realism

Underdetermination, Instrumentalism and Realism Understanding Underdetermination in conjunction with realism and instrumentalism The present essay is about the understanding of under determination thesis in conjunction with the realism and instrumentalism. As we know that realism and instrumentalism are two opposite views in philosophy of science, so by explaining the two it would be much easier to grasp the concept of under determination thesis, which is one of complex doctrine. The intended audiences of this essay are science students and people who are interested to know about the philosophical issues in science. I divide the essay into four of parts. The first part explains the realism and instrumentalism concepts, second part explains the under determination thesis in detail and then the third part will state the views of different philosophers about three schools of thoughts. The fourth and the final part conclude the whole argumentation Realism The word realism in the dictionary means the tendency to view or represent things as they really are. [dic]. In philosophy of science it can be defined as â€Å"the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names†. It can be explained as an approach in philosophy that considers objects as they are in the universe as real things and their characteristics as a secondary thing. The advocate of realism are called realist and it is important to differentiate the realists. A person can be realist about the different kinds of things i.e. mountains, physical objects, numbers, universe etc. but in the case of a philosopher, it is required to specify that for what object/thing the philosopher is realist [book]. An American philosopher name Hilary Putnam stated that â€Å"A realist with respect to a given theory holds the following: What makes them true or false is something external that is to say, it is not in general our sense data, actual or potential, or the structure of our minds, or our language, etc. Furthermore he says that the positive argument for realism is that it is the only â€Å"philosophy that does not make the success of science a miracle†. [Book]. Generally, in science established scientific theories are treated as a true fact, but according to realist these theories would be treated as a successful explanation of the whole scientific process or its relation to an object, and not as a whole truth. [Book] An example is that sun, mountains, building etc. exists in this world, but the attributes like length, width, colour etc. are either dependent or independent of the environment. For example the sun is spherical in shape, so it is independent from any material thing of this universe. But in case of a building, its shape and size, all depend upon the person who designed or built it. So it can be said that reality is related to mind and environment. In general, Realism is supposed to be a term that relates to number of subjects i.e. ethics, aesthetics, causation, modality, science, mathematics, semantics etc. When we talk about the realism in the context of science then the intention is to elaborate the scientific realism which has a number of dimensions i.e. metaphysical, epistemological and methodological. Besides this it is also the truth that there is no single version of scientific realism which is being accepted by all the scientific realists. The doctrine of scientific realism states that â€Å" the world studied by science exists and has the properties it does, independently of our beliefs, perceptions, and theorizing; that the aim of science is to describe and explain that world, including those many aspects of it that are not directly observable; that, other things being equal, scientific theories are to be interpreted literally; that to accept a theory is to believe that what it says about the world is true, and that by continually replacing current scientific theories with better ones. Science makes objective progress and its theories get closer to the truth†. Realism has two schools of thought, first one is called Extreme realism, represented by William, a French philosopher; according to him â€Å"universals exist independently of both the human mind and particular things†. The second one is moderate realism and according to which â€Å"universals exist only in the mind of God, as patterns by which He creates particular things†. The main proponent of this view was St. Thomas Aquinas and John of Salisbury. According to epistemological view of realism, things exist in this universe, independent of our understanding or perception. This point is totally opposite to the theory of idealism, which states that â€Å"reality exists only in the mind†. By having a brief explanation of realism, instrumentalism will be discussed, which is the opposite view of realism and most of time called Antirealism. Antirealism is a doctrine that rejects realism, and includes instrumentalism, conventionalism, logical positivism, logical empiricism and constructive empiricism. Instrumentalism Instrumentalism is treated as a doctrine that states â€Å"theories are merely instruments, tools for the prediction and convenient summary of data† [Book]. In other words it can be defined as â€Å"concepts and theories are merely useful instruments whose worth is measured not by whether the concepts and theories are true or false, but by how effective they are in explaining and predicting phenomena†. The point is that in order to make predictions from theories, logic is required, so it can be hard to say theories have no truth values. In view of this instrumentalists admit that theories have truth values, but do not accept this argument that theories should be treated as accurately true. In view of this T.S. Kuhn said that â€Å"Theories may have truth values but their truth of falsity is irrelevant to our understanding of science†. [Book] In other words instrumentalism evaluates the significance of a theory with respect to empirical evidence and did not require the understanding of the actual phenomena. For example Newton gravity model is understandable and working fine, but it has no theoretical foundation [Answer.com] The another aspect of instrumentalism is that it relates closely to pragmatism and this point of view opposes the scientific realism because according to this, theories are more or less true in nature. Moreover, instrumentalism refutes that theories can be evaluated on the basis of truth. Theories will not be perceived as air plane black box which gives output on the basis of observed input. The point is that there should be a clear distinction between theory and observation that further leads to a distinction between terms and statements in each type. Like in science for statement of observation there is a specific meaning for an observable truth, for example if the litmus paper is red, so the observation terms have their meaning fixed by their referring to observable things or properties, e.g. red. Theoretical statements have their meaning fixed by their function within a theory and arent truth evaluable, e.g. the solution is acidic, whereas theoretical terms have their meaning fixed by their systematic function within a theory and dont refer to any observable thing or property, e.g. acidic. Though you may think that acidic refers to a real property in an object, the meaning of the term can only be explained by reference to a theory about acidity, in contrast to red, which is a property you can observe. Statements that mix both T-terms and O-terms are therefore T-statements, since their totality cannot be directly observed†. There is some criticism of this distinction, however, as it confuses non-theoretical with observable, and likewise theoretical with non-observable. For example, the term gene is theoretical (so a T-term) but it can also be observed (so an O-term). Whether a term is theoretical or not is a semantic matter, because it involves the different ways in which the term gets its meaning (from a theory or from an observation). Whether a term is observable or not is an epistemic matter, because it involves how we can come to know about it. Instrumentalists contend that the distinctions are the same, that we can only come to know about something if we can understand its meaning according to truth-evaluable observations. So in the above example, gene is a T-term because, although it is observable, we cannot understand its meaning from observation alone. The explanation of realism and instrumentalism above has provided us the capability to understand the topic with much insight. Now, I switch to under determination thesis. From the above discussion we have the knowledge that instrumentalism is related to pragmatism and this point of view is in contrasts with the scientific realism, which states that theories are often more or less true. Here, I refer to Quine, who said that theories can be underdetermined by all possible observations [23], and Newton Smiths, treat this as a threat to realism. He said, realism in his sense has to be rejected if there can be cases of under determination of theories. Under determination As we know that under determination is a thesis that is â€Å"used in the discussion of theories and their relation to the evidence that is cited to support them†.[1] Arguments from under determination are used to support epistemic relativism by claiming that there is no good way to certify a theory based on any set of evidence. A theory is underdetermined if, given the available evidence, there is a rival theory which is inconsistent with the theory that is at least as consistent with the evidence. Moreover, under determination is treated an epistemological issue about the relation of evidence to conclusions. Historical background The subject gets its first attention by Renà © Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician in the 17th century. He presented two arguments related to under determination. â€Å"While dreaming, perceived experiences (for example, falling) do not necessarily contain sufficient information to deduce the true situation (being in bed)†.[2] As we know that it is not always possible for a person to separate dreams from reality and the theory that what is real or dream at a certain time is underdetermined. The second argument of Descartess is called demon argument â€Å"which is a variant of the dream argument that posits that all of ones experiences and thoughts might be manipulated by a very powerful being (an evil demon) that always deceives. Once again, so long as the perceived reality appears internally consistent to the limits of ones limited ability to tell, the situation is indistinguishable from reality, one cannot logically determine between correct beliefs from being misled; this is another version of under determination†.[2] The second person who talks about under determination was David Hume, who does not use the word under determination specifically but an argument about the problem of induction. I will discuss the induction later in the essay while explaining the under determination types. The Under determination thesis gets the recognition in the twentieth century through the work of Thomas S. Kuhn, who is a famous theoretical physicist and philosopher. He was very much prominent due to his work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions that offered an alternative to linear models of scientific progress. According to Kuhn the under determination has a place to for argumentation against theories in the philosophy of science, and scientific realism. According to Khun the under determination can be divided into two types the weak and strong under determination. The both could be stated in the following words: Weak underdetermined is that the currently available evidence is not sufficient to prove the argument, but some evidence that will be available in the future might do this. Strong underdetermined is to claim that it is principally impossible to get evidence that could fully resolve the argument between the opponent theories. Besides strong and weak underdetermined theory there are two other attributes called deductive and inductive under determination. The two rival theories could be deductively underdetermined when the available evidence does not completely deny either theory. The theory is inductively underdetermined when theories are compatible with the available evidence, but still tries to determine, which theory could be a better failure A weak under determination can turn to a strong one if it avoids the attainment of future evidence that turns it into deductive under determination. A counter argument is that it is not possible for a theory to be accurately strong and inductive. In general weak under determination arguments are focused on the availability of evidence for an explicit set of theories, and strong under determination mostly entails common epistemological arguments that relates to the type of evidence and its viability for a particular or general theory. Furthermore, it is generally acknowledged that all theories are weakly underdetermined, but in case of some specific purpose all theories are strongly underdetermined. Explaining the types of under determination thesis, Ludan said that â€Å"for any finite body of evidence, there are indefinitely many mutually contrary theories, each of which logically entails the evidence†. So in other words it can be said that deductive under determination is under determination of selecting theory through a logical method. Finally, the term under determination as thesis is associated with two respectable names Pierre Duhem and W.V. Quine in philosophy of science, â€Å"that neither the truth nor the falsity of any scientific theory is determined by evidence†. According to Duhem-Quine Under determination is a â€Å"relation between evidence and theory. More accurately, it is a relation between the propositions that express the (relevant) evidence and the propositions that constitute the theory. Evidence is said to underdetermine theory†. From the above it can be said that evidence is not enough to prove the theory, belief or truth. Moreover, only the availability of evidence is not enough to make the theory a credible one. In view of this we can call the first argument a deductive and the second inductive under determination. Hence, according to under determination thesis, both arguments have required some definite epistemic proposition, and belief in a theory could not be justified on the basis of evidence. For under determination types, Duhem, also said that â€Å"logic alone cannot take us from the falsification of a prediction to a refutation of an isolated hypothesis. Importantly, deductive under determination does not mean that theory choice is underdetermined, nor does it mean that there is more than one reasonable conclusion given certain experimental evidence†. Up until now we have a basic understanding of the under determination thesis, so now I will discuss what realism actually is, the theoretical frame and the origin of the concept. Another argument against scientific realism, deriving from the under determination problem, is not as historically motivated as these others. It claims that observational data can in principle be explained by multiple theories that are mutually incompatible. Realists counter by pointing out that there have been few actual cases of under determination in the history of science. Usually the requirement of explaining the data is so exacting that scientists are lucky to find even one theory that fulfils it. Furthermore, if we take the under determination argument seriously, it implies that we can know about only what we have directly observed. For example, we could not theorize that dinosaurs once lived based on the fossil evidence because other theories (e.g., that the fossils are clever hoaxes) can account for the same data. Realists claim that, in addition to empirical adequacy, there are other criteria for theory choice, such as parsimony. In particular, it must not be confused with what Newton-Smith takes to be a minimal common factor among the wide range of philosophers who in recent years have advocated a realist construal of scientific theories. This common factor consists of the following theses: (1) Scientific theories are either true or false and which a given theory is, it is in virtue of how the world is, (2) If a theory is true, the theoretical terms of the theory denote theoretical entities which are causally responsible for the observable phenomenon whose occurrence is evidence for the theory, (3) We can have warranted beliefs (at least in principle) concerning the truth values of theories, (4) The historically generated sequence of theories of a mature science may well be a sequence of false theories but it is a sequence in which succeeding theories have greater truth-content and less falsity content than their predecessors. We may refer to (1) as the objectivity, (2) as the causality, (3) as the decidability, and (4) as the convergence of scientific theories. Newton-Smith uses the name realism for the combination of these four theses, and he also seems to hold that this is the standard use of the term. It is clear that theoretical realism in the weakest sense entails neither objectivity, nor causality, nor decidability, nor convergence. In particular, some theoretical propositions may be true even if no scientific theory as a whole is either true or false. Moreover, it is doubtful whether realism in Newton-Smiths sense entails theoretical realism. For example, if all theoretical propositions are false, then theoretical realism is false, but realism in Newton-Smiths sense might still be true. In any case, one of Newton-Smiths main theses is that realism in his sense has to be rejected if there can be cases of under determination. In particular, he claims that either objectivity or decidability has to be weakened if under determination can occur to give up decidability is what he calls the ignorance response (to under determination). This involves embracing the possibility of inaccessible facts facts concerning whose obtaining we could have no information. To give up objectivity is what he calls the arrogance response. This amounts to holding that if we cannot know about something there is nothing to know about. 36 Notice, that this holds only for under determination in Newton-Smiths sense, i.e. under determination by all possible data. It does not hold for the other kinds of under determination mentioned above. In other words, it is only when an underdetermined theory is empirically viable that we cannot know that it is true or that it is false (either because it is neither true nor false, or because we cannot know, even in principle, what its truth value is). In general, we cannot have under determination (of any kind) together with empirical viability, objectivity, and decidability. If a theory is underdetermined, we cannot know that it is true. This I accept. At first, it appears that Quine would not accept this. He holds that there may be two best total theories which are empirically viable and incompatible, but that we may know, at least in principle, that one of them is true and the other false. However, it seems that Quine is then using true and false in a non-realistic sense; according to him, to call a statement true is just to reaffirm it. He does not seem to assume that there is some objective reality, the world, such that the truth of a statement consists it its correspondence with this reality. Hence, presumably he would reject the objectivity thesis which is part of realism in Newton Smiths sense. Realism/Anti-realism Given the various epistemological difficulties (under determination, problem of induction, rationality, social forces), and the lack of a consensus on these issues, why should we think that our theories are actually describing reality? The apparently large gap between observational and theoretical knowledge inspires worry about realism Metaphysical difficulties come into play here as well—we do not have good understandings of the nature of laws and causation, explanation, so how can we claim that we are discovering the nature of the universe?

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Poll

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan, was a great read. I came into the adventure without much background regarding what kind of book it was going to be, and to my astonishment it was more of an educational journey than pages of force-fed beliefs. Michael Pollan has a writing style that is both loose and intriguing and really kept my attention throughout. Having already read extensively concerning human nutrition and food, I am usually skeptical when beginning such reads as this one, but I was very surprised that Mr. Pollan was very objective, in that this was seemingly a field trip and journey from environment to plate. I will begin this report with a summary of this great book and delve deeper into the thoughts that the literary family has of it. I will then go on to explain its importance in the development of environmental policy and impact, and end with my thoughts regarding the material and the interaction among social and environmental values and impacts presented by the author Michael Pollan. Summary The book begins with the question of â€Å"What should we have for dinner?† and stands to answer that question the rest of the way. Speaking directly of Americans, Pollan explains in-depth how the Nation tends to jump from fad to fad, first being afraid of carbohydrates, and then switching to fats, and so on. He goes on to explain where this thought process might have come from with the history of the Carter administration in 1977, as dietary goals were issued and the red meat lovers of America were warned to cut back. From that time on it has been an ever-changing lipo-, carbo-, phobia, with a cycle of weight loss and gain. With this question at hand, Michael Pollan begins to dive de... ...ormative history as he travels from the cornfields of Iowa, to the feedlot, to the forest floor in search of chanterelles, and then coming full circle to the dinner table. The information given is not always pleasant, but it is necessary for an informed eater in America to be aware of. The effects of knowing can cause us to be more responsible in what we are purchasing at the grocery store (and essentially voting for). He shows that making the correct decision to the question â€Å"What should we have for dinner?† can also be the choice that tastes the best and is the best for you. Works Cited Kamp, D. (2006). â€Å"Deconstructing Dinner.† New York Times: Sunday Book Review. 26 April 2006.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/books/review/23kamp.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Pollan, M. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York. Random. 2006. Print

Song Essay

The artist achieves this in the song by telling a story. Jason Michael Carroll, son of a preacher, grew up in a strict North Carolina family environment (Ortega). His father ruled with an iron thumb. Although his father r was strict, it never got to the point of Alyssa. But as a preacher, his father dealt with many families and cases of child abuse. Growing up, Jason had experience knowing what goes on in the SSE situations and how people deal with it. â€Å"Jason bore witness to realize tragedies that will take the kid right out of a child† (â€Å"Alyssa Lies by Jason†).Also as a husband and a father of four, Jaws knows what it's like to have to deal with a child on an everyday basis (â€Å"Jason Michael Carry II Biography†). It took two years for Jason to write Alyssa Lies. It was a song inspired by a poem a friend had wrote about child abuse. After reading the poem and seeing a story on the en was about child abuse he decided to finally wrote the song (Ortega) . â€Å"It's his philosophy that s ones are waiting in the ether for someone to call them forth† (â€Å"Alyssa Lies by Jason†).Hesitant to write such a powerful song, Jason would write part of the song then put it down then pick I t back up two weeks later (Ortega). Contrary to what people believe, Alyssa was not a real girl but just a name Jason came up with. Also Jason never abused as a child and the song was not a way for Jaw son to finally tell his story. â€Å"Alyssa Lies† is a fictional song about a little girl Alyssa who is constant .NET abused at home. When she meets another girl at school, she tells her what has been ha opening.Then this girl goes home to her father in tears wondering why Alyssa lies to everyone. B y this she means Alyssa makes up excuses to explain the bruises in school. When Alyssa tells her friend what had happened it affects her in a big way. Her friend goes home to her father in tears. The chorus â€Å"Alyssa lies/ To the classroo m/ Alyssa lies/ Everyday at school/ Alyssa lies/ To the teachers/ As she tries to cover every bruise† (â€Å"JASON MICHAEL CARROLL LYRICS†), shows that her new friend notices what has been going on and that Alyssa doesn't do anything to stop it.Then, when the little girl goes to bed, SSH e prays to God saying â€Å"God bless my mom and my dad/ And my new friend Alyssa/ know she needs you bad† (â€Å"JASON MICHAEL CARROLL LYRICS†). This shows that she cares about her en w friend and wants to help even though she knows what is going on. Children are ion .NET and do not know prejudice. For adults this is not always true. In the song, after the narrator's daughter tees him what happened, he said he just brushed it off at first.But when he got to school on Monday it was too late. Alyssa has been killed as a result of her injuries. In an attempt to tell his daughter who at happened, he did so in a way that she might understand, She doesn't lie/ In the classroom/ She doesn't lie/ Anymore at school/ Alyssa lies/ With Jesus/ Because there's nothing anyone would do (â€Å"JASON MICHAEL CARROLL LYRICS†). In the song he describes how he felt when his dad gutter asked him why everybody looks so sad.He said the lump in his throat grew bigger w tit every question that she asked. He knew that someone should have done something sooner b t no one did and now he has to explain it to his child. This is how adults are. They all say child a buses is something terrible and something should be done but they never want to be the one to do that something. If they ignore it or hide the fact they know they think it will go away. But cometh inning like that beer truly goes away. This is how it is in the official video for ‘Alyssa Lies†.In the video, a teacher at what seems to be a high school shows the video if ‘Alyssa Lies† and tells his students to war tie about it in their journals ( â€Å"ALYSSA LIES† The Original Throug hout the music video, the students have lank expressions and there is a girls crying at her desk trying to hide her tear s. She Was wearing a black turtle neck sweater and a few times during the video she pulls her sleep eves down more or pulls up her turtle neck as if trying to cover the bruises she has herself just like e Alyssa in the video tries to cover her bruises.Towards the end of the video the young womb an grabs her stuff and runs out into the hallway in tears. This shows that at some point in her life e she was abused or is still being abused. At the end of the video, it Shasta many student came of award, one was moved from her situation and others found help and a slide saying â€Å"Help is out there waiting to hear from you† came up (â€Å"ALYSSA LIES† The Original).This shows that by shoo wing this video, even to older children, it can bring about string emotions, enough to m aka people come forward with their situation and could even save them. ‘Al yssa Lies† is not only a song used for entertainment but for real life situ actions as well. Like in the video, other schools have used this song to evoke emotions from c hillier and even college students. Universities and medical schools use the song â€Å"Alyssa Lies†

The Loss Of Innocence Essays - Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience

The Loss Of Innocence Essays - Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience The Loss Of Innocence Innocence is such a precious gift. For those who do not know what exactly innocence is, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines innocence as, freedom from guilt or sin through being unacquainted with evil. When do humans in general have little or no guilt and worries? In the days of our youth, everything is much simpler. Remember never going to work, paying bills, supporting a family, and doing all the other things that is expected from an adult? All children worry about is having a good time. Children take almost nothing seriously. They can care less about women, popularity, money, or the future. Some people however, feel that innocence is the worst time of anyones life. This brings up the question whether or not innocence is important in life or not. Although it seems as if decisions and events made during a persons childhood are totally irrelevant towards the rest of his/her life, these factors make a tremendous impact on the type of adult a person becomes. For example, it is commonly known that most children who had abusive parents have grown up to be just the same. If a child had very loving and caring parents, chances are the child will grow to be very loving towards his/her children. A child doesnt know any better during the stage of innocence and is unable to reasonably distinguish the differences between right and wrong. The child who abuses his kids as an adult was brought up that way himself. In his own mind, he feels this is the right way to discipline his children. This shows that innocence does play an important part in everyones life. Just imagine never having to worry about anything, having a guilt free mind, and being able to do just about anything that can not be done as adults. Holden Caufeild from the book The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, wishes innocence was never lost. To Holden, the perfect example of innocence is his little sister Phoebe. Phoebe has absolutely no hatred towards anyone or anything, as well as no worries. Holden wants to save this kind of innocence from being lost in the transition from childhood to adulthood. What would the world be like if innocence were never lost? One way it would benefit humanity is the lack of hatred among the world. During youth, their may be an occasional argument of some sort, maybe even a little physical fight, but nothing like firing a handgun at a fellow human being. Children are blind towards the race and ethnicity of others. A kid will hang out with another kid no matter what, it is the lack of innocence and the ignorance we learn from adults that manipulate children otherwise. Think of all the things that the human race can achieve if we all put our minds together. Another way keeping innocence alive would benefit humanity is the constant craving for fun and adventure. As adults, people have very little if any time at all do things that they enjoy. The adventurous mind is lost in time with the responsibilities that are bestowed upon adults. Once again, if innocence were kept alive, these ambitions would never depart from our lives. As adults people also have more freedom to go places and to do certain things, making it easier to do the things, which they wanted to but could not do during childhood. Who wouldnt want to live in a world were having fun was always the main priority of life? Some people actually despise the idea of innocence lasting for all eternity. They do believe that innocence is probably the greatest time of anyones life. They do however, feel that the lack of organization and mental capacity of those without innocence would have a tremendously devastating impact on society in general. With the ongoing life of innocence, a large portion of individuals would never have the urge to learn, work, and act upon the necessary needs for humanity to survive. Without a proper education which is usually provided by those who no longer live in a world of innocence, people would not have the mental abilities to get a good job in life, thus providing little income for

Lupus Nephritis essays

Lupus Nephritis essays Lupus Nephritis is an autoimmune disease that is caused by systematic lupus erythematous (SLE) and causes inflammation of the kidneys.1 Normally, the immune system is supposed to protect the human body from harmful and infectious elements. However, an autoimmune disease affects the immune system in a manner in which it cannot tell the difference between a healthy and harmful substance, which can lead to attacks on healthy cells and tissue indiscriminately.2 It is a disease that predominately afflicts women between the ages of 15 and 40 and affects 1 in 2,000 women within the United States.3 It was reported that African Americans are more susceptible to lupus nephritis, the disease is developed at a younger age, and are predisposed to end-stage kidney disease.4 Currently, there is no cure for the disease but treatment options are available for those that are affected. Lupus Nephritis is one of the most serious complications of SLE as it significantly affects the kidney and usually arises within five years of diagnosis.5 It occurs when "lupus autoantibodies affect the filtering structures (glomeruli) of your kidneys that results in kidney inflammation and may lead to blood in the urine, (hematuria), protein in the urine (proteinuria), impaired kidney function or even kidney failure."6 Lupus nephritis is categorized into six World Health Organization classes: I, normal; II, mesangial; III, focal proliferative; IV, diffuse proliferative; V, membranous; and VI, advanced sclerosing.3 Each class of lupus nephritis is examined in further detail below. Class I. This class is defined as "minimal mesangial lupus nephritis with mesangial accumulation of immune complexes identified by immunofluorescence, or by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, without concomitant light microscopic alterations."7 Class II. Class II is defined as mesangial lupus nephritis is characterized by "any degree of mesangial hypercellularity i...

Strategiespoliciesprograms could be utilized to reduce the healthcare Essay

Strategiespoliciesprograms could be utilized to reduce the healthcare cost to the taxpayers for uninsured Texans - Essay Example These areas are prescription drug coverage, technology, managed care, reducing the number of uninsured, and innovative programs. There are several aspects of the prescription drug program that need to be reviewed. Currently Texas has a local health care system where the counties are responsible for the healthcare of its residents. Care often falls to charity or safety net hospitals (Uninsured in Texas n.d. p.4). There needs to be more focus on regional and statewide cooperation involving the purchase of prescription drugs. This would provide a centralized point of purchase, which would aid in the negotiating power of the state on drug prices from the pharmaceutical companies. In addition to lower price there needs to be some forms of cost control on the use of prescription drugs. There should be a review of the formulary for drug availability that would exclude some drugs from coverage. These would include cosmetic, hair loss, and investigational drugs. Drugs with a high potential for abuse such as amphetamines and barbiturates should also come under review. These exclusions would have to be accomplished within the current federal guidelines. Generic drug use should also be encouraged. ... This would also help reduce public resistance to low cost generic drugs. A preferred drug list of the lowest cost drugs should be utilized to pre-authorize a particular drug. Prior authorization would be necessry for any drug not on the list. Several other state programs have used this approach with some success. It may be seen as a burden to physicians and pharmacists and should be introduced in a step program beginning with non-emergency treatments such as anorexants and anti-ulcer reflux medications (Kaiser Commission 2002 p.9). Emergency supplies for short-term treatment could still be provided without prior authorization. There should also be a 'failed first policy' on prescription drugs. If a new more expensive drug is available, it should not be used until the older and less expensive substitute has been proven ineffective. Fail first programs may not be appropriate for rapidly evolving medications such as used for the treatment of mental illness (Fail-first policies 2003). This program would need to be strictly monitored and have a physician right to supersede it. 2. Technology Improved technology has the potential to save billions of dollars in health care costs. Texas needs to adopt the most recent innovations in medical technology. Shared medical records across a network would aide physicians and emergency rooms in reducing redundant tests and procedures. It also has the capacity to make the most recent knowledge and diagnosis available across the network in a virtual care coordination system. The creation of a cross care coordinated network would be a valuable tool for the uninsured as well as offering health care providers easy access to medical records. A system of community based care

Human Resource Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Resource Development - Essay Example This is the beginning of prosperity. The values dear to me is an achievement and independence. These qualities would allow me to stay focus on my pre-set career goals. I would do my best to come out successful regardless of the conditions of the workplace. I find two categories most helpful for my future success. These two are talent management and development and risk management and worker protection. Talent management and development would allow me to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the human resource. With this knowledge, it is easy to allocate each employee the duties with which he or she is most comfortable and passionate. Further, this would allow me to nurture the talents of each person without strain due to trial and error. In developing individual talents, the human resource will achieve its full potential, which in turn gets a direct reflection on the level of productivity. Concerning risk management and worker protection, I look at workers or employees as assets. As elaborated above, the human resource activity that nurtures talent and exploits its full potential makes the employees assets to the entity. With any operations, risks are imminent. Without proper risk management skills, the objectives of operations become elusive and difficult to achieve. It is worthy to know what alternatives to adopt at any given time, what to do when faced with rush decisions and how to manage crises. For worker protection, it is a skill necessary to shield workers from the eventualities of the workplace that are unfavorable. In This way, the workers tend to their duties wholeheartedly with the knowledge that, in the case of any eventuality, a fair decision will be forthcoming. The above skills, once instilled in human resource management, improved productivity of the workforce is easily achievable. In my opinion, the legacy involved determines career success. This insinuates that one is only successful if the values