The Great Depression 1929-33: A Sources Assignment

Question 1: Source A is an election poster published by the Democratic Party during the Depression. It is a cynical portrayal, mocking the Republican Party's beliefs. It implies that their policies have no foundations by telling people to smile and hope the Depression will go away, ‘This wonderful little gadget will solve the problems of the Nation'. It also says ‘WARNING – Do not risk Federal arrest by looking glum'. This is a subtle, sardonic reference to the Bonus Marchers, who had fought in the First World War and who, in May 1932 marched to demand immediate payment of the bonus they had been promised by the government. The quote from the poster refers to the way the government put down the protesters by arresting people and using violence. This poster gives us evidence about the beliefs of the Democratic Party and the methods employed by it to gain support. However, as the poster is a piece of propaganda and aims to persuade people to support their party it is biased and opinionated. This means that it may be over exaggerated for effect and comedy value. The truth may have been stretched to make a joke of it and win people's support. I do not agree that this poster (source A) does not give any evidence about the Great Depression. It may not be reliable evidence but it does have some historical value. It presents evidence about the ‘Bonus Army', the views of the Republican and Democratic Parties and the methods used by the Democratic Party to gain support. Question 2: Source B was written at the time of the Depression by an American actor, Will Rogers. It is quite accurate about what was happening, he says ‘We are starving to death', which was actually happening at this time. It is a primary source, written by someone with direct experience of the Depression but it cannot be completely reliable as although it is stated as fact it is actually opinion. This makes it less reliable as the author of the source may be biased or not know all of the facts. This source is particularly unreliable as an actor who may have over exaggerated to produce an effect wrote it. Source C is a statement written by D.B. O'Callagham, author of ‘Roosevelt and the United States'. It was written in 18966, over thirty years after the Depression. This source comments less on the impact of the Depression than Source B. It talks more about the Wall Street Crash and is based more on facts than opinion. It uses other sources as evidence to support the facts, ‘Economical experts have said†¦' and although it is a secondary source it seems quite accurate. The fact that it was written after the Depression gives it the advantage of hindsight but means it may be less accurate. Overall I think Source C is more reliable as evidence about the impact of the Depression because it is more factual then Source B. The author of the book would have tried to make it as accurate as possible and backs up his argument with evidence. Question 3 Source D is an artist's view of the Wall Street Crash. This tells us that it is not factual as it is a painting based on the artist's opinion and the artist is probably trying to put across his own point of view. It was created in October 1929 (at the time of the Wall Street crash) and was probably painted by someone with direct experience of the Crash. However it is quite an abstract painting, which different people may interpret in different ways. Source E is a set of statistics showing the changes in the price of shares of leading US companies between September and November 1929. They seem to be quite accurate as to the general change in prices but they are ‘from official figures' which means their accuracy depends on the accuracy of the figures from which they are compiled. These figures could have been adjusted to support an argument, and they lack detail that may improve their reliability. I think that Source E is more useful to a historian studying the Wall Street Crash because the statistics are more factual. There is very little factual information supplied by Source D and its usefulness could depend on the historian's interpretation of the painting. However the statistics although not completely sound are more reliable and useful as evidence because they are factual. Question 4 Source E is from a popular song of 1932. It tells of how the protagonist thought he was ‘building a dream' on the way to ‘peace and glory' for his country but he is now standing in the bread line. This is a typical story of what happened to many working-class men during the Depression. They spent their lives working hard for a better life but the suffered worst during a Depression that was not their fault. This makes the song seem accurate as this actually happened to many people. However the song may have been changed or simplified to fit a certain rhythm or rhyme and the songwriter probably had a personal point, which he wished to put across. I think that it does give an accurate interpretation of most people's attitudes towards the Depression. Not all people would have agreed with this interpretation because they were not affected in this way. This was mainly rich people and people who had been lucky enough to keep their jobs. However I think that it does give an accurate interpretation of a great proportion of people. It is called a ‘popular song', this means that a lot of people must have liked the song, probably because they found it truthful as they could relate to its message and because the were comforted to find that others were in the same position as them. Question 5 Source A does not really give much of an idea as to who suffered more or less during the Recession. It is an election poster aimed to appeal to all people who had suffered under the Depression. Source B says that the working classes were not to blame for the Depression and that it was the rich people whose fault it was. It implies that the poor suffered more because although they were not to blame they felt the effects of it worst. Source C tells us that not enough money was ‘finding its way into the hands of the workers' in the prosperity of the twenties. This shows that the workers did not enjoy much of the wealth of this decade and as a result of this they suffered worse in the Depression because the little they had, they lost. Source D does not tell us anything about the poorer people as it does not distinguish between the rich and the poor. Source E also does not give much of idea about the suffering of the poor, as statistics do not go into enough detail to tell us this. Source F probably says the most about poor people. The person who wrote the song tells us about waiting in line for bread and begging for money. I do not think that the poor suffered most as a result of the Great Depression because the people who were already poor did not have much to loose. If they were very poor before the Depression, the Depression had little or no effect on them. I think that the people who suffered the most were the working classes who had worked hard all their lives and earned their money. They lost the most during the Wall Street Crash, because the Rich did not loose enough to affect them and the poor lost nothing at all. Therefore I think that it was not the poor but the working classes who suffered the most because they lost what they had worked their whole lives for.

Kenneth Burke’s Dramatism Essay

Life is drama; playing roles in relation to other people. Interest in the interaction of language and action. Symbolic Interactionist—Language is symbolic action. â€Å"Verbal symbols are meaningful acts from which motives can be derived (Griffin, p. 329).† â€Å"Human beings†¦are a symbol-creating, symbol-using, and symbol misusing animal (Littlejohn, 1978, p. 69).† A theory of Motives—why do people act (particularly rhetorically) the way they do? Assess motives. Texts/Speeches created by people to â€Å"DO SOMETHING.† Can be analyzed to determine what it is they are trying to do. Distinguishes human â€Å"Action† from Animal â€Å"Motion† Action Motion Done on purpose;Behaviors that are non- voluntary behavior purposeful/non-meaningful e.g. DramatismïÆ' ª ïÆ' ªAll animals and objects Peoplehave motion ïÆ' ªÃ¯Æ' ª Forms of ThoughtThe study of motion is ïÆ' ªmechanism Understood through motives ïÆ' ª Pentad (tool for understanding motives) Motive: Linguistic Product of Rhetorical Action Created a Grammar of Motives (â€Å"grammar† meaning rules, principles, elements, structure and/or book) Motives are viewed by Burke in terms of internal sources of action; but rather in terms of how language and terms are used to make actions understandable. Guilt as Motive: guilt is an â€Å"all-purpose word for any feeling of tension within a person—anxiety, embarrassment, self-hatred, disgust, etc. (Littlejohn, 1978, p. 70).† We communicate to purge ourselves of guilt. Guilt arises out of language. Three sources of guilt: 1. The Negative: Language allows for rules, morals, etc. that surround us and we can’t escape violating. 2. The Principle of Perfection: Language allows us to â€Å"imagine† the ideal (should). 3. The Principle of Heirarchy: Structure society with competing class and group distinctions We seek redemption (reduce or eliminate guilt) through communication/rhetoric/dramatism 1. Mortification: self-blame 2. Victimage: external enemy is the source 3. Scapegoating: blame other(s) Substance: general nature of a thing Consubstantiation: (shared substance, commonality) Identification: (same as consub) degrees of; conscious or unconscious; 1) material identification—goods, possessions, things 2) idealistic identification—values, ideas, feelings, attitudes 3) formal identification—form or arrangement of act/conventions; roles, customs, etc. Division—differences with others (source of guilt) PENTAD Tool for understanding motives Act SceneAgent Agency Purpose (Hexad: Attitude: delayed or incipient action) Statement of motives will answer: What was done (act), when or where it was done (scene), who did it (agent), how it was done (agency), and why it was done (purpose).

Psychodynamic Counseling Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Psychodynamic Counseling Theories - Essay Example In this regard, one can come across a huge number of theories that indicate attempts of various individuals who worked to propose efficient understanding of human existence, and in such a pool, psychodynamic theories are playing a crucial role in better understanding of human life that has resulted in their significant importance in the field of counseling. In specific, this paper is an attempt that will include endeavors for better understanding of theories that will enable the societies to deal with the human problems effectively. While scrutinizing human life, it is merely impossible to avoid the significance of human mind that stands as the fundamental basis of human existence. Still in midst of huge advancements in the field of information technology, theorists (Kottler, pp. 79-84, 2010) are enjoying great significance due to their attempts to analyze and explain different aspects of mind, the most complex organ. In psychology, ‘psychodynamics refers to the study of differ ent aspects of human mind in terms of their interrelationships with each other’ (Velicer, pp. 31-34, 2003). In psychotherapy, theorists (Mitchell, pp. 51-57, 1996) have been dealing with different areas of human mind while relating them with psychological and mental development of humans. In addition, analysis has indicated that unconsciousness is one of the major areas of human mind that have received greater focus of psychologists and theorists. One of the major examples of such focus is the psychodynamic model of the human mind by Sigmund Freud, father of psychoanalysis who contributed extensively to the field of psychology and psychotherapy by his different theories and propositions. In the area of personality, Sigmund Freud contributed expansively that enabled experts (Jacobs, pp. 20-25, 2004) to understand different factors that play crucial role in the human personality. In this regard, Freud’s contributions have been tremendous in the field of psychotherapy as his findings allowed the experts to progress in the field. Although his theory does not enjoy the same significance today, however, Sigmund Freud will remain as the founder of psychodynamics and psychological scrutiny of the human mind. In particular, the paper will include some of the areas of his work involving unconscious mind, three components of the human mind, etc, as well as works of theorists, such as Donald Winnicott, etc that will help in better understanding of psychodynamic theories of counseling. In particular, to understand mechanism of Freud’s psychodynamic model of the human mind, it is necessary to have an understanding of psychosexual development theory (Jacobs, pp. 36-39, 2004) by Freud that will create a fundamental basis for the analysis. Study of the works has indicated that according to Freud, until the period of adolescent, an individual passes through various stages that determine the healthiness or unhealthy condition of his/her personality, and spec ifically, Freud’s model of the human mind revolves around the same stages of the human life. In particular, Freud divided the human mind in three parts, id, ego, and the superego (Huffman, pp. 20-39, 2008). In addition, besides identification of these three components, Freud emphasized on the importance of conscious, preconscious, as well as unconscious stages of the mind. Due to lack of technological advancements, Freud was unable to prove his division physically; however, he indicated these divisions as psychological existence of the human mind. Firstly, ‘id’ is the basic constituent of the human mind that works during the birth of an

Ethics case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ethics case study - Essay Example Thus, is it moral for Mr. Z to engage in sexual intercourse with his wife despite being in a critical condition? Moreover, did he have moral ethics to impregnate his wife despite knowing clearly that he was endangering her life due to her severe medical condition? This situation clearly proves that Mr. Z cannot control himself by avoiding such action on is wife as well as understanding her condition and the state of their marriage. The case has involved various ethical principles including the beneficence, respect for autonomy, justice and non – malfeasance. The principle of beneficence advocates doing of good things and that people should always strive to achieve it at its greatest level. This is because individuals benefit only from the best things (American Nurses association, n.d.). According to this case, Mr. Z believes that making love to his wife is good for them despite the prevailing conditions. Moreover, he argues that his wife would have wanted to maintain a physical relationship with him and thus, his action was meant to fulfill that desire and make his wife achieve the good at its greatest amount (UOP Library, 2010). Further, he believes the action unifies his family, which constitutes the greatest good for his family. However, his brothers in - law perceive his actions as bad and constitute rape, which is harmful to their severely ill sister. According to them, this step is the best for th eir critically ill sister, as it will see her removed from the abusive and egocentric husband. Secondly, the case involves respect for autonomy. According to the principle, individuals need to reign over their lives and be in a position to make decisions pertaining to their lives (American Nurses association, n.d.). Thus, individuals need to have autonomous control of the lives since they have an absolute understanding over their choice of lifestyle. Moreover, each person deserves respect since he is the only person who has been

Data Protection Regulation and control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Data Protection Regulation and control - Essay Example The universal declaration of human rights article12 states that: "there should be no interference with a person, family, home etc. or attacks upon their reputation" (Lloyd1998.58-60). The company has the duty of finding out the stipulated rules and regulation in the various legislative acts that address data protection. The law for example, requires the firm to get registered and get authorization from information commissioner (Carey, 1998.16-31). It is the responsibility of the company to develop policies and procedures that protect customer information using the knowledge so gained. The company then needs to institute the office of a data controller who is the person who, either alone or with others, directs the content and use of personal data (ILO, 1997.14-67). The company, through the office of the data controller has the responsibility of ensuring that personal information collected from client is relevant and secure and its uses in an appropriate manner (Hornberger, 2001.21-49). The company has a duty to keep updating themselves on amendments on data protection acts inorder to maintain relevant policies. It is thus their responsibility to keep in touch with the concerned regulatory bodies or any the media houses that highlight such changes or amendments. To improve this privacy and security, the company should prohibit the use of social security numbers or social insurance numbers as

Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet as medical professional (Nurse) Essay

Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet as medical professional (Nurse) - Essay Example To illustrate this point, several attributes of a good nurse will be discussed and then applied to a well-known fictional character, Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet, to conjecture whether this character would have made an effective nurse. Nurses are often the first and most frequent care-giver of a person in need of medical services. Because everyone living will need medical services at some point or another, nurses must be dedicated to providing them while respecting the rights of all people to be treated with dignity and respect. â€Å"Nurses must respect the rights of all people regardless of age, race, social status, sexual orientation and religious beliefs. Nurses demonstrate unbiased compassion for all† (â€Å"Is Nursing Right†, 2000). In this respect, Hamlet would not make an effective nurse as there are several instances within the play where he is not able to display unbiased opinions or respect for others. He demonstrates outright disdain for Polonius, openly accusing him of being false, shows disgust for his uncle and chastises his mother for her actions. His anger at his mother carries over into his treatment of Ophelia as well, causing him to accuse her of thoughts and intentions sheâ€℠¢d never dreamed of. This is deemed a very important characteristic for a nurse to have as there is no avoiding the need to treat all individuals requiring medical assistance and Hamlet’s inability to overcome his rage, however justified, would be a difficult trait to overcome. Another characteristic of a good nurse is a willingness to learn. More than simply being willing to put in the extra training and hard work necessary to pass mandatory nursing certification tests, â€Å"Nurses are motivated to keep up with trends and research in the profession and to value life-long learning† (â€Å"Is Nursing Right†, 2000). This is a trait that Hamlet possesses. He is back in Denmark after having been away to study, called to return to his

Discuss the importance of Emptiness in swordsmanship Essay

Discuss the importance of Emptiness in swordsmanship - Essay Example The mind enters into a state of emptiness. This state of emptiness is akin to a cup which is empty, ready to be filled. It is a force that is boundless and forms the mind facet that is central to the practitioner of kendo, and which the practitioner will experience during practice. The importance of emptiness can not be over stressed. It is of significance importance that one conquers the disturbance that is inside him, since fear arises within the body of oneself. Then, the swordsman is ready to face opponents (Westgeest 65). Mushin, or emptiness, extricates all concerns that are extraneous, focusing the body, mind, spirit and the moment, and allows all to function in a harmony that is fluid. This allows transformation of these entities, usually separate, into an action that is unitary in form and purpose (Westgeest 65). This spiritual and mental development accompanying kendo study has remained, passed on from one generation to another, mostly of warriors. Emptiness can trace its roots in Zen Buddhism, where meditation of monks involved a similar act of emptiness during prayer. It is thus not surprising to note that the code of swordsmen, known as Bushido, has its roots in Zen Buddhism and also in Shintoism. Shintoism is another root factor in the development of emptiness in

General Factor of Creativity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

General Factor of Creativity - Assignment Example Biofeedback, or self-consciousness learning from and simultaneously influencing the environment, is an important structural model for my decision making and the day to day activities of awareness. I find I have to accept mistakes as a given in any undertaking but repeatedly refine and re-focus the will to attain goals that are based in the ideals and beliefs of the highest good and intended to benefit the evolution of human consciousness. (diCarlo, 2010) Activity is only one dimension of the self in my philosophy of creativity, but it is through the creative process that what is lasting and memorable will be achieved in life. Nevertheless, I feel activity should be based on an altruistic motivation to help and assist others in all manners of living, valuing what is shared in a manner equal if not more precious than what is packaged and sold. The balancing of competing interests and maintaining a consistent philosophy, free of hypocrisy, with its own interpretation and application is the key to establishing an identity in works of art or literature born out of the creative process. ... velopment, I believe the personality must come into tune or harmony with the creative spirit and become effortless self-expression in order to be successful. Personality cannot be considered determinant of creativity, for the creative spirit takes force across all personality types. An excellent review of scientific literature on the subject is available in Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic’s Personality and Individual Differences (2007). I find too much in technique in art is equivalent to other forms of overbearing social life and communication, and from this the importance of balance in mind and awareness is made evident. Nevertheless, across all of the moods in my personality, I believe there may be also shared patterns of behavior or thinking that can facilitate creativity by sparking new ideas, critical approaches, or methodologies. Artists and musicians, as well as scientists, generally learn synergetically through combining multiple influences and traditions into a new and uniqu e form at the highest levels of creativity. In this regard, I believe creativity can become related very closely to spirituality in personal self-expression. According to Jungian psychology, as the mind and awareness becomes conscious of more universal themes, the self-expression of the personality on all levels can be expected to change in accordance with this. (Rothgeb, 1992) In this manner, creativity and personality are essentially the same force of self-expression to me, acting across multimedia and other forms of communication or relationship. The open, balanced and conscience-aware personality that is based in altruistic generosity seems the best ideal to for me to strive for in personal relationships, but the subject matter of the subconscious and conscious struggles based on ideals and

Making Invisible Work Visible by Andrew Parker, Rob Cross- Article Essay

Making Invisible Work Visible by Andrew Parker, Rob Cross- Article Analysis - Essay Example The researchers strive to present the recommendations for the firms through which they can attain better support work occurring in informal network of employees. The recommendations are based upon the research work conducted among a consortium Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. The researchers assessed collaboration and work in almost 40 information networks created within 23 different entities. The provided strategic and operational values are studies to find out their role in allowing the employees to collaborate and integrate their expertise with the organization. The article basically assesses and supports the information network and examines their significance for the organizations. The author believes that the informal social networks allow the employees to deeply understand and reflect the working patterns of the organization in much better way than the employees working in formal structure. The informal special networks however remain invisible and sometimes the m anagers fail to understand the problems developing within the firms. The authors also describe the background of the evaluation of the social networking techniques and inform that the idea sociogram is credited to Dr. J.T. Moreno who has been regarded as the inventor of social networks. He paved the way towards new approach of social structure and presents the concept of role and position. The article also stresses upon the importance of informal social network in the context of management challenges in globalization era. The informal networks are influenced from the information design of the organization whereas physical proximity and nature of the work also determine the structure of informal social networks maintained by the organization. The researchers also identified three specific areas where they believe that social network analysis is uniquely effective. These areas include "promoting effective collaboration within a strategically important group; supporting critical junctu res in networks that cross functional, hierarchical, or geographic boundaries; and ensuring integration within groups following strategic restructuring initiatives† (p28). The researchers found that social network analysis is a powerful and effective managerial tool that perform wide array of functions for the organizations. The patterns of information sharing within and across the networks also became visible through the social network analysis (SNA). Moreover, SNA allows identifying and solving the issues and problems being faced by the group of people within the organization. The specific behaviours of the employees could also be studies better and all this understanding allows taking the appropriate steps for improvement of group efficiency and effectiveness. There is wide variety of benefits of social network analysis identified by the researchers. They explain that information networks also support the employees' job satisfaction and performance that ultimately benefit t he overall productivity of the firms. It is very important for the management to understand the importance of social network because it the highly competitive market place they cannot rely upon the traditional networks and require the support of information social network to foster the process of communication with the employees and to avail wide range of benefits of informal social networks. The authors conclude that the present era is marked with

Age of revolt Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Age of revolt - Research Paper Example This is because institutional processes and instruments accord people with the chance to exchange a regime with one which appears by public judgment to embody better prospects for development, more effective representation of the people’s will and transparency and civil liberties and freedoms. This was the state of affairs in Britain, France and America before the English (1640-1660), French (1789-1799) and American Revolutions (1775-1778), respectively (Lebrun, 839-40). In most instances, there are bouts of political oppression in the run up to the revolution as a possible alternative. While the spates of state-perpetrated injustices may seem to hinder anti-government criticism at a casual glance and from the outset, it bolsters the envisioning of alternative possibilities, of which a revolution is one. According to Frero, there are different forces which facilitate the consideration of alternative possibilities. A powerful or liberated media is one force which may facilitate the consideration of a revolution. This is because, in the absence of government-instigated censorship, the media can air art, literature and political ideologies which are radical enough to inspire a revolution. Nevertheless, there has to be political setbacks such as misrule, corruption and undemocratic tendencies in order for the consideration of revolutionary thought to concretize in the mind of the public (Frero, 84). Another force which plays a pivotal role in the consideration of a revolution as an alternative is radical or revolutionary art, literature or political philosophy. A society wherein the masses are oppressed and socioeconomically exploited by the ruling class is bound to consider a revolution as the means by which it can bring about positive change upon interacting with radical political philosophy such as Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto where the masses are taught that all state

Students in AP World History Essay Example for Free

Students in AP World History Essay Students in AP World History are expected to be able to write three different types of essays: a document-based question (or DBQ), a change-over-time essay, and a comparative essay. You can probably gather from the names what you need to do in each essay – the document-based question provides you with a set of documents on which to base your essay; the change-over-time essay asks you to analyze the changes and continuities that occurred within a certain period of time; and the comparative essay asks you to compare and contrast two episodes, cultures, religions, or other historical phenomenon from a given period. Writing a thesis for an AP World History essay is a little different from other theses you may have learned to write in English or Oral Communications. Luckily, there is a basic format you can use for each of the three essays. The key to writing a good AP World History essay is to tell the reader what you are going to talk about before you talk about it. The AP World History Exam refers to this as your thesis. The scoring rubric (the guidelines readers use to score your essays) requires readers to answer the following questions about each of your essays: †¢ Do you have a comprehensive, analytical, and explicit thesis? †¢ Is your thesis acceptable? So how does a person write a comprehensive, analytical, and explicit thesis? What needs to be included? What is an â€Å"acceptable† thesis and what is an â€Å"unacceptable† thesis? Put simply, an analytical thesis will use specific details that will allow the reader to understand exactly what you are talking about. A good thesis is never just one sentence; it is a group of statements. Therefore, you will start with a general sentence, but you have to then follow it up with additional sentences that provide all the necessary elements described above. Together, these statements must †¢ restate the prompt and define terms, context, and chronology of events under discussion †¢ address each part of the question (include both a similarity and a difference or both a continuity and a change) †¢ Make a transition statement to the body of the essay with a sentence like â€Å"The historical evidence would indicate that † A strong analytical thesis will serve as a â€Å"road map† for the remainder of your essay and show the reader that you are on target with answering the question. The Prompt Each AP World History Essay exam will have a prompt, or question, that you will write on. An example of a prompt would be this: Compare the economic, social, and political characteristics of ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. The first thing to remember is that when it says â€Å"compare,† what the prompt really means is for you to both â€Å"compare† and â€Å"contrast. † AP exam readers will expect you to know this! You will need to note both similarities and differences. The Thesis The first sentence of your thesis should be a restatement of the prompt. Before you begin writing, you should first underline important information in the prompt. In the sample above, you would want to underline the words social, political, economic, ancient, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. You will then use those words to create the first sentence of your thesis. Here is how that might look: â€Å"Two ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia and Egypt, created complex societies with distinct social, political, and economic characteristics. † The second sentence of your thesis should address both a similarity and a difference. You will simply list them in the thesis. Do not analyze them. Save them for analysis later in your paper. Here is how your second sentence might look: â€Å"One similarity is that both civilizations developed strong economies based on trade with other cultures. One difference is that the Mesopotamians traded with people across the Indian Ocean in South Asia, while the Egyptians traded with their neighbors to the south in Nubia. † The third and final sentence of your thesis should be the transition into your essay. It is here that you will help your reader get from your introduction into the bulk of what you have to say. Here is how your third sentence might look: â€Å"â€Å"The historical evidence would indicate that the two civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt had some subtle differences, but were, for the most part, nearly identical. †

Experiential Focusing Techniques in Counselling

Experiential Focusing Techniques in Counselling Katrina Quaye (kate) What wants my attention now?   Focusing is a unique skill discovered by Gene Gendlin. Working with  Carl Rogers back in the 1960’s, research was done as to why some people have success in therapy and others do not. A very interesting result emerged; those who progressed and benefitted most from therapy were the ones who took some time to reflect, when asked a question they seemed to sense something within themselves and an answer would begin to emerge. Over time Gendlin discovered what became know as the ‘felt sense’. This is a sense that we all have but often it is operating unbeknown to us. This sense, sometimes called a bodily sense, can teach us much about ourselves and also our relationship with others and the world around us. It is a way of listening to our bodies with compassion, without judgement, and something that moved me most of all â€Å"gentleness’. Enhancement of knowledge There are six basic steps to learn in focusing. To begin with we are taught to go through the process, step by step, learning these steps well, by sitting down and quietly going ‘inside’ our body. Once these steps are learnt thoroughly the process can flow with greater ease, quickly accessing our felt sense and going with it. This can be done taking a walk, doing the dishes, driving to work, with continuous practice our body will always be there guiding us. Clearing the space, if someone is not quite in the moment, different thoughts, things to do list going through their mind, it is best to take a moment to clear a space inside. This can be done quite well in a short amount of time by asking the client in their mind to wrap up each concern on the list and placing it in an imaginary basket, not forcing each concern but in a clear friendly manner. This can also be done with a background feeling of being tense, anxious, whatever the feeling maybe to set it aside for the time being. Not forcing, but inviting it to stand aside for some time. Gendlin would often take half an hour for this process with clients. Although it may be done in a much shorter amount of time, five to ten minutes. This would allow for a longer session with the felt sense. One then checks back with the self, that you are feeling clearer to start. So now we can choose something to work on. One may already have an issue they want to work on, in which case one can check with the body if this is okay to work with. Alternatively one may see if there is something that needs their attention now. Often the sense is felt in the throat, chest or abdomen area. One of the key words in focusing is gently, gently say hello to the sense, checking if it is okay to be with it. Gendlin said ‘it is best to be next to the sense, like a friend sitting on a park bench wanting to have a conversation’. We don’t need to become immersed in the sense, just to be next to it. Like a sensitive baby animal we need to be gentle with the sense. Cornell (A. W. Cornell. pg.18) mentions, ‘Focusing is like being a friend to your own inner experience’. You may bring such qualities of friendship as curiosity, respect, empathy, warmth, compassion, letting it know that you are there to listen and listening with these qualities. Now we have said hello and acknowledged it is there, we can begin to describe the felt sense, it may start with a feeling of tightness in the chest, we acknowledge this, then we can ask ’how does this tightness feel’ we are checking back with this word to see that it captures it well. We are now resonating back and forth with the word or image, we don’t need to rush this process. Like a friend who wants to share something that is important to them, they don’t like to feel rushed. We are sitting next to this felt sense, as Genlin (Gendlin pg 57-58) explains, ‘ the felt sense is more than an emotion, with an emotion we know what it is, angry, sad, joyful, but with the felt sense we say I can feel it right there, but i don’t know what it is’. A felt sense contains a maze of meanings, we need to allow the sense time to form. That tightness may develop as anger, but within that anger can come a sense of the whole situation, what led up to that anger, how one is involved, it may for example show you scenes from childhood where you felt angry towards your parent for not understanding or listening to you. The felt sense can give a very complete form of understanding that will be more than just the anger. We now have words and or images we can work with that through checking would fit with the sense. We now come to sense from â€Å"its† view, what it wants us to know. I am letting ‘it’ know, I hear it, or sense it, welcoming it, it knows where it wants to or needs to go, we are listening not forcing or trying to work out whats happening, but allowing the process to unfold. Ending. It is important to ask if there is more that needs to come or shall we end here. It is important to thank the felt sense, to re-assure it that if need be I will be back. If we can develop a trusting relationship that when we say we will return, that we do so, the felt sense will be re-assured. The more we do this the more it will work with us. I will write a brief summary of my own personal experience using Focusing over a number of weeks. Having a quiet place I went inside of myself and sensed a feeling around my heart area. Gradually words like unappreciated, unloved emerged, I was listening to these words seeing if they were the ones. Yes they were. An image of a heart with a wooden dagger stabbed through it emerged, thick deep red blood was slowly oozing out. I was able to sit with this image for sometime, it was very strong, after sometime I needed to finish. Afterward I felt extremely heavy, it was hard to even continue with my daily tasks. The next day I came back to Focusing, realizing that I hadn’t finished off the process properly, mainly because after some time it seemed too much for me. I went back inside and the image was still there, I sat with it and came to understand the experiences I had been through that brought about this image. I needed to be more caring of myself. I asked it the question of how would it feel like if the difficulty wasn’t there. This brought forth an abundant response of joy and happiness, something like fire works were going off in celebration. I felt very light as if a big shift had taken place. Over the next two weeks I went back in to see what was there. I had an image of myself as a young four year old, the feelings of being unheard came up, need to do things perfectly, as mentioned above it takes in a blend of the situation not just an emotional feeling, but a deeper sense of what it was like to be that young child. I was being shown what it was like and by my acknowledging this allowing the whole of it to come out. There was a shift where those strong feelings seemed to melt away. Enhancement of Understanding Greater understanding of myself has come about through Focusing. Other peers and companions have said the same of their experiences when focusing; if one is to gain continuing benefits it is important to keep with the practice. There are certain attitudes that can help the process. Focusing is a very gentle process, approaching it with the wisdom of not knowing is very beneficial, as Cornell (pg21) says, ‘Why would you listen to someone if you think you already know what they have to say.’ The feeling of respect and wanting to know what the sense has to say is of the utmost importance. We need to ‘let go of what we know, to bring an attitude of open, friendly, interested, non judgmental curiosity to our experience†. (Silverston, pg. 2). We need to come to trust the felt sense that it will led us where we need to go. Sometimes along the way it may seem to be taking many detours. Sometimes it is trying to give us a broader understanding, showing various images or certain words. In some ways it is like being an investigator being excited or curious to find out what lies within. We are not taking sides, leaving one part shut out, not wanting something to be heard or acknowledged, we are not excluding any part of ourselves. We are listening to each part and gradually integrating each part of the self. â€Å"When we listen to a place inside that hurts, for instance, the quality of our presence is not the usual one of fixing or trying to make it feel better. Rather, we are willing to let it be exactly as it is†. (Wilson Van der Kooy, pg 1.) This attitude can be a huge relief for many, its okay to be as you are, allowing whatever is there to come up, to recognize and acknowledge it. As Gendlin (year?) said, â€Å"Every ‘bad’ feeling is potential energy toward a more right way of being, if you give it the space to move toward its rightness.† Enhancement of Self Awareness All of the above leads to greater self awareness. Coming to know what is going on inside of oneself. As many decisions need to be made in ones life, the building up of this awareness which can bring about greater confidence, is of huge benefit. I find in my own life if there is a lot happening around me I connect to that inner part which seems stable and able to help me keep centered. For those I have worked with there has been similar feed back, they are connecting to that inner part and making clearer judgements. This is an invaluable skill that can be used for myself in every day life, a skill that can be passed onto my clients, something that the therapist doesn’t control, people can learn this and then use it for the rest of their lives without having to go to the therapist all the time. Bibliography Cornell, Ann Weiser. Focusing In Safety And Trust. The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 18. Print.Cornell, Ann Weiser. What Is Focusing? The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 6. Print. Gendlin, Eugene T. The Crucial Bodily Attention. Focusing-oriented Psychotherapy: A Manual of the Experiential Method. New York: Guilford, 1996. 57 58. Print. Cornell, Ann Weiser. Focusing in Safety and Trust. The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 21. Print. Focusing as a doorway for spiritual growth. Wilson Van der Kooy, pg 1. Steve Silverton Page 2. How to think like a poet and make better decisions Question or Assessment Task: COP116 3000 Word Essay

Mobile Learning In Higher Education

Mobile Learning In Higher Education This essay provides the research done on various colleges and universities on the usage of mobile application in promoting Mobile Learning or mLearning within the premises of the college. It also gives a brief overview of the fundamental learning advantages and some of the challenges that occurred in adoption of the mLearning over the learning done by the use of mLearning than through traditional face to face instruction or paper based learning and the current trend which is being followed. This essay also tells us about what are the various projects or programs or models going all around the world to promote the mLearning and how many have already implemented mLearning. KEYWORDS Educational Technology, Higher Education, Mobile Applications, Mobile Learning, mLearning. INTRODUCTION The aim of this essay is to investigate the concept of m-learning and the extent to which it is being implemented in higher education and to educate the students and institutes that how technology can be helpful in learning the programmes or getting the knowledge about the subject of their interest anytime anywhere they are located with the help of devices such as Smart Phones and the applications are being used in those Smart Phones. Examples of the mobile apps: Apples iTunesU, BlackBoard Mobile, the Amazon Kindle etc. Ally (2009) stated that Mobile learning is done through the use of wireless mobile technology that allows anyone to access information and learning materials from anywhere and at anytime. As a result, learners have control of when they want to learn and from which location they want to learn. Students and trainers/teachers are empowered to communicate with each other from anywhere at any time to share thoughts or data with each other and at the same time they can access the learning resources from anywhere at any time to plan the lessons which are too delivered to the students. Bereiter and Scardamalia(1994) said that the users can upload contents such as videos, word file or photos through their smart phones directly, into the discussion threads just by logging into the thread which is ongoing or they can create a new thread at any time they want despite of their location. This will enhance the functions provided by 3rd generation mobile phones and help in making the discussion more interactive. Lonsdale et al (2004) Mobile learning is distinguished by rapid and continual changes of context, as the learner moves between locations and encounters localised resources, services, and co-learners. Informal learning covers any learning that takes place beyond the classroom and formal curriculum, including learning for hobbies, curiosity, personal development, community involvement and everyday survival. What is Mobile Learning or mLearning? Osman et al. (2010) cited learning by means of wireless technological devices that can be pocketed and utilized wherever the learners device is able to receive unbroken transmission signals. Sharples et al. (2007) argues that learning supported by mobile devices such as cellular (mobile) phones, portable computers, and personal audio players. It has been suggested by Brasher and Taylor(2004, p33-37) any sort of learning that happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning opportunities offered by mobile technologies. Rajasingham (2011) states that an activity that allows individuals to be more productive when consuming, interacting, or creating information, mediated through a compact digital portable device that the individual carries on a regular basis and has reliable connectivity and fits in a pocket or purse. With the help of Mobile learning participants are not required to sit in the classroom, just similar to distant learning. Because of increase in Mobile Learning, learning has taken a new route that can occur anywhere and at any point of time. Sharples et al (2007) states that Mobile Learning can occur wherever people, individually or collectively, have problems to solve or knowledge to share. Traxler (2007) and some others defined mobile learning as learning that is wireless and is done with the help of digital devices and technologies that are currently in trend, which is generated to help the general public, and it is being used by anyone who is trying to learn something remotely. And some of the others define mobile learning by concentrating only on the mobility of learners and the mobility of learning by the means of mobile devices used by learners such as smart phones. Osman (2010) cited in his article that Traxler (2007) writes: so, mobile learning is not about mobile or about learning as previously understood, but part of a new mobile conception of society. Mobile Learning is not only to provide learning to learners whenever they are mobile but it should overcome the outdated concepts and the assumptions that were made about learning and how what it can change in the society(also from the technological point of view). Osman (2010) notes that some of the definitions and the understandings for mobile education/learning, which put the basic focus on the technologies and hardware, and it doesnt matter that it can be a handheld device such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), and mobile device such as Smartphones or Tablets. He also states that These definitions undermine a proper understanding of the uses of mobile technology in learning by confining their explanations and descriptions to the actual physical way in which the technology operates. According to him some of the definitions puts more focus on what learners experience when they use mobile technologies in education, while others inquire how mobile learning can be used to make a unique contribution to the advancement of education and other forms of e-learning. Ally (2009) writes in his book of Mobile Learning the major benefit of using wireless mobile technology in his book which is to reach people who live in remote locations where there are no schools, teachers, or libraries. With the help of Mobile technology that can be used by anyone despite of their geographical location which will in turn benefit communities in such places as a result students and workers will stay with their families and are not suppose to move for jobs or to go to a different location to learn or to access information. He also said that At the same time, business owners, agriculture workers, and other working sectors can access information to increase productivity and improve the quality of their products by learning about agriculture and there aspects remotely using mobile devices. Finally, because remote access using wireless mobile technology reduces the need for travel, its use can reduce humanitys carbon footprint on earth to help maintain a cleaner environme nt. ECAR (2012) reported that students value anytime, anywhere access to the Internet. In the most recent ECAR study of students and IT, 78% of students considered Wi-Fi extremely valuable to their academic success. While a wireless telecommunications network is obviously preferable because it allows interaction, updates, hyperlinks, and more, it is still not ubiquitous. The ECAR research report Mobile IT in Higher Education, 2011 found that 76% of institutions report good or very good mobile communication signal coverage in the area of our institution. This is a positive trend for on-campus mobile learning; however, off-campus access to networks is important as well. Application Store for Mobile Learning in the Market According to a survey done by ECAR in 2011 it states that App Brain BlackBoard website where Stand-alone mobile learning applications are proliferating at an astonishing rate: As of September 2011, the iTunes App store offered 46,340 apps in the education category, accounting for 9.35% of all apps available; as of October 2011, the total number of education apps for the Android platform (available from the Android Market) was 12,129. Established e-learning systems have evolved to offer mobile components, fostering anytime, anywhere access to coursework. Blackboard Mobile is a mobile interface for the Blackboard learning management system that runs on iPad, iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and WebOS mobile devices. Description about the use of BlackBoard App in Higher Education Most effective use of this use is to provide the users or learners with the benefit of accessing the information anytime irrespective of their geographical location and enhance the ways to enrich teaching learning. As a result it gives the students the benefits to stay connected to teachers the discussion forum and updated to the information regarding their studies. Everyone will have everything they need right on the mobile devices they wanted just a click away or a touch away from their variety of mobile devices including Android, BlackBerry and IPhone OS. With this application students and teachers can access and upload and download the multiple format document or information. This application also provide user to create thread or discussion forum to share their thoughts on a particular topic or they can seek help online by posting their problem in the discussion thread and get a reply as soon as possible from the ones who are in present in the thread. Benefits of using a BlackBoard application on a mobile device at just  £1.99 a year or  £5.99 for life: Drop Box Integration: it helps to stay updated on the android devices or iOS with the content on the phone and their drop box account so they can upload as well post that information on to the discussion thread. Mobile Tests: students can take online test which are available on the blackboard and can submit the test as well at the same time. Push Notification: students can receive notifications for new announcements, new graded items, a test being posted, and many other course activities Announcements: this place is where instructors will post the news that students need to know. Students can access them instantly anywhere, anytime. Grades: here students can have the access of their marks of their midterms or homework assignments. Discussion: is a communication tool which helps to post a topic and all the participants can post their comments in that discussion forum. Content: can have the access of all the information related to students course they opted for. Roster: this feature provides the access to the roster of the class i.e. class list and can create a group to study. Three basic concepts of Mobile Learning Osman(2010) showed Figure 1 in which he tried to cite the three basic concepts of Mobile Learning. Mobility of Technology: means with advancement of technology nowadays the processors of mobile phones are very fast as compared to the earlier smart phones. At present day we can say that there is a tsunami coming in respect of the technology as new mobile phones are being launched in every two or three week of time. Wi-Fi networks are moving the capability as of a home broadband with 3G and now 4G in market: Wikipedia states 4G networks promise up to 1 GB per second transfer speed for walking or stationary pedestrian usage. Wikipedia says that 4G wireless began rollouts in the United States in late 2010, and by 2015 the United States will have the largest 4G coverage in the world. The processing of mobile devices is increasing along with that of the networks: Phone CPUs, the chips that power mobile computing; have recently reached the 1 GHz speed, comparable to netbooks. Almost every smart phone has sensors for landscape portrait depending upon the comfort of the user for example Nokia N8, iPhones etc. Mobility of Learning/Learner: with the help of this it doesnt depend where the user or learner is located he or she can get the access of the information whenever they want to and from wherever they are located geographically, for example: Distant Learning. The m-learning projects WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION SECTOR Through out the world many projects and programs are going on in development of the mLearning applications and to promote mLearning within the educational institutes among the students and educators or trainers and help them to communicate remotely to share views and data. Projects going on within US Almost all the colleges and universities are taking Mobile Learning into the account to help learners to get the benefits of Mobile Learning and according to the ECAR research report done on mobile IT, 53% of colleges and universities had mobile-enabled at least one service, application, or website in the previous year. Similarly, a 2011 U.S. survey by the Campus Computing Project showed that 55.3% of public universities, 43.6% of public colleges, and 40.9% of community colleges have activated mobile apps as of fall 2011. Projects going on within UK ECAR (2012) states in their research bulletin that Outside the United States, mobile learning is growing by leaps and bounds. The U.K. MoLeNET program, possibly the worlds largest and most diverse implementation of mobile learning, fueled by more than $25 million in funding by government and academia, involves upwards of 40,000 learners in 104 different projects involving 147 colleges and 37 schools. ECAR (2012) states in their research bulletin that mobile learning project called MyArtSpace provided children on school trips to museums and galleries with mobile phones running apps linking multimedia content with the exhibits they were attending. The students could take photos, record themselves speaking, and enter notes, which the app then relayed to a website that students could share upon returning to their classrooms. Challenges in adopting mobile learning A major challenge for educators and trainers is how to develop learning materials for delivery on mobile devices. The learning materials should be in manageable learning chunks and should make use of multimedia. One approach is to develop the learning materials in the form of learning objects and then link them to form a learning segment. There are many advantages of using learning objects in mobile delivery including: they can be re-used and changed without affecting other learning objects, and they can be stored in an electronic repository for remote access at any time. YouTube (2012) states some of the challenges in a video for adopting Mobile Learning and they are as follow: Flash player which is in every smart phone but adobe said that they will not give it for every mobile device. How many devices users should have with them to access the mobile learning? To upload the data or information onto the mobile devices as the data are of heavy size so they are more and are not as good as for a Tablet(iPads, PDAs) more than a Smartphone. INCREASE IN production of Smart phones and iPads then laptops or desktops The above figure tells the increase in the production as well as the sale of the smart phones and tablets gradually since the year 1995-2010 as compared to that of a notebook or a desktop. CONCLUSION This paper gives a brief overview of some of the challenges and benefits of mLearning within the educational society to improve the outcome for learners and teachers as well. Mobile applications are growing day by day in market to help and support the learners and the teachers which in turn affects the way to communicate and share the information regarding learning perspectives. With the development of the technology the mobile technology is also increasing and it has advanced in such a way that mobile have the same chip size of the normal computer so we can use the same device to produce same outcome but it is more portable now and smaller in size. There are various applications like Blackboard Mobile in the market using which we can study on the portable devices such as smart phones, tablets, iPods etc which are smaller in size and they do the same work as a laptop or desktop wherever and whenever it is required to submit or download a document and can meet the deadlines on time. The use of mobile learning is new in education, it is important for learners and teachers to share what works and what does not work in mobile. This is critical because mobile devices are changing constantly with increasing capabilities and there is not enough time for everyone to conduct research and complete projects to learn about the best practices in mobile learning. This book is one attempt to give educators and trainers the opportunity to learn from the research and mobile learning projects so that they can build from where others have left off rather than start from the beginning. REFRENCES Scardamalia M and Bereiter C (1994). Computer support for knowledge-building communities. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 3, 265-283. Chan T, Sharples M, Vavoula G and Lonsdale P (2004). Educational metadata for mobile learning. In J Roschelle, T Chan, Y Kinshuk and SJH Yand (eds) Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education (WMTE). Computer Society Press. At http://csdl2.computer.org/comp/proceedings/wmte/2004/1989/00/19890197.pdf IEEE (2002). IEEE Standard for Learning Object Metadata. IEEE Std 1484.12.1-2002. NewYork:The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Mohamed Osman M. El-Hussein and Johannes C. Cronje, Defining Mobile Learning in the Higher Education Landscape, Educational Technology Society 13, no. 3, 2010, 12-21, http://www.ifetsinfciliournals/133/3.pdf Mike Sharples, Josie Taylor, and Giasemi Vavoula, A Theory of Learning for the Mobile Age, in Sage Handbook of Elearning Research (London: Sage, 2007), 221-247 Andrew Brasher and Josie Taylor, Development of a Research Plan for Use of Ambient Technology to Test Mobile Learning Theories, in Mobile Learning Anytime Everywhere: A Book of Papers from MLEARN 2004, eds Jill Attewell and Carol Savill-Smith, 2004, 33-37. Watanabe T (2001). Knowledge management architecture of integrated educational support. In Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Computers in Education, Seoul, 12-15 November, 1138-1141. Ally, M. (2009) Mobile Learning Transforming the Delivery of Education and Training 1-2, Sharples, Taylor, and Vavoula, A Theory of Learning for the Mobile Age, 224. Traxler, J. (2007). Defining, Discussing and Evaluating Mobile Learning: The Moving Finger Writes and Having Writ The International Review in Open and Distance Learning, 8, 1-13. Eden Dahlstrom, Tom de Boor, Peter Grunwald, and Martha Vockley, ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2011 (Research Report) (Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Centre for Applied Research, October 2011), available from http://www.educauseedu/ecar This information comes from the website Mobile IT in Higher Education, 2011 Report, Resources for ECAR Subscribers, Data Tables, available from http://www.educauseedu/ECAR/MobiIelTinHiqherEducation20l1R1238470 This information comes from the website Mobile IT in Higher Education, 2011 Report, Resources for ECAR Subscribers, Data Tables, available from http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/future-mobile-learning Gregory Dobbin, with Eden Dahistrom, Pam Arroway, and I1ark C Sheehan, Mobile ITin Higher Education, 2011 (Research Report) (Boulder, CC: EDUCAUSE Centre for Applied Research, December 2011), 15-18. Big Gains in Going Mobile; Slow Movement Towards Cloud Computing, Campus Computing Project, http://wwwcampuscomputincjnetlitem/campus-computincj-2011-biq-qains-qoing-rnobile Mike Sharples, Dan Corlett, Susan Bull, Tony Chan, and Paul Rudman, uThe Student Learning Organiser in Mobile Learning: A Handbook for Educators and Trainers, eds. A. Kukulska-Hulme and J. Traxier (London: Routledge, 2005),139-149. Taylor, J., Sharples, M., and OMalley, C., Vavoula, G., and Waycott, J., (2005) Towards a Task Model for Mobile Learning: A Dialectical Approach, International Journal of Learning Technology, Special Issue: Interactions, objects and outcomes in learning, eds. P. McAndrew and A. Jones Passey D (1999). Anytime, anywhere learning project evaluation. Lancaster: Lancaster University/AAL. Romiszowski, Hows the e-learning baby? Factors leading to success or failure of an educational technology innovation, Educational Technology, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 3-27, 2004. L. Rajasingham, Critical Factors for Successful E-Learning: ACase Study of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, E-Learn Centre, Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3), Barcelona, Spain, 2010. L. Rajasingham, Will Mobile Learning Bring a Paradigm Shift in Higher Education? (Education Research International Volume 2011 (2011), Essay ID 528495, 10 pages doi:10.1155/2011/528495 R. Van Eck, Digital game-based learning, Educause Review,pp. 17-30, 2006. R. Shen, M. Wang, and X. Pan, Increasing interactivity in blended classrooms through a cutting-edge mobile learning system, British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 1073-1086, 2008. H. Ryu, Designing situated learning experiences, in Innovative Mobile Learning, H. Ryu and D. Parsons, Eds., pp. 255-272, Information Science, New York, NY, USA, 2009. C. Quinn, mLearning:Mobile, wireless, in-your-pocket learning, 2000,http://www.linezine.com/2.1/features/cqmmwiyp.htm. 4G, Wikipedia, http://enwikipediaorqwiki4g YouTube (2012). The 5 Big Challenges of Mobile Learning YouTube . July 23rd 2012. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofBjtGQsfX0 [Accessed 3 November 2012].

Life Of A Computer Programmer :: Careers Jobs

Imagine having a computer without running software. Computers would be slightly pointless without programs to run it. There would be no directions in the computer to tell it how to run, where to run, and what to do. A computer would have the ability to turn on, but a blank screen would be the only thing to appear on a monitor. I am sure that the question of "Who creates these programs?" has run through many minds in the past. These programs aid you in typing papers, connect you to the Internet, send information to other computers, or provide an interface for games that help to occupy your time. Computer programmers are the individuals that create and work with these programs. On a broad scale, computer programmers write the programs, test the programs, and then maintain the programs that millions of people use daily (Computer Programming 243-249). The every day duties of a computer programmer include investigating work requests from system analysts, understanding the problem and the desired resolution, choosing an appropriate approach, and planning an outcome that will tell the mechanism what to do to produce the desired results. Programmers must be experienced in high levels of mathematics, computer science, and programming languages. A programmer must also have experience with critical thinking, reading comprehension, and deductive reasoning. Programmers need to master these subjects, since they write in a language different from everyday English or French. Many different types of programming languages are used to write programs for computers. The languages are called "codes". Some of the languages include C++, Visual Basic, Java, XML, Perl, HTML, and COBOL. Each of the languages differs from each other, and each is used for specific program jobs. HTML and JAVA are languages used to build web pages for the Internet. Perl and XML can produce codes that block students from getting on certain inappropriate web pages on their school server. One of the most prominent programming languages of the day would have to be C++.

Summary :: essays research papers

King Duncan’s generals, Macbeth and Banquo, encounter three strange women on a bleak Scottish moorland on their way home from quelling a rebellion. The women prophesy that Macbeth will be given the title of Thane of Cawdor and then become King of Scotland, while Banquo's heirs shall be kings. The generals want to hear more but the weird sisters disappear. Duncan creates Macbeth Thane of Cawdor in thanks for his success in the recent battles and then proposes to make a brief visit to Macbeth's castle. Lady Macbeth receives news from her husband of the prophecy and his new title and she vows to help him become king by any means she can. Macbeth's return is followed almost at once by Duncan's arrival. The Macbeths plot together and later that night, while all are sleeping and after his wife has given the guards drugged wine, Macbeth kills the King and his guards. Lady Macbeth leaves the bloody daggers beside the dead king. Macduff arrives and when the murder is discovered Duncan's sons, Malcolm and Donalbain flee, fearing for their lives, but they are nevertheless blamed for the murder. Macbeth is elected King of Scotland, but is plagued by feelings of guilt and insecurity. He arranges for Banquo and his son, Fleance to be killed, but the boy escapes the murderers. At a celebratory banquet Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and disconcerts the courtiers with his strange manner. Lady Macbeth tries to calm him but is rejected. Macbeth seeks out the witches and learns from them that he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to his castle, Dunsinane. They tell him that he need fear no-one born of woman, but also that the Scottish succession will come from Banquo's son. Macbeth embarks on a reign of terror and many, including Macduff's family are murdered, while Macduff himself has gone to join Malcolm at the court of the English king, Edward. Malcolm and Macduff decide to lead an army against Macbeth. Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane until he is told that Birnam Wood is moving towards him.

Civil Disobedience: Are We Morally Obliged to Obey Unjust Laws? Essay

Are we morally obliged to obey even unjust laws? This question raises the discussion of what we call civil disobedience. Elliot Zashin, author of Civil Disobedience and Democracy, defines civil disobedience as, â€Å"a knowing violation of public norm (considered binding by local authorities but which may ultimately be invalidated by the courts) as a form of protest: it is non-revolutionary, public, and nonviolent (i.e. there is no use of physical violence except self-defensively when participants are physically attacked, and no resistance to arrest if made properly and without undue force).† (Zashin, 118) One point that Carl Cohen, associate professor of philosophy at University of Michigan, thinks is essential to the definition is that the, â€Å"mere knowledge of the unlawfulness does not make it civil disobedience†¦the civil disobedient must do more than knowingly break the law. Absolutely essential is the further element of protest.† (Cohen, 11) In other words, civil disobedience is knowingly breaking a law to protest the law. This may not be as controversial as some topics, but there are many strong points on both sides. A major objection is tied to the idea of social contract theory as well as extreme faith in the proper workings of the judicial and legislative systems. According the this objection, the government of the United States, which calls itself democratic, for instance, is set up to listen to the needs of the people and to make laws accordingly. There is no need to protest or to â€Å"civilly disobey† because the government’s job is to take care of such problems. Socrates, a Greek philosopher, when forced with a suicide execution refused escape because he had profited from the laws of Athens thus far, was given a... ...tic government. BIBLIOGRAPHY  · Cohen, Carl, Civil Disobedience, Tactics and the Law. 1971, Columbia University Press: NY. Pgs: 3, 5, 6, 9, and 11.  · â€Å"Declaration of Independence† ONLINE: http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/declaration_transcript.html. 20 Nov 03  · Singer, Peter, Practical Ethics: Second Edition. 1993, Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK. Pgs: 298-306  · Smith, Michael P, et al, Political Obligation and Civil Disobedience Readings. 1972, Thomas Y. Crowell Company: NY. Pgs. 179, 180, and 183.  · Suber, Peter, â€Å"Civil Disobedience.† ONLINE: http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/civ-dis.htm. 19 Nov 03.  · Zashin, Elliot M., Civil Disobedience and Democracy. 1971, The Free Press: NY. Pgs. 118, and 131.

Festivals are the best way to learn about your faith Essay

â€Å"Festivals are the best way to learn about your faith.† Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. Refer to Judaism in you answer. (15 marks) According to Jews, each individual has a strong duty to uphold their covenant with God. In fact, this is possibly the most important thing a Jew does during his/her lifetime: love and honour God’s commands and wishes. It is essential that all Jews, adults and children, understand what this means. Festivals are used to rejoice but they also have a strong message that will help Jews to follow the Torah and to love God. They help Jews to learn about their faith. E.g. Passover teaches the Jews about their history and about God’s ability to change history. Shabbat remembers the Sabbath day when God rested from creating the world. And so, Jews must rest too on this day and do no work whatsoever. Jews reflect upon God as the creator of all things. Simchat Torah commemorates the acceptance of the Torah and God’s counselling on how His chosen people should live Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both call upon Jews to reflect upon their actions to God and towards each other. They are times of forgiving. Another way that festivals are very important is because of the children of Jews. They are the Jewish future and without them, the faith would die. Jews rely on the traditions and symbolism to pass down through generations. Festivals are particularly effective in teaching children because not only are they generally fun, they present to children a time to see distant relatives, a time to relax, a time to forgive each other and to be happy. Festivals are a exceptionally good way for children to learn about their faith but there are many ways a Jew can learn about his faith and although festivals may be the most fun, there are other essential things a Jew must learn about to learn about his/her faith. Some Jews may argue that before they are even of an age to learn, they must be initiated into their faith by a row of festivals such as Brit Milah (circumcision), Simchat Habat (The naming ceremony for girls), Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah. These festivals mark huge event: the admission into Judaism and the responsibility for keeping the covenant and the commandments for themselves. Children learn about all this through extensive research and reading of the Torah and the Hebrew language. Another way of learning about the religion is the reading of the Torah. Both the learning of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah is fundamental. Preferably, they will learn it in its original language, Hebrew, but nowadays, children will often learn the English version or in the language of whatever country they live. Synagogues provide study classes for communities of children and adults. The Written Torah contains the six hundred and thirteen mitzvoth that Jews must strive to keep for all of their life. The Oral torah provides a interpretation of these rules and how to keep them. Many Jews will also look to the local Rabbi to learn about their faith. He will advise them on any problems they have and willingly explain anything a Jew is confused about. They are they as guidance and help for Jews and are a very good way of enlightenment about Judaism. I am inclined to agree with the statement, because the event becomes a lot more interesting and fun as it is a break from the norm and it can be easy to remember certain events by having simple symbols to remind you. For example in Passover a Seder meal is eaten which contains several symbols to describe the event, which occurred 3,300 years ago. The Z’roah is a roasted bone of lamb to symbolise painting the door posts with lamb’s blood so the Angel of Death passed over that house and spared the first-born son and the matzah symbolises the Israelites leaving in a hurry, before their bread has risen. These symbols in the festival enable Jews to understand and remember the story by relating the food they’re eating. So, when they see the Z’roah they will think, â€Å"Oh, yes, I remember that lamb’s blood was painting over door posts so the Angel did not kill the first-born son of that house!† This is because they can relate it to the Z’roah being a roasted bone of lamb, so it jogs their memory. This is a good way to teach younger children about the story as they relate better to symbols and interesting stories than about lectures and rules that they MUST obey. I find that I can learn something much easier if I enjoy what I am learning and festivals are a really fun way of learning about one’s faith. However I can understand the point of view of those Jews who believe that the Written and Oral Torah are essential for the awareness of Judaism. I do believe that it is very important that Jews learn about the commandments and how they should be kept, because it is that which keeps the faith alive. I think, to sum it up, that festivals are a very good way to learn about one’s faith, because children can relate to them better and children are, of course, the future of Judaism, but I think if a Jew has learnt about their faith through all of these aspects then you cannot ask for a more devoted and steadfast person.

Phases of vietnamese buddhism Essay

The history of Buddhist education in Vietnam can be studied by dividing it into four separate phases or periods. – The formation of Buddhism in Vietnam. This started from the common era and lasted till the end of Chinese dominion – Climax of Buddhism. Buddhism was at its peak during the independence – The decadence after the Le Dynasty – Revival period. This started in the beginning of the 20th century and has not ended yet. The period before the Common Era lays the foundation for the beginning and development of Buddhist education in Vietnam. It was the time when Siddhartha Gautama, who will later attain enlightenment and will be called as ‘Buddha’ was born. As he was born in India, Indians were the first to learn Buddhism. Later when Buddhism came to China, many Chinese monks went to Vietnam in order to spread Buddhism. However, it believed that the Chinese and Indian merchants came to Vietnam for trading. They brought monks with them saying that the monks were the â€Å"calmer of the sea† These monks started preaching their religion in Vietnam. It was easy for them to teach their religion to many people at a time, as Luy-Lau, later known as Ha-Bac was the centre of all trading activities. All the merchants who came here to trade, and merchants who were travelling between India and China, stopped here to rest, therefore, monks were able to spread their religion very easily. Many missionary activities were started as a result. Monasteries were built and Buddhism became important. This was the first time ever in the history of Vietnam, that monasteries were built . The next period or phase proved to be best for Vietnamese Buddhism. In this period Buddhist studies were at their peak and many famous people and rulers converted to this religion. It was when King Dinh Tien Hoang came in to power. Buddhism has its own hierarchy of monks and priests who were accepted by the court. Buddhism was now supported by the royal court and this helped many positive changes to take place. Buddhists were now respected and were considered as learned people. They were asked advice by the royal court and the rulers before taking decisions. This helped them get involved in many political and religious decisions and hence providing many decisions to be taken according to them. This era truly proved to be the best for Buddhist studies and it became one of the most predominant religions. After this, many kings and emperors converted to Buddhism. Many laws came into practice in this era, which were influenced by Buddhism, and hence were in favor of the Buddhists. Van Hanh became a Buddhist in this period. He is known as the meditation master and has influenced many people to convert to Buddhism. Any ruler who was not Buddhists was at least the supporter of Buddhism and this was a very positive point for the Buddhists. In 1010 A. D, almost eight monasteries were built in Ha Bac. All other monasteries and Buddhist temples were also repaired. Tripitaka texts, which were in China initially, were brought in Vietnam. Thousands of Buddha statues and paintings were made and set up. Festivals were set up. Many new monasteries such as Sung Kharh monastery and monastery at Mount Ba were built. In 1086 A. d Dai Lam monastery was built in Ha Bac. Later in 1118 A. D Thien Phat was built which had almost 1,000 Buddha statues . BUDDHIST STUDIES The entire Buddhist education comes from the studies of Buddha, who is the supreme teacher. All of the studies root from saddha, which is the faith in triple Gem. Depdnding upon these studies the students are taught according to the five rules. The students should know the rules, their reason and their appliance in daily lives. Most importantly, they should appreciate all these rules and believe in them. The students should know what is generosity and self sacrifice. These are essential elements that help the students overcome their worldly desires, their selfishness and greed. These five moral rules are dependent on each other. A student can gain by suta, which is by extensive reading of Buddhism texts. According to Buddhist studies the knowledge of a person is dependent on his inside belief of truth i. e. Dhamma. Calm and insight are the two main elements of any Buddhist teaching. In Buddhist education tasks and wisdom are dependent on each other. A student can attain wisdom by deep investigation, discussion and intelligence. This wisdom was the basic instruments which lead Buddha to salvation. This wisdom is the crown of all educations of Buddhism. Without wisdom, education is incomplete. Before French, people were chosen based on their education. These were officials known as â€Å"mandarins†. Learning was very important in those times. It was not just education but it lead a person to intellectual understanding, social standing, wealth and power. Buddhism came directly from India, hence there are many words in Vietnamese Buddhism which are influenced or are taken directly from India. The word Buddha is also taken as it is. However, as the Vietnamese culture is influenced a lot from the Chinese, hence when Chinese monks came to Vietnam, the word Buddha was replaced by the word Phat. In those days, Buddhism in Vietnam was influenced by Theravada Buddhism. It was seen as religion which helped good people and punished the bad. It was very difficult to teach Buddhism at that time as very little literature was available. Vietnamese had no written script; hence a few translations were made in Chinese. The era between 544 and 602 was an independent era and was helpful in spreading Buddhism.

Acheulean technology Essay

The Oldowan technology is referred to as Mode 1, preceding the Mode 2 Acheulean technology. The latter implies that it is more advanced and more sophisticated than the former. Mode 1 technology only refers to simple hand tools which include choppers, scrapers, awls and woodworking tools. On the other hand, Mode 2 technology was the â€Å"retouched† and reworked Mode 1 tools. This ensures that their tools were more symmetrical making it effective and useful for its purpose It has been an argument on whether the ergaster was to be considered as a different taxon since some researchers claim that they feature â€Å"different† characteristics from other Homo taxons and also associates them as the direct ancestor of humans. KNM-ER 3733 and KNM-ER 992 are some ergaster specimen that were found. These specimens show no significant difference from other homo taxon to qualify it as a new species. Researchers still support Homo erectus as the closer ancestor of modern humans and that the ergaster are â€Å"H. erectus from Africa† The Turkana Boy was a significant find since it provides evidences of evolution of humans. By studying its morphology, scientists found out that the Turkana boy exhibits the possibility of having its own language and also how modern humans evolved traits from it. Bipedalism, brain volume, size of canines and inner ear bones are some features shared by Australopithecus and Homo sp. This suggests that they share a common ancestor. Works Cited http://www. archaeologyinfo. com/homoergaster. htm http://www. crystalinks. com/turkanaboy. html http://www. ecotao. com/holism/hu_austral. htm http://www. crystalinks. com/Oldowan. html

Ethical dimensions associated with Information systems Essay

The ethical dimensions linked with the information systems bring professionalism and work ethics to its full extent. It strives to achieve the best quality, effectiveness and decorum in both the process and products of professional work. It must believe in acquiring, nurturing and preserving the organized nature of information systems. Optimally taking care of comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks must be managed (Hoffer, 2002). The very trend of technology would raise ethical issues. The impact of organizations on the trend of the computing power doubling every 9 months would make them more dependent on information systems for the critical execution of operations. Organizations can easily maintain huge databases about employees as data storage capabilities are increasing at skyrocketing speed. As data analysis advances organizations grasp the capability to organize and analyze vast quantities of data to ascertain individual behavior of the resources involved. Networking capabilities make it possible to access remote data quite easily. How the ethical dimensions of are IS different from the behavior of the individuals generally? The ethical choices are decisions made by the individuals are responsible for their actions. The appropriate moral choice which requires to be made when exposed to several options would make the individual ultimately accountable for it. Responsibility is one of the ethical measures which bind an individual with their own decisions they make. The potential duties they perform, they would be responsible for all the cost and obligations with regard to the moral choices they adhere to. It is quite different from the ethical dimensions associated with information systems, where the responsibility has a larger domain and caters to the entire internal and external environment surrounding it. Often the duties and responsibilities they perform make them cover up with a lot of resources involved, such as stakeholders and risk managers who manage the risk and the organisation does not have to take everything on its shoulders alone, it is shared. Accountability is a feature of holding one responsible for what they did and how they reacted. It is all about who took what action (Loudon, 2002). In respect to organisation or system the accountability is shared among a lot of people and other factors. Liability is a feature where the binding laws in place would make the individuals recuperate from damages done to them by other entities or organizations themselves. The information systems in the other place would make the liability spread across a greater domain of stakeholders so that the risk is distributed. Mechanisms for simulating control and their practicability The measures contemplate higher maturity assumptions in dealing with complex situations. Identifying critical and dynamic variables in the atmosphere and capitalizing on them is the key behavior for bringing practicability in the control mechanisms to be exercised. The following are the various control mechanisms: †¢ Identifying and defining clearly the facts: Keeping track of all activities would ensure that every movement is tracked and recorded so that any exception situation is predicted well before it and all measures can be taken to prevent it.  It is usually done so that the opposing parties can be substantiated with greater proof of the facing dilemmas. †¢ Define the problem involved: Defining the problem and the possible solutions would make sure that there is a clear cut solution to a problem and the steps to be adhered to for its resolution. It makes the process quite easy so that appropriate compliance to it would make things quite distinguishable in nature. †¢ Identify the stakeholders: Every ethical environment possess valuable stakeholders who have interest in the initiation and outcome of events and processes.  There are people who have invested in the situation and would expect something productive out of it. Identification of their demands, outlook and desires would focus on resolving of the crucial issues timely and effectively. †¢ Figuring out the viable options that can be taken: It can be found that every option cannot be exercised or ruled out in the light of all situations. The right amount and dimension of the options would make the situation recover faster. Evaluate the circumstances of the options that can be taken: The options must be evaluated and analyzed to match the positive attitude of the situation as not all options would be good for a situation. Placing oneself in the shoes of another person would go a long road to make a feasible solution. Conclusion Ethical dimensions depends on the situation greatly and the approach taken or making the best out of those situation. The various actions to be taken must be evaluated so that they stand quite realistic which would make the situation quite favorable in nature.

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 27

Strategic Management - Essay Example 87, the company unveiled a five years plan which was aimed at opening more than 125 stores in new areas at a cost of $ 60 million (My Starbucks Idea 2012, par. 7). To attain the required resources to open new outlets, the company introduced an Initial Public Offering in 1992. The success of the offers enabled the Starbuck Company to unveil other very intricate expansion programs. To fit in the contemporary competitive market, the company has continued to come up with strategies that are aimed at expanding its business into other global markets. Currently, the company is one of the most successful coffee industries in global market. Due to economic and technological development, the Europe continent is one of the most competitive coffee markets in the world. This is due to the presence of large coffee industries in the continent. Therefore, for Starbuck Company to prosper in the European continent market, it ought to come up with exceptionally effective market plan (Gulati, 2007, p. 99). The essay below will offer a detailed evaluation and analyses of the Starbucks external markets in Europe. The essay will as well analyse the Starbucks strategic capability as well as the company’s strategic fit analysis. The European economy is in most cases affected by some external factors such as economic recession. The economic recession and other economic factors have over years brought about severe impact in the operation of Starbucks Company. For instance, the 2008 and 2009 global recession increased the operational cost of the company thus lowering its profit margin. On the other hand, the 2008 recession as well played an awfully critical role in reducing the number of the company’s customers. This was due to the facts that, despite of the high cost of the products in the continent, the level of unemployment remained high with very limited wages. Moreover, the Starbucks Company competes at two main levels in the European market, the Italian-style coffee beverage and

Strategic theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic theory - Research Paper Example It is many people’s beliefs that history has provided strategic thinkers with universal principles for the conduct of war. This essay is going to discuss how history provided military strategic thinkers (Napoleon and Carl von Clausewitz) with universal principles for the conduct of war (Buchan 92). The historically known Principles of War, Sun Tzu documented were influential to strategic thinkers of the Wars. There is a belief that, history provided strategic thinkers such as Napoleon and Carl von Clausewitz with universal principles for the conduct of war (Mahnken 29). There are no approved principals of War, although a number of strategic thinkers have their own principles (Cimbala 26). The War principles, which Carl von Clausewitz identified in his essay â€Å"Principles of War† and thereafter discussed in his book, about war were influential to military thinkers of the North Atlantic region. Military strategy is a set of ideas, which military organizations implement ed to achieve desired strategic goals. Founded from Greek strategies, military strategy during its first appearance in the 18thcentury was termed in its sense as the â€Å"general art† and â€Å"arrangement art† of military troops (Buchan 72). ... definition, which had less emphasis on battles, explaining military strategy as â€Å"the art of applying and distributing military means to achieve and fulfill policy ends (Cimbala 31). Hence, the two strategic thinkers gave the supremacy to aims of politics over military objectives. Military strategy was among the â€Å"arts† and â€Å"sciences† trivium that governed how to conduct warfare, and the rest were tactics, the maneuvering forces, and execution of plans in battle, maintenance, and logistics of an army During the 19th century,. This view prevailed since the time of Roman, and the boundary between tactics and strategy during this century was blurred, and in some times, the categorization of a verdict was a matter of personal opinion. Tactics and strategy are almost related and are on similar range, modern thinking puts the level of operation between strategy and tactics (Cimbala 33). All deal with time, distance, and force although the strategy has large scal e, endures for many years, and is societal. On the other hand, tactics have small scale and engage the disposition of less elements lasting for only few hours or weeks. Historically, people understood strategy as governing the prelude to military battle while, on the other hand, tactics governed its execution. However, during the twentieth century world war, the distinction between battle and maneuver, tactics and strategy, expanded due to the advancement of transit and technology (Cimbala 35). Most people hold the belief that, this military strategy history really provided strategic thinkers such as Napoleon and Clausewitz with universal principals on how to conduct wars. History has a lot of guidance on how to plan and conduct military wars, whereby most of strategy thinkers rely on (Collins 59). For

The Irish Historical Background Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 12000 words - 3

The Irish Historical Background - Essay Example Maria Edgeworth had her own weaknesses and opportunities as a person but she overrode her weaknesses and did not flatter herself in her opportunities but looked to herself and what she could make of herself as a person and succeeded in that quest. One of the weaknesses Maria had to deal with was her stature and appearance. ‘Small in stature she was never short on grace and wit’ (Merriman, 2005). Maria Edgeworth did not allow low self-esteem take the better part of her for how she appeared or looked. She believed her true personality was in her abilities and what she could do and not how she looked. Maria Edgeworth was also not lucky with parenting as she had to go through the hands of four mothers in her short youthful days. Her own mother was not loved and was neglect. ‘It was in their house that her neglected and unloved mother—always a kind and excellent, though a very sad woman—died’ (Edgeworth, WikiSource, 2008). Maria, however, loved all her stepmothers and treated them nothing less than her biological mother. ‘Kept by Mrs. Lataffiere, to whom she always felt much indebted, though her stepmother,’ (Edgeworth, WikiSource, 2008). Another weakness Maria Edgeworth had to b attle was an eye problem she had. ‘Her eyes became so painfully inflamed that she was unable to use them’ (Merriman, 2005). This problem was with her in her childhood but little Maria did not let that stop her from pursuing her academic dreams. Records from Edgeworth’s unpublished family memoir has it that when she came to do the exercises set to her class at Mrs. Daviss, she found them so easy that she wrote out the whole quarters exercises at once, "keeping them strung together in her desk, and, while the other girls were labouring at their tasks, she had all that time for reading what she pleased to herself, and, when the French master came round for the exercises, had only to unstring hers, and present it." (Lawless, 1905)

Comprehensive analysis of yourself as a reader and writer Essay

Comprehensive analysis of yourself as a reader and writer - Essay Example After going through ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, I would consider myself more open minded to reading and types of reading because I am now able to approach reading objectively. Through the skills acquired in ENGL 101, I am now able to effectively respond to essays and from ENGL 102 I am able to develop research papers. I am able to confidently assert that I developed structure and exposition skills that I can use to systematically include evidence in research projects. From the experiences of both ENGL 101 and ENGL 102, I would define a good reader as one who exhibits the capacity to pay attention, memorize, sequence and process the content being read fast, accurately and efficiently. According to Berninger (186), reading may wrongly be thought of as a visual skill that builds on associating letters to sound. However, the definition I have of a good reader now differs from what I had before of the English courses because I consider the ability to read to be the foundation of reading to lea rn. Essentially, the English courses have developed in me an analytical and critical reading culture. On one hand, ENGL 101 taught me the application of strategies to generate writing ideas by basically organizing and planning material as well as identifying and considering the audience and purpose of writing. More significantly was the acquisition of intentional revising skills. Through ENGL 102, I now understand academic reading as a continuous inquiry process. However, on the other hand, some occasions bought out my worst and also best writing. On my worst writing, one of them was Barbie Doll by Marge Piercy mainly because it was from a genre I am unfamiliar with. Essentially, I could not relate most of the content of the poem to my personal experience, which resulted in numerous mistakes. My best writing experience was A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner in which I could predict the end. Therefore, through a comprehensive analysis