Philosophy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Philosophy - Assignment Example Nevertheless, we can assume philosophy to be a consistent and rational effort to acquire knowledge  about topics that do not warrant empirical investigation (Brown Web). This paper discuses some of these philosophical topics and questions. Traditionally, rationalism and empiricism have been the normal ways that philosophy attempts to answer the question, â€Å"what do I know?†, â€Å"how do I know it?†, and "How do I get beyond mere opinion to real knowledge?" However, both rationalism and empiricism theories manifest different strengths and weaknesses in trying to explain human knowledge. The two theories differ on the extent to which we are dependent upon sense experience in our effort to gain knowledge. Indeed, while rationalism proposes that we gain knowledge through reasoning, empiricism on the other hand proposes that we gain knowledge through sensory experience (Markie Web). However, according to me, I find that rationalism best explains human knowledge. This is because the rationalism relevantly puts forward two concrete explanations to their theory. First, the argument that that there are instances where the content of human knowledge supersedes the information that sense experience can provide is very true. Indeed, human knowledge is not all about sense, it is about reasoning, critical thinking, logic, and rational insight. Actually, from the intuition  claim, rationalism equally reckons that we should not just believe what we see but we should also be able to derive conclusions through valid arguments (Markie Web). Indeed, in many cases we use the self-evident truth to derive more truths. This explains that we can have knowledge independent of sense experience. The rationalists’ theory also constructs accounts of how reason in some form or other provides that additional information about the world. More so, the rationalism theory is flexible in that it adjusts its understanding of certain beliefs and adopts the denial of

Fiscal and monetary policy theories and application Essay

Fiscal and monetary policy theories and application - Essay Example Fiscal policy entails the processes through which the government achieves major economic goals through taxes and government spending. The government collects tax and spends it to achieve economic development. Taxation is one of the key avenues though which governments collect revenues from local and foreign residents. Three main aspects that make up fiscal policy include consumption, investment and government spending. In this sense, the government relies on the three aspects of demand to achieve desired economic goals. The desired economic goals include full employment, price stability, economic growth, and maintenance of a favorable balance of payment, The three aspects add up to determine the equilibrium level of the gross domestic product. On the other hand, monetary policies refer to the manipulations of interest rates and money supply to achieve various economic ends. The economic ends are similar in the sense that they entail full employment, economic growth, price stability, and a favorable balance of payment. This suggests that the fiscal policies and the monetary policies possess the same goals. In the regulation of the money in circulation, central bank adjusts the interest rate that entails the price of borrowing money. In the history of economics, different schools of thought vouch for different policies. The fiscalists rely on the Keynesian school of thought in stabilizing the economy. This school of thought believes that fiscal policies are the only effective measure of instigating economic growth during a period of recession in a country. In turn, monetary policies are ineffective in stirring economic growth during a recession in a country.

Choose a company or organisation. Suggest an additional green product Essay

Choose a company or organisation. Suggest an additional green product or service it could offer in the market - Essay Example Although we may not recall, reusable diapers with their security pins and artificial wrappings kept numerous of us dry as babies. Today, throwaway diapers have become the standard mostly due to their convenience. However, much has altered in latest years and there are numerous causes for holding our natural environment. The days of being restricted to disposable diapers and plastic diapers should be gone. Many parents who are focused on eco friendliness have found the expediency of disposables hard to give up. In detail, the diaper argument can get a bit confusing. Proponents of disposable diapers contend that eco friendly diapers or cloth diapers need time, water, electrical power, and petrol for consignment and washing. However, it is significant to recall that if the output method for organic piece of cloth diapers is much friendlier on the soil than the method for disposables. Washing piece of cloth diapers does take electrical power and water but if you integrate them into your laundry usual and restrict many of additional burdens, the added influence can be reduce. Organic Diapers are free of chemicals; organic cotton fabric diapers bypass the use of chemicals and thus are much device for your babys skin at a time when your babys skin is very weak. In compare, not reusable diapers use several chemicals, which are either for aesthetics or soaking up power. One demonstration is sodium polyacrylate which is utilized in diapers to make them permeable. Sodium polyacrylate can soak up as much as 400 to 800 times its group in water which makes it one of the most significant components of a throwaway diapers. However, sodium polyacrylate has been discovered to origin allergies in offspring amidst other troubles. Throwaway diapers may furthermore comprise find allowances of dioxin which is a side-effect of the bleached paper used (Brody

Overview of the Skeletal Essay Example for Free

Overview of the Skeletal Essay The purpose of this exercise is to learn the skeletal systems and the components associated with the system. I will be exploring the major types of bones and cartilage. Are there any safety concerns associated with this exercise? If so, list what they are and what precautions should be taken. Handle the microscope and the slides with care; when taking the chicken bone out of the oven use caution because the bone is extremely hot. The Chemical Components of Bone Questions A. Describe the effect that the lemon juice (acid) had on the chicken leg bone. The Lemon juice caused the bone to change colors and soften B. Describe the effect that baking (heat) had on the chicken leg bone. The bone is really dry and brittle; I also noticed the color of the bone changed C. Rickets is a disease where the bones are not formed completely in children due to a lack of Vitamin D. Does the heated or acid-soaked bone represent a child with rickets? Explain why. The acid-soak bone represents a child with rickets, when the bones aren’t getting enough Vitamin D the bones softens and tend to bend. When the bones harden back up they stay in the shape it was bent when it was softened. Exercise 2: Microscopic Structure of Bone obseRvations Observe the structure of the Haversian system. Sketch what is seen and identify the following: central canal, lacunae, concentric lamellae, canaliculi and an osteocyte. See attached photo Questions A. Which part of the Haversian system was the hardest to see on the slide of compact bone? Why do you suppose this is? Osteocytes are the hardest part to see on the slide because they are so small. B. Which structures in the compact bone deliver nutrients to the osteocytes? Canaliculi deliver nutrients to osteocytes through haversian canal. C. Which structures are found inside the central canal? Cerebrospinal fluid; Spinal cord Exercise 3: Structure of a Long Bone obseRvations A. From step 4 in the procedures Observe the epiphysis. Identify as many of the following structures as possible: articular cartilage, compact bone, spongy bone and bone marrow. Make a sketch of the bone in the Lab Report and label the structures you identified. See Attached photo B. From step 5 in the procedures Observe the section of diaphysis. Identify as many of the following structures as possible: periosteum, compact bone, endosteum and bone marrow. Make a sketch of the diaphysis in the Lab Report and label the structures you identified. See Attached photo Questions A. How does the femur of the skeletal model compare to the diagrams in your textbook or this manual? The model and the diagrams match. The only difference is the sizes and the detail B. Using your chicken bone, how does the texture of articular cartilage (or hyaline cartilage) compare to that of periosteum? Note: Articular cartilage (made of hyaline cartilage) is found on the ends of the bones. It absorbs compression and allows for smooth movement. C. What is the function of spongy bone?

An Integrated Approach To Writing English Language Essay

An Integrated Approach To Writing English Language Essay The first chapter of my paper puts forth three main issues: an investigation of writing in relation to the other language skills, a comparison between writing-for-writing versus writing-for-learning as well as an analysis of the teachers roles and the students involvement in the process of teaching writing. By exposing these aspects, I demonstrate that writing should not be taught as an isolated language skill but rather as a part of an integrated approach. Additionally, I show how writing-for-writing is as significant as writing-for-learning and how students play a crucial part in teaching writing and take responsibility for their own learning. An Integrated Approach to Writing and the Other Language Skills Contemporary methodological tendencies split the four language skills into two broad categories: receptive skills and productive ones. The latter includes speaking and writing with their much-debated differences. The process of writing presupposes the use of graphic symbols or letters chained together in higher sentence sequences that respect a particular order and form a coherent text. Writing is primarily linked to two other language skills: speaking and reading. On the one hand, the association writing-speaking gives rise to tough debates about whether teachers should focus more on teaching writing or teaching speaking. It may be argued that writing is not merely an ordinary extension of speech; the former practice differs from the latter in multiple ways as Donn Byrne cogently shows in the following table: SPEECH WRITING Takes place in a context. Creates its own context. Speaker and listener(s) in contact. Reader not present and no interaction possible Person addressed is specific. Reader not necessarily known to writer Immediate feedback given and expected. No immediate feedback possible. Speech is transitory. Writing is permanent. Sentences often incomplete and sometimes ungrammatical. Hesitations and pauses common. Sentences expected to be carefully constructed and linked and organised to form a text. Range of devices (stress, intonation, pitch, speed) to help convey meaning. Facial expressions, body movements, and gestures also used. Devices to help convey meaning are punctuation, capitals, and underlining (for emphasis). Fig. 1. Differences between speech and writing (Byrne 3). Source: Byrne, Donn. Teaching Writing Skills. London: Longman, 1993. Thus, the written language asks for a greater standardization of grammar and vocabulary whereas speech is varied according to distinctions in regional dialects. Speaking usually occurs as a spontaneous act while writing is carefully planned. Then, speakers make use of their body language and voice to put across meaning but writers have to count on their words for the same purpose. Finally, speech has a more informal and repetitive character where the written discourse develops logically in a more formal and compact style. On the other hand, writing is related to reading as these two skills represent the basis of literacy. Nowadays, theoreticians such as S.B. Kucer and E. Delgado-Larocco consider literacy as a multifaceted and active practice that encompasses sociocultural, cognitive, developmental, and cognitive factors (see Fig. 2 below). Consequently, for a person to become literate, he or she has to master all the abovementioned dimensions of literacy at the same time (Kucer 4). First, the cognitive influence dictates the writers wish to find, build, and share meaning. Afterwards, the sociocultural component contains markers of social identity (ethnicity or gender). Third of all, the linguistic element puts forth the language used by the writer as the conveyor of meaning. Last but not least, the developmental aspect includes the other three factors: since literacy is a dynamic process, the writers / readers development never ceases (Kucer 5-6). Fig. 2. Dimensions of literacy (Kucer 59). Source: Kucer, Stephen B. Dimensions of Literacy. A Conceptual Base for Teaching Reading and Writing in School Settings. New Jersey: LEA Publishers, 2005. Moreover, the question of why and how writing should be taught arises. Since writing is a skill which is (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) difficult to acquire (Byrne 6), it is obvious by now that instructors should set very clear teaching goals as concerns writing. In this sense, writing may be taught as a response to students needs and diverse learning styles: introvert learners do not feel at ease expressing themselves orally, so writing allows them to feel more self-confidence. But writing may equally be taught for reasons of memorization or retention and thus it offers students the confirmation for part of their learning progress. The most evident purpose for teaching writing seems to be the need for its presence in informal and formal examinations alike. In general, teaching writing is not meant to be an isolated practice. Instead, an effective student exposure to the foreign language is acquired through more than one medium as Eli Henkel points out: in meaningful communication, people employ incremental language skills not in isolation, but in tandem (quoted in Harmer 265). In the classroom, the teaching-learning environment tries to mimic real-life situations and this is the reason why lessons often integrate multi-layered language skills. In this context, writing invites us to gather and organize our thoughts in order to clearly communicate them (Johnson 8). Teaching Writing-for-writing versus Writing-for-learning Language is the vehicle of thought. The essential hypothesis is that-being a language skill-writing means writing a connected text and not just single sentences, that writers write for a purpose and a reader, and that the process of writing is a valuable learning tool for all our students (Raimes 11). Contemporary methodological trends dictate that writing should be taught interdependently with reading, speaking, and listening. There is no single approach to teaching writing but many. Writing may reinforce recently acquired language structures, it may improve the students mental and linguistic development, and it may also emphasize individual learning styles. Additionally, the type of writing teachers promote depends greatly on the learners age, level, and personal interests. In The Practice of English Language Teaching, Jeremy Harmer divides the teaching of writing in two broad categories: writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing. The former type is defined as the kind of writing we do to help students learn language or to test them on that language (Harmer 330). Thus, writing-for-learning can ask students to build sentences using the Past Tense Simple or the Going to Future for instance; here, the aim is not to train students to write, but rather to help them remember (Harmer 330) a certain grammar item. Learners build writing habits for language practice in this case-they come to grasp, retain, and acquire new language structures. Besides this, writing-for-learning promotes learners involvement in the lessons development and outcome by raising their awareness and by making them responsible for their own learning. By contrast, writing-for-writing addresses specific writing genres such as narratives, ads, letters, postcards, job applications, reports, or articles whose construction we want our students to master. Therefore, if we are to build the students writing skills, it is advisable to use such writing-for-writing tasks as often as is appropriate (Harmer 330). This category focuses more on familiar, daily styles that the learners find useful and that they are likely to come across more frequently. Writing for fun or for pleasure is also included here since it allows students to acquire knowledge in their own rhythm; self-experience proves valuable and motivates learners intrinsically, making them accumulate new language items more rapidly and with more ease. There are countless types of writing of activities targeted for this type of writing, amongst which: questionnaires, scenarios, puzzles, instructions, quizzes, diaries, headlines, or programmes. Unlike the controlled practice in class w here pupils are asked to comply to certain composition rules, writing for fun does not require obeying specific conventions but rather using the language that learners have at their disposal. As a result, writing for pleasure enhances students creativity and underpins their level of proficiency in the foreign language. Furthermore, Art Young-in Teaching Writing across the Curriculum-dwells on the same distinction between writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing, although he labels these categories differently: writing to learn and writing to communicate. Fig. 3. Writing to learn and writing to communicate (Young 9). Source: Young, Art. Writing across the Curriculum. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. Young exposes the fact that on the one hand, writing to learn encourages students to take the time to discover new language items step-by-step through creativity and problem-solving skills. Thus, writing to learn sets forth the writers linguistic knowledge and principles in his attempt to explain the matter to oneself (Britton quoted in Young 10). On the other hand, writing to communicate enables writers to share newly acquired structures with others, to explain the matter to others (Britton quoted in Young 10). This time, the reader or the receiver of the writers text is privileged and further supported to revise shared information or discover new perspectives. All in all, writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing are only two of the many possible ways of teaching writing. These two categories are not reciprocally exclusive, so teachers should not focus solely on one of them at the expense of the other. Although writing-for-learning focuses more on content areas whereas writing-for-writing on compositional forms, they both represent invaluable tools for the teaching-learning process. Used jointly within pairwork or groupwork, these techniques bring about the advantages of unimpeded communication, creativity, self-confidence and peer-reliability. Teachers Roles and the Students Involvement in Teaching Writing Teachers whose goal is to instruct students how to become proficient writers must always take into consideration the learners background and emotional makeup but also their life experiences that they bring to class. An efficient teaching of writing presupposes acknowledging the students active role in this process. Thus, a culturally sympathetic input offered by teachers embraces and explores class diversity. Besides the open-mindedness to culturally diverse learners, teachers also play other crucial roles in the classroom such as: resource, organiser, prompter, motivator, participant, and feedback provider. As resource, the teacher should be ready to supply information and language where necessary (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) offering advice and suggestions in a constructive and tactful way (Harmer 330), especially for longer writing tasks. Skilled teachers operate with their expertise when it comes to teaching writing and make sure that they put across new structures in a significant and accessible way. When the teacher becomes organiser, he or she is involved in physically setting up the classroom environment so that students get to better assimilate the writing tasks. The teacher may require that the students work in pairs or in groups and that the class setting be corresponding to the task (horseshoe, circle, groups of four desks or more, u-shape, or others). In this case, the teacher can also act as prompter, hinting at certain English structures to ensure a smooth flow of the activity; he or she could pass from group to group and offer learners tips and cues. Assuming the role of motivator, the teacher tries to boost both the learners intrinsic and extrinsic motivation since student motivation often proves to impede the acquiring of new English structures, whatever the taught skill may be. For teaching writing, motivation usually means giving students the advantage of choice without limiting their perspectives to a single activity. This is not to say that students may roam freely or disregard topics assigned by the teacher, but that they can rely on their life experiences, on their options in terms of English knowledge as well as on the prospect of a real audience (their colleagues, teachers, etc.) in order to successfully conclude an assignment. In this respect, one of our principal roles (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) will be to motivate the students, (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) persuading them of the usefulness of the activity, and encouraging them to make as much effort as possible for maximum benefit (Harmer 330). Additionally, acting as participant, the teacher can share with the students his or her own experience as a writer. By doing this, the teacher exposes writing strategies and offers insight into techniques typically used by proficient, expert writers. Students have to opportunity to witness the teacher struggling with logic and coherence and thus, they become more confident in their own writing skills. Humbertson even recounts: As I continued to write and share with my students, they connected and invested in their own literacy (11). Finally, the teacher as feedback provider is a position that I am dealing with in greater detail in my following chapter. However, mention should be made of the fact that teachers should respond positively and encouragingly to the content of what the students have written (Harmer 331). A negative feedback discourages students and makes them reticent to writing. It is generally accepted nowadays that the teachers feedback should highlight only one aspect that needs improvement every time: English register, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar, or word order. Nonetheless, the acclaimed student-centred teaching style of today does not obviously revolve exclusively around teachers roles in the classroom. Instead, this approach views teachers and students as partners or collaborators in the teaching-learning process. Students are as active a part of the writing practice as their instructors. By showing that they care and understand the learners needs and interests, teachers allow their students to become responsible for their own learning. Another instance of students involvement in teaching writing is the case of groupwork tasks when more proficient learners can guide or help out less proficient ones. Regardless of the writing context in the classroom, the teacher can follow certain steps to guarantee successful learning outcomes: design authentic and meaningful writing tasks, teach writing together with other language skills as part of an integrated approach, alternate teaching methods or techniques, create a sympathetic class atmosphere, and adopt a supportive attitude towards the learners. Overall, the first chapter of my paper has dwelled on aspects concerning first of all the relationship writing-speaking and writing-reading, then the similarities and differences between writing-for-learning and writing-for-writing, and ultimately the teachers responsibilities as well as the students participation in teaching writing. In this respect, I have revealed the fact that an integrated approach to teaching the language skills is the most appropriate technique to adopt in class, that writing-for-writing is as significant as and sometimes more constructive than writing-for-learning, and that good teachers know how to include students in the teaching-learning process by offering them a share of self-reliance, awareness, and motivation.

Why English Is Important :: Education, Personal Experience

Being an AP Senior English student – what does it mean to me? In my opinion, this title – â€Å"AP Senior English student† – is a symbol of a larger commitment. A commitment, by definition, is dedication to a particular pursuit. In this case, I have chosen to pursue the study of English at such a high level (for a high school student) not simply because it is required by my diploma, but because I have a genuine interest in the subject and a passion for knowledge. Commitment to AP Senior English is also an investment in my own education and self-improvement. I know that, in this class, discussion will venture outside the norms of state-required curriculum and venture off into the realms of â€Å"outside-the-box† critical thinking. I recognize that just because a particular legislature or organization dictates what should be learned, I have an obligation to overstep these boundaries. This is because I have put myself on a higher path of learning known as the â€Å"IB Diploma Program.† An IB Diploma says its holder has universally-recognized mastery at the primary education level. I feel it is my duty to fulfill that obligation and to be an ambassador of County High School’s academic opportunities. My definition of an AP Senior English student is simple: a student who understands that knowledge cannot be measured with a ruler. This student pursues knowledge as its own reward. He (or she) recognizes that in order to be successful, and gain the respect and trust of others, one first has to invest in themselves. To me, this class is like a

Red Box

A. Case Overview Redbox is a wholly-owned subsidiary by Coinstar, Inc. For only $1 per night it offers movie rentals. The first kiosks were located at McDonald’s. On 31 March, 2010, the total number of installed Redbox and DVDCpress Kiosks was 24,800. Redbox’s main strategy is to have kiosks that contain mostly new releases of movies on DVDs in shopping areas that are visited a lot. The rental fee is cheap, only $1 per night and the whole order and return process is fast, simple and easy for the customer.With its many kiosks, Redbox built a strong brand reputation. B. Analysis The SWOT analysis shows that Redbox’s strengths are its brand recognition and financial power, with being successful it can add more kiosks at good locations. It has built relationships with the chain retailers of its parent company Coinstar, Inc. and it offers value by offering very affordable movie rentals to customers. Redbox’s weakness is that it offers no online delivery yet. It s opportunities are expansion to other underserved and very good areas in the US, Puerto Rico, and UK.It can also further its expansion internationally. There is lots of existing and potential revenue growth at existing kiosks. Redbox has the strength to attract customers away from other competitors like Blockbuster. Redbox’s threats are services like Netflix that offer movie streaming online, companies that offer internet delivery of movies, Blockbuster building new kiosks and movie theaters when people are tired of watching movies at home. Redbox has lots of potential for further growth in revenue and popularity.It has to pay attention to shifts in customer’s preferences on how to watch a movie and adapt to changes. Porter’s Five Forces show that competition from rivals is strong, especially Blockbuster and Netflix. There is no product differentiation in movies. The threat of new entrants is weak because in order to compete with Redbox, it requires a lot of ca pital and building same good relationships to suppliers (movie production companies) as Redbox already has. The movie as a product can be easily substituted and people can buy instead of rent or watch something online.The buyers’ bargaining power is modest because buyers can either rent or buy or watch online and the switching costs are low. C. Recommendations Redbox should not miss the chance on expanding internationally. With its cheap movie rentals, it can attract customers from all classes in all countries and not be affected by economic crisis so strongly. It should also continue to do research on where to locate more kiosks and it should think about offering internet movie rentals. Also, it should continue to build and nurture good relationships with its suppliers.