The Human Personification Of The Enlightenment Period Essay

Throughout much of the history of civilizations, states have declared war for land, valuables, and resources. In the course of the mid-20th century and the 21st century, ascendant super powers have invaded foreign lands for resources such as oil, and weapons companies have profited from the ongoing cycle of war these super powers promote. The populations of these states have been fed lies vis-à  -vis the media; propagandizing these â€Å"rogue nations† and promoting an ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality, to garner support for these armed conflicts. War is our primordial instinct, as humans are territorial and aggressive. That is our nature, and by looking at events in our history, one may see that war appears to be timeless and inevitable. ‘War’ as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is a state of open and declared, hostile armed conflict between states or nations. Voltaire—the human personification of the Enlightenment period—says the followin g: â€Å"Famine, plague, and war are the three most famous ingredients of this wretched world†¦All animals are perpetually at war with each other†¦Air, earth and water are arenas of destruction. Defining war has been a political issue for centuries, and it poses a philosophical problem. Most philosophers will agree on war being a clash of arms, or a state of mutual tension between nations or states, distinguishing it from open rebellions, riots, and personal violence. Immanuel Kant, like many philosophers, has a negative conception of mankind on the subject ofShow MoreRelatedHow Does John Keatss Poetry Reflect the Romantic Era Essay781 Words   |  4 Pagesbetween 1798 and 1832 and its poetry places an emphasis on the imagination, nature and feeling. 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The Romantic period in English literature ran from around 1785, following the death of the eminent neo-classical writer Samuel Johnson, to the ascension of Queen Victoria to the throne in 1837. However, in the years spanning this period writers were not identified as exponents of a recognised literary movement. It was only later that literary historians created and appliedRead MoreWilliam Blake s Poem The Schoolboy 1551 Words   |  7 Pagesin the works of William Blake, particularly in his 1789 poem ‘The Schoolboy’ published in the poetry collection ‘Songs of Innocence’. He explores the theme of restriction and how freedom can be found in the natural setting, also demonstrating how human-identity can be influenced by these worlds. Blake’s own perception of restriction due to education, and love of imagination and creativity, becomes an undertone of his social commentary. The impact of vivid imagery is further explored in D. H. 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Evaluation of the Most Important Decade in American History Free Essays

This paper is going to be a step by step evaluation of arguably the most important decade in American History. The time period covered in this paper is 1789-1801. These are the years in which the Federalists had the most influence in the new government. We will write a custom essay sample on Evaluation of the Most Important Decade in American History or any similar topic only for you Order Now They accomplished an amazing amount in these 12 years. The Federalist Party was one of the first political organizations in the United States. The members of this party supported a strong central government, a large peacetime army and navy, and a stable financial system. Although the first president, George Washington, was not a Federalist, his Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, was the developer and leader of the Federalist party. Hamilton believed in a loose interpretation of the Constitution so that the central government could become more powerful. Also Hamilton, along with the other party members, believed that commerce and manufacturing were more important than agriculture. During the first two years of the new federal government the biggest problem was that of raising money. At first the Congress adopted a small tariff on imports. This was a start but not nearly enough. The government needed this money to maintain its own existence and to be able to pay of the debt. The existence of the government was a necessity, but there was a lot of discussion as to whether the debt should be payed off. The mare magnitude of the debt seemed to compel some measure of avoidance. In 1789, the national debt totaled more than $50 million, $11,700,000 of which was owed to France and Spain and the private bankers of Netherlands, while $40 million was in the form of securities held by citizens of the United States. The interests owed to the bankers were being payed off by loans from the bankers themselves. The government didn†t even have enough money to pay the Barbary corsairs for release of captive sailors! When Congress couldn†t come up with a solution that was satisfactory, they turned to Alexander Hamilton with the dilemma. He soon proceeded to draw up a full report entitled â€Å"Report on Public Credit.† In this paper Hamilton proceeded to show that the only way for a new government to establish credit was to deal honestly with its creditors -for in many cases they would be the people to whom the government must look to for future loans. This policy received strong opposition from Madison and other soon to become Republicans (second political party in America). The federalists held strongly, but only with the passing of the Assumption Bill (movement of capital more toward the South) where they able to pass the bill. This achievement was significant, but lacked two things which would be necessary to carry it out. For one it lacked a circulating medium, and two it lacked a central bank. Hamilton then proposed a remedy. He wanted to establish a corporation that was to be called the Bank of the United States. This bank was to serve as the principle depository for government funds. It was also to serve as the issuer of bank notes. This was a loose interpretation of the constitution. Again Madison led the opposition to no avail. But Hamilton held strongly to his belief that even the most uncompromising opponent of the bank â€Å"would, in one month†s experience as head of that department of the treasury, be compelled to acknowledge that it is an absolutely indispensable engine in the management of the finances, and would quickly become a convert to its perfect constitutionality.† This plan favored the central government. The bank made little banks, who couldn†t compete, go out of business. The rich ended up being able to buy a part in the bank and so got richer, and the poor and middle class didn†t get the benefits. The central government was becoming self sufficient, and less dependent on the states. What Hamilton did is make the nation stronger in the eyes of other nations. This is a great accomplishment. If the Federalists (they didn†t call themselves that until 1792) weren†t in power the nation would have been weaker and more decentralized. There were three views on the French Revolution and the French-British war in 1793. Jefferson†s followers favored France. They wanted to abide by the treaty America signed with France in 1788. They thought it was the right thing to do. Hamilton†s followers favored Great Britain. They wanted to develop better relations with great Britain for economic reasons. They sought to break all the relations with the new French government and to ally America with England. The third view was the one taken by George Washington. He realized that a war with England on the side of the French would be suicidal, but at the same time he didn†t want America to be known as the nation that breaks treaties. George Washington proclaimed that America will be neutral. He forbade any American citizen from helping any warring nation. Without the Federalists there to oppose a war with England America might have been wiped out. The Federalists were looking out for the best interest of the country at the expense of another nation. George Washington who didn†t belong to any party decided not to follow either view. During John Adams† tenure as president the Federalists passed several laws which made them unpopular in the eyes of the American public. These laws made the people upset enough not to reelect most of the Federalists that were in Congress. This was the last term in which the federalists were influential. It is important to state these laws and why they passed them. The Federalists had become more favorable toward France and the Republicans started despising France, especially after the insulting X Y Z affair. Adams was favoring France as he tried to keep the nation out of war with France. He secured peace once Napoleon came into power in 1799. The resentment of the population toward France jeopardized this treaty. The Federalist majority in Congress decided to pass the Alien and sedition acts in order to weaken the supporters of war with France (mainly the Republicans). Adams himself was against these laws. These measures were hated. Some of the extreme measures taken to combat them were the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions. These measures tried to say that the laws were unconstitutional. When the time of the next election came the people of the nation had a choice of either maintaining the ways of the Federalists or vote for Jefferson and the republicans. The people, who were mostly farmers at the time, saw the threat to the common man†s rights and so they voted Jefferson and other Republicans into office. This was probably the only thing that the federalist ever really messed up. They made the country strong but then went too far and people took them out of the national picture. The federalist party would never see such strong days again. Its power dwindled down slowly until the party vanished from the national picture in 1816. Although no longer influential in Congress the federalist remained in control in several states. Some states had federalists in office as far down as 1820. This wasn†t though what kept the federalist ideals in America. John Marshall, chief justice of supreme court, began his tenure in 1801. Justice Marshall was a steadfast Federalist. He maintained the Federalist ways long after the party seized to exist. Decision after decision chief Marshall declared the central government supreme to the state. He stretched the constitution far in seeing that the states yield rights to the federal government. He maintained this for 34 years, shaping the loose collection of states into a solid National Union. Another way that the Federalist ideals were maintained comes from their opponents. Upon gaining control of the Congress and Presidency the Democratic-Republicans maintained most of the programs set up by the Federalists. The alien and sedition laws were repealed and everyone arrested under them was let go, but other than that the central government maintained the control gained under the federalists, relinquishing little. The Republicans even strengthened the federal government on occasion. By buying Louisiana Jefferson extended the abilities of the central government. The years under George Washington and John Adams constitute a record of accomplishments not met since. The Federalists followed Hamilton†s counsel to ‘think continentally.† A federal judiciary was established, the taxing power was used, the national debt was handled, American credit was fixed, and territory was cleared of the British and Spanish populations. In foreign affairs America gained respect. Neutrality was maintained, at the price of the French alliance and concessions with Britain. The objective of the foreign policy was survival. The objective was met. The Federalist did a great job starting up the country. After all, many of the leaders including John Adams and George Washington thought that the Union would not last past their lifetimes. The â€Å"experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people†, as said President Washington, turned out very well. Just look at the power America has today. How to cite Evaluation of the Most Important Decade in American History, Essay examples

Capacity and Facilities Design free essay sample

Based on it, labor productivity will be higher. 5. Facilitate communication and interaction Question 7-11: Facility layout probably is one of the most crucial elements affecting efficiency and can take many different forms. Five common types of layout include: Process layout, Produce layout, Fixed position layout, Cellular layout and Combination layout. Process layout: Process layouts are found primarily in job shops, or firms that produce customized, low-volume products that may require different processing requirements and sequences of operations. Process layouts are facility configurations in which operations of a similar nature or function are grouped together. As such, they occasionally are referred to as functional layouts. Their purpose is to process goods or provide services that involve a variety of processing requirements. A manufacturing example would be a machine shop. A machine shop generally has separate departments where general-purpose machines are grouped together by function (e. g. , milling, grinding, drilling, hydraulic presses, and lathes). Therefore, facilities that are configured according to individual functions or processes have a process layout. This type of layout gives the firm the flexibility needed to handle a variety of routes and process requirements. Services that utilize process layouts include hospitals, banks, auto repair, libraries, and universities. The most advantage of this layout is greater flexibility in the production and also reduction investment on machines as they are general purpose machines. However, the disadvantage if inefficiency. There is a difficulty in production control, in movement of materials and this type of layout requires more floor space†¦ Product layout: Product layouts are found in flow shops (repetitive assembly and process or continuous flow industries). Flow shops produce high-volume, highly standardized products that require highly standardized, repetitive processes. In a product layout, resources are arranged sequentially, based on the routing of the products. In theory, this sequential layout allows the entire process to be laid out in a straight line, which at times may be totally dedicated to the production of only one product or product version. The flow of the line can then be subdivided so that labor and equipment are utilized smoothly throughout the operation. The advantage of this layout is its efficiency and ease to use. It avoids production bottlenecks and there is an economy in manufacturing time. The disadvantage is inflexibility. Significant changes in product design may require that a new assembly line be built and new equipment be purchased. Any breakdown of equipment along the production line can be disrupting the whole system. Fixed position layout: A fixed-position layout is appropriate for a product that is too large or too heavy to move. In this type of layout, the materials or major components remains in a fixed location, amp; tools, machinery amp; men as well as other pieces of material are brought to this location. The movement of men amp; machines is advisable as the cost of moving them would be lesser. This is fallowed in manufacturing of bulky amp; heavy products, such as, construction of buildings, locomotives, ships, boilers, aircraft amp; generators. Due to the nature of the product, the user has little choice in the use of a fixed-position layout. Disadvantages include: * Space. For many fixed-position layouts, the work area may be crowded so that little storage space is available. This also can cause material handling problems. * Administration. Oftentimes, the administrative burden is higher for fixed-position layouts. The span of control can be narrow, and coordination difficult. Cellular layout: Cellular manufacturing is a type of layout where machines are grouped according to the process requirements for a set of similar items (part families) that require similar processing. These groups are called cells. Therefore, a cellular layout is an equipment layout configured to support cellular manufacturing. Workers in cellular layouts are cross-trained so that they can operate all the equipment within the cell and take responsibility for its output. Sometimes the cells feed into an assembly line that produces the final product. In some cases a cell is formed by dedicating certain equipment to the production of a family of parts without actually moving the equipment into a physical cell (these are called virtual or nominal cells). In this way, the firm avoids the burden of rearranging its current layout. However, physical cells are more common. The advantage of Cellular layout are: reduced material handling and transit time, reduced setup time, reduced work in process inventory, better use of human resources, easier to control and automate. The disadvantages are inadequate part families, poorly balanced cells, expanded training and scheduling of workers and increased capital investment. Combination layout: a combination of process amp; product layout is known as combined layout. It is possible to have both types of layout in an efficiently combined form if the products manufactured are somewhat similar and not complex. Based on these studies, we can identify which type of layout would be appropriate for the following items: Items| Type of layout| A grocery store| Cellular layout| Home construction| Fixed position layout| Electronic assembly| Product layout| A university| Process layout| Question 7-13: A/ Block diagram: What it is: A bock diagram is a specialized, high-level type of flowchart. Its highly structured form presents a quick overview of major process steps and key process participants, as well as the relationships and interfaces involved. When to use it: A block diagram is a useful tool both in designing new processes and in improving existing processes. In both cases the block diagram provides a quick, high-level view of the work and may rapidly lead to process points of interest. Because of its high-level perspective, it may not offer the level of detail required for more comprehensive planning or analysis. Team members who construct a block diagram must have a clear understanding of how the process operates. This diagram will be used when quantitative data are available. To start block diagramming historical or predicted movement of material in the existing or proposed facility must be analyzed. This info is usually provided with a from/to chart, or load summary chart. This gives the average number of unit loads moved between departments. A unit load can be a single unit, a pallet of material, a bin of material, or a crate of materialhowever material is normally moved from location to location. The next step in designing the layout is to calculate the composite movements between departments and rank them from most movement to least movement Composite movement refers to the back-and-forth movement between each pair of departments Finally, trial layouts are placed on a grid that graphically represents the relative distances between departments B/ Relationship diagram: What it is: Relationship diagram is a schematic diagram that uses weighted lines to denote location preference. When to use it: Relationship diagram will be use in the situations for which quantitative data are difficult to obtain or do not adequately address the layout problem. So the load summary chart can be replaced with subjective input from analysis or managers. Richard Muther developed a format for displaying manager preferences for departmental locations, known as Muthers grid. Muthers diagram uses codes and letters to represent how close departments are to one another. The info from Muthers diagram can be used to make a relationship diagram to evaluate a current layout or proposed layouts

Mandatory Reporting Is a Legal Requirement Essay Example

Mandatory Reporting Is a Legal Requirement Essay Mandatory reporting is a legal requirement, in state statute or regulation, for nurses to report an occurrence or individual, including another nurse, when the public is at risk. Mandatory reporting is enacted when the interest of public protection requires state-enforced regulation. This article offers guidance to help nurses better understand their roles and responsibilities in mandatory reporting. What Is Mandatory to Report? In addition to reporting of nurses by other nurses, states seek to protect at-risk individuals by requiring health professionals to divulge suspicions about behaviors such as abuse and neglect. There is a wide range of interpretation from state to state as to how vulnerable situations are identified, which states mandate reporting, and who is required to report. All states require reporting of child abuse, for example, but only a few states require reporting of domestic violence against a man or woman who is not classified as a child or elder. Mandatory Reporting Law in Your State The details regarding mandatory reporting of nurses can be found through the licensing board for nurses in your state. A link to all boards of nursing can be accessed through the  National Council of State Boards of Nursing  (NCSBN). A note: some nurses are licensed under a health commission, department of health, or other type of umbrella agency, which is also listed on the NCSBN Website. Links and phone numbers for reporting child abuse can be found through the Child Welfare Information Gateway sponsored by the  U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their state-by-state list is updated regularly. We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Reporting Is a Legal Requirement specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Reporting Is a Legal Requirement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Reporting Is a Legal Requirement specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer State-specific details for reporting elder abuse are available at the  U. S. Administration on Agings National Center on Elder Abuse  Website. Child abuse. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was passed in 1974. This federal law defines the parameters under which state law must provide regulations mandating child abuse reporting by professionals. Some states, such as New York, have responded by mandating coursework in detecting and reporting child abuse for all health professionals as part of licensing requirements. According to CAPTA, child abuse/neglect is defined as follows: Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. To comply with federal law, all states have some form of regulation that requires health professionals to report child abuse/neglect to the appropriate agency. Elder abuse. Elder abuse is an umbrella term that encompasses physical, sexual, emotional, or financial abuse of an elderly, frail individual. All states have reporting laws for health professionals who encounter elder abuse, neglect, or self-neglect,  but reporting is not mandated by every state. Colorado law, for example strongly urges and suggests that a report should be made but does not mandate such a report. Even when reporting is mandated, health professionals infrequently report abuse of an elder. Physicians often fail to report abuse because of concerns about conflict and loss of trust in the patient-provider relationship. Physicians have also voiced concerns about malpractice and personal liability if a report of abuse turns out to be ungrounded. Domestic violence. State law varies widely regarding the duty of health professionals to report domestic or interpersonal violence. Two states, Kentucky and California, mandate that health care professionals report domestic violence injuries to police, whether or not the patient consents to the report. This has generated many studies exploring the impact of mandated reporting on survivors of physical or domestic abuse. In one study, survivors overwhelmingly asserted that reporting should not be mandatory until a number of changes are made in the system to promote victims safety. Other Types of Mandatory Reporting by Health Professionals In addition to the above examples, state law may require nurses to report injuries resulting from a weapon, high blood alcohol levels, impaired driving, communicable disease, and threats to harm self or others. There is also a trend toward requiring healthcare professionals to report errors. The federal Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 establishes a framework in which healthcare providers report medical errors to a certified patient safety organization, which analyzes the aggregate data and proposes measures to eliminate medical errors. Some states have enacted requirements that organizations report serious adverse events, such as wrong-site surgeries and medication errors resulting in death or disability. If an organization is required to report such events, then individuals who practice at the organization will no doubt be required to report these incidents as well. Although a comprehensive discussion of all mandatory reporting law is beyond the scope of this article, it is recommended that nurses place more emphasis on reporting obligations in their initial or continuing education. Administrators,  educators, and regulators should also become more informed about mandatory reporting by nurses. [pic]

How does Plaths use of extended metaphors and other literary features effect the readers response to her poetry Essays

How does Plaths use of extended metaphors and other literary features effect the readers response to her poetry Essays How does Plaths use of extended metaphors and other literary features effect the readers response to her poetry Paper How does Plaths use of extended metaphors and other literary features effect the readers response to her poetry Paper Essay Topic: Extended Poetry In this essay I will describe the literary techniques and the use of language used by Sylvia Plath in three of her poems Tulips, Mushrooms and Mirror. These poems are all extended metaphors for vanity and self-image, the stress of everyday life and the family and a metaphor for strength without violence. This technique of extended metaphors is a common literary tradition also used by other poets such as John Donne in The Flea and Emily Dickinson in Funeral and Daffodils. Tulips is a calm peaceful poem written by Plath representing her experience when she was in hospital having an appendectomy operation. The overall message of the poem is that she prefers life in the hospital to her life as it allows her to shed her responsibility, it is peaceful and calm and it gives her security. Her family give her a bunch of tulips, which represent the outside world, which she despises. These tulips are used as an extended metaphor the strains of family life and the grief that it causes her. Emily Dickinson also uses this technique in the poem Daffodils, where spring is an extended metaphor for growth, life, vitality and vigour, which she despises. In Tulips Plath describes two experiences; the effect that the hospital has on her and the effect the tulips have on her. She likes being in the hospital, she likes the fact that in the hospital she is away from the world, she is secluded and has no worries; I am nobody; I have nothing to do with explosions. In the hospital no one bothers her The nurses pass they are no trouble. In the hospital she has shed all her responsibility and all the worries of the outside world, in there she has lost her identity. Like Emily Dickinson she cannot bear the energy and liveliness of the outside world. She is comforted by the fact that now unlike any other time instead of interacting with other people all she does is observe everyone else, she is reduced to just being an eye; They have propped my head between the pillow and the sheet-cuff. However even though she has been reduced to this state of near death it still is not good enough Stupid Pupil, it has to take everything in This also shows she is angry at being alive. She has lost all sense of being a person. She does not have to worry about the unpredictability of life. She is happy with being like this, she likes the calm and tranquillity of the hospital I am learning peacefulness, lying by myself quietly This word learning this suggest a gradual process of learning how to be totally independent and totally self-centred. The hospital to her unlike the outside world is a soothing environment where no one disturbs her and she is totally alone. My body is a pebble to them, they tend it as water tends to the pebbles it must run over, smoothing them gently again confirming her like for the hospital and the soothing tranquillity of the environment and the fact she is totally self contained. The other side to the poem is the effect that the tulips have on her. The tulips are symbolic of her family and the outside world and the strains it places upon her. She does not like the tulips to her they are everything that places responsibility on her, she says they weigh her down and hurt her. She claims that they are breathing her air, again more imagery of restriction and the fact that these tulips make her life harder. The tulips are described as being too red, again expressing Plaths dislike for the tulips. Red is also a very harsh colour on the eyes, which again may suggest that these tulips are making her feel uncomfortable much like the outside world. The tulips are said to appear to float but really weigh her down like her children. Plath says that she is sick of baggage again expressing feeling of her dislike for the outside world. This is backed up by lines such as their smiles catch onto my skin little smiling hooks which suggest that her family never leave her alone and never let go of her. Also in this poem imagery of cargo boats is used to express her feeling of being weighed down by the responsibility of the outside world, a thirty year old cargo boat stubbornly hanging onto my name and address which conveys thoughts of dislike for herself, family and her lifestyle. In the last line Plath implies that she knows she is mentally unstable and she is has a problem, comes from a country far away as health. In the poem Mirror Plath expresses her feeling of dislike of society or maybe men. Another poem that is written in the same style, as this one is Funeral by Emily Dickinson in which depression is described as being like a long draw out funeral. The mirror describes itself as being precise and prefect, I am Silver and exact it also claims to not be judgemental I have no preconceptions and unmisted by love or dislike. The mirror says whatever I see I swallow immediately which suggests it is absorbing and consuming everything. The mirrors attitude may represent the arrogances that men and society posses. The mirror really thinks it is very important, the eye of a little god suggesting that it is holds power over us. The mirror also makes a comment about how the wall is a part of its heart as the wall is perfect and faultless, unlike humans who separate us over and over this suggest he prefers looking at the wall. However this shows the mirror to be a hypocrite as it is judging people it is being bias and passing judgement even though it claims not to. This is another similarity between the mirror, men and society. In this part of the poem Plath uses balanced calculated lines to add to the mirrors sense of confidence. In the second stanza the object of the poem turns from a mirror into a lake. A lake unlike a mirror distorts images and is not as clear. The women looking into this lake is said to be searching my reaches for what she really is suggesting she would rather look at what she would look like rather than what she really looks like hence why she might be looking in a lake. Then she turns back to those liars, the candles and the moon. More imagery of distortion as moonlight and candlelight both change a persons image and that person look better. Showing that this woman does not want to see the reality of her looks. The mirror then exclaims that she rewards me with tears and agitation of hands. This illustrates that the woman does not like her own image as she is distressed by it. But it also shows that the mirror enjoys he r distress rewards me and therefore is being cruel and hypocritical again like men and society. The mirror then says I am important to her showing its arrogance and the woman obsession with self image. In the last two lines the mirror says In me she has drowned a young girl, and in me an old woman rises towards her day after day, like a terrible fish this is the biggest illustration of the mirrors hypocrisy in the poem, describing her ugly and old. This is the first case of enjambment in the poem showing emotion in a way and again making the mirror imperfect. The rest of the poem has end-stopped lines; this gives a very matter of fact tone. The poem is about the obsession with image and how much we rely on our looks in todays society, therefore making the mirror almost indispensable to us. Another poem by Sylvia Plath that uses an extended metaphor is mushrooms. In this poem mushrooms seem to represent the quiet people that just keep themselves to themselves and get on with life. Mushrooms themselves are very insignificant organisms but they are very successful and can live and survive in all sorts of environments. The poem starts of peacefully Overnight, very whitely, discreetly, very quietly conveying a passive, quiet atmosphere. Our toes, our noses take hold on the loam, acquire the air the mushroom are getting what they want but not by force or violence, they are gradually pulling themselves up. Nobody sees us, stops us, betrays us; the small grains may room. They are starting to sound much more powerful, they are just going unnoticed but they are still achieving what they want to achieve. This stanza re-enforces the idea of the mushrooms being passive The small grains make room there is no violence described here so it suggests that others get out the way on their own accord, they is not forceful persuasion involved. In the next stanza there is more emphasis on power without violence shown by the oxymoron soft fists insist on. There is no need to force or threaten they get what they want anyway. This stanza also illustrates the fact that they move everything in their path out of the way heaving the needles this also shows strength. In the next stanza the sense of unity is brought in once again Our hammers, our rams which makes them even stronger as they are all working together to achieve the one common goal. They are silent but deadly they get exactly what they want. This sense of unity and strength by numbers is brought up later in the poem by the exclamation So many of us! So many of us! which also suggests excitement and power, it increases the tone of aggression. The use of two exclamation marks and the repetition makes it sound like an aggressive, sinister chant. Later in the poem the mushrooms convey the fact that they are not needy and they do not need to rely on others, they are givers not takers Diet on water, on crumbs of shadow not asking for anything more asking for little or nothing. In the next stanza the mushrooms display their usefulness and their passiveness we are shelves, we are tables, we are meek, we are edible, These are objects that make life a lot easy. These are objects, which we rely on so much, but go unacknowledged. In the Last two stanzas the tone becomes more aggressive and harsher, nudgers and shovers this shows that some force has to be used but not a lot. Our kind Multiples: We Shall by morning Inherit the earth. Our foots in the door. This illustrates unity, hidden power and strength. The last two lines are very matter of fact end stopped lines there is no disputing what they are saying. It is very short, sharp, harsh and very sinister and the mushrooms or quiet people believe it is right. The mushrooms could also represent minority groups or women. The tone of the poem becomes more aggressive throughout. When deployed, extended metaphors can powerfully convey emotions in an emblematic way. They are used to dramatise and sensationalise things to add to the atmosphere of the poem, demonstrated especially in Mushrooms. Plath uses extended metaphors well, to express feelings of inferiority and depression. Both Tulips and Funeral by Emily Dickinson turn beautiful and radiant things such as flowers into something distressing and suicidal the tulips are too red and she dared not meet the daffodils. It is interesting to note that Plath criticises the tulips for being too red, Dickinson is afraid to go near the beautiful and perfect daffodils as they magnify her imperfections. Extended metaphors are one of the only literary techniques that make the poem extensively open to interpretation, thus, broadening the significance of the poem and powerfully put across feelings, making this technique remarkably effectual and assertive.

Being a Farm Kid

Hick, backwards, redneck, stupid, bumpkin. These are all fine names given to persons that work to feed and clothe the world by certain persons who have no idea what they are talking about. However, there are some people that know very well what it really means to live the life of an agriculturalist. Those that know the best are the ones that have grown up on farms. Being a farm kid means that I know everyone within five miles of where I live. It also means knowing all of their quirks, and the quirks of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. By just hearing a last name, I can usually assume the character of that person. We also have to overlook those things at times for the sake of neighborliness. Neighborliness takes on many forms, be it pulling cars out of ditches or clearing driveways after snowstorms, to taking food to a neighbor after a death or illness. Being a farm kid also means having a sense of tradition. It’s being able to stand atop a windmill tower and see, in one broad glance, the farms where my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and I, myself, grew up. A true farm kid calls areas by long gone one-room schools and pieces of property by the families that farmed the land in their parents’ youth, such as â€Å"the Teiges’ place† or â€Å"north of Liberty Center School (which closed in the 1940’s).† I can also walk through the local cemetery and know 99% of the names. Not only that, but I can also pronounce the pure German, or other nationality, names that trip up even the best telemarketer. Being a farm kid instills me with a sense of pride. A true farm kid, while maybe a little ornery, will be a good person and a responsible citizen for the simple fact that a person should be. A farm kid finds the reaction people give when they figure out his dad has a master’s degree amusi ng. It also means taking pride in agriculture. A farm kid’s blood will almost always boil at the thought of animal activists and â€Å"pure food† yuppies. Being a farm kid means being spiritual. In addition to being spiritual, the church is often the central social hub for the community and plays a big part in rural life. Be it 5th Sunday dinners, weekly church services, or Vacation Bible School, a farm kid’s life would be incomplete without church. But a farm kid’s spirituality goes much further than just words on Sunday morning. Farming brings together human and earth more than any other profession. Whether it’s watching a summer storm roll across the northern part of the county from a hilltop, or running among the rows of wheat, soybeans, or milo, farm life constantly fills a person with wonder at the power of whatever being put this silly planet together. Being a farm kid means doing work. A farm kid may spend his weekends, summer, and free t ime doing any number of tasks, from helping with harvest to clearing brush out of a pasture. We are also expected to complete these things in a timely manner and with very little complaining. Farm kids will also find themselves at play amongst machinery and chemicals. They will soon learn to be safe, though, whether it’s by being yelled at for getting to close to the chainsaw or being told that the fly liquid that goes on the calves will kill you. I also learned that shorts mean scratched up legs, but I still wear them. Being a farm kid means living a hard life. At an early age, farm kids realize that death is a fact of life, whether it’s the calf that wasn’t born right or the raccoon that got in the hen house. At times, it feels like the little valley that I call home and have, on so many occasions, been glad to see, is like an enclosure keeping me there. Farm kids also learn early about finances because farm parents don’t try hard to keep talks about m oney behind closed doors. While most kids won’t have to hear about complete financial devastation, it can be a little frightening at times. When it comes to a social life, a farm kid’s is limited, at best, due to the seclusion of the country. My curfew is always 30 minutes sooner than what my parents say because it will take me at least that long to get home. There is also the age-old question for male farm kids: â€Å"Will you return to the farm?† Most kids don’t really decide what they will do when they grow up until their junior year of high school at the earliest, but farm kids are faced with this question from the time they can talk. And it’s no easy decision. While farm life isn’t easy, it offers a way of living that defines a person. The next time you hear a person talking about hicks or rednecks, remember that farm kids are normal people. We might live a hard life, but that we enjoy it. Oh, and you’d be naked and hungry witho ut us.

News story critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

News story critique - Assignment Example To achieve this, the paper will draw evidence from the news article to analyze the framing of the sex research in these news outlets in relation to our studies in class. It is clear that sex research is very significant in the modern society. Indeed, sex research leads to improved sexual behaviors, reduced negative sex outcomes, delayed starting of sexual activity among the youth, increased protection during sex, reduced sexual partners. Moreover, the media frames the sex research to influence mass opinion. Ideally, framing in research refers to how individuals or groups perceive and communicate the reality in the society. In the media, framing of a research topic defines how the media influences the public opinion and such influence may be behavioral or attitudinal. Indeed, Van Gorp establishes that the framing process assesses the impact of the present cultural phenomena in relation to the present social realities. Indeed, sex and sexuality are social realities in our society and a s such, the media frames the research on this topic to the effect of the society. The media frames the sex research in a unique yet convincing manner. The media frames the sex research from a qualified and authorized author. For example, the news article states that the respondent to the research, Dr. Levant is a professor of psychology and director of the Psychology Department Counseling Clinic at the University of Akron (New York Times, 2013).  As such, the article asserts that the information therein is reliable and authorized. The article does this to convince the audience in trusting in the information given in the article. More so, the audience is likely to adopt the advice there in due to the authority of the author. The news article also claims that the respondent in these articles has actually taken part in other studies. For example, the article states that Dr. Levant had written other related books that include â€Å"Men and Sex: New Psychological Perspectives (New Yor k Times, 2013).†Ã‚  With this background, the articles can influence the public opinion on the topic sex and sexuality by relying on the information contained in the news articles. Furthermore, the article frames the research by portraying the fact that the society forwarded questions about male sexuality to the professor and such questions represented the sex issues in the entire society. Nevertheless, the article reckons that the professor answered only the questions related to his expertise and thus the society should trust such answers. For example, the articles frame the research by analyzing some of the asked questions, which included how old-single men can date in 2013 (New York Times, 2013). This relates the cultural sex phenomena to the present social reality. The article also addresses the question of sexual health problems that affect many in the society like the inability to maintain an erection or climaxing too soon. The advice to such problems relates to the gene ral society and thus shapes the public opinion on handling such problems. For example, the articles frame the questions and answers of low testosterone, denied sexual activity, and unfaithfulness in sexual affairs (New York Times, 2013). These questions apply to both males and females and their response therefore shapes the public opinion. Moreover, cases of sexual affairs between partners of different ages also suffice in this research. Nevertheless, th

Review the book named middlemarch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Review the book named middlemarch - Essay Example Featherstone as he was not much satisfied with her. To attend and serve a person who was always impulsive to you was what Mary was doing. She has always been polite to him and has never been harsh to him in return. She was sitting in silence and was reflecting on the events that happened that day when suddenly Mr. Featherstone woke up from his sleep and called Ms. Gray to his bedside. He gave her the keys of the safe and asked her to take out his will. Ms. Gray was ordered by Mr. Featherstone to burn the second will so that only his first will is considered to be valid. She was afraid to act on his orders as there was no one in the room to witness her act. She refused to act on his orders even when she was offered a bribe on it. She felt that Mr. Featherstone isn’t in the right mind and stays firm. Mr. Featherstone went to sleep and he was dead by the next morning. Analysis: Ms. Gray was a very sweet, humble and straightforward kind of person. She had a good understanding and knowledge about human nature with a good sense of humor. But these qualities of her cant be judged by her daily activities. She seemed very simple and plain throughout the novel which contradicts to what she actually is from inside. This made her characters suspicious to few people. She was believed to be very prudent as she felt that many people will be disappointed by Mr. Featherstone's will. The nervous tone of Mr. ... Eliot gave her less opportunity to show the strength of her personality however, when it appears, her character is shown as the strongest character in the whole novel. Her strong character is beautifully portrayed in the death scene of Mr. Featherstone. Ms. Gray proved to the reader that intellect and wisdom are not enough for a woman to surpass the situational problems faced by females. Ms. Gray’s decision secured her but did not help her to get freedom. Ms. Gray’s refusal to burn Mr. Featherstone's will showed an act of self-protection as well as ethical and moral strength. The speakers of Eliot’s novels deconstruct masculine authority which is replaced by feminine narrative power which actually has no inspirational base. A face of such feminine insight is Ms. Gray’s detached and sardonic wisdom. Ms. Gray’s Character is somewhat closest to Marian Evans. 2. Application of Act Utilitarianism: We need to look upon all the alternatives that can be con sidered while taking this decision. If I would be Ms. Gray’s position I would have acted according to Mr. Featherstone’s orders and would have burned the will on his demand as he was on his death bed and this act could have given him some satisfaction and happiness and would have made him felt better. He would have appreciated the efforts. The other option that I had was that I would have consulted someone else or would have arranged some witness in the presence of whom I could have helped Mr. Featherstone on his demands. Thirdly I would have talked to Mr. Featherstone on some other alternative than just to burn the will. I would have done that instead of just declining his request straightforwardly which lowered his morale to an extend that took his life. Furthermore I

Groups and Culture Essay Example for Free

Groups and Culture Essay Cultural and social expectations dictate that individuals as members of one culture or society interact with other members, it is in the interpersonal relationships and interactions that the individual has with others that socialization occurs (Hofstede, 2000). The first interpersonal relation that an individual in any culture would have is confined in the family. Growth and maturation however dictates that the individual relate and interact with other people outside of his or her family, this could be teachers, caregivers, classmates and friends. Interacting with other people widens the perspective of the individual, in play children learn how to communicate and compromise, in the classroom, they learn to compete and cooperate and in the workplace, they learn to conform and collaborate (Hofstede, 2000). Everyone is part of a group, be it the family, a neighborhood, a class, a department, or a community. A fully functioning and healthy individual would be a member of two or more groups, and for each group, a different set of rules and expectations apply. A universal characteristic of groups is that it consists of two or more individuals who are interacting and behaving towards a common goal. Within this setting, group members constantly communicate, cooperate, and conform to the rules and objectives of the group (Guss, 2002). For example, a gang of adolescent boys had been formed based on friendship, and each member subscribes to the rules of the gang, thus behaviors like rites of initiation are meant to strengthen the member’s commitment to the group. The goal of the gang may simply be to cultivate their friendship and protect each other, thus the members would cooperate in order to achieve that goal (Brew, Hesketh Taylor, 2001). In contrast, a group of teenagers in a bus is not really a group because they do not have shared rules and expectations, although they may have the same goal, and that is to reach their destination. Groups also tend to form and break up over the course of life events and human development. The behavior of groups and its members are also heavily influenced by the dominant culture in which it is situated. A group of workers in a collectivist culture like that of South Korea would strongly conform to the rules and regulations of the organization they work for (Hofstede, 2000). Complaints against company practices or policies are expected to be minimal such that collectivist cultures places value on group cohesion, unity, and cooperation. Workers in South Korea would believe that they are working not for themselves but for their families, their organization and their country. Thinking of one’s self above others in this culture is frowned upon, thus, not many individuals take leadership roles because it calls attention to oneself (Hofstede, 2000). Thus, workers conform without question, they cooperate with the given policies and they build relationships among the workers. On the other hand, a group of workers in an individualist culture like the US is not as easily conforming and cooperative as the workers in South Korea. Individualist cultures places importance on individual achievement, individual differences, self-expression and nonconformity (Hofstede, 2000). Workers in the US would join organizations that provide them with the opportunities for individual achievement and professional growth. To a certain degree, US workers do conform to the expected behavior of workers, but only if they perceive it as a necessary requirement of their individual performance. For example, workers generally attend company activities because they get something out of it, or because it is required of them to come and attendance would have positive implications in one’s performance rating (Hofstede, 2000). In this culture, workers are vocal about their ideas and opinions about the organization’s policies, they are confrontational such that demanding increase in one’s salary is the norm, not the exception. References Brew, F. P. , Hesketh, B. , Taylor, A. (2001). Individualistic-collectivist differences in adolescent decision making and decision styles with Chinese and Anglos. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 25, 1-19. Guss, C. D. (2002). Decision making in individualistic and collectivistic cultures. In W. J. Lonner, D. L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, D. N. Sattler (Eds. ), Online Readings in Psychology and Culture (Unit 4, Chapter 3), (http://www. wwu. edu/~culture), Center for Cross-Cultural Research, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington USA. Hofstede, G. (2000). Cultures consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Essay -- Civil Rights, Segregation, Equal

Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation in the United States was commonly practiced in many of the Southern and Border States. This segregation while supposed to be separate but equal, was hardly that. Blacks in the South were discriminated against repeatedly while laws did nothing to protect their individual rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ridded the nation of this legal segregation and cleared a path towards equality and integration. The passage of this Act, while forever altering the relationship between blacks and whites, remains as one of history’s greatest political battles. Racial unrest by the summer of 1963 was at its height since the Civil War. President Kennedy picked up the situation at the close of the Eisenhower years at a time when tensions were rapidly increasing. By the summer of 1963, however, after a series of violent demonstrations in the South, particularly in Birmingham, Alabama, President Kennedy pushed for a very strong civil rights bill in Congress. The first of its kind since the Civil War, this bill drastically called for the end of all segregation in all public places. In the eyes of the civil rights movement leaders, this bill was long over due. Kennedy’s crusade began slowly to the dismay of many civil rights leaders in February of 1963. He began by sending the United States Congress a â€Å"Special Message on Civil Rights,† stating, Our Constitution is color blind, ...but the practices of the country do not always conform to the principles of the Constitution... Equality before the law has not always meant equal treatment and opportunity. And the harmful, wasteful and wrongful results of racial discrimination and segregation still appear in virtually every aspect of national life, in virtually every part of the nation (Loevy, 5). Kennedy received praise for these strong and moving words yet was criticized for his weak legislative proposals to remedy the situation. By May of 1963, his proposal would change greatly however, after two men, from opposite positions set the civil rights movement into intense motion. Martin Luther King despite advice to do otherwise began massive protests in the street of Birmingham. To combat these protests, Police Commissioner â€Å"Bull† Conner used any means, including dogs, fire hoses, and electric cattle prods on protestors. Making newspapers and televi... ...tates on a social level but politically too. This bill set the precedent for using a cloture to stop a filibuster in the Senate. Similar cloture votes in 1966 and 1968, with bills for equal voting rights and guaranteed equal housing respectively were used to stop Southern filibusters. The Civil Rights Act also proved that mass demonstration and peaceful protesting are heard in Washington D.C. Martin Luther King and the Leadership Conference started with nothing and achieved everything. From the segregated South those who fought for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 changed the course of American history and ridded the nation of inequality under the law. Works Cited Berman, Daniel M., A Bill Becomes a Law, The Macmillan company, New York: 1966. Levy, Peter B., The Civil RIghts Movement, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 1998. Web. 24 June 2015. https://www.questia.com/read/10045885/the-civil-rights-movement Loeby, Robert D.,To End All Segregation, University Press of America, Maryland: 1990. Whalen, Charles and Barbara, The Longest Debate, Seven Locks Press, Washington D.C.:1985. Web. 3 July 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27550291?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Communication Unit Essay

To build relationships – by smiling, waving or simply saying hello when building a relationship with a new child, new member of staff or new parents settling into our setting. †¢Maintaining relationships – by simply saying hello or goodbye to people and children in our setting is maintaining a relationship which involves a lot of our language and communication use. To gain and share information – which helps us in the way we work. Information we gain and share not only comes from the children but from the parents, families, colleagues and other professionals. †¢To gain reassurance and acknowledgement – by giving children praise, physical reassurance, making eye contact or showing interest in what activity they are doing as well as providing colleagues with reassurance and acknowledgment in sharing new ideas and information. To express needs and feelings – this includes colleagues, parents and children as we need to be able to express our n eeds and feelings in order for needs to be met and for the effective running of the setting. †¢To share ideas and thoughts – this includes colleagues, parents and children such as creative ideas and thoughts. (A. C 2) It is important to establish good relationships with children, parent, colleagues and other professionals to ensure the effective running of our setting which allows for us to plan and meet their individual needs. Those with good communication skills such as body language, facial expressions and ways in which others listen and talk to you, will have strong relationships with parents, colleagues, children and other professionals. Some ways that communication affects relationships are: †¢Sharing and gaining information – as we need to be able to share and gain information to help the effective running of the setting which may include information on how the child is feeling, what interests them, any information to do with their health and welfare such as any allergies, or conditions i. . asthma, learning needs i. e. referrals to speech and language therapist. †¢Settling in – as children would feel uncomfortable settling in until they are comfortable with us which means that finding ways to communicate with the child is important to start building a relationship with them which will help settle them. It is not only the child who may find it hard but their parents also so it is important to find ways to communicate with the parents to build a relationship where they have total confidence and trust in us to care for their child. Supporting children’s play and learning – this depends on the quality of the relationship between adult and child as children play and learn more effectively when they are relaxed and comfortable with those around them. They will also benefit from playing and learning activities with adults through good communication which can allow adults to help them learn new vocabulary, develop different concepts and express ideas. †¢As children get older they will move between different setting s s uch as from day nursery to nursery school which means they will be around different carers during a day. This can be made easier if all adults involved share a good relationship which allows them to communicate easily. †¢Effective teams – as we often work with other professionals it is important for us to work well together and build strong professional relationships as the quality of relationships with other professionals can be enhanced or threatened depending on how we speak to them, react to their ideas or suggestions and the tone in which we speak to them. It is important to have a good relationship as if the relationship has broken down then the quality of service for children and their families is likely to be less effective. Outcome 2: Be able to meet the communication and language needs, wishes and preferences of individuals (A. C 1) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 2) There are a number of factors that early years workers need to consider in promoting effective communication with others as it is essential to consider different communication methods which are the right communication style, although most of our communication is based on face to face interactions there are certain factors we need to consider when using this communication style such as: Environment which is important to think about the location as in a busy and loud environment it is hard to communicate and have a conversation such as for parents and young people we may choose a quiet place whereas with toddlers and young children we need to provide a welcoming and friendly place. Proximity, orientation and posture which helps us to be sensitive towards other peoples needs such as children who we may have a strong positive relationship with may feel better having us close to them but with children who we do not know this might scare or push them away which also requires us o be observe when communicating. Also how to position your body when communicating as to not be so direct when standing right in front of a child or adult as this makes it uneasy to break eye contact which could make the encounter uncomfortable where standing at a slight angle allows it to be less direct and at ease to break off eye contact, although it is not only how you position your body but o n posture also whether standing or sitting as you do not want to seem bored by maybe being slouched down. It is important to think about what signals we give out. Listening skills which is also known as active listening which requires not only listening but observing body language, gestures, facial expressions and other signals that are being sent out by the child or adult. By giving your full attention to the other person is not just listening to what they are saying but on how they say it which is important when encouraging young children’s speech and dealing with parents. Time it is important to not rush communication as children and adults need time to think of how to respond and what they would like to communicate in conversation. A. C 3) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 4) This will be seen in observation. Outcome 3: Be able to overcome barriers to communication (A. C 1) Communication is based on sharing and is important to remember when promoting effective communication is that not everyone shares the same views and experiences such as childhoods, culture, family background or linguistic knowledge. Therefore we can not be sure that our own personal styles of communication will be effective. A number of factors that can affect people’s communication are: Culture and family background affects the way in which people communicate as in some cultures eye contact is interpreted differently and is not essential in the way they communicate as well as family background as each family is different and share their own ways of communicating together such as children who hear bad language at home and repeat it not realising or a child who hears more than one language at home. Some children may come from a loud and confident family whereas another may come from a shy and timid family which affects the way they communicate in childhood and in adulthood. Personality can affect the way in which children and adults communicate as early on we can see children who are more daring and outgoing yet they may not have developed language. Identifying and observing a person’s personality is important to communication as a child or adult may seem not interested or bored where it is actually they do not like to speak in groups or to people they do not know. Literacy which involves reading and writing as some may have developed these to a higher level whereas others may find them difficult for different reasons such as learning difficulties or language barriers. ICT knowledge which involves sending and receiving emails, having internet phone conversations or accessing and uploading photos or video clips. Although some people may share them same difficulties they may have with literacy and may or may not prefer this type. Confidence and self-esteem are the main factors in the kinds and styles in which people communicate which could lead on from previous experiences they have encountered such as a child was made fun of because they said or spelt a word wrong so in later life they avoid spelling and writing, where a child who listens may become a confident adult who will share their opinions and views. A. C 2) Some potential barriers to effective communication are: Information the sender may want to send but have language difficulties and is unable to express themselves in spoken or written forms. They may also not understand others needs. ( Encoding as the sender may send out an inappropriate method of communication such as a written formal le tter rather than a verbal conversation. The sender could also may have difficulty in choosing appropriate words or use an inappropriate tone of voice. The sender may write illegibly or have language difficulties and are unable to express themselves. ( Transfer such as emails may not be received, post may go missing, background noise may interfere, verbal or written messages sent through children may not come across fully, voice mail may not be listened to by recipient or verbal messages sent by an adult may not come across fully. ( Reception as people suffer from hearing difficulties they may not realise that the communication was meant for them or a person with a visual impairment may not be able to see facial expressions. Gestures or written messages clearly. ( Decoding the recipient may not understand or hear the message correctly because of language difficulties, may not have the time or experience to fully understand the intended message, their past experiences influence how they receive and interpret messages, the relationship between sender and recipient may influence communication whether the sender is someone the recipient does not know or the recipient may be distracted and not listen fully to the message. ( Feedback may not be seen which means the sender may not realise that there are difficulties in their method of communication, they may not show any facial expressions or may interpret the recipient reaction wrong. ( Response may not be sent back and the message has not been received or fully understood or the sender may respond negatively as method of communication is misunderstood or unclear. (A. C 3) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 4) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 5) There will be a time when extra support may be needed to share effective communication with a child or adult and to meet their needs which include: Speech and Language Services which we may need the support of such as speech and language therapists who help us find was of communicating with children and young people. They would also provide us with support, guidance and suggestions of resources we can use to help aid us in communicating with children and young people such as the picture exchange communication system (PECS) or provide training in visual systems like makaton. Speech and language therapists work closely with infants, children and adults who have various levels of speech, language and communication problems. They would also work with people who have swallowing difficulties. They would assess the clients needs before developing individual treatment programmes which would enable the client to improve as much as possible involving families, carers and teachers. Speech and language therapists usually work as part of a multidisciplinary team with other health professionals such as doctors, occupational therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists and may also liaise with professionals in education and social services. Speech and language therapists job responsibilities include: †¢ identifying children’s development †¢ Identifying their speech and communication difficulties/disorders †¢ Assess and treat swallowing and communication difficulties caused by congenital problems like cleft palate or acquired disorders from a stroke or injury †¢ Devise, implement and revise treatment programmes †¢ Monitor and evaluating clients progress Advocacy Services as part of the united nations convention on the rights of the child we are obliged to share information with children and young people on matters that are important to them. The child would then be assigned an advocate who’s job role is to put forward the child’s best interests and to relay to others the feelings and needs of the child or young person. Advocates are particularly essential for children and young people who are in local authority care or for children and young people with communication difficulties. One type of children’s advocate represents or gives voice to an individual or group whose concerns and interests are not being heard. A child advocate will try to prevent children from being harmed and may try to obtain justice for those who have already been injured in some way. A child advocate may also seek to ensure that children have access to positive influences or services which will benefit their lives such as education, child care and proper parenting. Another form of child advocacy happens at the policy level and aims at changing the policies of governments or even trans national policies. These advocates do lobbying, policy research, file lawsuits and engage in other types of policy change techniques. Outcome 4: Be able to apply principles and practices relating to confidentiality (A. C 1) Confidentiality is data protection and is about respecting people‘s right to privacy and keeping information safe which they have provided and not share with other people or pass on personal information about the families and children you are working with, except when it is in a child’s best interest to do so e. g. here are concerns about a child’s welfare as they are showing signs of abuse so I would approach my boss or manager about it but not discuss it with anyone else unless it concerns them or if a parent has asked for the contact details of another child’s family where I could not give that information as I do not have consent to give it out nor do I have access to such information. Otherwise as a main rule it is essential to consider all gained inf ormation as confidential. Most settings have a confidentiality policy to help ensure that this applied which all employees MUST read and apply to their work. Congeniality is very important when working with children and young people that there is a legislation that covers all the stored information. That legislation is Data Protection Act 1998. The Data Protection Act 1998 covers both electronic records and paper based records. It strictly regulates the keeping of records, passing of information and the storing of data. The act was created to protect people’s confidential and personal information from being shared without consent. Any work settings that collect and store information about children, young people and their families must register with the Data Protection Commission and anyone who has access to any of the information must follow the acts principles. All information stored must also be up to date and access secured. (A. C 2) This will be seen in observation. (A. C 3) When working in early years settings parent and children have a right to confidentiality although there may be some times when the need to maintain confidentiality will be breached if disclosing concerns such as if there are concerns about a child’s welfare e. g. abuse. Where abuse of a child or young person is suspected all settings should have a designated person/s to deal with child protection issues. If you have concerns that a child is being abused it is our job to disclose this information to the designated person of the setting unless you think by disclosing the information will put the child/young person in further danger which can be very hard to work out so having colleagues to discuss this will help you come to a quick and more accurate conclusion. This can become very difficult if you feel that there is a child or young person abuse issue and the designated person thinks that there isn’t. I think if you have a doubt then it is better to be safe than sorry and maybe monitor the child gathering more information but if the child is in significant danger then report it to the safeguarding board immediately. Parents will have had a copy of the child protection policy which states that information regarding every child will be disclosed if it is deemed that any child is in significant harm or danger which gives us the right to report any kind of abuse to the safeguarding board without the parents, carers or guardians permission. However it is important to follow the right steps whilst reporting a case of abuse or a suspected case, we need to gather the correct information such as if a child or young person discloses information to you do not promise to keep a secret because we will have to disclose the information given and this will make the child think that they cannot trust that person anymore as they trusted you in the first place to disclose the information. Also a main feature of sexual abuse is that the abuser asks the child to keep this a secret between them. Breaching confidentiality is very serious and most settings have a procedure in which you should follow in the case that breaching confidentiality arises. Information should be passed quickly and directly to the person in charge of dealing with such concerns although confidentiality is still upheld so that other staff, parents, etc do not know anything about the concerns UNLESS they do need to know.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes first appeared in 1887 in ‘A Study in Scarlet’. Four years later, Sherlock Holmes grew to extremes in popularity thanks to its series of short stories in ‘The Strand Magazine’ in 1891. Over a hundred years later, Sherlock Holmes stories are still being read by a variety of different ages and cultures. But why is this? Why are people so ‘caught up’ in this series of books and short stories? Is it because of the stories’ nail-biting plots? Or is it because of the engrossing characters that the inventive Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has perfectly produced?Or is it both the plot and the characters? This is of course, is an opinion question, and answers will vary, but this is mine: During Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's life, he enjoyed a very high level of popularity for his stories about Holmes, even in countries other than England. At that time, his great success would have been due to Conan Doyle's excellent writing abilities, Holmes' g reat abilities of deduction that could be used to solve any crime, and the fact that common and poor people of England and especially London could look to Holmes for inspiration, and as a national symbol of pride.But Conan Doyle wrote these stories over a century ago. Why are they still so popular today? Holmes became an icon, his analysis of Watson and other people's habits and activities seemed to them, baffling, but to him it was â€Å"Elementary. † His deerstalker cap, pipe, overcoat, and magnifying glass came to symbolize detectives and their art through Sherlock Holmes' early popularity. And simply put, people enjoy a good story, especially a mystery. In our modern time of fast living, modern conveniences, and computerised crime and detection, Sherlock Holmes represents the spirit an earlier, simpler and more romantic period. Perhaps, as Watson was to him, Holmes is to us â€Å"the one fixed point in a changing age. † [1] [1] Clive Hopwood? Sherlock Holmes Illust rated copyright 1981 by World International Publishing Limited. Published in Great Britain. Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes first appeared in 1887 in ‘A Study in Scarlet’. Four years later, Sherlock Holmes grew to extremes in popularity thanks to its series of short stories in ‘The Strand Magazine’ in 1891. Over a hundred years later, Sherlock Holmes stories are still being read by a variety of different ages and cultures. But why is this? Why are people so ‘caught up’ in this series of books and short stories? Is it because of the stories’ nail-biting plots? Or is it because of the engrossing characters that the inventive Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has perfectly produced?Or is it both the plot and the characters? This is of course, is an opinion question, and answers will vary, but this is mine: During Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's life, he enjoyed a very high level of popularity for his stories about Holmes, even in countries other than England. At that time, his great success would have been due to Conan Doyle's excellent writing abilities, Holmes' g reat abilities of deduction that could be used to solve any crime, and the fact that common and poor people of England and especially London could look to Holmes for inspiration, and as a national symbol of pride.But Conan Doyle wrote these stories over a century ago. Why are they still so popular today? Holmes became an icon, his analysis of Watson and other people's habits and activities seemed to them, baffling, but to him it was â€Å"Elementary. † His deerstalker cap, pipe, overcoat, and magnifying glass came to symbolize detectives and their art through Sherlock Holmes' early popularity. And simply put, people enjoy a good story, especially a mystery. In our modern time of fast living, modern conveniences, and computerised crime and detection, Sherlock Holmes represents the spirit an earlier, simpler and more romantic period. Perhaps, as Watson was to him, Holmes is to us â€Å"the one fixed point in a changing age. † [1] [1] Clive Hopwood? Sherlock Holmes Illust rated copyright 1981 by World International Publishing Limited. Published in Great Britain.

Definition and Examples of Episteme in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Episteme in Rhetoric In philosophy and  classical rhetoric, episteme is the domain of true knowledgein contrast to doxa, the domain of opinion, belief, or probable knowledge. The Greek word episteme is sometimes translated as science or scientific knowledge.  The word epistemology (the study of the nature and scope of knowledge) is derived from  episteme.  Adjective: epistemic. French philosopher and philologist Michel Foucault (1926-1984) used  the term episteme  to indicate the total set of relations that unite a given period. Commentary [Plato] defends the solitary, silent nature of the search for epistemetruth: a search that leads one away from the crowd and the multitude. Platos aim is to take away from the majority the right to judge, choose, and decide. (Renato Barilli, Rhetoric. University of Minnesota Press, 1989) Knowledge and Skill [In Greek usage] episteme could mean both knowledge and skill, both knowing that and knowing how. . . . Each of the artisans, a smith, a shoemaker, a sculptor, even a poet exhibited episteme in practicing his trade. The word episteme, knowledge, was thus very close in meaning to the word tekhne, skill. (Jaakko Hintikka,  Knowledge and the Known: Historical Perspectives in Epistemology. Kluwer, 1991) Episteme vs. Doxa - Beginning with Plato, the idea of episteme was juxtaposed to the idea of doxa. This contrast was one of the key means by which Plato fashioned his powerful critique of rhetoric (Ijsseling, 1976; Hariman, 1986). For Plato, episteme was an expression, or a statement that conveys, absolute certainty (Havelock, 1963, p. 34; see also Scott, 1967) or a means for producing such expressions or statements. Doxa, on the other hand, was a decidedly inferior expression of opinion or probability...A world committed to the ideal of episteme is a world of clear and fixed truth, absolute certainty, and stable knowledge. The only possibility for rhetoric in such a world would be to make truth effective... A radical gulf is presumed to exist between discovering  truth (the province of philosophy or science) and the lesser task of disseminating it (the province of rhetoric). (James Jasinski, Sourcebook on Rhetoric. Sage, 2001)- Since it is not in human nature to acquire knowledge (episteme) that would make us certain what to do or say, I consider one wise who has the ability through conjecture (doxai) to attain the best choice: I call philosophers those that engage themselves with that from which this sort of practical wisdom (phronesis) is speedily grasped. (Isocrates, Antidosis, 353 BC) Episteme and Techne I have no criticism to make of episteme as a system of knowledge. On the contrary, one can argue that we would not be human without our command of episteme. The problem is rather the claim made on behalf of episteme that it is all of the knowledge, from which stems its proclivity to crowd out other, equally important, systems of knowledge. While episteme is essential to our humanness, so is techne. Indeed, it is our ability to combine techne and episteme that sets us apart both from other animals and from computers: animals have techne and machines have episteme, but only we humans have both. (Oliver Sackss clinical histories (1985) are at once moving as well as entertaining evidence for the grotesque, bizarre, and even tragic distortions of human beings that result from a loss of either techne or episteme.) (Stephen A. Marglin, Farmers, Seedsmen, and Scientists: Systems of Agriculture and Systems of Knowledge.  Decolonizing Knowledge: From Development to Dialogue, ed. by  Frà ©dà ©rique Apffel-Marglin and Stephen A. Marglin. Oxford University Press, 2004) Foucaults Concept of Episteme [In  Michel Foucaults The Order of Things] the archaeological method attempts to uncover a positive unconscious of knowledge. This term denotes a set of rules of formation which are constitutive of the diverse and heterogeneous discourses of a given period and which elude the consciousness of the practitioners of these different discourses.  This positive unconscious of knowledge is also captured in  the term episteme. The episteme is the condition of possibility of discourse in a given period; it is an a priori set of rules of formation that allow discourses to function, that allow different objects and different themes to be spoken at one time but not at another. Source:   (Lois McNay,  Foucault: A Critical Introduction. Polity Press, 1994)

Contrasting two leadership styles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Contrasting two leadership styles - Essay Example As a result, Steven Jobs ended up highly dynamic in his approach on how to motivate employees to think and create new innovative ideas. Jobs emphasises creativity to the highest level. His very strategic point is to recognise that employees are important asset or resources in the organisation and each idea they created is not superior to the other within the group. The thought that there is going to exist an idea that may turn out higher than the rest is due to the existence of definite criteria within the organisation. This according to Jobs should be the ultimate basis in accepting which idea to be chosen but it does not mean the rest would not be substantially superb. Jobs therefore is combining an effort to motivate his employees to do more, compete with each other in a positive way, and recognise the individual strengths to be maximised for the organisation’s advantage. There are also some leaders who learned to be tougher because that is necessary in order to achieve the organisation’s ultimate goal and image. Microsoft for instance is one of the toughest companies in the world today.Competitive advantage is a way to gain economic advantage or better financial performance (Royer et al., 2008; Gamero et al., 2009). The purpose of competitive strategies is actually to meet corporate goals but it actually also creates specific environment of the organisation (Porter, 1998). It is at this point in which leaders try to remarkably create specific styles of leadership.... Thus, for many years it specifically rely positively on feedback mechanism from the customers as it seeks to continuously improve its product and service offerings. As a result, Bill Gates learned to substantially dream twice as much and be more concise in empowering its subordinates to work and live in his vision. As a successful leader, Gates never failed to encourage his subordinates to dream bigger and even more than that. Gates encourages them to keep on dreaming in order to achieve even the hardest possible things to be realised. This is the reason why inferiority has no place at Microsoft. It definitely does not find its way there. As a result, Gates is so tough at using the individual weaknesses for his advantage. This is his opportunity to apply strong political power. As observed, Jobs and Gates are two renowned leaders of our time in the business world. As leaders, they also show different styles in leadership. It therefore remains a critical point to emphasise that the ve ry nature of their specific approaches as leaders can be substantially explained by how they meet the needs of their organisation. Thus, they have to create a strong foundation for their respective organisation. They have to create a specific environment not only to differentiate their organisation from the other, but in order to gain competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is a way to gain economic advantage or better financial performance (Royer et al., 2008; Gamero et al., 2009). The purpose of competitive strategies is actually to meet corporate goals but it actually also creates specific environment of the organisation (Porter, 1998). It is at this point in which leaders try to remarkably create specific styles of

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and Essay

What, for Weber, are the distinctive features of the modern state and what kind of qualities are to be found in those who have a vocation for politics - Essay Example Max Weber’s lecture on ‘Politics as a Vocation’: Politik als Beruf, was given in January 1918 to the students of Munich University. In it, Weber gave his definition of the modern state from the sociological point of view, which continues to hold good in the present day context, and his conception of the person who has a genuine vocation for politics. Weber’s ideal politician is one who realistically and resolutely confronts the vicissitudes of political life and combines in himself passion and detachment, along with the ethics of ultimate means and responsibility. Weber holds that the state is a political association which cannot be circumscribed by its’ ends, as these are too varied. It can only by defined in terms of its’ employment of physical force to attain its’ ends. Weber agreed with Trotsky’s assertion that â€Å"Every state is founded on force.† The state claims its’ use of physical violence as a legitimate right and considers itself the sole arbiter of this right. Another characteristic of the state is its’ demarcation into a particular territory. In the modern state, men dominate other men. This association is reinforced by the states’ use of force when necessary. The foundation of the state is the mandatory obedience of the people who are dominated to the authority of the state. This domination is given legitimacy by three â€Å"inner justifications† – traditional, charismatic and legal. Traditional domination is that exerted by patriarchs and princes out of age old custom. Charismatic domination is based on the appeal of a magnetic personality who inspires his followers to devotion because they â€Å"believe in him.† Legal domination is based on legal decrees which are accepted and respected as valid obligations. Of course, fear of punishment for resisting authority and the hope of reward for obedience are other factors which come into play. Politically dominant

Experience of vendor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experience of vendor - Essay Example Being a vendor even with a simple product such as selling lemonade to our community made me appreciate the basic principles of business. One important principle is that my sales must be higher than my expenses. Although most of my supplies came from our kitchen, I still have to think about profit and that my sales should be more than the things that I bought from the grocery such as cups, containers etch. The experience also taught me valuable lesson that it is tough to make money. Customers are fickle and ask a lot of questions even with just a simple lemonade and they could be demanding. As a vendor and seller, I cannot of course complain because customers are always right (I learn that somewhere). We teenagers often do not realize how hard it is to earn money because we just ask it for our parents who in turn has to earn them to provide for the family and that includes us who as a lot of things from then even if many of it are not important. Vending which involves an effort to make money made me realize that money does not grow on trees and it has to be earned sometimes, the hard way. My experience as a vendor selling lemonade and sandwiches to our community may be tough but it has its rewards as well. After the vacation where I did the selling, I saved all my sales and was surprised and happy to have earned that much. I made few hundred dollars and at that time, it was the biggest amount of money that I ever got hold of and it felt good. It felt very good to have that money not because I felt rich but because I earned them by myself. I can still remember when I had that money the things that I can with it. But since I cannot decide, I asked my parents who in turn took the significant portion of it to open a savings account for me and only gave me enough to spend. The reaction of my parents on how to handle my earnings from vending also taught me a valuable lesson to be financially wise. Being financially wise meant not spending all the

Valero Energy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Valero Energy - Essay Example 4. Critically discuss whether Valero Energy has diversified its products and services. Provide 3 recommendations with a timeframe included of how Valero Energy can create better value through diversification of its corporate-level strategy. 5. Critically discuss whether Valero Energy has created and sustained a competitive advantage through its business-level strategy. Provide 3 examples of different environmental influencers that have affected its business-level strategy. [1] Valero is a refiner of oil feedstock. It buys oil from companies that extract them from the ground and Valero turns the stuff into clean fuel and other products like plastics, asphalt, aromatics, etc. that it sells to other companies. Valero’s entrepreneurial philosophy is closer to that of a small family business where all who work for it feel that they have a stake in the success and profitability of the company. In a June 2006 interview with HR Magazine, Valero’s first CEO (who retired in 2005) admitted that the concern of management is basically how to take care of its people so that they improve their operations, increase refining capacity and yield, and help run the company better. Profits usually follow because the people are happy working for the company. Since 1980, the company has taken care of its people – it has not laid off a single employee in the last twenty-nine years – and so has the luxury of getting the best among those who apply for jobs there, rewarding them for their contributions to the company. Process and product innovations at Valero are managed by sharing the R&D expertise of researchers for its four fuel (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and renewables) and eight specialty (aromatics, asphalt, propane, sulfur, base and process oils, petroleum coke, solvents and natural gas liquids) products following the basic guidelines of being environment-friendly,

Six Thinking Hats Model for Learning Tool

Six Thinking Hats Model for Learning Tool Abstract The aim of this project is to implement an effective discussion tool by using six thinking hats model as the mechanism. There is a need to implement an effective learning tool for education in Hong Kong. Discuss tool is a kind of them. Although there are many discussion tool available in the web space, most of them are not developed for specific need especially education. In this project, we used the six thinking hats model as a mechanism in order to develop an effective online discussion tool. The six thinking hats model will use as a mechanism to facilitate the synchronous online discussion. By using this model, a collaborative learning assistance platform will be developed. In this project, we will show you why six thinking hats model is situation for student to learn and the author will also evaluate the proposing environment. Introduction There is a need to implement an effective learning tool for education in Hong Kong. Discuss tool is a kind of them. Although there are many discussion tools available in the web space, most of them are not developed for education. In this project, we develop an effective discussion tool by using the six thinking hats model as a mechanism. And in this section, we will go through some background information for this project. They are: specific definitions related to this project, the need e-learning resource and we will also use the Groupware and 3C Collaboration model to analysis online discussion tool. Background The need of e-learning resources in Hong Kong In October 2009, the Education Bureau of Hong Kong (2009)[1] released a report related to e-learning entitled Working Group on Textbooks and e-Learning Resources Development. The report stated that it is a global trend to use e-learning in education and there is a paradigm shift in school education from a text-based and teacher-centered mode to a more interactive and learner-centered mode. E-learning resources are encouraged to develop in order to enhance the learning effectiveness and provide the student a best mode to learn. The Secretary for Education has announced to launch a three-year Promoting e-learning pilot scheme in 20- 30 primary and secondary schools in the 2010/2011 school year. From the above, we can see there is a potential need to develop an effective learning tool for education in Hong Kong based on the government policy. What is Project Based Learning? Project Based learning (PBL) is a conceptual model that fit learning into projects. According to the definitions in the PBL handbook[2] for teachers, projects are consist of different tasks, based on challenging problems, that required students to design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative activities; Meanwhile PBL allows the student to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and eventually come up with a realistic products or presentations. The definition above is too abstract that cannot distinguish the different between projects and the instance of PBL. According to Thomas (2000)[3], he proposed five criteria that an instant of PBL project should have. They are centrality, driving question, constructive investigations, autonomy, and realism. PBL projects are central, not peripheral to the curriculum. Projects are the curriculum. The central teaching strategy in PBL is the project itself. Students learn the central concepts through projects. The centrality here means students learn things that are outside the curriculum are not examples of PBL. For example, illustrations, examples, additional practice, or practical applications like discussion is only an application of the projects, it is not considered to be the instance of PBL. PBL projects are focused on questions or problems that drive students to encounter (and struggle with) the central concepts and principles of a discipline. The project has to be about a driving question or an ill-defined problem which can motivate the student to learn. The question that student pursue, as well as the applications mentioned in the last paragraph, must be well combined in the service of an important intellectual purpose. Projects involve students in a constructive investigation. In order to be consider as a PBL project. Based on the PBL project, the students are able to transformation and construction of knowledge, making new understanding and skill by the PBL activities. If the project represents no difficulty to the student or it is about the already-learnt knowledge, the project is an exercise and it is not a PBL project. Projects are student-driven to some significant degree There is no expected, predetermined outcome for the PBL projects. It is because the PBL projects not like traditional instruction and projects, it is highly dependent to the students choice, organization and responsibility. Projects are realistic, not school-like. The PBL project give the student a feeling of authenticity, it is because of the topic, the tasks, the roles that the students play incorporates real-life challenges where the focus is on authentic (not simulated) problems or questions and where solutions have the potential to be implemented. Why Project Based Learning is effective According to George Lucas Educational Foundation (2001), the project based learning is effective for student as it is student driven, based on this situation, the attendance of the student will increase and thus increase their self-confidence, motivate them to participate in the project Secondly, research show that the academic gains equal to or better than those generated by other models, with students involved in projects taking greater responsibility for their own learning than during more traditional classroom activities (Boaler, 1997; SRI, 2000 ) Opportunities to develop complex skills, such as higher-order thinking, problem-solving, collaborating, and communicating (SRI, 2000) Access to a broader range of learning opportunities in the classroom, providing a strategy for engaging culturally diverse learners (Railsback, 2002) The problems There are many discussion tools available in the web space but seldom of them are designed for learning. Especially, they have addition feature to facilitate learning and at least, the usability of the online tools. For the learning facilitation, we would like to point out an effective discussion tools should help the participant to learn systematically. It is because, our brain was train to think inside the box (habit). This may limited our thought and make the discussion low affectivity. For the user usability, chat confusion is one of other problems for online discussion tools. Thirunarayanan, M. O. (2000)[4] suggests that there may be chat or conversation overlap in chat rooms as the student and instructor submit their responses at their unique pace. The participants may talk simultaneously and interrupt the other participant to follow the conversation. As the text area of the chat history is usually scrolled automatically, participant will have problem when they want to follow the comment of their initiated idea. Introduction to WebQuest Discussion as a learning approach in PBL Difficulties in discussion Aims The aim of this project is to build an integrate discussion tool to serve the needs of discussion task in WebQuest. We are going to used six thinking hats model as the mechanism in the discussion tool. This project will be an application to Web Quest system (Yeung 2009), while this project provides the student a platform to perform the discussion online based on project based learning and Yeungs system provided a platform for teacher to examine and manage the student project. Objective Objective To study the need of a discussion tool in e-learning To study the problem of exiting discussion tool To study the advantage of using a collaborative mechanism in PBL To review and examine the six thinking hats model as collaborative mechanism To redesign the model in order to fit the PBLS To develop a collaborative system for PBL In this section, we have gone through why there is a need to develop the e-learning resources in Hong Kong, it is because the research suggested that e-learning is good for the student and there is a trend to shift the teaching paradigm from correspondent learning to the peers learning . Hong Kong Government is totally supported the development of the e-learning resources. The students are also preferred to communicate online rather than communicate face to face. Communicate Mediated Communication and Computer Supported Collaborative learning is two main ideas in this project. In which, we have gone through the meaning of collaboration learning and the benefit of discussion as the learning activity. Report Organization Discussion as a learning strategy Askell-Willams and Lawson (2005)[5] has carried out a sophisticated study in teaching-learning discussion, they investigated the topic in different aspect, and the overview below is concluded by views of expertise in perspectives of psychological, sociological-constructivism and socio-linguists. There is a convincing reason that why discussion can serve as teaching and learning purpose. Dillon (1994)[6] stated that discussion can benefit in understanding of subject matter and resolution of issues related to the subject matter and its educational function; personal growth; and understanding of the value of group reflection and deliberation. Discussion is also a primary mechanism in students social transactions. The discussion itself served as a knowledge construction process. Social transactions in classroom can encourage student to put the knowledge into public domain, their reasoning and understands can then be the augmented, examined, elaborated, critiqued and related to the understandings of other people. Tobin, Tippins, and Gallard (1994)[7] also stated that the role of discussion provided a perfect platform for students to interact. Group interaction can provide a background in which student can be negotiate differences of opinion and seek agreement. It is more important that student can generate question and clarify understanding of specific content. Peers interaction can develop their ability to speak out, unafraid in order to take a proper stand. Based on the social cognitive perspective, discourse is also a primary deliberation tool for cognitive development. Nuthall (1997)[8] proposed that the potential benefit of discourse is transactional relationship between socio-cultural experience and self-organizational activities of the mind. Such activities of the mind are facilitated through discussion, Askell-Willams and Lawson showed us an example. If a student only acquires knowledge from a teacher, the student will only incorporate the single dependent perspective of the student-teacher relationship. If, on the other hand, the student acquires the knowledge in discussion in which different perspectives are described, explained and debated, the students performance will incorporate with a larger network of intertwined social and logical relationships. Problem rose from discussion Of course using discussion as a learning strategy is not suitable in every situation. Baxter, Woodward and Olson (2001)[9] showed that learning through class discussion might not effective for those low-achieving students, it is too difficult for them to involved in the discussion frequently and they may not have chance to speak out according to their shyness. Hollander (2002)[10] also noted that the organization of effective discussion at the individual level is not straightforward. Some student talk much while other talks little, the content of discussions can be awkward, there is no guarantee that the discussion content will be threaded in a coherent manner and not all students might have developed effective skill for contribution. It should also be noted that, leaving student discuss by their own will not engaging an effective discussion. Many students need specific instruction in order to know how to ask proper questions and give proper respond. Although the expertise may agree that discussion is a potential learning strategy for education, the key stockholder is the learner. If students knowledge is not enough to allow them to make effective use of a discussion, just like how to act effectively, how to ask proper questions and how to give proper respond, in this situation, the benefit of discussion as a learning approach are unlikely to be study. The value of collaboration and discussion in learning strategy for Online learning Environment From the above, we can see that how discussion benefit in students learning, here we will discuss the value of collaboration and discussion in learning strategy for Online Learning Environments (OLEs). Clark(2001)[11] stated that although it is achievable that learning with student interaction(passive learning), active learning through interaction including faculty acting as peers, guides, and moderators is generally consider more effective and well suited to OLEs. Discussion is not like the traditional instructor lecture method of education. Discussion and collaboration increased students involvement in which engages students actively participated in the learning process compare with the traditional instructor lecture teaching method, discussion are able promote the belonging of students achievement and satisfaction. Clark stated that, although the student and instructor remained as a key player in the discussion as learning strategy, there are still some different between the traditional classroom and OLEs. The diagram stated below illustrated their different. The Shift of Face to Face discussion to Computer Mediated Discussion From the last session, we can see that there is advantage of using OLEs in discussion than traditional classroom. How about student? Do they also want to use the electronic resources to learn and interact with each other? An and Frick (2006)[12] found that student preferred to use computer mediated communication (CMC) than face to face (F2F) as communication media under certain condition. Here are the reasons: Flexibility The location and time become an independent variable in CMC such that student can perform discussion on web anywhere. Interactivity increased The flexibility of digital learning platform also contributed to the second point, it will increase the interactivity between the students and as well as the Instructor. The learning style of the students is thus transform from independent learning to peers learning by the use of computer aids. Sutton (2001)[13] (in An and Frick, 2006) suggested that CMC has caused the shift from correspondence learning to social learning. Berge (1995)[14] (in An and Frick, 2006) has also suggested the interaction among instructors, students, contents and interface have been maximized in the online discussion and thus facilitate the constructive thinking. Allow student to learn by their own pace When compare to F2F, CMC provide student more time to respond the question. It allows student to analysis and reflect the question with enough time so that they can compose thoughtful responds. Student can thus learn by their own peak in CMC, they can also take control to their learning and interact with the peer in order to build knowledge. Overview of the Discussion Tool Synchronized and Asynchronous Discussion tool Discussion is definitely a common implementation for Computer Mediate Communication. Generally, online discussion tool can divided in to two types, they are synchronized and asynchronous discussion tool. And as educational platforms, the two distinct format of interaction impact differently. In this session, we are going to investigate the pros and cons of these discussion tools in learning. What is asynchronous discussion tool? According to Johnson(2006)[15], asynchronous instruction occurs in delayed time and does not require the simultaneous participation of student and teacher. The asynchronous instruction was used in distance education in the early year due to postal delays. The asynchronous voice conferencing are already proven useful in some instructional contexts, text-based asynchronous instruction are also widely used in the post-secondary education, it can also be considered as asynchronous online discussion. Johnson stated that educators has been investigate the efficiency of asynchronous online discussion, they reported that it can encouraging in-depth, more thoughtful discussion; communicating with temporally diverse students; holding ongoing discussions where archiving is required; and allowing all students to respond to a topic There are also potential limitations of the asynchronous discussion room. Student may not check the forum frequently, lack of spontaneous feedback may lead students feel isolated, it is necessary to spend more time in the discussion in order to make it mature. Dede and Kremer (1999)[16](in Johnson, 2006) conducted a survey to check the students preferences of asynchronous discussion tool. They found that the asynchronous discussion provided a more comprehensive interchange for them, but it required more time and provided less social interaction than synchronous chat. What is synchronous discussion tool? According to Johnson (2006), Synchronous instruction occurs in real time and requires the simultaneous participation of students and teacher. The synchronous instruction was used in the closed circuit television on university campus in the early year. Until 1980s, video-conferencing and interactive television connected remote classroom, in which, the synchronous discussion allow student to ask question and perform interaction in spontaneously, the educators start conduct study how synchronous discussion tool help student in learning. As you can see, synchronous communication tools allow multiple users communicate with each other at the same time using text messages, According to a report investigated by Branon Essex (2001)[17] (in Johnson, 2006) showed that synchronous chat tools are useful for holding virtual office hours, team decision-making, and brainstorming, community building, and dealing with technical issues. Spontaneous feedback can make student feel connected; student will not feel isolated in this situation, meanwhile, student are all actively participate in the discussion tool synchronously, not like asynchronous discussion tool, required student to login frequently to check for update. But there are still limitations for the synchronous discussion tool. It is difficult to implement synchronous discussion tool compare with asynchronous discussion tool. It is hard to get students online at the same time, and it is difficult in manage large-scale conversation. Lack of reflection time for student and it is demanding for the poor typist. Synchronous Versus asynchronous online discussion Educators are commonly agreed the learning outcome of asynchronous online discussion room is better the face-to-face discussion. But the limitations stated above (isolation and frequently participation) discourage them to use this mechanism alone. There lead to the trend of implementing synchronous chat tool, it is because synchronous chat can override those limitation, as it attempts to emulates face-to-face discussion. Using synchronous chat not only enhanced social transaction but also improve student learning outcome. Johnson(2006) suggested the best methodology is combining the synchronous and asynchronous chat tool in Online Learning Environment in order to get higher levels of student satisfaction and mastery of course requirements than implementation of either mode in isolation. Johnson stated that there is a survey supported student whos used both discussion tools are most likely to achieved the course requirement because using the both tools can maximized personal engagement in learning. Review on different discussion model Structured Academic Controversy The method was firstly introduced by David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, they are the leading expert in cooperative learning. As titled, academic controversy is a structured discussion strategy by using controversy, in which, controversy means an individual has a different idea and that idea is incompatible with others idea, so two of them need to compromise in order to reach a common agreement. According to the Cooperate Learning Center, academic controversyuses the intellectual conflict to encourage student to reach higher achievement. It will also enhanced the quality of problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, reasoning, interpersonal relationships, and psychological health and well-being There are three goals which SAC are designed to help the to achieve. They are to gain a deeper understanding of an issue, to find common ground, and to make a decision based on evidence and logic The five procedures in SAC Step 1- Organizing Information and conclude Students are separate into two groups, one of them will receive materials which written in supportive side and the other receive material of the opposite side. The groups will discuss together to conclude main ideas for present. Step 2: Presenting And Advocating Positions Student will present their argument, each side have a limited time to contribute the groups ideas. After the presentation, the other side can have a minute to rebut. Step 3: Uncertainty Created By Being Challenged By Opposing Views After the rebuttal of each group, the two sides will be switched. Each of the group will receive material from their opposite side. The students are required to use their material and points they have learnt from the other side earlier to formulate points of the opposite view. Step 4: Epistemic Curiosity and Perspective Taking Students will put down their position and discuss the issue together; they are required to find points which they are agree with and disagree with based on their evidence from the argument in order to reach concurrence. If the group cannot find a consensus of the topic, they are advice to find a compromised procedure which they could use to resolve the disagreements. Step5: Re-conceptualizing, Synthesizing, and Integrating It is a sharing session, the whole class grouped together and discusses how the group worked as a team and how can SAC help them in understanding the issue. Limitation of SAC: Student may be prejudiced by first impressions, they may not able to change their mind even the evident are support the opposite idea. And thus, it is hard to reach consensus at the end of the process. As SAC involved rebuttal, student may thought they are personal attacked by the criticism if the others student are not handle the rebuttal properly. It is demanding for the low-achieving student to speak out in the group they may not have chance to speak out according to their shyness. Civil Conversation Model The model was firstly used by the Constitutional Rights Foundation for encourages student to analyst a text material. With the guidance of the team leader, groups member are encouraged to study a selected text material, they will get to know their own points of view in the discussion procedure and eventually build a shared knowledge within the group. The challenged text material is an essential step for discussion in Civil Conversation. The text should be in a proper length and the conversation will takes place with the students in a circle. The teacher usually acts as a facilitator. The aims of the facilitator are: identify the topic and main points in the text, list what they agree and disagree with in the text, and pose questions about the text they believe are worthy of discussion. The challenged text will organized as a worksheet and contains question which required student to answer. The questions are usually in the below format: What is the selection is about: What is the main points are: What do you agree with What do you disagree with A selected question for group discussion, the question should have no simple answer which can only use the materials as evidence. Debrief Questions What did you learn from the conversation? What did you find you had in common with other members of the group? For anyone not active in the conversation (those good listeners), what did you learn; what did you agree with; who said something that you would have said? The four procedures in CC Step 1- Selected a challenged text Divided students into group and set the time limit of the discussion Step 2- Ask for agreement and Disagreement Ask every member to contribute idea on agreement and disagreement (question 3 and 4). Members should carefully listens to others and contribute new ideas based on that. Step3- Discussion Then ask the entire group to respond to question 5 the predefined discussion question. They are required to jot down the issues raise and they can raise a new problem anytime.The conversation can then continue by discussing the questions raised. Step4: Sharing session It is a sharing session, the whole class grouped together and discusses how the group worked as a team and how can Civil Conversation model help them in understanding the issue. And ask students to return to the Reading Guide and answer questions 6 and 7. Step 5: Make enhancement Conclude the ideas by asking the student to advise ways to improve the model. If appropriate, add these suggestions to the conversation rules. Limitation Facilitator is essential in this model. Student needed guideline on how to make a good discussion. As the student usually asks for factual question of the article, it is only good for additional research. A good question should make student to think about an issue, take position and back it up with evidence. As you can see the quality of the discussion is mainly depended on the facilitator There is no specific guideline for student to follow while they are taking place to discuss the raised question in step 3. The free-style discussion may lead the discussion out-of -track. Civil Conversation Model are designed to analyst a selected material. It may not fitted the nature of Project Based Learning, in which, student are required to research on the topics and collected additional material by their selves. By doing their own research, they can have new ideas by reconstructing the material. Six Thinking Hats Model The Six Thinking Hats Model is a thinking/discussion strategy devised by Edward de Bono in 1994. The model suggested that human thinking was divided in 6 session and the model uses 6 different colors to represent each of them, It requires students to extend their way of thinking about a topic by wearing a range of different thinking hats: The Hats White hat thinking focuses on the information available and needed. Black hat thinking examines the difficulties and problems associated with a topic. Yellow hat thinking focuses on benefits and values. Red hat thinking looks at a topic from the point of view of emotions and feelings Green hat thinking requires imaginative, creative and lateral thinking about a topic. Blue hat thinking focuses on reflection, control and the need to manage the thinking process. The colors help students to visualize six separate modes of thinking and to convey something of the meaning of that thinking. It can be used by student in different ages, here are the 6 thinking hat model teaching materials for the primary school student and secondary school student. Procedure of using Six Thinking Hat Model: There is no parliamentary procedure for the six thinking hats model, the model can be fitted in individual thinking and it can also fit in group discussion. While using six thinking hat model in group discussion, usually, it required the group member to pick a color of hat and let them contribute their idea one by one. In this model, the blue hat is acted like a facilitator in the group. It aims to manage the thinking process and summarize the points contributed by their team member. Advantages: It allow student to think out of the box, not like SAC and CC, the six thinking hats model was a straight forward model to lead student to think the issue based on 6 different aspect. Not like SAC and CC, emotion is brought into the model other than focused in evident, it opens up an opportunity for creativity within Decision Making. Instructor is not necessary in 6 thinking hats model compare than Civil Conversation model, it is because student will take their own part as the blue hat controller, and instructor can just sit around and let the student drive the discussion by themselves. Not like SAC, by using six thinking hats model the student will not prejudiced by first impressions. It is because the six thinking hat model is not aimed for controversywhich required student to rebut for each other, it allows student to express their ideas altogether by role playing. By using this model, there is a directed way the leads the low-achieving student contribute in the discussion. Review on existing system Instructor Controlled Chat System(ICCS) ICCS (Thirunarayanan, 2000) [23] was proposed to let the instructor involve into the student discussion, it can fix the problem with chat confusion and overlap. He proposed two software enhancements in order to achieve the aim: Instructor mediated chat Instructors will have two windows on their monitor, one is the student discussion window and the other is the instructor control window. Each message raised from the student will send to the instructor window first before published to the other students, the instructor will choose the relevant question / response to publish. Students are only type and respond to the question until the instructor sends the message to the student window Instructor hints before the chat section The second point is to save short comments; questions and statement in the database before the chat session begin. Once the student is lack of idea, the instructor can make use of the pre-saved statements to ask question and remind students to stay focused on relevant topic. Potential problem of ICCS As the discussion flow is highly depended t Six Thinking Hats Model for Learning Tool Six Thinking Hats Model for Learning Tool Abstract The aim of this project is to implement an effective discussion tool by using six thinking hats model as the mechanism. There is a need to implement an effective learning tool for education in Hong Kong. Discuss tool is a kind of them. Although there are many discussion tool available in the web space, most of them are not developed for specific need especially education. In this project, we used the six thinking hats model as a mechanism in order to develop an effective online discussion tool. The six thinking hats model will use as a mechanism to facilitate the synchronous online discussion. By using this model, a collaborative learning assistance platform will be developed. In this project, we will show you why six thinking hats model is situation for student to learn and the author will also evaluate the proposing environment. Introduction There is a need to implement an effective learning tool for education in Hong Kong. Discuss tool is a kind of them. Although there are many discussion tools available in the web space, most of them are not developed for education. In this project, we develop an effective discussion tool by using the six thinking hats model as a mechanism. And in this section, we will go through some background information for this project. They are: specific definitions related to this project, the need e-learning resource and we will also use the Groupware and 3C Collaboration model to analysis online discussion tool. Background The need of e-learning resources in Hong Kong In October 2009, the Education Bureau of Hong Kong (2009)[1] released a report related to e-learning entitled Working Group on Textbooks and e-Learning Resources Development. The report stated that it is a global trend to use e-learning in education and there is a paradigm shift in school education from a text-based and teacher-centered mode to a more interactive and learner-centered mode. E-learning resources are encouraged to develop in order to enhance the learning effectiveness and provide the student a best mode to learn. The Secretary for Education has announced to launch a three-year Promoting e-learning pilot scheme in 20- 30 primary and secondary schools in the 2010/2011 school year. From the above, we can see there is a potential need to develop an effective learning tool for education in Hong Kong based on the government policy. What is Project Based Learning? Project Based learning (PBL) is a conceptual model that fit learning into projects. According to the definitions in the PBL handbook[2] for teachers, projects are consist of different tasks, based on challenging problems, that required students to design, problem-solving, decision making, or investigative activities; Meanwhile PBL allows the student to work relatively autonomously over extended periods of time; and eventually come up with a realistic products or presentations. The definition above is too abstract that cannot distinguish the different between projects and the instance of PBL. According to Thomas (2000)[3], he proposed five criteria that an instant of PBL project should have. They are centrality, driving question, constructive investigations, autonomy, and realism. PBL projects are central, not peripheral to the curriculum. Projects are the curriculum. The central teaching strategy in PBL is the project itself. Students learn the central concepts through projects. The centrality here means students learn things that are outside the curriculum are not examples of PBL. For example, illustrations, examples, additional practice, or practical applications like discussion is only an application of the projects, it is not considered to be the instance of PBL. PBL projects are focused on questions or problems that drive students to encounter (and struggle with) the central concepts and principles of a discipline. The project has to be about a driving question or an ill-defined problem which can motivate the student to learn. The question that student pursue, as well as the applications mentioned in the last paragraph, must be well combined in the service of an important intellectual purpose. Projects involve students in a constructive investigation. In order to be consider as a PBL project. Based on the PBL project, the students are able to transformation and construction of knowledge, making new understanding and skill by the PBL activities. If the project represents no difficulty to the student or it is about the already-learnt knowledge, the project is an exercise and it is not a PBL project. Projects are student-driven to some significant degree There is no expected, predetermined outcome for the PBL projects. It is because the PBL projects not like traditional instruction and projects, it is highly dependent to the students choice, organization and responsibility. Projects are realistic, not school-like. The PBL project give the student a feeling of authenticity, it is because of the topic, the tasks, the roles that the students play incorporates real-life challenges where the focus is on authentic (not simulated) problems or questions and where solutions have the potential to be implemented. Why Project Based Learning is effective According to George Lucas Educational Foundation (2001), the project based learning is effective for student as it is student driven, based on this situation, the attendance of the student will increase and thus increase their self-confidence, motivate them to participate in the project Secondly, research show that the academic gains equal to or better than those generated by other models, with students involved in projects taking greater responsibility for their own learning than during more traditional classroom activities (Boaler, 1997; SRI, 2000 ) Opportunities to develop complex skills, such as higher-order thinking, problem-solving, collaborating, and communicating (SRI, 2000) Access to a broader range of learning opportunities in the classroom, providing a strategy for engaging culturally diverse learners (Railsback, 2002) The problems There are many discussion tools available in the web space but seldom of them are designed for learning. Especially, they have addition feature to facilitate learning and at least, the usability of the online tools. For the learning facilitation, we would like to point out an effective discussion tools should help the participant to learn systematically. It is because, our brain was train to think inside the box (habit). This may limited our thought and make the discussion low affectivity. For the user usability, chat confusion is one of other problems for online discussion tools. Thirunarayanan, M. O. (2000)[4] suggests that there may be chat or conversation overlap in chat rooms as the student and instructor submit their responses at their unique pace. The participants may talk simultaneously and interrupt the other participant to follow the conversation. As the text area of the chat history is usually scrolled automatically, participant will have problem when they want to follow the comment of their initiated idea. Introduction to WebQuest Discussion as a learning approach in PBL Difficulties in discussion Aims The aim of this project is to build an integrate discussion tool to serve the needs of discussion task in WebQuest. We are going to used six thinking hats model as the mechanism in the discussion tool. This project will be an application to Web Quest system (Yeung 2009), while this project provides the student a platform to perform the discussion online based on project based learning and Yeungs system provided a platform for teacher to examine and manage the student project. Objective Objective To study the need of a discussion tool in e-learning To study the problem of exiting discussion tool To study the advantage of using a collaborative mechanism in PBL To review and examine the six thinking hats model as collaborative mechanism To redesign the model in order to fit the PBLS To develop a collaborative system for PBL In this section, we have gone through why there is a need to develop the e-learning resources in Hong Kong, it is because the research suggested that e-learning is good for the student and there is a trend to shift the teaching paradigm from correspondent learning to the peers learning . Hong Kong Government is totally supported the development of the e-learning resources. The students are also preferred to communicate online rather than communicate face to face. Communicate Mediated Communication and Computer Supported Collaborative learning is two main ideas in this project. In which, we have gone through the meaning of collaboration learning and the benefit of discussion as the learning activity. Report Organization Discussion as a learning strategy Askell-Willams and Lawson (2005)[5] has carried out a sophisticated study in teaching-learning discussion, they investigated the topic in different aspect, and the overview below is concluded by views of expertise in perspectives of psychological, sociological-constructivism and socio-linguists. There is a convincing reason that why discussion can serve as teaching and learning purpose. Dillon (1994)[6] stated that discussion can benefit in understanding of subject matter and resolution of issues related to the subject matter and its educational function; personal growth; and understanding of the value of group reflection and deliberation. Discussion is also a primary mechanism in students social transactions. The discussion itself served as a knowledge construction process. Social transactions in classroom can encourage student to put the knowledge into public domain, their reasoning and understands can then be the augmented, examined, elaborated, critiqued and related to the understandings of other people. Tobin, Tippins, and Gallard (1994)[7] also stated that the role of discussion provided a perfect platform for students to interact. Group interaction can provide a background in which student can be negotiate differences of opinion and seek agreement. It is more important that student can generate question and clarify understanding of specific content. Peers interaction can develop their ability to speak out, unafraid in order to take a proper stand. Based on the social cognitive perspective, discourse is also a primary deliberation tool for cognitive development. Nuthall (1997)[8] proposed that the potential benefit of discourse is transactional relationship between socio-cultural experience and self-organizational activities of the mind. Such activities of the mind are facilitated through discussion, Askell-Willams and Lawson showed us an example. If a student only acquires knowledge from a teacher, the student will only incorporate the single dependent perspective of the student-teacher relationship. If, on the other hand, the student acquires the knowledge in discussion in which different perspectives are described, explained and debated, the students performance will incorporate with a larger network of intertwined social and logical relationships. Problem rose from discussion Of course using discussion as a learning strategy is not suitable in every situation. Baxter, Woodward and Olson (2001)[9] showed that learning through class discussion might not effective for those low-achieving students, it is too difficult for them to involved in the discussion frequently and they may not have chance to speak out according to their shyness. Hollander (2002)[10] also noted that the organization of effective discussion at the individual level is not straightforward. Some student talk much while other talks little, the content of discussions can be awkward, there is no guarantee that the discussion content will be threaded in a coherent manner and not all students might have developed effective skill for contribution. It should also be noted that, leaving student discuss by their own will not engaging an effective discussion. Many students need specific instruction in order to know how to ask proper questions and give proper respond. Although the expertise may agree that discussion is a potential learning strategy for education, the key stockholder is the learner. If students knowledge is not enough to allow them to make effective use of a discussion, just like how to act effectively, how to ask proper questions and how to give proper respond, in this situation, the benefit of discussion as a learning approach are unlikely to be study. The value of collaboration and discussion in learning strategy for Online learning Environment From the above, we can see that how discussion benefit in students learning, here we will discuss the value of collaboration and discussion in learning strategy for Online Learning Environments (OLEs). Clark(2001)[11] stated that although it is achievable that learning with student interaction(passive learning), active learning through interaction including faculty acting as peers, guides, and moderators is generally consider more effective and well suited to OLEs. Discussion is not like the traditional instructor lecture method of education. Discussion and collaboration increased students involvement in which engages students actively participated in the learning process compare with the traditional instructor lecture teaching method, discussion are able promote the belonging of students achievement and satisfaction. Clark stated that, although the student and instructor remained as a key player in the discussion as learning strategy, there are still some different between the traditional classroom and OLEs. The diagram stated below illustrated their different. The Shift of Face to Face discussion to Computer Mediated Discussion From the last session, we can see that there is advantage of using OLEs in discussion than traditional classroom. How about student? Do they also want to use the electronic resources to learn and interact with each other? An and Frick (2006)[12] found that student preferred to use computer mediated communication (CMC) than face to face (F2F) as communication media under certain condition. Here are the reasons: Flexibility The location and time become an independent variable in CMC such that student can perform discussion on web anywhere. Interactivity increased The flexibility of digital learning platform also contributed to the second point, it will increase the interactivity between the students and as well as the Instructor. The learning style of the students is thus transform from independent learning to peers learning by the use of computer aids. Sutton (2001)[13] (in An and Frick, 2006) suggested that CMC has caused the shift from correspondence learning to social learning. Berge (1995)[14] (in An and Frick, 2006) has also suggested the interaction among instructors, students, contents and interface have been maximized in the online discussion and thus facilitate the constructive thinking. Allow student to learn by their own pace When compare to F2F, CMC provide student more time to respond the question. It allows student to analysis and reflect the question with enough time so that they can compose thoughtful responds. Student can thus learn by their own peak in CMC, they can also take control to their learning and interact with the peer in order to build knowledge. Overview of the Discussion Tool Synchronized and Asynchronous Discussion tool Discussion is definitely a common implementation for Computer Mediate Communication. Generally, online discussion tool can divided in to two types, they are synchronized and asynchronous discussion tool. And as educational platforms, the two distinct format of interaction impact differently. In this session, we are going to investigate the pros and cons of these discussion tools in learning. What is asynchronous discussion tool? According to Johnson(2006)[15], asynchronous instruction occurs in delayed time and does not require the simultaneous participation of student and teacher. The asynchronous instruction was used in distance education in the early year due to postal delays. The asynchronous voice conferencing are already proven useful in some instructional contexts, text-based asynchronous instruction are also widely used in the post-secondary education, it can also be considered as asynchronous online discussion. Johnson stated that educators has been investigate the efficiency of asynchronous online discussion, they reported that it can encouraging in-depth, more thoughtful discussion; communicating with temporally diverse students; holding ongoing discussions where archiving is required; and allowing all students to respond to a topic There are also potential limitations of the asynchronous discussion room. Student may not check the forum frequently, lack of spontaneous feedback may lead students feel isolated, it is necessary to spend more time in the discussion in order to make it mature. Dede and Kremer (1999)[16](in Johnson, 2006) conducted a survey to check the students preferences of asynchronous discussion tool. They found that the asynchronous discussion provided a more comprehensive interchange for them, but it required more time and provided less social interaction than synchronous chat. What is synchronous discussion tool? According to Johnson (2006), Synchronous instruction occurs in real time and requires the simultaneous participation of students and teacher. The synchronous instruction was used in the closed circuit television on university campus in the early year. Until 1980s, video-conferencing and interactive television connected remote classroom, in which, the synchronous discussion allow student to ask question and perform interaction in spontaneously, the educators start conduct study how synchronous discussion tool help student in learning. As you can see, synchronous communication tools allow multiple users communicate with each other at the same time using text messages, According to a report investigated by Branon Essex (2001)[17] (in Johnson, 2006) showed that synchronous chat tools are useful for holding virtual office hours, team decision-making, and brainstorming, community building, and dealing with technical issues. Spontaneous feedback can make student feel connected; student will not feel isolated in this situation, meanwhile, student are all actively participate in the discussion tool synchronously, not like asynchronous discussion tool, required student to login frequently to check for update. But there are still limitations for the synchronous discussion tool. It is difficult to implement synchronous discussion tool compare with asynchronous discussion tool. It is hard to get students online at the same time, and it is difficult in manage large-scale conversation. Lack of reflection time for student and it is demanding for the poor typist. Synchronous Versus asynchronous online discussion Educators are commonly agreed the learning outcome of asynchronous online discussion room is better the face-to-face discussion. But the limitations stated above (isolation and frequently participation) discourage them to use this mechanism alone. There lead to the trend of implementing synchronous chat tool, it is because synchronous chat can override those limitation, as it attempts to emulates face-to-face discussion. Using synchronous chat not only enhanced social transaction but also improve student learning outcome. Johnson(2006) suggested the best methodology is combining the synchronous and asynchronous chat tool in Online Learning Environment in order to get higher levels of student satisfaction and mastery of course requirements than implementation of either mode in isolation. Johnson stated that there is a survey supported student whos used both discussion tools are most likely to achieved the course requirement because using the both tools can maximized personal engagement in learning. Review on different discussion model Structured Academic Controversy The method was firstly introduced by David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson, they are the leading expert in cooperative learning. As titled, academic controversy is a structured discussion strategy by using controversy, in which, controversy means an individual has a different idea and that idea is incompatible with others idea, so two of them need to compromise in order to reach a common agreement. According to the Cooperate Learning Center, academic controversyuses the intellectual conflict to encourage student to reach higher achievement. It will also enhanced the quality of problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, reasoning, interpersonal relationships, and psychological health and well-being There are three goals which SAC are designed to help the to achieve. They are to gain a deeper understanding of an issue, to find common ground, and to make a decision based on evidence and logic The five procedures in SAC Step 1- Organizing Information and conclude Students are separate into two groups, one of them will receive materials which written in supportive side and the other receive material of the opposite side. The groups will discuss together to conclude main ideas for present. Step 2: Presenting And Advocating Positions Student will present their argument, each side have a limited time to contribute the groups ideas. After the presentation, the other side can have a minute to rebut. Step 3: Uncertainty Created By Being Challenged By Opposing Views After the rebuttal of each group, the two sides will be switched. Each of the group will receive material from their opposite side. The students are required to use their material and points they have learnt from the other side earlier to formulate points of the opposite view. Step 4: Epistemic Curiosity and Perspective Taking Students will put down their position and discuss the issue together; they are required to find points which they are agree with and disagree with based on their evidence from the argument in order to reach concurrence. If the group cannot find a consensus of the topic, they are advice to find a compromised procedure which they could use to resolve the disagreements. Step5: Re-conceptualizing, Synthesizing, and Integrating It is a sharing session, the whole class grouped together and discusses how the group worked as a team and how can SAC help them in understanding the issue. Limitation of SAC: Student may be prejudiced by first impressions, they may not able to change their mind even the evident are support the opposite idea. And thus, it is hard to reach consensus at the end of the process. As SAC involved rebuttal, student may thought they are personal attacked by the criticism if the others student are not handle the rebuttal properly. It is demanding for the low-achieving student to speak out in the group they may not have chance to speak out according to their shyness. Civil Conversation Model The model was firstly used by the Constitutional Rights Foundation for encourages student to analyst a text material. With the guidance of the team leader, groups member are encouraged to study a selected text material, they will get to know their own points of view in the discussion procedure and eventually build a shared knowledge within the group. The challenged text material is an essential step for discussion in Civil Conversation. The text should be in a proper length and the conversation will takes place with the students in a circle. The teacher usually acts as a facilitator. The aims of the facilitator are: identify the topic and main points in the text, list what they agree and disagree with in the text, and pose questions about the text they believe are worthy of discussion. The challenged text will organized as a worksheet and contains question which required student to answer. The questions are usually in the below format: What is the selection is about: What is the main points are: What do you agree with What do you disagree with A selected question for group discussion, the question should have no simple answer which can only use the materials as evidence. Debrief Questions What did you learn from the conversation? What did you find you had in common with other members of the group? For anyone not active in the conversation (those good listeners), what did you learn; what did you agree with; who said something that you would have said? The four procedures in CC Step 1- Selected a challenged text Divided students into group and set the time limit of the discussion Step 2- Ask for agreement and Disagreement Ask every member to contribute idea on agreement and disagreement (question 3 and 4). Members should carefully listens to others and contribute new ideas based on that. Step3- Discussion Then ask the entire group to respond to question 5 the predefined discussion question. They are required to jot down the issues raise and they can raise a new problem anytime.The conversation can then continue by discussing the questions raised. Step4: Sharing session It is a sharing session, the whole class grouped together and discusses how the group worked as a team and how can Civil Conversation model help them in understanding the issue. And ask students to return to the Reading Guide and answer questions 6 and 7. Step 5: Make enhancement Conclude the ideas by asking the student to advise ways to improve the model. If appropriate, add these suggestions to the conversation rules. Limitation Facilitator is essential in this model. Student needed guideline on how to make a good discussion. As the student usually asks for factual question of the article, it is only good for additional research. A good question should make student to think about an issue, take position and back it up with evidence. As you can see the quality of the discussion is mainly depended on the facilitator There is no specific guideline for student to follow while they are taking place to discuss the raised question in step 3. The free-style discussion may lead the discussion out-of -track. Civil Conversation Model are designed to analyst a selected material. It may not fitted the nature of Project Based Learning, in which, student are required to research on the topics and collected additional material by their selves. By doing their own research, they can have new ideas by reconstructing the material. Six Thinking Hats Model The Six Thinking Hats Model is a thinking/discussion strategy devised by Edward de Bono in 1994. The model suggested that human thinking was divided in 6 session and the model uses 6 different colors to represent each of them, It requires students to extend their way of thinking about a topic by wearing a range of different thinking hats: The Hats White hat thinking focuses on the information available and needed. Black hat thinking examines the difficulties and problems associated with a topic. Yellow hat thinking focuses on benefits and values. Red hat thinking looks at a topic from the point of view of emotions and feelings Green hat thinking requires imaginative, creative and lateral thinking about a topic. Blue hat thinking focuses on reflection, control and the need to manage the thinking process. The colors help students to visualize six separate modes of thinking and to convey something of the meaning of that thinking. It can be used by student in different ages, here are the 6 thinking hat model teaching materials for the primary school student and secondary school student. Procedure of using Six Thinking Hat Model: There is no parliamentary procedure for the six thinking hats model, the model can be fitted in individual thinking and it can also fit in group discussion. While using six thinking hat model in group discussion, usually, it required the group member to pick a color of hat and let them contribute their idea one by one. In this model, the blue hat is acted like a facilitator in the group. It aims to manage the thinking process and summarize the points contributed by their team member. Advantages: It allow student to think out of the box, not like SAC and CC, the six thinking hats model was a straight forward model to lead student to think the issue based on 6 different aspect. Not like SAC and CC, emotion is brought into the model other than focused in evident, it opens up an opportunity for creativity within Decision Making. Instructor is not necessary in 6 thinking hats model compare than Civil Conversation model, it is because student will take their own part as the blue hat controller, and instructor can just sit around and let the student drive the discussion by themselves. Not like SAC, by using six thinking hats model the student will not prejudiced by first impressions. It is because the six thinking hat model is not aimed for controversywhich required student to rebut for each other, it allows student to express their ideas altogether by role playing. By using this model, there is a directed way the leads the low-achieving student contribute in the discussion. Review on existing system Instructor Controlled Chat System(ICCS) ICCS (Thirunarayanan, 2000) [23] was proposed to let the instructor involve into the student discussion, it can fix the problem with chat confusion and overlap. He proposed two software enhancements in order to achieve the aim: Instructor mediated chat Instructors will have two windows on their monitor, one is the student discussion window and the other is the instructor control window. Each message raised from the student will send to the instructor window first before published to the other students, the instructor will choose the relevant question / response to publish. Students are only type and respond to the question until the instructor sends the message to the student window Instructor hints before the chat section The second point is to save short comments; questions and statement in the database before the chat session begin. Once the student is lack of idea, the instructor can make use of the pre-saved statements to ask question and remind students to stay focused on relevant topic. Potential problem of ICCS As the discussion flow is highly depended t