Communication Encourages Learning Essay -- Education Teaching Papers

Communication Encourages Learning The classroom needs to be an open forum in which students and teachers are allowed and encouraged to share opinions and experiences. When this communication breaks down the learning environment also fails. I remember being in the first grade and one of the students in our class was trying to say something to the teacher. Obviously this was not a real stimulating conversation as we were only in the first grade. When the student started talking the teacher became irritated and told the student to stop talking. The student tried again to say something to the teacher, at this point the teacher went ballistic yelling and screaming for the class to be quite and not talk. This teacher proceeded to place the student in the corner to punish her, when the student again tried to say something to the teacher, the teacher tied her to her chair and ordered everyone in the room to stay silent. Observing this display had an enormous effect on all the people in that room. We as students felt that we did not have anything of value to say, and therefore should not speak up. We also learned a fear of reactions that may come by expressing what we had to say. Fortunately since this experience I have not encountered another such teacher, and have had teachers who have gone out of their way to encourage class discussion. I think it is also important for teachers to be aware of the games students are playing. My sister and I can both remember being in grade school and playing game like the farmer and the dell, in this game kids stand around in a circle and one student calls other students into the circle to be a part in the song. The problem with this is that the kids who are quite or shy tend to get left out, and ... ...icate is in the classroom, where they spend most of their time. If people can communicate with each other, and have an understanding that not everyone will agree, then they will be much more productive in life. They will be able to get their point across while at the same time hearing another point of view. This skill is imperative to survival in our growing and changing society. WORKS CITED Cheney, Lynne V. "PC: Alive and Entrenched." The Presence of Others. Comp. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 112-123. Hooks, Bell. "Keeping Close to Home: Class and Education." The Presence of Others. Comp Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 85-96. Rose, Mike. "Lives on the Boundary." The Presence of Others. Comp. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruskiewicz. New York: St. Martins, 1997 97-111

How Groups Can Influence People in Negative and Positive Ways Essay

How groups can influence people in negative and in positive ways. By definition a group is a number of people who are regarded as a unit. They are united by a shared interest or belief, be that religion, sport, or politics. All groups have their own identity, we as people have multiple ones. From a social perspective, an individual is often defined by who they are and what they do; a parent, a child or a friend, and by what line of work or study they are in. Cultural identity is defined by ethnicity, and group identity comes from having a sense of belonging, having a ‘them and us mentality’. This essay will look at how different roles and identities can influence social behaviour when belonging to a group, both in a negative and a positive way. Tajfel and Turner (1979, cited in spoors et al. , 2011) developed the social identity theory, a theory that describes how belonging to a group forms a significant part in the individual group member’s self-concept. Having a ‘we’ rather than an ‘I’ concept. They suggest there are three key stages to joining a group. The first being social categorisation; this is for the individual to be given a label; Christian, gay, snob, Geordie, disabled are a few examples. The next stage is social identification; where the individual takes on the group’s characteristics and becomes defined by the group’s behaviour. The final stage is social comparison; members of a group view it from a positive point of view, often forming an elevated opinion of the group they belong to. People can take on defined roles when involved in group activity; influence on these roles can be from observing other members of the group’s behaviour, or a personal representation of the defining role. Zimbardo (1971, cited in spoors et al. , 2011) conducted an experiment to determine how roles within a group can influence people’s behaviour. During the experiment participants were given a ‘guard’ or a ‘prisoner’ role. The experiment ended prematurely as participants took their roles to extremes, ‘guards’ became increasingly aggressive, and ‘prisoners’ became withdrawn and emotionally distressed. This could be an example of how people’s expectations of a role they have no experience in can influence behaviour. They may have been influenced by other member’s actions, or by a stereotypical character portrayed by the media, leading them to have behaved negatively and ‘out of character’. Kondo (1990 cited in spoors et al. , 2011) is a Japanese/American student. In her personal account of living in Japan, she writes how she finds the roles and expectations of her by the Japanese family she is staying with became quite challenging and disturbing. She felt her own identity was slowly being replaced with the obligation to act appropriately to whichever role she was playing, be it guest, daughter, student or a Japanese woman. During a traditional tea ceremony Kondo received high praise from her Japanese teacher for her performance. She states she was ‘inordinately pleased’ by the praise but did feel she had to ‘escape’ before she changed completely, this shows both negative and positives to social conformity. Kondo feeling pressured into conforming to set standards and rules can also apply to some group behaviour. In 1997 the ‘heaven’s gate’ cult lost thirty nine members to mass suicide. They believed their souls would be transferred to a spaceship. These members may have become too dependent on the group, maybe so fearful of their leaders to not go ahead, or the sense of belonging and comfort they felt being part of the group; they had such conviction in their beliefs they carried the suicide through. This is group conformity to the extreme, and in this case had a negative outcome, but some form of conformity is necessary in society so it can be a benefit to the majority. Belonging to a group can lead to an in-group out-group culture. With groups being defined and identified by their roles, beliefs and behaviour, comparisons are often made between one group’s identity and others, be it sports teams, gangs, social groups, religion, or different cultures. Having an inflated opinion of the individuals group can encourage them to view any other group as inferior; this can lead to competition and conflict between groups. A good example of a ‘them and us’ situation is the robbers cave experiment conducted by Sherif (1961 cited in spoors et al. 2011) A group of boys staying at summer camp were split into two groups, and a tournament was set up. The good sportsmanship of the group quickly turned into aggression and prejudice. Although once given tasks where the two groups had to work together, they boys worked positively and cooperated with each other. In-group traits can occur even where there is no history of involvement between the grou ps involved. Taifel (1971 cited in spoors et al. , 2011) conducted an experiment where a ‘virtual’ group situation was set up. Participants were given a task believing they were part of a group, but were in fact working as an individual. In-group favouritism was still present. Loyalty and cooperation is a positive outcome for the in-group mentality, but it has its negative traits in the hostility and aggression it can provoke towards the out-group. Emotional values are given to the individual depending on the behaviour of the group; anti-social behaviour would define them in a negative way, just as being seen to belong to a ‘good’ ‘kind’ or ‘charitable’ group would have a positive emotional effect on the individual. To conclude, evidence shows there are many positives to belonging to a group. The individual gains a sense of identity, both within the group and in society. Self-esteem, self-worth and sense of belonging are increased. Close bonds are formed with others who share similar characteristics. Having an elevated sense of status within the group can lead to positi ve behaviour. Self-confidence is increased due to a feeling of safety. Support, praise and encouragement from other group members have a positive impact on behaviour. There are also many negative aspects to group behaviour, members may be influenced to behave ‘out of character’ from their usual identity through controlling methods within the group dynamic, in some cases separating the group entirely from accepted behaviour within society. Prejudice, violence and discrimination can also be a result of the ‘us and them’ situation. The ‘heavens’ gate example could be viewed as both positive and negative, depending on the perspective, the group members and society would have conflicting views.

Social Media :: Curse or Blessing ?

Social Media :: Curse or blessing ? The way I see it, it all depends on how these sites, like Facebook or Twitter, are being used. Social media itself can be abused, overused, and taken advantage of. However, the power of social media itself is probably greater than the power of any person, any novel, any ruler, or even any country. But, whether that incredible power is a blessing or a curse is also one matter to question. The power of social media can be something extremely influential. This first took a huge toll in the beginning of 2011 with the political upheaval of Egypt.The Internet's far-reaching speed combined with social media websites to create something unforgettable. The voices of Egypt stood together to overthrow the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and they spread all throughout the world. The power of social media was also noted when Mexicans turned to it for survival, not too long ago. At first, this served as a revolution. For the very first time, people's voices and opinions were coming together to form something larger than themselves. But we have to wonder, is that power too much?History has repeated itself in telling us that it becomes a problem when one voice has too much power. One only needs to look at people like Hitler, Idi Amin, and Mao Zong for proof that giving one voice too much power can sink an entire people or nation. And in Egypt, this corrupting nature of power turned itself over from the ruler to the subjects which resulted in the same horrific effect. From this, it is clear that social media has a way of lending itself to this attribute of power. Another way social media can act as a curse is through its changing the behavior of our society.Some say social media sites can lend to shorter attentions and less efficient work. Not only that, but my generation, that is, teenagers, tends to abuse social media and use it for popularity. Despite social media being a term with the connotation of connecting us, that seems t o be one thing it is doing least. People who abuse Facebook, for example, by requesting and accepting as many ‘friends' as possible, up to thousands, are giving those relationships artificial traits. Those relationships are so scattered and insignificant that many people don't even know some of their ‘friends. These thinning relationships have no such value, and are illusions of genuine relationships. In this abuse of social media, values of building relationships and making new connections, as were the intentions of social media, are taken away and transformed wrongfully. Nevertheless, many people do use social media for positive purposes, which leads me to the side of social media that is a complete blessing to this modern world. When used correctly, the benefits of social media can far outweigh some of its downfalls. Social media changes the world every day, in ways both small and large.For everyone who uses it, social media at least promotes and encourages communicat ion and lends to more modern ways of learning and communicating. Not only do they lend to more efficiency in our rapidly evolving technologically advanced society, but social media sites are also some of the best ways to positively influence people by sharing your opinions. They act as platforms for your voice. If you have great ideas or want to be heard or found, websites like Google+, Twitter, and LinkedIn can promote those good intentions.Through these sites, you can find millions of people who share the same interests as you, and start making a difference, step by step. Social media websites can operate as both curses and blessings in our modern society. The difference between it as a curse and a blessing all hangs on the shoulders of its users. You may choose to abuse the potential of Facebook, or to change the world with Twitter. The difference in your actions may be small, but the end result varies greatly, and it is up to you to decide social media's role in your life.

Philosophy of life Essay

The meaning of life, defined by Victor E. Frankl, is the will to find your meaning in life. It is not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment. He believes that if you are approached with the question of â€Å"what is the meaning of my life† or in this case, â€Å"life is meaningless,† then you should reverse the question to that person asking the question. For example: What are you bringing to me? What are you as an individual contributing to this life? This forces the person in question to take a look at themselves and to ultimately be responsible. Frankl says that if you are a responsible member of society than the meaning of life transcends from yourself rather from your own psyche. He also says that if we for some reason cannot find meaning within ourselves it has to be from some outside source. This is referred to as service. And an example of this is love. Victor Frankl describes three ways in which we can discover the meaning of life; Creating work-doing a deed, experiencing something-someone, and by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering. There are several reasons why a person could be feeling that their life is meaningless or has no meaning. According to Victor Frankl these reasons could be existential frustration, existential vacuum, and the meaning of suffering. Frankl breaks down the meaning of existential frustration as so, it can be referred to as existence itself ? the specifically mode of being, the meaning of existence, and striving to find concrete meaning in personal existence, which is the will to meaning. Existence itself, in simpler terms is just existing and the human mode itself. The meaning of existence is the question in which we often ask ourselves; Why are we here? When we strive to find concrete meaning in personal existence, we are looking for the personal meaning for existence. Basically what Frankl is saying is that when we are dealing wit the existential frustration we are looking for given meaning that isn’t there. (There is no meaning). On the other hand there is the existential vacuum, which is when you cannot find meaning in your life. Frankl says that the existential vacuum manifests itself mainly in the state of boredom. It’s when you feel that you have no structure in your life, no one telling you what to do, your not learning anything, and basically your not doing anything with your life. Because of this you’re going to become a conformist or a totalitarian, which is either doing what everyone else does or doing what people tell you to do. You’re not thinking for yourself. You’re also going to become bored. In the state of boredom the person can start to see life as meaningless, esp. the person questioning the meaning of their life. They start to question themselves and wonder what their purpose and meaning of their life is. This boredom can be a result of condition called Sunday Neurosis. Sunday Neurosis takes place when a person has worked hard all week long or for many days on end. (We know this as a result of tension; it’s what drives us and keeps us going. It promotes meaning and gives us goals. It is not the same as stress, because stress is an overabundance of tension. ) Then a day comes along when you have nothing planned, nothing going on and you don’t know what to do with yourself. Therefore boredom results and when there is boredom there is no meaning. And when there is no meaning we fill that emptiness with negative things, like money, power, and pleasure, basically we get into trouble. The meaning of suffering is another reason why a person might be questioning the meaning of their life. Frankl says that one of the basic aspects of logotherapy that mans main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain, but to see the meaning of his life. This is why man is willing to suffer in order to find a meaning for his life. But he also says that suffering is not necessary to find meaning in life. Although suffering is inevitably unavoidable, and if it was it would be meaningful to remove it, because it wouldn’t make much sense not to do so. Another aspect about suffering is that it stops being suffering the moment we find meaning in it. Now that possible reasons for why a person may be feeling that their life has no meaning has been addressed, here are some possible solutions that Frankl might suggest. Once the person has discovered why their life is meaningless they need to rediscover their meaning that they lost. They could ask themselves a question like, what was I born with and what is the greater meaning in that? Because it is believed that you’re born with a meaning that every single person on this Earth is born with a meaning. Life doesn’t owe you anything. Basically you’re the responsible one for all the stuff you put out into the world during your life. Another thing that he might talk about is what the person does everyday. If they aren’t doing anything with their life he might suggest them getting involved with something to help create tension. Since tension drives us and pushes us to reach our goals, it helps give us meaning. Frankl also sees responsible-ness as the essence of human existence. He says that everyman has a specific, unique job in life that he is too fulfill an that no one else can do this or replace this one person in the same way. â€Å"As each situation in life represents a challenge to man and presents a problem for him to solve, the question of the meaning of life may actually be reversed. Each man is questioned by life and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; he can only respond be being responsible. † Frankl also says, † Live as if were living already for the second time, and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you were about to act now! † If it was me taking this person, sitting them down, after analyzing what could have caused this sense of unmeaning in their life, I would look at the options of how to find meaning. I agree with Frankl when he talks about meaning as tension and responsibility. I also agree with him when he discusses his views on how everyone is born with meaning and that everyone has a set occupation or vocation on life. I believe that everyone is unique in his or her own way. Therefore why should everyone’s lives be the same and have the same meaning. They don’t. We are born with meaning and we have to find that meaning through our actions and our drive to live life and our interactions with the people and the things around us. Usually when I am presented with material in school I tend to form my opinion by looking at both sides if an issue, because there are usually two sides to every story. But by looking at Frankl and examining what he has to say about the meaning of life, suffering, love, frustration, boredom, tension, etc, I have rally gained a lot of knowledge that almost is common sense. If you sit and take the time to read the material through thoroughly you can see exactly where he is coming from. He’ll take a difficult situation, such as suffering, and turn it completely around. As far as suffering goes I try to do the same thing, in a way. When Mark Felice died last October it crushed me. But I tried to look at the positive side and say well, his suffering is over and he was here to teach us how to live to be stronger and better people. Through our suffering, over the loss of his life, we ended his suffering. This is kind of what Frankl does, he turns things around and makes you view things from a different perspective. I like his way of thinking because it’s not always something that I would think of off the top of my head. Overall, I enjoyed the book although it was difficult at times to read, but I think I gained knowledge from it and see different ways to look at things now.

Legaliza of Medical Marijuana

Assignment 2 Write your outline for your research paper by filling out the following template. Outline – Topic: Should Marijuana Be Legalized For Medical Purposes Introduction: Thesis Statement: Medical marijuana should be legalized but in the strict control of the doctor. Paragraph 1: PRO 1 Idea(s) to be developed: marijuana can relieve certain types of pain. Evidence/Examples: The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS.Source(s) used: Joycelyn Elders, Mar. 26, 2004 Paragraph 2: PRO 2 Idea(s) to be developed: It's a matter between doctors and patients. Evidence/Examples:If doctors believe that it does help, and will be useful to the patient, they have the right to appoint it! Source(s) used: Aug. 9, 2007 – Dennis Kucinich Paragraph 3: PRO 3 Idea(s) to be developed: Marijuana clearly has medicinal value. Evidence/Examples: Thousands of seriously ill Americans have been able to determine that for themselves, albeit illegally. Source(s) used: 1999 – Lyn NofzigerParagraph 4: PRO 4 Idea(s) to be developed: Study of marijuana . Evidence/Examples: I have found in my study of these patients that cannabis is really a safe, effective and non-toxic alternative to many standard medications. There is no such thing as an overdose. Source(s) used: Nov. 17, 2005 – Philip Denney, MD Paragraph 5: PRO 5 Idea(s) to be developed: Cannabis is remarkably safe. Evidence/Examples: Although not harmless, it is surely less toxic than most of the conventional medicines it could replace if it were legally available.Source(s) used: 1 oct. 2007 – Lester Grinspoon, MD Paragraph 6: CON 1 Idea(s) to be presented: It is addictive. Refutation :Marijuana is not the safe drug portrayed by the marijuana lobby. It is addictive; it adversely affects the immune system; leads to the use of other drugs such as cocaine; is linked to cas es of cancer; causes respiratory diseases, mental disorders, including psychosis, depression, panic attacks, hallucinations†¦ Source(s) used:Oct. 1, 2004 – Janet Lapey, MD

Yonanas Competitive Trends

Competitive Trends Each of these companies share a common target market with Yonana’s. This target market is a middle-aged adult who is trying to eat healthy, exercise more, and live an easier more efficient life. Product Competitors: Blendtec Blendtec is a company out of Orem, Utah that specializes in blending. They strive to achieve new and better ways of building machines that improve the quality of life as well as set new standards1. They started a YouTube channel called Will It Blend, which features their blenders blending up items such as IPhones, IPads, marbles, and even fun items such as a vuvuzela.Their blenders are extremely expensive, but are claimed to be the best blenders in the world. They range from 384. 95 all the way up to a hefty 1034. 95. You can find these blenders in-stores at Costco, Sam’s Club, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Their online retailers include blendtec. com, amazon. com, QVC. com, and everythingkitchens. com. The parent company of Blen dtec is K-Tec who is a private company and does not release financial information. Magic BulletThe magic bullet is brought to you by Homeland Houseware, which specializes in creating household appliances that make life easier2. Homeland Houseware is a division of Alchemy Worldwide, which is a private company and does not release financial information4. The magic bullet is used a handheld product chopper, whether you’re chopping onions for dinner, or fruit for an in-between meal snack. The price range on magic bullets vary from 49. 99 to 65. 99 depending on where you are shopping.The stores that the magic bullet can be found in are Macy’s, Target, Walmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Online retailers include buythebullet. com, amazon. com, buy. com, and QVC. com. Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt & Ice Cream Makers Cuisinart is a company based out of Stamford, Connecticut. They were founded in 1971 and are owned by Conair6. They claim that innovative culinary tools are their signature 3. They hold many prestigious design awards for many different types of items. They carry 4 different models of their frozen yogurt and ice cream makers.The prices range from 59. 95 to 299. 00 depending on which model is chosen. Frozen Yogurt and Ice Cream Makers can be found in stores at Kohl’s, Lowe’s, and Target. Their online retailers include Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, Belk, Bloomingdales, Cooking. com, JCP, Sears, Macy’s, HSN, and many more. Zoku Zoku is a private group of individuals who like to design things that again, make life easier. Their competitive advantage is that they have intelligent designing and engineering. Their patented Quick Pop Maker freezes different flavors of juice into a Popsicle.They have 10 different product categories, which include the Quick Pop Maker, Duo Pop maker, Zoku tools, Zoku storage, recipe books, sets of Zoku sticks, and a few others. Their online retailers include Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, Newegg, and Wa lmart. The prices of their Quick Pop Maker range from 24. 95 to 49. 95 depending on where you shop. JJ Snack Foods JJ Snack Foods is a public manufacturing company out of Pennsauken, New Jersey. They are sold in snack bars and food stands in chain and department stores, as well as convenience and discount stores.The products they sell are Pretzels, ICEE frozen treats, churros, funnel cakes, cookies, Italian ice, and frozen juice bars made from real fruit. JJ Snack Foods is a competitor because they take sales away from Healthy Foods with the sale of their frozen juice bars. They were founded in 1971. This company posts quarterly annual reports on their website and grossed a quarterly amount of 23,326. 00 from April 2012-June 20128. They also post annual reports, in which states that total sales for 2011 were 744,071. 009.

The Political Objectives of International Trade Research Paper - 1

The Political Objectives of International Trade - Research Paper Example Pushing aside the philosophical exception to buying regionally, it is very difficult to decipher what products are manufactured partially, mostly, or entirely from any one specific region. In most cases, raw materials are gathered here, assembled there, and shipped via a third entity to an entirely new location for packaging. The item is sold and the funds deposited in a completely different location which invests the money in an endless array of regions providing myriad avenues of revenue for untold amounts of regions. Buy from, for example, A bumper sticker that suggests â€Å"Be American. Buy American.†, might be manufactured in the USA with imported glue from Chile, ink from Jamaica, and paper from China. If, after the purchase, one is dissatisfied with the product, a toll-free Hotline for consumers is routed to India, Russia, or Hong Kong. The difficulty of deciding what has been completely and entirely manufactured, represented, transported, and supported is like finding a needle in a haystack. After reading the Chapter, my viewpoint hasn’t changed much from price and quality. I found the polling interesting â€Å"2/3 supported trade restrictions† (pg. 135). ... g paid to US and European farmers allowing them to sell crops on the world market at reduced prices driving down prices of commodities in developing nations (pg. 142). The impression I have is US farmers are paid to ‘not grow’ crops for availability on the world market since the number of crops produced if all US farmers did grow crops, would dramatically overwhelm the markets and drive developing nations out of business for good. The most effective use of government subsidies is not from the US, but from China who pays subsidies for their companies on imported oil driving the price of gasoline to record numbers. The problem, it appears, is dissecting information from neutral informants. The book includes a secondary â€Å"Supporting† position about a ‘Conservative’ misstep; â€Å"George W. Bush†. Each side seems to have an agenda and wishes to persuade, albeit subtlety, towards their particular point of view. All three sides-Left, Right, Centr al-seem to persuade instead of informing. It is difficult to see the unvarnished truth about International Trade from any writer. Each writer seems to have a polar objective. The political objectives of International Trade are the reason Trade is mired in the grey area for understanding. Political considerations outweigh most logical directives towards â€Å"common sense† free trade and/or their restrictions. The book even muddies the Trade waters even further by proclaiming â€Å"List† an economic icon with regard to Trade. The list is referenced as suggesting a Country that cannot produce ‘X’ amount for export should get out of the business of that particular export ‘X’. At the same time, the book vilifies Europe and the USA-as examples-of dominating and controlling the market with respect to crops and commodities.