Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Essays (293 words) -

Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a masterful early-English romance. Including both the fantastic (i.e. the green knight), tradition (i.e. Arthur's court) and adultery, the story touches upon important parts of entertainment, even today. The constant alliteration was key in creating such an enjouable piece of literature. I also enjoyed the daring, detailed decriptions such as those from line 130 to 150, on the stature of the Green Knight. Although the vocabulary was somewhat difficult, I enjoyed it, as I am one of many students who needs to improve my vocabulary. Symbolism ran rampant through the story, as well. I enjoyed the use of the color green, most. The Green Knight was obviously evil and abundantly green. Since green was also used to describe the Spring season and life, I believe that the abundance of it is just like the evil of overindulgence in life at that time. The abundance of green could have also been a reference to knowledge (i.e. the Tree of Knowledge n the Garden of Eden), and therefore a hint at the central message of the story: the lack of self or personal thought. The abundant references to religion emphasized the theme, as well. Each religious word was directed at the notion that a person's place in the world or community was predetermined; introspection was not allowed or needed. The only thoughts necessary were those of obedience to God, King and country. Gawain's personal introspection about the value of his own life over his knightly duties (or honor) suggested that, for the first time, these ideas of self were coming into play. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a wonderful story, and I enjoyed it thoroghly. English Essays

Postmodern women poets and their influences Essays

Postmodern women poets and their influences Essays Postmodern women poets and their influences Paper Postmodern women poets and their influences Paper Essay Topic: Anne Sexton Poems Phillis Wheatley Poems The spread of new ideas after World War II helped shape postmodern poetry that can be differentiated from modernist poetry by its focus on minimalist and conceptualist approaches. In all art, the â€Å"postmodern† began with the rise in mass communications and related developments in advertising related to consumerism. Literature was no exception- the poetry of the Cold War era is marked by an evolution from the early modernist movements of the 20th century. As Albert Gelpi writes: The poetry of the Cold War period set out the defining features of Postmodernism before critics introduced the term: a deepening sense of the minds alienation from nature and of the worlds alienation from reality; an intensified experience of material randomness and temporal flux, of moral relativity anal psychological alienation, of epistemological confusion and metaphysical doubt; a drastic scaling down of expectations and aspirations; a questioning of language as a medium of perception and communication; a shift from hypostasizing poetry as a completed work to investigating it as an inconclusive process of provisional improvisation. The development of modern poetry is defined by a number of women that emerged to define it. Women poets such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton and Carolyn Kizer all influenced and defined the literature of their time by their views on death, emotion and feminism. These American postmodern poets, especially Plath and Sexton defined and expanded on the idea of confessional poetry, which traffics in intimate, and sometimes unflattering, information about herself, in poems about illness, sexuality, despondence and the like (â€Å"Confessional†, par. 1). However, the influences on them and other contemporary poets are rooted in the poets of the preceding generation. In Plath’s case, a plethora of influences shaped her writing. Marjorie Perloff writes: Sylvia Plath – or Sivvy as she called herself in her letters home, never quite abandoned the carefully constructed voice that won her prizes and awards in all the right quarters, a voice her mother could and did approve of. Indeed, the early poems display a bewildering hodge-podge of influences: Hopkins and Yeats, Auden and Wilbur, Stevens and Thomas, and, a little later, first Lowell and then Roethke and Hughes himself. (304) These influences shaped the young Plath, however in the end it was a combination of factors that affected her life that made her poetry memorable. There is a precise correlation between the breakdown of Plath’s marriage to Ted Hughes and the writing of the great poems (Aird 1979). There is some contention that her work is undeserving of the confessional brand. Beake says of her: There seems to have been very little attempt to place Plath as an American poet in the context of her generation. There was the early very silly labelling of her, Sexton, Lowell and Berryman etc as The Confessional Poets. It is doubtful if this school ever had any reality in the minds of the poets involved, as opposed to the critics. In the case of Plath it must be questioned whether a poet so interested in the fictional and the persona can be confessional. (par. 3) Likewise, Sexton is also named one of the foremost confessional poets of her generation, and as a contemporary of Plath one of the most interesting pieces about them is their friendship. Sexton fleshed her memories into The Bar Fly Ought to Sing and included two poems: Sylvias Death, an elegy she wrote on February 17, 1963, just six days after Plaths suicide, and Wanting to Die, which she wrote one year later. (Trinidad, par. 3). There is a general idea among literary critics that there existed a mutual influence with each other’s work between the poets, however there has been very little scholarly work in this area. (Trinidad par. 1) Sexton is seen as the modern model of the confessional poet, inspired by W. D. Snodgrass, her mentor whom she met at the Antioch Writers Conference in 1957. His poem, â€Å"Heart’s Needle†, about his separation from his three year old daughter, encouraged her to write The Double Image, a poem significant in expressing the multi-generational relationships existing between mother and daughter. Hearts Needle was particularly inspirational to Sexton because at the time she first read it her own young daughter was living with her mother-in-law. Sexton began writing letters to Snodgrass and they soon became friends. (â€Å"Anne Sexton† par. 6) Kizer, meanwhile, fits more in a succession of passionate women in poetry, that includes Phillis Wheatley, Frances Osgood, Emily Dickinson, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Sara Teasdale, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Anna Hampstead Branch, Louise Bogan, and Leonie Adams. Finch argues that these women poets expressed emotions in a way different from the prevailing romantics and modernists of their time. â€Å"This powerful tradition of women poets built successful careers writing formal, accessible poems about spiritual and political as well as domestic and emotional themes. † (Finch par. 3).

Definition and Examples of Dynamic Verbs

Definition and Examples of Dynamic Verbs In English grammar, a dynamic verb is a  verb used primarily to indicate an action, process, or sensation as opposed to a state. Also called an action verb or an event verb. Also known as  a  non-stative verb or  action verb.  Contrast with stative verb. There are three major types of dynamic verbs: 1) accomplishment verbs (expressing action that has a logical endpoint), 2) achievement verbs (expressing action that occurs instantaneously), and 3) activity verbs (expressing action that can go on for an indefinite period of time). Examples and Observations They throw the ball, I hit it.They hit the ball, I catch it.(Hall of Fame baseball player Willie Mays)He had learned to walk and run and fight in the twisting alleys and dirty gutters of Rome.(Howard Fast, Spartacus. Blue Heron Press, 1951)I ate a banana and drank a glass of nonfat chocolate milk for breakfast. After that, I washed the breakfast dishes with liquid soap and lemon juice. I threw them in the dish drainer so they could dry naturally and left the house.(Lori Aurelia Williams, Broken China. Simon Schuster, 2006)They roared and clapped, sang and shouted as I performed, and with each moment my heart filled fuller.(Emmanuel Jal, War Child: A Child Soldiers Story. St. Martins Griffin, 2010)America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair.(Arnold Toynbee, BBC news summary, July 14, 1954)[I]n summer everything fills. The day itself widens and stretches almost around the clock; these are very high latitudes, higher than L abradors. You want to run all night. Summer people move into the houses that had stood empty, unseen, and unnoticed all winter. The gulls scream all day and smash cockles; by August they are bringing the kids.(Annie Dillard, Mirages, 1982) Brandt ran back to the deepest corner of the outfield grass, the ball descended beyond his reach and struck in the crotch where the bullpen met the wall, bounced chunkily, and vanished.(John Updike, Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu, 1960)Verbs act. Verbs move. Verbs do. Verbs strike, soothe, grin, cry, exasperate, decline, fly, hurt, and heal. Verbs make writing go, and they matter more to our language than any other part of speech.(Donald Hall and Sven Birkerts, Writing Well, 9th ed. Longman, 1997) Whats the Difference Between a Dynamic Verb and a Stative Verb? A dynamic verb (such as  run, ride, grow, throw) is primarily used to indicate an action, process, or sensation. In contrast, a stative verb (such as be, have, seem, know) is primarily used to describe a state or situation. (Because the boundary between dynamic and stative verbs can be fuzzy, its generally more useful to talk of dynamic and stative meaning and usage.) Three Classes of Dynamic Verbs If a​  clause can be used to answer the question What happened?, it contains a non-stative (dynamic) verb. If a clause cannot be so used, it contains a stative verb. . . . It is now accepted practice to divide dynamic verbs into three classes. . . . Activity, accomplishment and achievement verbs all denote events. Activities denote events with no built-in boundary and stretching out over time. Achievements denote events conceived of as occupying no time at all. Accomplishments denote events with an activity phase and a closure phase; they can be spread out over time, but there is a built-in boundary.(Jim Miller, An Introduction to English Syntax. Edinburgh University  Press, 2002)

Smoking should not be allowed at public places Essay

Smoking should not be allowed at public places - Essay Example According to the 2003 poll conducted by MORI in London, 40% of the interviewees concurred that smoking should not be allowed in a restaurant, a public place; 54% wanted separation of smoking and non-smoking zones. The most striking fact was that only 4% were indifferent to the location or exposure to smoking. In another separate research on Edinburgh residents, 58% were in favor of banning smoking in public places while only 28% opposed the move (City of Edinburgh Council, 1). Smoking pollutes the environment by releasing toxic components to the atmosphere. Even though it is the right of smoker to have cigarettes, a clean environment on the other hand is a necessity for humanity. A ban on public smoking- no matter how- may seem unfair to smokers, it will ensure that people live in a clean environment by reducing pollution, and nonsmokers’ rights are taken into consideration. Over the weekends and in vacations, most parents do prefer to spend their time with their children in public places. What happens in a case whereby people smoke in such recreational or public places? The answer is almost obvious; Children learn by imitation, and would actually try to act out what they see or observed happening in their surroundings. Therefore, the presence of smokers in such localities is bad influence to children and may introduce them to smoking at early ages. As precautious measure, the state government should ban smoking in public places. Most chain smokers spend most of their money and time in cigarettes. Therefore, banning smoking in public places would result in limiting the frequency at which such people smoke. This will not only result in saving money and time that can be invested elsewhere in a more profitable manner but also help the state to reduce the average health problems arising directly from smoking. It is very hard for non-smokers to entertain the disgustful scent that arises as a

Substance use Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Substance use - Essay Example On the other hand the parasympathetic nervous system slows the heart rate, causes papillary constriction, and increases digestion. 2. List and explain three mechanisms by which drug tolerance might occur.  (One paragraph-at least 4 sentences) Drug tolerance occurs through different ways in the body. Three major mechanisms of drug tolerance go down to the molecular level. It can occur when the degradation enzymes for a specific drug are increased in the body and this result in the destruction of the drug before it begins its action. In another mechanism the receptors for the drug are removed temporarily or the down regulation of receptors occurs. These receptors are necessary for the action of the drug and decreased receptors might result in drug tolerance. Enhanced excretion of the drug is the third mechanism through which tolerance to the drug occurs. Excretion of the drug increases when the tolerance to it increases. 3. Discuss why current laws on crack possession have been criti cized. Include at least three of these criticisms.  (One paragraph-at least 4 sentences) Current laws on crack possession have been criticized by many because the same laws for crack in the powder form are lenient. Critics put forward that crack in powder form should also be penalized in the same way as normal crack is.

Basal Cell Carcinoma Essay Example for Free

Basal Cell Carcinoma Essay Skin cancer, cancer that forms in the skin. There are three types of skin cancer; melanoma, squamous cell, and basal cell carcinoma. Out of the three skin cancers basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is by far the most common. BCC accounts for 90% of all skin cancers. Basal cell carcinoma is also the easiest to treat for the simple fact it rarely metastasize. Bcc tend to stay in the same general area and cause damage to tissues by growing and invading surrounding tissue. Some people are more susceptible to basal cell carcinoma than other. If youve received at least one blistering sunburn during your childhood you have a greater risk than someone who has received most of their sunburn later in life. Also people with fair skin, blue, green or gray eyes, and blond or red hair, have a greater chance of contracting basal cell carcinoma then someone with darker features. Where you live can also affect your chances since certain places have a higher ultraviolet radiation than others. In some cases it can run in the family, and if you take any immunosuppressant or medications that help prevent organ rejection it increases your risks. Basal Cell Carcinoma can be caused by lots of things. One of the most common is environmental factors. Environmental factors include exposure from Sun, Arsenic and radiation. Suns the most common of these because everyone gets sun whether it be by tanning beds or just being in the sun. But arsenic exposure which is the hardest to come by since most people does not go around putting arsenic in their systems. Arsenic is a toxic metal commonly found in the environment. Most people get their greatest exposure from food like chicken, beef and fish. Some even get it from working at certain jobs to long. Then theres radiation. Radiation comes in many ways. Some come in therapeutic ways and some come from natural everyday things. Therapeutically you can get if from Psoralen Plus Ultraviolet A (PUVA) a treatment for Atopic Dermatitis- A skin condition that causes intense itching and a red, raised rash- or from radiation treatments received during childhood for acne or ringworm. Everyday radiation can be received through visible light, infrared radiation and UV radiations. UV radiation comes in three types, A, B and C, A produces some tanning and isnt blocked out by the atmosphere and is considered harmful over long periods of time. B is what makes you tan and also causes wrinkling sunburn and your skin to age. B is somewhat filtered out by the atmosphere and its Highest intensity is after noon. C is filtered out by the atmosphere by the ozone layer before reaching the earth. It accounts for a major source of artificial germicidal lamps. However there are more than environmental factors at play for skin cancer. Other factors would include genetics. So far there are three common genetic disorders Xeroderma pigmentosum a disorder where you have an extreme sensitivity to sunlight, Nervoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (Gorlins Syndrome) a disorder that causes basal cell tumors all over the body, and Acrokeratosis Neoplastica (Bazexs Syndrome) is a rare inherited disease where hair follicles characterized by the breakdown of follicle and multiple Basal Cell carcinoma on the face, Hypohidrosis (reduced sweating), and Hypotrichosis (reduced body and head hair). There are eight types of basal cell carcinoma: Nodular, Pigmented, cystic, superficial, Micronodular, Morpheaform, and Basisquamous. Nodular basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of bcc it has a waxy papules (Small solid rounded bumps rising from the skin that are each usually less than 1 centimeter in diameter) with central depressions. Nodular bcc tends to have a pearly skin colored or pinkish appearance. With lesions that act like they are healing over time only to rupture again like an ulcer. Pigmented bcc behaves like nodular bcc except pigmented bcc is easily confused with melanomas. Even though melanomas don’t always have a lot of pigments pigmented bcc isn’t very common. Cystic bcc are papules that are blue gray translucent pseudo nodules that mimic benign lesions. Superficial basal cell carcinomas has scaly patches that are anywhere from pink to red-brown, with a thread like border. Commonly found on the trunk (torso) and shoulders. Erosion in superficial bcc is not very common the papules tend to mimic psoriases or eczema, and can take months or years to become apparent. Superficial bcc is most commonly caused by arsenic exposure. Micronodular basal cell carcinoma is an aggressive subtype of bcc that is not prone to ulceration and appears yellow-white when stretched and is firm to the touch. Morpheaform basal cell carcinoma also known as scelerosing bcc usually found in mid facial sites. Tend to have a waxy scar-like appearance and is prone to recurrences sometimes Morpheaform bcc cab invade cutaneous nerves. Basisquamous bcc is a mix of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Basisquamous bcc is also the most aggressive subtype of basal cell carcinoma and can metastasize. If left untreated basal cell carcinoma can damage surrounding tissue to the point you will need plastic surgery to fix it. Also if you have Basisquamous bcc you run the risk of the cancer metastasizing and turning in to other types of cancers. BCC can also cause severe muscle, nerves and bone damage. You will also be at risk of losing vision if it is close to your eyes and nerve function. There are five major warning signs to Basal Cell Carcinoma including: 1. An open sore that bleeds oozes or crusts and remains open for a few weeks only to heal up and then bleed again. . A reddish patch or irritated area frequently located on the face, chest, shoulders, arms or legs, sometimes the patch crusts and May also itch or hurt. 3. A pearly white or waxy bump often with visible blood vessels on your face, ears, or neck. The bump may bleed develop a crust or form a depression in the center. In darker skinned people this type of tumor is usually brown or black and is sometimes confused as a mole. 4. A scar like area that is white yellow or waxy and often has poorly defined borders. The skin itself appears shiny and tight. Although this is less frequent sign it can indicate the presence of an aggressive tumor. 5. A pink growth that is slightly elevated rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center as the growth slowly enlarges tiny blood vessels may develop on the surface. If you experience any of these warning signs speak to your doctor immediately and set up an appointment as soon as possible. After you set up your appointment get prepared for a long wait till the day you go. At the doctors he will ask you a lot of questions and it’s important you can answer them. Make sure you know your family, medical and personal history and start thinking about someone to take with you to the doctors. Although basal cell carcinoma skin cancer is treatable and rarely fatal it’s still good to have someone with you. Cancer is cancer and it’s not the news you want to get on your own at the doctors. Also make sure that you have questions you would want answered dont walk in there clueless. When you get to the doctors you will most likely get a biopsy to test and see whether or not you have it. There are two different types of biopsys shave and punch, shave is used to diagnosis most basal cell carcinomas but it’s really easy to miss the tumor or go too far. Punch is the most common method along with the easiest. But cannot be used if you plan on having curettage and electrodessication as your treatment There are 10 different treatments that fall under 4 different types’ surgery, therapy, radiation, and medications. The surgery consists of Mohs micrographic, Excisional, cryo, curettage and electrodessication, and laser surgery. During Mohs Micrographic surgery the surgeon removes the tumor with the tissue around it then checks the tumor for additional cancers. Excisional surgery the surgeon cuts out the lesion and the skin is stitched up. This treatment is most commonly used for nodular bcc and morphemic basal cell carcinoma. If the lesions are very large he may require a flap or skin graft to repair the cut after surgery. Cryosurgery is where the dermatologist uses liquid nitrogen and freezes the tumor. Mainly used to treat external tumors. Curettage and Electrodessication the surgeon or dermatologist uses a curette (spoon like instrument) to scoop out the bcc. Electrodessication (uses of electric current) is added to control bleeding and kill the remaining cancer cells. The skin will heal with out stitching but this treatment is only useful for small non crucial bccs. Laser surgery is the last surgery treatment of bcc. Laser surgery consists of using high intensity light to treat cancer. The lasers can be used to shrink or destroy tumors. But laser surgery is most commonly used to treat superficial cancers. Lasers can also relieve certain symptoms of cancer such as bleeding or obstruction. If the tumor is still present in the deeper skin then the procedure is repeated to the last layer examined is cancer free. Therapy consist of chemotherapy, biological, photodynamic. Most people know what chemotherapy is. Chemotherapy is the most common cancer treatment for most all cancers. It means your treating your cancer with the use of anti-cancer drugs. For skin cancer the drugs come in a lotion or cream. Chemo is for superficial tumors that have not advanced beyond the top layer of skin. With skin cancer chemo doesnt tend to cause nausea. Biological therapy treats to uses our bodys own natural defenses to attack and destroy cancer cells. In biological therapy the white blood cells are removed grown in a lab and exposed to substances that boost there ability to fight cancer. The activated cells are then injected back into the body to attack the tumor. Biological therapy is mainly used for the advanced forms of cancer that can’t be treated by other methods. Photodynamic uses drugs that collect inside the tumor. The doctor then focuses a special l light on the tumor the light triggers a chemical reaction in the drug that destroys tumor cells. But doesnt harm the surrounding health tissue. The last treatment is Radiation is a complicated treatment because when you stop and think radiation can cause some basal cell carcinomas. To treat bcc with radiation doctors use high powered x-ray beams directed at the tumor. To completely destroy the tumor it takes several treatments. Most of the time radiation is only used for tumors that are hard to deal with surgically and when the patient’s health is poor. However radiation can cause long term cosmetic problems and radiation risks. Some of the causes would be rash red or dryness of the treated area and changes in skin texture or color that will become more noticeable throughout the years. After treatment there are some post treatment things you need to be aware of Follow up appointments are scheduled. Once you’ve had a form of basal cell carcinoma it’s extremely hard to eliminate it completely you have an increase chance of getting it again and a good chance that it will appear in the same spot. Perform regular self-examinations of your skin. Watch for early signs of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinomas treated incompletely can recur. All treated sites must be monitored after therapy. Individuals with basal cell carcinoma have a 30% greater risk of having another basal cell carcinoma unrelated to the previous lesion compared with the risk in the general population. (eMedicine) perform self checks to perform self checks you will need a full length mirror a handheld mirror and a well lit room that offers privacy. After you collect all your materials start performing the self check. You and your partner examine your entire body as skin cancer can occur anywhere, not only on areas frequently exposed to the sun. Be sure to check your back, scalp, underarms, genitals, palms, soles, and skin between the toes and fingers. When examining your scalp, it may help to part the hair to check the entire scalp. Look for: 1) you should become familiar with your birthmarks, blemishes, and moles so you know what they look like and can spot changes. As you or your partner examines your skin, look for changes in the size, color, shape, or texture of a mark on your skin. Don’t forget to look and watch for any of the five warning signs of skin cancer. After all this information it’s important to know how to prevent yourself from having to go through this. Seek the shade, especially between 10 AM and 4PM. Do Not Burn. Avoid Tanning and UV tanning booth. Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds can cause skin cancer and wrinkling. If you want to look like you’ve been in the sun, consider using sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it. Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Use Sun Screen Year Round. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating. Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of six months. Sunscreen should not be used to prolong sun exposure. Some UV light gets through sunscreen. Sunscreens should be applied to dry skin 15-30 minutes before going outdoors, and reapplied approximately every two hours and after being in water or sweating. Sunscreen does not make sunbathing safe so don’t stay out in the sun just because you have sunscreen on. Get plenty of vitamin d beware of sun-sensitizing medications. Some common prescription and over-the-counter drugs make your skin more sensitive to sunlight like certain cholesterols, High blood pressure and diabetes medications, Ibuprofen, Acne medication. Make sure you ask your doctor about any side affects your prescriptions might have. Examine your skin head to toe every month. See your doctor every year for a professional skin exam.

Evaluation of Blood Brothers, by Willy Russell Essay -- Blood Brothers

Evaluation of Blood Brothers On 3rd March I went to the Phoenix Theatre in West End to watch a production of one of Willy Russell's greatest plays, Blood Brothers. â€Å"Blood Brothers† is set in Liverpool in the early eighties. The play follows the life of two main characters: Eddie Lyons and Mickey Johnstone, who are twins split at birth. In Blood Brothers the characters fall into two stereotypical groups: the working class and the upper-middle class. The reason the play focuses on the difference in class is that the play was written in the reign of Margaret Thatcher who told the people of Great Britain to look after themselves, and that there is no such thing as a society. Willy Russell was against this way of thinking and wrote plays opposing it. Mrs. Johnstone is a typical working class woman who lives on her own and spends more money than she earns. Mrs. Lyons is a typical upper-middle class woman, married and doesn't want her possessions being contaminated by the filth of the world, the working class. Mickey, the twin that was kept by Mrs. Johnstone, is an archetypical lower class boy, dirty ripped clothes and a mouth like a sewer. Edward however is a stereotypical upper-middle class boy, smart, clean uniform that uses correct English grammar. These are the four main characters, although there is one more character that plays a significant role in the musical, the narrator. The job of the narrator in this play is to set the scene and bring aspects of superstition into the play. He does this through his songs and his dialogue. It seems slightly ironic that although the Johnstone family is very poor they start off cheerfully, compared to the Lyons who are rich and never seem happy. This mak... ...projection of the tree on the floor. At the tensest moments the lights dimmed and a spotlight was put on the narrator to add dramatic tension. The actors worked very well, the fact that adult actors played children characters was barely noticeable. This is probably due to the costumes that the actors wore. The actors that played the two boys I feel were especially good because not only did they have to look different ages throughout the play but they acted the ages as well. I feel this musical as a whole was excellent, there was very good uses of the dramatic techniques and staging techniques used by the Phoenix theatre. Overall I enjoyed the play and would recommend it to people that enjoy plays where they don’t have to follow on every detail in order to understand it. The way the narrator ties everything together makes the story line make sense.

Negative impact of technology

IntroductionThe paradigm shift in the contemporary society in relation to the learning environment witnessed in the wake of a new light of advancement in technology has had all sorts of impact on various entities in the society. The forces of globalization have been viewed directly as destructive in many ways though this is still debatable as it is subjective of personal judgment.When technology fails to be used constructively or when it does not find an effective application, technology becomes detrimental to autonomy in thinking and action. This technology has seen introduction of the gadgets of science into the classrooms, study rooms and to be specific, to the students’ life. It has impeded the capability of self creativity in students as they leave all thinking to machines like computer and the hi-tech learning gadgets. Most people argue that modern technology has a negative impact on the socialization of students because it eliminates need for physical activity, impairs critical thinking skills, and limits face to face interaction.DiscussionLimits face to face interactionThis is not a subject one would conclude at once by leaning on one particular side. It is therefore imperative to critically look at both sides of the divide and an analyze views on the basis of zero bias. On the contrary, and in support of the argument above, we find that technology has invaded the learning environment and turned it upside down. The introduction of computers in schools, for example, has reduced the level of student- to-student interaction and in its stead placed student-to-computer interaction to rule supreme. (Glenn M. Kleiman (2000) The Digital Classroom- http://www.edletter.org/dc/kleiman.htm).This means that the students spend most of their time relating and communicating with the machines rather than face-to-face interaction of the students to each other. This later on leads to development of ethical dilemmas in the future society. In such a milieu the learne r prefers to associate with ‘non-physical’ characters on TV, net or web. This leads to stereotyping behavior in students. Recent research carried out in 2001, (Seemann, E. et al-(2001).   Also see C. Crawford et al. 2001 and URL: http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/tiol.html), reveals that the use of computer mediated communication and technology in the learning environment has great impact in changing the lives of students in the classroom. It further indicates that through modern technology, students’ behavior in terms of interactions with the teachers and the tutors is immensely influenced as well as that among the students themselves. This approach, the researchers argue, downplays the significance of social contact hence may lead many students to fail in developing the necessary social skills to function in the world.Impediment to Critical thinkingSecondly, the use of the modern technology in learning environment may be a substantial threat to the ability of students to develop high level of critical thinking. This means that since the use of computer aided communication will entail the fingers pressing for a click of the mouse, liberation of ideas will be thwarted and thus hinder creativity. When there is no liberation of ideas there’s little or no creativity and therefore originality and subsequent development take a back seat. Because of availability of a machine with ready-to-use programs, the student will not care questioning of the present method of approach to a problem and therefore will not discover new ways and means of solving a given problem.Eliminates need for physical activityThe technology can also play quite a significant role in producing laziness in terms of reduced physical dexterity to engage in any exercise that involves exercise to the body. The importance physical exercises play to the body is of great relevance to the healthy development of a physically fit individual. The above research also reiterates th at even physical activity by students becomes a nightmare as the only involvement of the student will be the hand or fingers, the eyes together with ears- if there be any additional item on the list, it should be nothing other than maximum fixation to the screen, (Seaman, E. et al-(2001)).Opposing argumentsOn the other side of the divide lies the great relevance computer aided communication and technology based learning have in modeling individual students in the classroom and the society. Those who argue that the relevance of technology in a learning environment is absolute contend that though the technology may have some negative impacts, the positive achievements are far much superb and outweigh the negative ones.   This argument holds that a student needs to develop the skills referred to as the multiple intelligences (Howard Gardner, 1983).Gardner says that the use of the powerful technological enables speeded development of these intelligences. In addition, human machine int eraction enables an individual to think, communicate and deliberate on ideas through development of creativity in words, speech and writing. Most modern technology like some computer software that allows young children to and illustrate their own narratives or stories before their motor skills are fully developed enhance learning and creativity to start early in life.Even though the use of computer aided communication and the technology in the conveyance of learning information is objected by some, learners are able to interact closely with mathematical intelligences which enable them to memorize, and carry out mathematical operations in addition to thinking mathematically, analytically and logically before applying the understanding to solve problem. Through these modern systems students are able to interact with scientists exploring the depths of certain places but electronically.The students also develop high ability to understand the world they live in through what they see thus developing spatial or visual intelligence. By development of kinesthetic intelligence students are able to learn through dexterity and coordination thus developing the ability to express their feelings better thereby removing any doubts of ethical dilemmas. The students too can have musical intelligence thus be able to perform and appreciate or create music by whichever means, voice, dance or instruments. Though some scholars argue and maintain that use of the technology reduces the student’s socialization capability, others maintain that in the real sense the technology gives the student the chance to gain high levels of interpersonal intelligence thus being able to cooperatively work with others. This is done through electronic networking.RefutationThe bias that is revealed when trying to analyze the argument from one viewpoint is quite evident. Technology has been of great importance in improving the quality of education, the efficiency in acquisition of information and e ffective application of positive changes in the society and realization of the relevance of these changes to the learning environment. At the same time, it would still be unwise to refute the negative impacts of the technology to the social relations, physical activity and critical thinking of the students in their classrooms. However, the positive role played in enhancing the appreciation of technology in the learning environment cannot go without being lauded. The role for sure supersedes by far the demerits that accompany it.ConclusionTo be of maximum benefit and relevance, application of technology in the learning environment must be applied with care and consideration in order to make the learning process to be qualitatively different and attractive. As we embrace the benefits of having technology, we must also prepare to deal with its negativities. This way, the learning process in the classroom can become richer and pose less threat to the values and autonomy of every individ ual student. Otherwise it would have an impact that is not desirable whether the learning environment is home-based or institutional one.References:Seemann, E., Wilkinson, L., et al. Impact of Technology on Socialization of Student in the Classroom, 2001.Kleiman, Glenn M. The Digital Classroom- 2000. Accessed on Friday April 25, 2008 from URL:   http://www.edletter.org/dc/kleiman.htmCrawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Teacher Education and Information

An Operational Analysis of Subway Restaurants

Completed By: Olga Gomez, Nancy Guadron, Paula Clark, and Tyann Peres Completed By: Olga Gomez, Nancy Guadron, Paula Clark, and Tyann Peres An Operational Analysis of Subway Restaurants University of Houston-Downtown MGT 3332 Summer 1 Dr. Steven Coy An Operational Analysis of Subway Restaurants University of Houston-Downtown MGT 3332 Summer 1 Dr. Steven CoyTeam Aces came to an agreement and decided to conduct an operational analysis of various Subway Restaurants throughout the Houston and Katy area. Each team member was charged with the task of visiting a Subway location near their residence. This way each member was given the opportunity to observe the concrete steps required for Subway to complete a service from beginning to end. When you hear the words â€Å"fast food,† you imagine being offered a service in which you are quickly in and out with your order, and nothing else to it.In this instance that is not the case; Subway did not become one of the largest sandwich chains overnight. It has taken years of productiveness from the owners, top managers, employees and each customer of Subway. Throughout this paper we will analyze Subway’s operations by identifying the type of process used and the basic layout of their facilities. We will also provide a detailed service blueprint that will help to get a better understanding of the service process from the beginning, when the customer places an order, to the end, when that paying customer walks out the door with their subway sandwich.After visiting our Subway locations, we will also be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses that we observed from the interaction between employees and customers and the overall Subway experience. One of the locations visited and observed during hours of operations was the Subway restaurant located at 19214 Clay Road, Suite A, Katy TX 77449. This restaurant has been serving the Katy community for approximately ten years. This particular location was observed in or der to help create the service blueprint.The service blueprint lists all of the service functions that are performed and the average time expected to achieve the completion of each function. It begins with the customer’s action; the customer walks into the store and places an order, the employee then acknowledges the customer’s request. This is followed by the customer deciding on the size and type of sandwich they would like made. The Subway employee then begins to prepare the customer’s sandwich with their size and type specifications in mind.At this point, the employee asks the customer to decide on their type of meat and cheese, once the customer communicates this decision, the employee adds the requested meat and cheese. He/she gives the customer the choice of having their sandwich toasted or not. If the customer decides to toast the sandwich the employee then proceeds to put it in the toaster for a minute then moves on to adding the dressings and sauces. I f the customer does not want their sandwich toasted, the employee continues along with the process.The interaction continues with the choosing of any vegetables and final touches which may include adding oil and vinegar or salt and pepper at the customer’s request. Finally, as we approach the end of the service process, the employees wraps the sandwich and offers the customer the option of adding a cookie or the option of making their sandwich purchase as a meal, which would then include chips or a drink for a set additional price. Once the customer has chosen, the employee then collects payment to complete the transaction, and hands the order over to the customer, thus concluding the service process.This entire process happens in between the line of interaction. A line of visibility does exist in all Subway locations, on one side you have the components that are visible to the customer, which include the bread baking and all of the products and produce used to make a Subway sandwich. On the other side of the line of visibility, you have those items not visible to the customers’ eyes, which include the preparation of the bread before baking it, the extra vegetables, meat, and cheeses to be cut and prepped, the chips and drinks used to stock the storefront, as well as the storage of all the other products necessary to perations such as paper products, bags and any office supplies. All of this is required in order to ensure the success of the service process. Even though the customer does not realize what exactly occurs behind the line of visibility, it does not mean they don’t care. Every paying customer hopes and expects that their food is being handled and prepared in the safest and best way possible. This means that employees must be equipped to complete all tasks required in the minimal time possible, while maintaining the utmost standards of sanitary handling and preparation.Please refer to blue print 1 for a visual representation of h ow the actual process explained above works. After getting a closer look at how the service process works by completing the blue print you can see that the employees work diligently to complete the process in less than five minutes. From this you can learn that during peak hours which include lunch and dinner rush, employees work faster than normal to meet the 5 minute process standard. This way may cause a customer to feel rushed.For instance if the employee sees that the customer line has exceeded more than five it begins to rush the process; this causes the customer to make abrupt decisions on what they want in their sandwich. At the same time this can easily cause the employees to make mistakes during the process. For instance they can accidently add the wrong vegetables or sauces simple because they are trying to rush through the process in order to get the customer in and out. This urgency of completing the process faster than usual can turn a customer away.Many paying custome rs like to have the undivided attention of the employees since they do feel like they should get their money’s worth through the service. To help both the employees and customers during this circumstances the manager should ensure the employees that yes you might have to pick up the speed to meet the lunch rush demand; but they will have to be courteous without making the customer feel rushed. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Subway location 19214 Clay Road, Suite A, Katy TX 77449

Scientifically Proven Ways to Start Thinking Creatively

Scientifically Proven Ways to Start Thinking Creatively There are lots of articles out there with advice on how to improve creativity. But how much of it is actually backed by scientific research? The following methods for boosting the imagination are all supported by published studies: Stop Organizing Your Workspace Apparently, keeping a messy desk serves as greater creative inspiration than keeping an organized one, according to a study published in Psychological Science. It kind of goes with the image of the mad genius who doesn’t know what color socks he’s wearing because he’s too busy inventing the internet. So, stop tidying up, sit down in your mess, and create. Paint Your Walls Blue The color blue has the ability to stimulate the brain’s creative synapses by reminding it of â€Å"the sky, the ocean and water, most people associate blue with openness, peace and tranquility† according to Juliet Zhu, a psychologist who conducted a study on color association and brain activity. This sense of peacefulness also allows people to feel supported enough to risk creative exploration. Turn Your Lights Down Low Dim lighting also helps stimulate creativity. It makes people feel â€Å"freedom, self-determination and reduced inhibition.† A study that asked students to solve creative problems found that those in the dimly lit rooms (150 lux) performed much better than those in a brightly lit room (1,500 lux). Buy low-wattage light bulbs for your room to help activate your imagination. Cultivate a Diverse Social Circle A study of Stanford Business School alumni revealed that the graduates with the highest level of creative thinking were those who networked extensively with groups of people outside their business colleagues. This exposed them to new ideas and allowed them to take more risks in thinking than if they were restricted to their normal social group. Hang Out in a Coffee Shop This has nothing to do with the intellectual tradition that coffee shops have or with the drink itself. It turns out that most coffee shops have a level of noise that supports creative thinking, as stated by The Journal of Consumer Research. Many coffee shops tend to have about 70 decibels of background noise. Extremely quiet environments like that of a library are good places to work if you need to concentrate and focus. But they don’t stimulate creativity. Travel According to the article in the Scientific American heading into the unknown can also spark the creative fires. A different setting where anything could happen and your routine hasn’t worn a groove into your brain can help create new pathways in the brain and inspire the imagination. It also creates â€Å"psychological distance† from the rest of your life, which allows you to be more open to new thoughts and solutions. Learn a New Language Along with travel comes multilingualism the ability to communicate in more than two languages. Whether you learn a new language in a foreign setting or at home, it doesn’t matter. The skill itself challenges the brain to refine its cognitive and problem-solving skills, leading to enhanced creative thinking. Meditate Adopting a meditative practice into your daily routine could help you improve creatively. A study from Cornell University observed the creative skills of a group of new meditators over the course of five months. The results were heightened mental flexibility and enhanced figurative skills. Exercise A little aerobic exercise is an incredibly useful habit to adopt. It not only ensures general overall health, but it improves mood and supplies the brain with fresh oxygen, thus enhancing your brain’s cognitive function and imaginative prowess. Next time you want to amp up your creativity, go for a short jog or bike ride, play tennis or go for a swim. Engage in the exercise of your choice to enhance your innovative abilities. Who wouldn’t want to be more creative if they could? Here’s your chance to make use any or all of these methods to improve your creative abilities and see a difference in your imaginative skills. Enjoy!

The Effectiveness of the Blackboard Learning System as an Online Research Paper

The Effectiveness of the Blackboard Learning System as an Online Education Tool - Research Paper Example Objectives The objectives of this study are: To conduct a literature review of Blackboard and its position in virtual learning environments. To conduct a survey among students at UNSW in order to measure the overall effectiveness of current Blackboard’s features. To determine the best and worst features of Blackboard. To make recommendations based on the research findings on improvements that can be made to enhance the effectiveness of Blackboard as an online education tool. Literature review Blackboard is one of the interfaces used in provision of online education or distance learning, usually referred to as virtual learning environment. The basic features of all virtual learning environment models are that they are based on the web and use certain tools to ensure two-way interaction is possible. They also feature a content management system. Besides these, they simulate traditional classroom delivery concepts of education in terms of instruction, assessment, discussions and homework assignments among other features. The basic goal of all virtual learning environment models is to make the learning experience in online education as interactive as possible. Some of the tools used to achieve this are aimed at enhancing communication, uploading and downloading course content and supportive material, class administration, instructor assessment, self evaluation assessment tools through automatic scoring and online questionnaires among other profound tools like three-dimensional environments and use of emoticons to promote interaction (Iskander, 2007). Blackboard has a suite of applications that are supported by Blackboard Global Solutions to enable efficient and integrated planning and implementation of the desired system for... The intention of this study is blackboard as one of the interfaces used in provision of online education or distance learning, usually referred to as virtual learning environment. The basic features of all virtual learning environment models are that they are based on the web and use certain tools to ensure two-way interaction is possible. They also feature a content management system. Besides these, they simulate traditional classroom delivery concepts of education in terms of instruction, assessment, discussions and homework assignments among other features. The basic goal of all virtual learning environment models is to make the learning experience in online education as interactive as possible. Some of the tools used to achieve this are aimed at enhancing communication, uploading and downloading course content and supportive material, class administration, instructor assessment, self evaluation assessment tools through automatic scoring and online questionnaires among other profo und tools like three-dimensional environments and use of emoticons to promote interaction. Blackboard has a suite of applications that are supported by Blackboard Global Solutions to enable efficient and integrated planning and implementation of the desired system for clients. The applications by Blackboard include Blackboard learning system, Blackboard content system, Blackboard portal system and Blackboard transaction system. The Blackboard learning system is utilized by organizations in the use of the internet as an effective instructional system.

HS630 Conf Week 3 Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

HS630 Conf Week 3 Question - Essay Example In the Dam sector, various systems plus redundancies are in use to prevent risk occurrence; cyber insecurity results to threat of safety (McGrath, 2011). Control systems in Dams are vital systems when they are in improved form. Improved control systems occur in suitable designs and work in a manner that is safe and free from cyber insecurity (Stewart et al., 2011). There exists information sharing criteria in the Dam sector that pertain cyber and physical coercion plus procedures for protection. The Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7) has ensured presence of a National infrastructure Plan (NIPP) leading to development plus improvement of backup systems (McGrath, 2011). The Federal Emergency Management Agency ensures the existence of web associated training courses. These entail various issues of safety concerning Dams. It is difficult to maintain strong partnerships between the private and the public bodies that ensure proper sharing of authorities plus resources in order to implement strategies (McGrath, 2011). Application of appropriate technology becomes a challenge because various complexities may emerge. Existence of unreliable safeguards results to damages due to flooding and other aspects (McGrath, 2011). A climatic change presents challenges because it results to a variance in the flow of rainfall. This change affects dam structures because parameters used during design will need adjustment to conform to the existing variables (Stewart et al.,