Domestic Violence, alcohol and substance abuse Thesis

Domestic Violence, alcohol and substance abuse - Thesis Example Excessive use of alcohol in men increases the possibility of wife abuse (Lynetta, 2011). According to researchers, there is a relation between the 2 behaviors and its exact character remains blurred. One research worker states that, â€Å"alcohol and substance abuse are the most prominent element that leads to domestic violence. Many of the theorists found that too much use of alcohol and substance abuse are the main factor in the dynamics of spouse beating (Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, n.d.). Many statistics records show a relationship between domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse. According to recent reports of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) assailants in more than 90% of the domestic abuse cases used alcohol or substance abuse on the day of the assault (Buddy, 2011). In addition to this, one more study shows this relation among domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse; according to this study before assaulting their partners forty-eight to eighty-seven percent of the batterers were under the influence of alcohol, among these rates substance abuse rate is thirteen to twenty percent whereas alcohol rate is sixty to seventy percent (Buddy, 2011). Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov (n.d.).  Chapter 1—Effects of Domestic Violence on Substance Abuse Treatment - Substance Abuse Treatment and Domestic Violence - NCBI Bookshelf. [online] Retrieved from:

Factors Affecting Women Shoppers Essay Example for Free

Factors Affecting Women Shoppers Essay Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development 3. 3 2013 Budget Presentation Speech by Malaysia Prime Minister. 3. 4 The Household Use of Internet Survey,2005 by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commisions. | | | | | CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1Background of the Study The usage of Internet has grown rapidly over the past years and it has become a common means for delivering and trading information, services and goods. Nowadays, internet is not only a networking media, but it is also used as a means of transaction for consumers at global market. Women contribute the large number of Malaysia’s population. Major contribution of women to the nation always been recognized. With the increasing number of career women in Malaysia contribute further enhance of the purchasing power among women buyers. The existence of telecommunications equipment such as smart phones and tablets are not limiting time and place for them to be online. The roles of a shopper’s personal attitudes have been widely acknowledged in consumer decision-making and behavioral intentions (Wu, 2003). In particular, attitude serves as the bridge between consumers’ characteristics and the consumption that satisfies their needs (Armstrong amp; Kotler, 2003). Moreover, consumers’ characteristics, such as personality, as well as demographic and perception on online shopping benefits, have also been found to influence their online shopping behavior (Cheung amp; Lee, 2003). Thus, identifying the relative importance of each determinant of choice towards a given action could be a useful step in understanding such behavior occurs. The main aim of this study is to investigate purchasing intention of women shopper at Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), with a particular emphasis on understanding and evaluating the factors which directly or indirectly influence their purchasing intentions by measuring the attitude towards online shopping. 1. 2Problem Statement Online shopping in Malaysia is a new technology breakthrough since it has just begun to assault the Malaysia retailing sector with the online shopping services (Haque et al. 2006). In order to increase online shopping in Malaysia, understanding consumer online shopping behavior and factors affecting this behavior when shopping online should be given priority. With the expansion of career women in Malaysia, women shoppers become one of the important market segments or two reasons; first, this group has money and shopping interest. According to Statistics on Women, Family and Community 2011, shows that number of female employed increased from 2000 until 2010. It shows that women in Malaysia have purchasing power (See Appendix 3. ). Second, this segment of the population has the potential of earning a greater income than other segments of the population. It will be great significance to find out the factors which influence women shoppers’ intention to shop online if we want to expand group of online buyers and the volume of e-commerce. According to to Statistics on Women, Family and Community 2011, Number of female enrollment in University is higher than ma le and the number keep increasing. In 2001, number of male enrollment student in University is 103,747 and female 142,242. In 2010, Number of male enrollment in University is 184,457 and female 278,323 (See Appendix 3. 2). The differences of student become bigger each year. The higher of education background can contribute to higher income in the future. Third, growth of online business keeps increasing. Recently, during the 2013 budget presentation by our Prime Minister has stated that; the Malaysia Government aware women not only important in a family, but also contribute to the development to the national economy. The government allocated 50 million to support women’s role. One of them is, Get Malaysia Business Online Program (GMBO) introduced to help 50 thousand small entrepreneurs, especially women to increase their online sales. Grants of thousand Ringgit Malaysia through the provision of 50 million Ringgit Malaysia by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) (See Appendix 3. 3). A mid-2005 survey by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Corporation (MCMC), only 9. 3% of Internet users had purchased products or services through the Internet during the preceding three months. Among those who did so, airline tickets were the most popular items (43. %) followed by books (15. 6%) and music (6. 8%). Amounts spent on these items were small, however, with 57. 7% of transactions worth less than M$500. Moreover, it is expected Malaysian online sales will increase every year at a high growth (See Appendix 3. 4). Opportunities of online shopping can be restricted by internal and external constraints on behavior. It is important in expl aining human behavior since an individual who has the intention of accomplishing a certain action may be unable to do so because her environment prevents the act from being performed. Moreover, there are some barriers which have contributed to the unwillingness of Malaysians to shop online because they afraid their personal information will be stole or misused by others. Despite the high potential of online shopping in Malaysia, there is still lack of understanding concerning the online shopping and its impact on marketing. Consequently a framework is needed to structure the complex system of effects of these different factors, and develop an in-depth understanding of consumers’ attitudes toward internet shopping and their intentions to shop online. 1. Objectives of the Research The objectives of this study are; 1. To determine women shoppers’ shopping attitudes towards website design. 2. To determine women shoppers’ shopping attitudes towards reliability of online retailer. 3. To determine women shoppers’ shopping attitudes towards online shopping customer service. 4. To determine women shoppers’ shopping attitudes towards trust on online retailer. 1. 4Scope of Study Literature Review Factors influencing online shopping intention toward online shopping have been researched and documented in the context of traditional consumer literature. A review of empirical studies in this area shows that the theories of Reasoned Action (Ajzen amp; Fishbein, 1975) and Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) are among the most popular theories used to explain online shopping behavior. Therefore the theoretical framework f this study is based in these theories. Online Shopping Perceived Benefit Perceived benefits are advantageous results derived from attributes. The benefit can be physiological, psychological, sociological, or material in nature. Within the online shopping context, the consumers’ perceived benefits are the sum of online shopping advantages or satisfactions that meet their needs or wants. There are many differences between a physical store and its electronic counterpart. Most of the previous online shopping research has focused on identifying the attributes of online stores that promote success (Davis, 1989; Liu amp; Arnett, 2000). Previous studies of online shopping have established two categories of benefits; intrinsic and extrinsic. Both are important in customers’ selections to patronize the online stores. Extrinsic benefits include features such as wide selection of products, competitive pricing, easy access to information and low search costs. Intrinsic benefits include features such as design and color. Research Framework The key components of the research framework for consumer attitude towards online shopping can be seen in Figure 1. Website Design| | Online Shopping| Reliability| | | Customer Service| | | Trust| | | Hypotheses: A series of testable hypotheses were developed from the proposed research model, as shown below: Hypothesis 1: There is a significant relationship between web site design and online shopping. Hypothesis 2: There is a significant relationship between reliability of online retailer and online shopping. Hypothesis 3: There is a significant relationship between customer service and online shopping. Hypothesis 4: There is a significant relationship between trust on online retailer and online shopping. In general, base on the hypotheses, the research framework will be focusing on four factors as independent variables and propensity to shop online will be the dependent variable. . e. for the hypothesis 1, 2, 3 and 4 which are focusing on Web Site Design, Reliability, Customer Service, and Trust, it is hypothesize that there should be a positive relationship that would likely to influence the online shopping. Research Methodology To undertake this project, two types of data will be gathered. i. Secondary data This type of data will be used extensively in literature review to provide the framework of this study. Textbook, journals and internet shopping reports will be the sources of this desk research. ii. Primary data This type of data will be the main instrument used in evaluating the factors affecting women shoppers’ online shopping attitude and purchase intention. The process of gaining this input is discussed next. In doing so, the rest of this section organized into four main areas; the research design, the target population and the sample size, methods for data collection, and data analysis and interpretation. The research design In getting the shoppers data, I choose to employ descriptive research over exploratory or causal research. This type of research is suitable when a study intends to produce accurate description of variables relent to the decision being faced, without demonstrating that some relationship exists between variables. This description fits well with the objectives of this study. In addition, a cross sectional studies is elected over longitudinal studies. The former allow the researchers to assess to a larger number of customers, thus enabling them to produce a more representative data. Through this method, data is typically cross tabulated against each other to answer specific issues. This kind of data is meaningful to companies that appeal to many segments of the markets such as internet shopping. The target population and the sample size In line with the scope of the project, the population refers to the female employee of Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP). To further define the population, this study will only examine the behavior of women shoppers in the age bracket 20 to 55 years old. The sample elements will be chosen using systematic sampling. Within this pool of shoppers, a sample of 200 shoppers will be selected. This sample size is considered appropriate. Roscoe (1975) for instance stated ‘samples sizes larger than 30 and less than 500 samples are the appropriate for most research. Likewise, Sekaran (1994) agrees that 500 samples are the appropriate upper limit for the sample size. Methods for data collection Since cross sectional study has been chosen for this study, data will be collected through questioning. Using this method, the respondents will be identified systematically and to aid questioning the shoppers, a set of questionnaire will be designed. The questionnaires will be distributed through online and respondents will be invites through UMP Portal.

JIMMY HOFFA :: essays research papers

The day Jimmy Hoffa didn't come home By Pat Zacharias / The Detroit News On July 30, 1975, James Riddle Hoffa left his Lake Orion home for a meeting. Paroled from federal prison three years earlier, the former Teamster president had recently announced plans to try to wrestle back control of the union he had built with his bare knuckles from his protege -- now adversary -- Frank Fitzsimmons. Anthony Giacalone, a reputed captain of organized crime in Detroit, was supposed to meet Hoffa that day. James R. Hoffa as a Teamsters organizer in 1939. Jimmy told his wife Josephine he would be home around 4 p.m. to grill streaks for dinner. After 39 years of marriage, she knew Jimmy would not be late. Witnesses saw him waiting in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in upscale Bloomfield Township. He never made it home. Hoffa. The name alone stirs strong emotions and opinions. Was he a visionary union hero or brutal despot? Was he a labor crusader or a criminal? Jimmy Hoffa began his union career as a teenager in the 1930s. A grade school dropout, he almost single handedly built the Teamsters union into an awesome national power. His hammer-handed negotiating techniques, his alleged links to organized crime, and his bitter feuds with John and Robert Kennedy made Hoffa the prototypical labor leader of his day. Born in Brazil, Ind., on Feb. 14, 1913, Jimmy grew up fast when his coal miner father died from lung disease in 1920. His mother took in laundry to keep the family together and the children also helped with after school jobs. Hoffa later described his mother lovingly as a frontier type woman "who believed that Duty and Discipline were spelled with capital D's." In 1922, the Hoffas moved to Clinton, Ind., for a two year stay, then to Detroit to an apartment on Merritt Street on the city's brawling, working-class west side. Tagged by the neighbor kids as hillbillies, Hoffa won respect and acceptance with his fists. After school Jimmy worked as a delivery boy and finally dropped out of school in the 9th grade just as the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression brought massive layoffs and business failures. A friend, Walter Murphy, told him to get into the food business. "No matter what happens, people have to eat," he said. JIMMY HOFFA :: essays research papers The day Jimmy Hoffa didn't come home By Pat Zacharias / The Detroit News On July 30, 1975, James Riddle Hoffa left his Lake Orion home for a meeting. Paroled from federal prison three years earlier, the former Teamster president had recently announced plans to try to wrestle back control of the union he had built with his bare knuckles from his protege -- now adversary -- Frank Fitzsimmons. Anthony Giacalone, a reputed captain of organized crime in Detroit, was supposed to meet Hoffa that day. James R. Hoffa as a Teamsters organizer in 1939. Jimmy told his wife Josephine he would be home around 4 p.m. to grill streaks for dinner. After 39 years of marriage, she knew Jimmy would not be late. Witnesses saw him waiting in the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in upscale Bloomfield Township. He never made it home. Hoffa. The name alone stirs strong emotions and opinions. Was he a visionary union hero or brutal despot? Was he a labor crusader or a criminal? Jimmy Hoffa began his union career as a teenager in the 1930s. A grade school dropout, he almost single handedly built the Teamsters union into an awesome national power. His hammer-handed negotiating techniques, his alleged links to organized crime, and his bitter feuds with John and Robert Kennedy made Hoffa the prototypical labor leader of his day. Born in Brazil, Ind., on Feb. 14, 1913, Jimmy grew up fast when his coal miner father died from lung disease in 1920. His mother took in laundry to keep the family together and the children also helped with after school jobs. Hoffa later described his mother lovingly as a frontier type woman "who believed that Duty and Discipline were spelled with capital D's." In 1922, the Hoffas moved to Clinton, Ind., for a two year stay, then to Detroit to an apartment on Merritt Street on the city's brawling, working-class west side. Tagged by the neighbor kids as hillbillies, Hoffa won respect and acceptance with his fists. After school Jimmy worked as a delivery boy and finally dropped out of school in the 9th grade just as the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression brought massive layoffs and business failures. A friend, Walter Murphy, told him to get into the food business. "No matter what happens, people have to eat," he said.

Academic and Career Goals Essay

Academic and Career Goals Sometimes it seems like life is inhibiting me from achieving my goals. I define my objectives as I see them. I associate them with my values. Knowing that the task at hand is essential to realizing my dreams, but I am unable to do it. I have thought about other ways to get around the problem, I keep getting back to the talent I’m missing. Accomplishing a new ability might feel like a huge undertaking. It’s been my experience that if a talent is necessary in getting closer to achieving my dreams, education is not a bad thing after all. I begin on an excursion to take the first of many steps gaining enlightenment while pursuing my academic and career goals. Furthermore, education is the most important aspect in people’s lives. It is becoming even more important than it has been in the past. In today’s society, education is essential in order to be successful economically and socially. The benefits of education are boundless. I believe the stages from elementary to high school; students are getting an inadequate amount of education. Furthermore, education is a mandatory process. Individuals who continue their education in colleges and universities will become more experienced meanwhile increasing their chances of getting a well-paid job. In essence the desire to return back to school has been a dream for a long time. I have had to start a little later in life but I have finally found my passion in graphic design. Since becoming a young adult, I have had to work multiple jobs and mentally trapped in a state of barely surviving; I needed to have an encouraging transformation that would allow me to achieve a better financial steadiness. My reasons for returning back to school are much more than becoming a graphic designer; having the instability of a lower income was extremely pertinent for my self-worth. I ACADEMIC 3 have been particularly apprehensive for such a long time that making life altering decisions will optimistically create an end result for me and my family. During this day and age, numerous individuals are going back to the school to further their education; due to many families having challenging times in making their ends meet. The employers are seeking individuals who possess college degrees; which inspires people to further  their education. Having a college degree often leads individuals into a secure and a well-paying job in order to adequately support their family. In today’s society and principles, individuals with a college degree are viewed to be more devoted, well-informed, teachable, and respected to potential businesses. Additionally, when I was younger and inexperienced, my day dreams were of going college and gaining the experience that would lead me to a successful career. Unnecessary time had passed; and unfortunately, I had to work instead of continuing on with school. Many of my older friends talked about their experiences, and my high school friends were also excited about the idea of joining the working class. After being employed with several jobs, I felt as if my life was not reaching full potential. My self-esteem became low and I felt distraught. Furthermore, I needed to motivate myself and decided to pursue my college degree. There is a point in everyone’s life where they will have to become financially independent. Unfortunately, for some people this process can be difficult. Planning my life has been a roller coaster and extremely difficult. I have been dependent on others most of my life, and realized I had to take consequences for my actions. For all intents and purposes I look to the future to attain a college degree, to better myself and accomplish my Academic and Career Goals. ACADEMIC 4 References Ashford University. (n. d. ). Ashford writing center. Retrieved from https://content. ashford. edu/ Sole, K. (2010). Essentials for College Writing. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content. ashford. edu.

Absolute Poverty

POVERTY What is poverty? Poverty is the economic condition in which people lack sufficient income to obtain certain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing, and education generally recognized as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. What is considered adequate, however, depends on the average standard of living in a particular society. Relative poverty is that experienced by those whose income falls considerably below the average for their particular society. Absolute poverty is that experienced by those who do not have enough food to remain healthy. However, estimating poverty on an income basis may not measure essential elements that also contribute to a healthy life. People without access to education or health services should be considered poor even if they have adequate food. CAUSES OF POVERTY One of the greatest challenges facing many least developed countries especially in the African continent is the worsening scourge of poverty with its attendant effects of unemployment, malnutrition, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS and destitution. There are many causes of poverty complex and multi-dimensional in nature. They involve among many others gender inequality, economical, political and social exclusion. Therefore any intervention measures designed to respond to the challenges above should be judged by their ability to positively make a significant dent on poverty at a micro level (lower levels of society such as the households or individual levels). There should be a clear linkage between macro level policies and micro level impacts in terms of reducing poverty or at least providing an environment for poverty reduction. Such a policy should be able to facilitate the delivery of basic needs to ordinary citizens and these include access to affordable food, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, public information among many others. No one should be alienated from these basic and fundamental human rights on account of one’s poor economic status. IMPACT OF POVERTY ON BUSINESS OPERATIONS When a person doesn’t have disposable income he/she make purchases of commodities, goods and services. Therefore many cannot increase their sales. Production output drops. Some companies put their staff on short time. This further reduces disposable income. Financial sectors do not grant credit to low- income earners therefore the financial market suffers. Inflation rises. The GDP of the country drops. The price of goods and services increase. The people with low income and those that receive social grants do not have enough many to but commodities. Companies that do not make high turnovers cannot plough moneys back into communities for social upliftment. ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY BY THE GOVERNMENT Aid refers to the net flow of official development assistance provide by governments, international agencies, and public institutions of the industrialized countries. The term is also used to encompass help (both material and technical) provided by non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and voluntary agencies to countries and people in need, particularly for disaster or emergency relief. The overall portfolio of assistance of a donor, or the range of aid I provides to a particular country, is often referred to as its aid programme. The various recognized categories of aid such as: Bilateral aid * Project aid * Grant aid * Technical assistance * Emergency aid/Disaster relief * Food aid * Voluntary aid GLOBAL POVERTY! IS BUSINESS THE ANSWER? When activists discuss the way less developed countries have missed out on the benefits of globalization, Multinational Corporations are often portrayed as the villains. But to some, they are the solution and the only one. CONCLUTION In conclusion I would just like to say that we, as South Africans, need to show the world that we are strong and we are better prepared for global turmoil than we previously were. WE ARE HERE TO STAY!! Absolute Poverty POVERTY What is poverty? Poverty is the economic condition in which people lack sufficient income to obtain certain minimal levels of health services, food, housing, clothing, and education generally recognized as necessary to ensure an adequate standard of living. What is considered adequate, however, depends on the average standard of living in a particular society. Relative poverty is that experienced by those whose income falls considerably below the average for their particular society. Absolute poverty is that experienced by those who do not have enough food to remain healthy. However, estimating poverty on an income basis may not measure essential elements that also contribute to a healthy life. People without access to education or health services should be considered poor even if they have adequate food. CAUSES OF POVERTY One of the greatest challenges facing many least developed countries especially in the African continent is the worsening scourge of poverty with its attendant effects of unemployment, malnutrition, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS and destitution. There are many causes of poverty complex and multi-dimensional in nature. They involve among many others gender inequality, economical, political and social exclusion. Therefore any intervention measures designed to respond to the challenges above should be judged by their ability to positively make a significant dent on poverty at a micro level (lower levels of society such as the households or individual levels). There should be a clear linkage between macro level policies and micro level impacts in terms of reducing poverty or at least providing an environment for poverty reduction. Such a policy should be able to facilitate the delivery of basic needs to ordinary citizens and these include access to affordable food, health, education, shelter, water and sanitation, public information among many others. No one should be alienated from these basic and fundamental human rights on account of one’s poor economic status. IMPACT OF POVERTY ON BUSINESS OPERATIONS When a person doesn’t have disposable income he/she make purchases of commodities, goods and services. Therefore many cannot increase their sales. Production output drops. Some companies put their staff on short time. This further reduces disposable income. Financial sectors do not grant credit to low- income earners therefore the financial market suffers. Inflation rises. The GDP of the country drops. The price of goods and services increase. The people with low income and those that receive social grants do not have enough many to but commodities. Companies that do not make high turnovers cannot plough moneys back into communities for social upliftment. ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY BY THE GOVERNMENT Aid refers to the net flow of official development assistance provide by governments, international agencies, and public institutions of the industrialized countries. The term is also used to encompass help (both material and technical) provided by non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and voluntary agencies to countries and people in need, particularly for disaster or emergency relief. The overall portfolio of assistance of a donor, or the range of aid I provides to a particular country, is often referred to as its aid programme. The various recognized categories of aid such as: Bilateral aid * Project aid * Grant aid * Technical assistance * Emergency aid/Disaster relief * Food aid * Voluntary aid GLOBAL POVERTY! IS BUSINESS THE ANSWER? When activists discuss the way less developed countries have missed out on the benefits of globalization, Multinational Corporations are often portrayed as the villains. But to some, they are the solution and the only one. CONCLUTION In conclusion I would just like to say that we, as South Africans, need to show the world that we are strong and we are better prepared for global turmoil than we previously were. WE ARE HERE TO STAY!!

Post Lab Questions Essay Example

Post Lab Questions Essay Example Post Lab Questions Essay Post Lab Questions Essay 1. Describe a polymer in your words.A substance which has a molecular structure that is primarily made up of many similar repeating units known as monomers that are bound together. 2. As the number of initiators increase, what happens to the length of the chains?The length of the chains increases. Polymerization begins at initiation, and only two molecules are involved in the chain reaction; monomers and initiator molecules. An increase in the number of initiators leads to more activated monomers that can polymerize hence resulting in an increase in the length of the monomers. 3. Predict how the strength and flexibility of the polymers change as the number of cross-linkers increases. 4. A branched polymer is formed when one chain is attached to the body of another chain. A branched polymer resembles the branches of a tree. Rebuild a structure and insert a picture here, so that is shows branching. Structure of low-density polyethylene 5. What did you have to do with one of the terminal ends to create the branching requested for your polymer?The introduction of branching required replacement of a substituent such as a hydrogen atom on one of the monomer subunit with a covalently bound chain of the polymers. 6. Below is the structure of the monomer ethylene chloride, the building block of polyvinyl chloride, PVC. Draw a five repeating unit of the polymer. (You will need to draw this by hand and then insert a picture of your work here.) 7. Below is a picture of the polymer known as polyethylene: What does its monomer look like? Draw its structure here: (You will need to draw this by hand and then insert a picture of your work here.) Summary ParagraphPolymers are a unique molecular structure made up of repeating monomers units. Synthesis of polymers takes place in three reactions: initiation reaction, propagation reaction and termination reaction. It requires different molecules such as the monomers to be covalently bound and the initiator molecules. The length of the polymers increases with the number of monomers and initiator molecules. Crosslinking is essential for increasing the strength of polymers however it reduces their flexibility. Branching in polymers occurs through substitution of substituent molecule with a chain of the polymer at one of the carbons of the polymers.

Free Essays on Women & Cutting

Opinion/ Research Paper Best Kept Secret of the Blade The least talked about of all disorders, and addictions among women is cutting. The question I would like to answer is what are the reasons that these women are cutting themselves? Many of the reasons women are cutting themselves are interwoven, just as the systems of oppression are.I believe that the main reason so many women are cutting themselves is because they are basing their self worth on things that are ever changing, and completely disconnected from reality. These women are craveing something that is real, that is an outlet for their pain, but most of all the control of our own pain that comes from cutting. These women that I speak of are not some abstract statistic they are your mother, your teacher, your daughter, your next door neighbor, your best friend, or the girl who sits next to you in class. I am one of â€Å"these women† and I would like to start off with an autobiographical account of my own experience with cutting. Many of the reasons are interwoven, just as our systems of oppression are, so in order to get a real understanding of my experience with this disorder I must reveal a little of my past and the forces that led me to cut myself. I grew up in extreme poverty. My family of seven lived off of welfare, food stamps, free lunches and my stepfathers part time low paying job. With all of our sources of income combined we were living off of less than $12, 000 per year. I was ashamed of being poor and took every measure possible to cover it up and not let anyone know the real financial standing of my family. All this time I was forced to internalize the feelings of worthlessness, and shame. Another key factor that played into the cause of my cutting was my biological father. He is a practicing drug addict and has been absent for most of my life. The times that he was in my life were very abusive, and I was exposed to a lot of things a young child shou... Free Essays on Women & Cutting Free Essays on Women & Cutting Opinion/ Research Paper Best Kept Secret of the Blade The least talked about of all disorders, and addictions among women is cutting. The question I would like to answer is what are the reasons that these women are cutting themselves? Many of the reasons women are cutting themselves are interwoven, just as the systems of oppression are.I believe that the main reason so many women are cutting themselves is because they are basing their self worth on things that are ever changing, and completely disconnected from reality. These women are craveing something that is real, that is an outlet for their pain, but most of all the control of our own pain that comes from cutting. These women that I speak of are not some abstract statistic they are your mother, your teacher, your daughter, your next door neighbor, your best friend, or the girl who sits next to you in class. I am one of â€Å"these women† and I would like to start off with an autobiographical account of my own experience with cutting. Many of the reasons are interwoven, just as our systems of oppression are, so in order to get a real understanding of my experience with this disorder I must reveal a little of my past and the forces that led me to cut myself. I grew up in extreme poverty. My family of seven lived off of welfare, food stamps, free lunches and my stepfathers part time low paying job. With all of our sources of income combined we were living off of less than $12, 000 per year. I was ashamed of being poor and took every measure possible to cover it up and not let anyone know the real financial standing of my family. All this time I was forced to internalize the feelings of worthlessness, and shame. Another key factor that played into the cause of my cutting was my biological father. He is a practicing drug addict and has been absent for most of my life. The times that he was in my life were very abusive, and I was exposed to a lot of things a young child shou...

How to Teach the Present Continuous to ESL Students

How to Teach the Present Continuous to ESL Students Teaching the present continuous usually takes place after the present, past, and future simple forms have been introduced. However, many books and curricula choose to introduce the present continuous immediately after the  present simple. This order can be confusing as students may have difficulties understanding the subtlety of something that happens as a routine and an  action that takes places at the moment of speaking. No matter when you introduce this tense,  its important to provide as much context as possible by using appropriate time expressions, such as now, at the moment, currently, etc.   How to Introduce the Present Continuous Start by Modeling the Present Continuous Begin teaching the present continuous by speaking about what is happening in the classroom at the moment of introduction. Once students recognize  this usage, extend to other things you know are happening now. This can include simple facts such as The sun is shining at the moment. Were learning English at the moment. etc. Make sure to mix it up by using a number of different subjects. Im teaching the present continuous right now.My wife is working in her office at the moment.Those boys are playing tennis over there.etc. Choose a magazine or web page with lots of activity, go through a number of pages, and ask students questions based on the photo. What are they doing now?What is she holding in her hand?Which sport are they playing?etc. To teach the negative form, use the magazine or web pages to ask yes or no questions focusing on eliciting a negative response. You may want to model a few examples before asking students. Is she playing tennis? - No, she isnt playing tennis. Shes playing golf.Is he wearing shoes? - No, hes wearing boots.(Asking students) Are they eating lunch?Is she driving a car?etc. Once students have practiced a few rounds of questions, distribute magazines or other pictures around the classroom and ask students to grill each other on what is happening at the moment. How to Practice the Present Continuous Explaining the Present Continuous on the Board Use a present continuous timeline to illustrate the fact that the present continuous is used to express what is happening at the moment. If you feel comfortable with  the level of the class, introduce the idea that the present continuous can be used to speak about what is happening around the present moment in time. Its a good idea at this point to contrast the present continuous auxiliary verb to be with other auxiliary verbs, pointing out that ing must be added to the verb in the present continuous form. Comprehension Activities Comprehension activities such as using photos in magazines will help with the present continuous. Present continuous dialogues can also help illustrate the form. Present continuous worksheets will help tie in the form with appropriate time expressions. Review quizzes contrasting present simple with the present continuous will also help. Continued Activity Practice Its a good idea to compare and contrast the present continuous with the present simple form once students have understood the difference. Using the present continuous for other purposes such as discussing present projects at work or speaking about future scheduled meetings will help students become familiar with other uses of the present continuous form. Challenges with the Present Continuous The greatest challenge with present continuous is understanding the difference between a routine action (present simple) and an activity occurring at the moment. Its quite common for students to use the present continuous to speak about daily habits once theyve learned the form, so comparing the two forms early on will help students understand the differences. The use of the present continuous to express  future scheduled events  is best left for intermediate level classes.  Finally, students might also have difficulties understanding that stative verbs may not be used with continuous forms. Present Continuous Lesson Plan Example Greet the class and talk about what is happening at the moment in class. Make sure to pepper your sentences with appropriate time expressions such as at the moment and now.Ask students what they are doing at the moment to help them begin using the form. At this point in the lesson, keep things simple by not diving into the grammar. Try to get students to provide correct answers in a relaxed conversational manner.Use a magazine or find pictures online and discuss what is happening in the picture.  As you discuss what he/she or they are doing in photos, begin to differentiate by asking questions with you and we.  At the end of this discussion, write up a few example sentences on the whiteboard. Make sure to use different subjects and ask students to identify the differences between each sentence or question.  Point out the helping verb be changes, but note that the main verb (playing, eating, watching, etc.) remains the same.Begin contrasting the present continuous with the prese nt simple by alternating questions. For example:  What is your friend doing at the moment?  and  Where does your friend live?   Get student input on the differences between the two forms. Help students understand as necessary. Make sure to point out differences in time expression use between the two forms.  Ask students to write out ten questions, five with the present continuous and five with the present simple. Move around the room helping students with any difficulties.  Have students interview each other using the ten questions.  For homework, ask students to write a short paragraph contrasting what a friend or family member does every day and what they are doing at the moment. Model a few sentences on the board so that students clearly understand the homework assignment.

Post heartattack cardiac failure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Post heartattack cardiac failure - Essay Example This essay is going to address the issue of heart attack in details and explain the measures one is supposed to take to avoid another heart attack in the future. Heart failure management includes a number of pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic and persistent strategies to reduce subsequent occurrences of heart attacks. Pharmacologic management includes the use of vasodilators, beta-blockers, diurectics, digoxin and anticoagulants. Nonphamacologic management entails physical activities, dietary sodium, fluid restriction and attention to weigh gain. Persistent strategies for heart failure are implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, electrphysiologic intervention such as pacemakers and cardiac resynchronization therapy, ventricular restoration and revascularization procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting (Ketchum, 2011: 90). Heart failure patients should be examined for coronary artery disease, which is a major cause of heart failure. It also plays a role in heart failure progression through mechanisms such as ischemia, infarction and endothelial dysfunction. Studies reveal that patients suffering from coronary artery disease demonstrate a symptomatic and survival improvement with coronary artery bypass grafting (Clifford, 2008: 62). The sections that follow outline the most effective measures for providing support for CHF patients. Despite the deadliness of myocardial infarction and other chronic heart diseases, these measures, if well taken, have the ability to markedly improve one’s health outcomes. They also have the ability to reduce the burden on the health care system. Patients, their families and caregivers can reduce worsening of the CHF condition if they are familiar with the principles of myocardial infarction management and learn to monitor the symptoms and deterioration signs on a daily basis. Whether or not the victims are enrolled into a particular management program, the availability of supportive organization and

Growing Trend of Employment-Related Background Essay

Growing Trend of Employment-Related Background - Essay Example Credential fraud consists of an employment candidate falsifying information on the employment application, usually in the form of misrepresented employment history and academics-related credentials. This type of fraud has witnessed the creation of many external agencies which act as third-party investigators and are generally hired as a proactive risk management investment. There is also ample research evidence pointing toward an increased awareness of credential fraud in modern business organizations, promoting human resource officials to promote extensive training to interviewing managers in recognizing potential discrepancies within employment applications. With background checking being established by many organizations in an attempt to combat this fraudulent activity, it is somewhat unexpected that credential fraud continues to rise statistically. This project identifies the potential detriment which is caused by credential fraud, both to the business which experiences increases in similar fraud and to the employee or potential job candidate who knowingly falsifies their credentials. Further, an interview was conducted with the Regional HR Manager at The Home Depot, a major home improvement center with facilities in North America and abroad, to highlight the issues faced by today's human resources departments. Credential fraud is not only a modern problem plaguing businesses, instances of misrepresentation have been experienced since at least the 1970s. Research indicates that fraudulent employment activities involved degree forgery and the use of diploma mills on black markets. These mills offered the creation of official-looking degrees from major universities across the nation, costing, at the time, around $1500.  

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for Essay - 4

Write a report assessing the feasibility of different techniques for providing fresh water to arid regions of the world - Essay Example Arid regions of the world, found mainly in Africa and Middle-East Asia, typically lack physically accessible, hygienic, and adequate water supply, necessary for multiple aspects such as domestic use, industry and agriculture. Due to this shortage, these regions face difficulties in not only economic development but also human resources development, with people living there facing numerous struggles. Thus focusing on the current tough situation in arid regions, and the resultant difficulties, this report will discuss about two different water provision techniques of desalination and water transfer, and how they can provide fresh water to those regions. Although, 70 percent of the Earth’s surface consists of water, only around 2.5 percent is fresh water, with the rest being salt water contained in the oceans. (â€Å"And not a drop to drink?†, n. d). Among the already minimal proportion of fresh water, just about 1 percent is easily accessible for the people to ‘tap’ and utilize, and that 1 percent is found mainly in rivers, lakes as well as some underground sources. â€Å"Only this amount is renewed regularly by rain and snowfall, and therefore available on a sustainable basis.† (â€Å"And not a drop to drink?†, n. d). However, the key issue here, this 1 percent is not evenly distributed throughout the world, with arid regions bereft of those natural fresh water sources. â€Å"The Amazon carries 16 percent of global river flow (or run-off). But arid zones, which cover 40 percent of the worlds landmass, have only 2 percent of run-off.† (â€Å"And not a drop to drink?†, n. d). Co nsidering these shortfalls, people living in these regions face drinking water shortage, deterioration of agricultural production as well as industrial activity. There are a variety of estimates concerning the amount of water humans need on a daily basis. Clarke

Reflection writing assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflection writing assignment - Essay Example It comes from within us. We concentrate on planning and thinking how to transform our complex thoughts into an organized written text. Sometimes, I would find myself staring at a blank paper for hours because I do not know how to start the topic I am working. Worse, when I get to start writing, I would it difficult to end the topic. Also, I would sometimes be confused in grammatical rules especially when I construct complex sentences. Moreover, I need guidance in using the right punctuations for longer sentences. However, amidst all these difficulties I encountered in writing, I have remained patient in re-writing and editing my drafts to come up with a presentable essay. Writing an outline also helps me in organizing my thoughts and ideas. Most of all, I try to read a lot in order to learn more from the different writing styles of authors. I believe that practice is the only way that I could master the

Blended learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Blended learning - Essay Example This process enables students and their course facilitators to engage in learning activities that are convenient and effective which would otherwise not be possible under normal classroom environment (Bersin 2004 pg74). In many cases in learning experience, blending brings in more student experience and output, it also facilitates efficient teaching and better management of course contents. The development in technology has provided opportunities for lecturers to design and deliver their course content in a Chunnel that enhances effectiveness of a teacher’s role to his students. Blended learning has enabled broadening of space and opportunities for learning, effective supports course management, it can deliver information and recourses to students promptly and effectively, through collaboration and interactive learning students are able to motivate each other. Blended learning is not just about technology, it is about being creative in finding better ways of supporting learners in achieving their goals. It should also aim as far as possible to provide students with the best learning experience while in school. Blended learning should also address fully support of teachers role to students these includes management and administration of learning materials and resources. The blended learning module will vary with student characteristic, level of study, discipline, needs, academics approach to learning, course learning objectives as well as experience in using technology. Blended learning spans a range of activities between face-to-face interaction and those that are completely online. This learning strategy has three modes of operation to demonstrate the level of use of technology in learning and teaching environment. The first mode indicates that technology is used to improve course management and learning materials for learners support. For

Business Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Statistics - Essay Example Nearly 17 states had $1.8 as their average fuel price. But the coefficient of variation is obtained as 9.67. The median shows that about 25 states have average fuel prices above $1.84. This clarifies that the data is normally distributed with just one state having the $2.3 as the average price. However, the histogram shows two states, Alaska and Hawaii as outliers with their average fuel prices around $2.5 which is considered to be the highest fuel price. The scatter plot (Fig. 2) of the state by state average fuel prices for diesel fuel and premium unleaded fuel2 shows that both fuel are almost equally priced. Most of the pricing is in the range of $1.8 to $ 2.5. However, the graph shows that when the price of diesel is low (or high) the price of premium fuel tends to be high (or low). We also find that Alaska and Hawaii are the two states highlighted as outliers measuring the highest diesel and premium fuel prices. The Colorado weekly regular unleaded gas prices3 for the past 8 weeks from 5th January 2009 to 23rd February 2009 has been plotted as a line chart (Fig 3). The graph shows that there has been a gradual increase in the price every consecutive week. However there have been fluctuations in the price rise in the 6th, 7th and 8th weeks. The time series plot also shows a smooth linear upward trend indicating a smooth increase in the fuel price every week. The above study on the state by state average fuel prices of unleaded regular, premium gasoline and diesel in the United States shows that the prices are fairly equal among all the states except Alaska and Hawaii where the prices are very

Blended learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Blended learning - Essay Example This process enables students and their course facilitators to engage in learning activities that are convenient and effective which would otherwise not be possible under normal classroom environment (Bersin 2004 pg74). In many cases in learning experience, blending brings in more student experience and output, it also facilitates efficient teaching and better management of course contents. The development in technology has provided opportunities for lecturers to design and deliver their course content in a Chunnel that enhances effectiveness of a teacher’s role to his students. Blended learning has enabled broadening of space and opportunities for learning, effective supports course management, it can deliver information and recourses to students promptly and effectively, through collaboration and interactive learning students are able to motivate each other. Blended learning is not just about technology, it is about being creative in finding better ways of supporting learners in achieving their goals. It should also aim as far as possible to provide students with the best learning experience while in school. Blended learning should also address fully support of teachers role to students these includes management and administration of learning materials and resources. The blended learning module will vary with student characteristic, level of study, discipline, needs, academics approach to learning, course learning objectives as well as experience in using technology. Blended learning spans a range of activities between face-to-face interaction and those that are completely online. This learning strategy has three modes of operation to demonstrate the level of use of technology in learning and teaching environment. The first mode indicates that technology is used to improve course management and learning materials for learners support. For

To regulate or not to regulate the Internet Research Paper

To regulate or not to regulate the Internet - Research Paper Example Many politicians and businesses have also embraced the internet in order to sell a better image of themselves to the public. Politicians use the internet for their campaigns because it has many users and these will be able to access the message easily, which the politicians are trying to pass across. Businesses on the other hand are using the internet not only for advertising their products but also for transactions between them and their customers. However, despite the good that the internet has brought, there are also some very malicious activities that go on within it, which have raised a great debate concerning internet regulation in many countries (Yang 359). In this paper therefore, we shall look at some of the reasons why the internet should be regulated and why it should not be regulated on the political and business arena. It is our belief that the internet should indeed be regulated in the political and business arena, especially in the latter. In the business arena, the in ternet should be regulated because there are so many businesses, which conduct their activities through the internet, and many do this without any form of government oversight. This means that some businesses might give false information about their products online and after the customer pays for them, he finds that he receives a product of lesser quality from what he paid for. Furthermore, it is easy for false business websites to be set up online with the intention of defrauding those people who fall into their clutches of their money. Online payment methods have made it easier for people to lose their money to false business schemes and to prevent such things from happening; governments all over the world should take steps to regulate the business activities that take place on the internet to protect their citizens. There should also be internet regulations on the political arena because even though the freedom of expression is a fundamental right to all, some politicians tend to propagate agendas which may be harmful to other people either within their own countries or without. For example, when some politicians propagate racist views online claiming that their own race or ethnic group is far more superior to all the others. If a politician in a multiethnic and multicultural society does this, then there is a possibility that his statements will most likely cause friction between the ethnic groups in this society. To prevent this, the government of such a society should put very strict regulations especially on websites, which encourage disunity within the society, and those who run such sites should be prosecuted and given stiff sentences to discourage others from doing the same (Wu 24 – 43). Governments should therefore take steps to ensure that content from the political arena is regulated over the internet because political news tends to spread very fast online and it is never known who will be able to access it and what its precise consequences will be. The capability of internet service providers to self-regulate is very much open to question because the internet is so wide and encompasses the entire world and it would be very difficult for a single internet service provider to be able to regulate it. There is however, some countries, such as the United Kingdom, where internet service

Impact of Technology Essay Example for Free

Impact of Technology Essay Students in the early grades, from pre-K to grade 3, and in the middle school grades appear to benefit most from DES applications for reading instruction, as do students with special reading needs. In a 2000 study commissioned by the Software and Information Industry Association, Sivin-Kachala and Bialo (2000) reviewed 311 research studies on the effectiveness of technology on student achievement. Their findings revealed positive and consistent patterns when students were engaged in technology-rich environments, including significant gains and achievement in all subject areas, increased achievement in preschool through high school for both regular and special needs students, and improved attitudes toward learning and increased self-esteem. ODwyer, Russell, Bebell, and Tucker-Seeley (2005) found that, while controlling for both prior achievement and socioeconomic status, fourth-grade students who reported greater frequency of technology use at school to edit papers were likely to have higher total English/language arts test scores and higher writing scores on fourth grade test scores on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) English/Language Arts test. Michigans Freedom to Learn (FTL) initiative, an effort to provide middle school students and teachers with access to wireless laptop computers, has been credited with improving grades, motivation and discipline in classrooms across the state, with one exemplary school seeing reading proficiency scores on the Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) test, administered in January 2005, reportedly increasing from 29 percent to 41 percent for seventh graders and from 31 to 63 percent for eighth graders (eSchool News, 2005). In examining large-scale state and national studies, as well as some innovative smaller studies on newer educational technologies, Schacter (1999) found that students with access to any of a number of technologies (such as computer assisted instruction, integrated learning systems, simulations and software that teaches higher order thinking, collaborative networked technologies, or design and programming technologies) show positive gains in achievement on researcher constructed tests, standardized tests, and national tests. Cavanaughs synthesis (2001) of 19 experimental and quasi-experimental studies of the effectiveness of interactive distance education using videoconferencing and telecommunications for K-12 academic achievement found a small positive effect in favor of distance education and more positive effect sizes for interactive distance education programs that combine an individualized approach with traditional classroom instruction. Boster, Meyer, Roberto, ; Inge (2002) examined the integration of standards-based video clips into lessons developed by classroom teachers and found increases student achievement. The study of more than 1,400 elementary and middle school students in three Virginia school districts showed an average increase in learning for students exposed to the video clip application compared to students who received traditional instruction alone. Wenglinsky (1998) noted that for fourth- and eighth-graders technology has positive benefits on achievement as measured in NAEPs mathematics test. Interestingly, Wenglinsky found that using computers to teach low order thinking skills, such as drill and practice, had a negative impact on academic achievement, while using computers to solve simulations saw their students math scores increase significantly. Hiebert (1999) raised a similar point. When students over-practice procedures before they understand them, they have more difficulty making sense of them later; however, they can learn new concepts and skills while they are solving problems. In a study that examined relationship between computer use and students science achievement based on data from a standardized assessment, Papanastasiou, Zemblyas, Vrasidas (2003) found it is not the computer use itself that has a positive or negative effect on achievement of students, but the way in which computers are used. Researchers are also making progress on the more complicated task of investigating the impact of technology use on higher order thinking skills as measured through means other than standardized tests. They are examining students ability to understand complex phenomena, analyze and synthesize multiple sources of information, and build representations of their own knowledge. At the same time, some researchers are calling for newer standardized assessments that emphasize the ability to access, interpret, and synthesize information. Research indicates that computer technology can help support learning and is especially useful in developing the higher-order skills of critical thinking, analysis, and scientific inquiry by engaging students in authentic, complex tasks within collaborative learning contexts (Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin ; Means, 2000; Means, et. al. , 1993). While research linking technology integration, inquiry-based teaching, and emphasis on problem solving with student achievement is emergent, some research exists that suggests a connection. In a 2001 study of Enhancing Missouris Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMints) program, a statewide technology integration initiative, eMINTS students scored consistently higher on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) than non-eMINTS students, including eMINTS students classified as having special needs. The higher MAP results were found to be associated with the instructional practices (Evaluation Team Policy Brief, 2002). The eMINTS program provides teachers with professional development to help integrate technology so that they can use inquiry-based teaching and emphasize critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. The program has since expanded to not only Missouri schools and districts but also other states as well. Currently, 232 Missouri districts, 10 Utah districts, 56 Maine districts, 2 Nevada districts, and 1 Illinois district, representing 1,000 classrooms and 22,500 students now take advantage of the eMINTS program offerings. Test results continue to show that, on most state tests, students enrolled in eMINTS classrooms scored higher than students enrolled in non-eMINTS classrooms and that low-income and special education students in eMINTS classes generally score higher than their non-eMINTS peers (eMINTS, 2005). Results from other studies (Perez-Prado and Thirunarayanan 2002; Cooper 2001; Smith, Ferguson and Caris 2001) also suggest that students can benefit from technology-enhanced collaborative learning methods and the interactive learning process. Roschelle, Pea, Hoadley, Gordin, Means (2000) identify four fundamental characteristics of how technology can enhance both what and how children learn in the classroom: (1) active engagement, (2) participation in groups, (3) frequent interaction and feedback, and (4) connections to real-world contexts. They also indicate that use of technology is more effective as a learning tool when embedded in a broader education reform movement that includes improvements in teacher training, curriculum, student assessment, and a schools capacity for change. Back To Top FACTORS TO CONSIDER Inclusion: Reaching All Students A major concern of many educators with regard to educational technology is its potential to exclude those who may not have access to it, or may not be able to use it. Regardless of what research may indicate concerning positive effects of technology on student learning, technology will be of limited use in achieving the goals of NCLB if is not available to all students. Students at Risk. Research demonstrates that the challenge of helping teachers and students achieve ICT literacy, and the challenge of establishing frameworks for assessing their skills, is most acute in schools serving low-socioeconomic, minority students (Becker, 2000b; Becker ; Ravitz, 1997). While public debate about the digital divide centers on basic technology access, the gap is even wider when measured by the pedagogical practices associated with technology use in different schools. More than half (53%) of teachers in public schools who have computers use them or the Internet for instruction during class. But in schools whose students are from higher-income families, 61 percent of teachers with computers use them in class compared to 50 percent of those teaching in schools with lower-income students (Lenhart, Rainie ; Lewis, 2001). And as wired as many young people are, the same study that found 87 percent of young people use the Internet also found that 3 million remain without Internet access. Many of those without access come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, and a disproportionate number are black (eSchool News, 2005a). Schools serving students living in poverty tend to use technology for more traditional memory-based and remedial activities, while schools serving wealthier communities are more likely to focus on communication and expression. A nationwide study examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and teaching practices around technology found that teaching in low-SES schools correlated most strongly with using technology for reinforcement of skills and remediation of skills, while teaching in higher-SES schools correlated most with analyzing information and presenting information to an audience (Becker, 2000b). At the same time, although less studied than other outcomes, demonstration efforts and anecdotal evidence suggest that teaching ICT literacy skills (specifically those related to multimedia literacy in Web, publishing and video production) can improve the economic prospects of at-risk youth by giving them marketable skills (Lau ; Lazarus, 2002). Back To Top Language Learners. Likewise, in teaching language learners, using technology has distinct advantages that relate not only to language education but preparing students for todays information society. Computer technologies and the Internet are powerful tools for assisting language teaching because Web technology is a part of todays social fabric, meaning language learners can now learn thorough writing e-mail and conducting online research (Wang, 2005). In Oregon secondary schools, wirelessly networked note taking is used to support Hispanic migrant students who speak English as a second language (ESL). As part of the InTime project, ESL students attend regular high school classes along with a bilingual, note-taking/mentoring partner. Note takers and students communicate using a collaborative word processing and graphics package on wirelessly networked laptop computers. During class presentations, ESL students can read their note takers translation of key words, allowing students to build both English and Spanish literacy skills as they advance academically (Knox and Anderson-Inman, 2001). Students with Disabilities. For several decades, the American educational system has taken a narrow view of special education, treating it as a mini-school within the school where teachers, largely cut off from the rest of the staff, faced a group of students with an incredibly wide range of abilities and disabilities and made the best of it. Today, that view of special education is giving way to a broader, more philosophical approach—an approach designed to weave inclusive practices into t he fabric of the whole-school environment. (MOSAIC, 2000a). The shift in recognizing the needs of students with disabilities in relationship to their general education peers began with the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Before the law, many children with disabilities who were not in schools at all because schools had chosen to exclude them (MOSAIC, 2000b). IDEA clearly established that all students with disabilities have the right to public education. More than 6 million children with disabilities ages 3 to 21 years old are served in federally supported programs (Snyder Tan, 2005). However, students with disabilities frequently experience insufficient access to and success in the general education curriculum. This is especially true for adolescent learners, even non-disabled students, who must cope with the emphasis on learning from text (Biancarosa Snow, 2004; Kamil, 2003). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) takes advantage of the opportunity brought by rapidly evolving communication technologies to create flexible teaching methods and curriculum materials that can reach diverse learners and improve student access to the general education curriculum (Rose Meyer, 2002). UDL assumes that students bring different needs and skills to the task of learning, and the learning environment should be designed to both accommodate, and make use of, these differences (Bowe 2000; Rose Meyer, 2002). To promote improved access to the general curriculum for all learners, including learners with disabilities, Rose Meyer (2002) have identified three key principles or guidelines for UDL: Presenting information in multiple formats and multiple media. Offering students with multiple ways to express and demonstrate what they have learned. Providing multiple entry points to engage student interest and motivate learning. For example, printed reading materials pose substantial challenges to the learning of students with disabilities (J. Zorfass: personal communication, October 2005). Technology can assist with such difficulties by enabling a shift from printed text to electronic text, which Anderson-Inman and Reinking (1998) assert can be modified, enhanced, programmed, linked, searched, collapsed, and collaborative. Text styles and font sizes can be modified as needed by readers with visual disabilities; read aloud by a computer-based text-to-speech translators; and integrated with illustrations, videos, and audio. Electronic text affords alternative formats for reading materials that can be customized to match learner needs, can be structured in ways that scaffold the learning process and expand both physical and cognitive access, and can foster new modes of expression through revision and multimedia (J. Zorfass: personal communication, October 2005). It represents one way that technology can support the achievement of students with disabilities. Technology also has a role to play in the testing of students with disabilities. A notable outgrowth of NCLB is the legislations mandatory requirement that states account for individual subgroups, which has further challenged schools and districts to acknowledge students with disabilities (McLaughlin, S Embler, K Nagle, 2004; Nagle, 2005). State academic content and achievement standards now define the goals of education for all students, and most students with disabilities are now expected to reach the same level of proficiency as their non-disabled peers. In order to ensure that disabilities do not prevent students from participating in standardized assessments, students with disabilities are entitled to take these tests in the same way as their peers, with accommodations, or with an alternate assessment (Thompson, Thurlow, ; Moore, 2003). These accommodations or alternatives must not alter the content standard being measured nor the achievement standard (McLaughlin, Embler ; Nagle, 2004). While technology can support such accommodations and alternatives, striking a balance between accommodation and standardization across all students testing experiences remains a subject of debate today (Murray, 2005). Back To Top Educational Technology and Data Driven Decision Making The effectiveness of educational technology on student learning depends not only on what outcomes are targeted and how the technology is integrated into instruction, but also on how teachers assess student performance in classrooms and adjust instruction accordingly. Technology offers teachers a broad range of tools to collect and analyze data, and richer sets of student data to guide instructional decisions. NCLB has prompted educators to think much more systematically about educational decision-making and the use of data to inform their decisions about everything from resource allocation to instructional practice. Schools are now expected to monitor their efforts to enable all students to achieve, and administrators and teachers are now expected to be prepared to use data to understand where students are academically and to establish targeted, responsive, and flexible ways to improve this academic standing (Mitchell, Lee, Herman, 2000, p. 2). However, despite encouragement at the policy level, there is growing consensus that schools are not adequately prepared for the task of routinely thinking critically about the relationships between instructional practices and student outcomes (Confrey Makar, 2005; Olsen, 2003; Hammerman Rubin, 2002; Herman Gribbons, 2001; Kearns Harvey, 2000). Recent research conducted by EDCs Center for Children and Technology has found that educators working at different levels of a school system have distinctive intuitive approaches to the process, despite the absence of systematic training in a particular approach to data-driven decision-making. For example, school administrators use high-stakes test data to allocate resources and plan professional development and other kinds of targeted intervention activities by identifying general patterns of performance, class-, grade-, and school-wide strengths and weaknesses. Teachers tend to use multiple sources of data—homework assignments, in-class tests, classroom performances, and experiential information—to inform their thinking about their students strengths and weaknesses (Brunner, Fasca, Heinze, Honey, Light, Mandinach ; Wexler, 2005; Light, Wexler ; Heinze, 2004; Honey, Brunner, Light, Kim, McDermott, Heinze, Bereiter ; Mandinach, 2002). While drawing on varied sources of data to form opinions about students competencies is not new behavior for teachers, significant research (Mandinach, Honey, Light, Heinze, Rivas, 2005; Confrey Makar, 2002, 2005; Hammerman, Rubin, 2002, 2003) suggests that teachers examine factors that contribute to individual patterns of behavior and think case-by-case, rather than identify patterns in data at different levels of aggregation, from student-to-student, class-to-class, and year-to-year, and systematically analyze the relationship between student performance and instructional strategies and materials. Data literacy—the ability of instructional leaders and teachers to work individually and collectively to examine outcomes-based achievement data, formative assessment measures of student performance, and students work products, and to develop strategies for improvement based on these data—is now widely recognized as a critical strategy in the academic performance of schools (Fullan, 1999; Haycock, 2001; Johnson, 1996; Love, 2004; Schmoker, 1999; Zalles, 2005). A key concept of data literacy is generating only the data that are needed and making full use of whats collected. The National Research Council (1996) notes that, far too often, more educational data are collected and analyzed than are used to make decisions or take action (p. 90). Those resources become meaningful to educators only when they are transformed into information, and ultimately into usable or actionable knowledge (Mandinach Honey, 2005). Taken as a whole, the emerging research in this area suggests that what is needed is a comprehensive and purposeful approach to the use of data that not only informs the practices of individual teachers, but is supported as an essential and strategic part of school-wide improvement strategies. New professional development programs are now training teachers and school leaders in how to make use of data in systematic and rigorous ways to continuously improve student performance. For example, TERC has created Using Data, a professional development model that introduces teachers to a process through which they learn to frame questions, collect data, formulate hypotheses, draw conclusions, take action, and monitor results (Love, 2002). Preliminary studies have indicated that this model has had an impact on teacher classroom behavior and on their approach to data analysis and interpretation (Love, 2004), and has also improved student learning as indicated by state and formative assessments (Zuman, 2005). Results from external evaluations of the intervention conducted in various locations have shown substantial gains in student performance on state accountability measures in the areas of math and language arts. Technology has a vital role to play in enabling data-driven decision-making. Web-based test data reporting systems provide an interface to the state and city testing results by organizing raw data into information that is aligned with state standards and mobile computing devices, such as handhelds, provide teachers with a platform to administer and analyze the data of classroom-based assessments. For example, according to the 2004 Quality Education Data, 55 percent of the nations public school districts used PDAs or handheld PCs in the 2002-2003 school year with an additional 8 percent expected to purchase them for use during the 2003-2004 school year. The numbers released by Wireless Generation, a for-profit company that designs educational assessment applications for handheld devices, suggests an even greater increase. During the fall of 2005, Wireless estimates that roughly 80,000 teachers, working in 48 states will be using their software to collect and analyze data for up to one million students in pre-K through sixth grade. The company currently has contracts with ten Reading First states, as well as with some of the largest school districts in the nation, including the New York City Board of Education and Chicago Public Schools. While using PDAs to administer assessments and view data are becoming increasingly popular, few studies have examined the effect they have on teacher practice and student achievement (Brunner ; Honey, 2001; Hupert, Martin, Heinze, Kanaya, ; Perez, 2004; Sharp ; Risko, 2003; Sharp, 2004). Studies that have begun to examine this trend suggest that that these tools assist teachers in thinking more substantively about students progress. As a whole, the research indicates that the single most powerful affordance of the technology is its ability to support teachers in using assessments to acquire information about students thinking and learning, and to use the understanding gained to further shape their instructional practice (Brunner ; Honey, 2001; Hupert et al. , 2004; Sharp ; Risko, 2003). Such a strategy places assessment squarely in the center of the classroom where it can potentially count the most. Back To Top The Complex Nature of Change Another factor influencing the impact of technology on student achievement is that changes in classroom technologies correlate to changes in other educational factors as well. Originally the determination of student achievement was based on traditional methods of social scientific investigation: it asked whether there was a specific, causal relationship between one thing—technology—and another—student achievement. Because schools are complex social environments, however, it is impossible to change just one thing at a time (Glennan ; Melmed, 1996; Hawkins, Panush, ; Spielvogel, 1996; Newman, 1990). If a new technology is introduced into a classroom, other things also change. For example, teachers perceptions of their students capabilities can shift dramatically when technology is integrated into the classroom (Honey, Chang, Light, Moeller, in press). Also, teachers frequently find themselves acting more as coaches and less as lecturers (Henriquez ; Riconscente, 1998). Another example is that use of technology tends to foster collaboration among students, which in turn may have a positive effect on student achievement (Tinzmann, 1998). Because the technology becomes part of a complex network of changes, its impact cannot be reduced to a simple cause-and-effect model that would provide a definitive answer to how it has improved student achievement. Back To Top IMPLICATIONS These findings have implications for every district and school using or planning to use technology. Research on successfully developing, evaluating, studying, and implementing a wide range of technology-based educational programs suggests that the value of technology for students will not be realized unless attention is paid to several important considerations that support the effective use of technology (ISTE, 2002; Byrom ; Bingham, 2001; Chang, Henriquez, Honey, Light, Moeller, ; Ross, 1998; Cradler, 1997; Frederiksen ; White, 1997; Hawkins, Panush, ; Spielvogel, 1996; Honey, McMillan, Tsikalas, ; Light, 1996; National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1996; Pea ; Gomez, 1992). These considerations are: Specific educational goals and a vision of learning through technology Ongoing professional development Structural changes in the school day A robust technical infrastructure and technical support Ongoing evaluation Back To Top 1. Educational Goals and a Vision of Learning Through Technology Before technology is purchased or teachers participate in their first professional development session, the educational goals for students should be determined. What do students need to learn, and how can technology promote those learning goals? To answer these questions, the school can convene a technology planning team comprising administrators, teachers, other instructional staff, technology coordinators, students, parents, and representatives of the community. This team first develops a clear set of goals, expectations, and criteria for student learning based on national and state standards, the student population, and community concerns. Next, it determines the types of technology that will best support efforts to meet those goals. The viewpoints of parents and community members are helpful in presenting a broader perspective of skills that students need to succeed after school. In fact, communitywide involvement in determining the schools technology goals benefits the entire educational process (Byrom Bingham, 2001; Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). Rather than using technology for technologys sake, the planning team ensures that particular educational objectives are achieved more efficiently, in more depth, or with more flexibility through technology. Cuban (cited in Trotter, 1998) states, The obligation is for educators, practitioners, and educational policymakers to think about what they are after. Only with clear goals can educators be intelligent about how much they want to spend for what purpose and under what conditions. If there is a clear understanding of the purpose of and type of technology used, evaluating the impact is easier and more valuable. According to Hawkins, Panush, and Spielvogel (1996) and Byrom ; Bingham (2001), school districts that successfully integrate technology show a clear and meaningful connection between technology and larger educational goals. Next, the planning team develops a vision of how technology can improve teaching and learning. Without a vision, lasting school improvement is almost impossible (Byrom ; Bingham, 2001). Team members come to consensus in answering the question How Will You Use Technology to Support Your Vision of Learning? Essential to this vision is an emphasis on meaningful, engaged learning with technology, in which students are actively involved in the learning process. Educational technology is less effective when the learning objectives are unclear and the focus of the technology use is diffuse (Schacter, 1999). The schools vision of learning through technology also emphasizes the importance of all students having equitable access and use of technology—females, special-needs students, minority students, disadvantaged students, students at risk of educational failure, rural and inner-city students. All students need opportunities to use technology in meaningful, authentic tasks that develop higher-order thinking skills. (For further information, refer to the Critical Issue Ensuring Equitable Use of Education Technology. ) Back To Top 2. Professional Development After the educational goals and vision of learning through technology have been determined, it is important to provide professional development to teachers to help them choose the most appropriate technologies and instructional strategies to meet these goals. Students cannot be expected to benefit from technology if their teachers are neither familiar nor comfortable with it. Teachers need to be supported in their efforts to use technology. The primary reason teachers do not use technology in their classrooms is a lack of experience with the technology (Wenglinsky, 1998; Rosen Weil, 1995). Wenglinsky (cited in Archer, 1998) found that teachers who had received professional development with computers during the last five years were more likely to use computers in effective ways than those who had not participated in such training. Yet teacher induction programs too often focus narrowly on helping new teachers survive the initial year (Fulton, Yoon, Lee, 2005). Ongoing professional development is necessary to help teachers learn not only how to use new technology but also how to provide meaningful instruction and activities using technology in the classroom (Ringstaff Kelley, 2002). Teachers must be offered training in using computers, notes Sulla (1999), but their training must go beyond that to the instructional strategies needed to infuse technological skills into the learning process. In successful projects, teachers are provided with ongoing professional development on practical applications of technology. Teachers cannot be expected to learn how to use educational technology in their teaching after a one-time workshop. Teachers need in-depth, sustained assistance not only in the use of the technology but in their efforts to integrate technology into the curriculum (Kanaya Light, 2005). Teachers also need embedded opportunities for professional learning and collaborating with colleagues in order to overcome the barrier of time and teachers daily schedules (The National Council of Staff Development, 2001; Kanaya ; Light, 2005). Skills training becomes peripheral to alternative forms of ongoing support that addresses a range of issues, including teachers changing practices and curricula, new technologies and other new resources, and changing assessment practices. This time spent ensuring that teachers are using technology to enrich their students learning experiences is an important piece in determining the value of technology to their students. According to Soloway (cited in Archer, 1998), teachers always have been the key to determining the impact of innovations, and this situation also is true of technology. Besides pedagogical support to help students use technology to reach learning goals, teachers also need time to become familiar with available products, software, and online resources. They also need time to discuss technology use with other teachers. Transforming schools into 21st century learning communities means recognizing that teachers must become members of a growing network of shared expertise (Fulton, Yoon, Lee, 2005). Professional collaboration includes communicating with educators in similar situations and others who have experience with technology (Panel on Educational Technology, 1997). This activity can be done in face-to-face meetings or by using technology such as e-mail or videoconferencing. The effects of introducing technology on teacher professionalization include increased collaboration among teachers within a school and increased interaction with external collaborators and resources. Back To Top 3. Structural Changes in the School Day It is important to build time into the daily schedule allowing teachers time to collaborate and to work with their students. Engaged learning through technology is best supported by changes in the structure of the school day, including longer class periods and more allowance for team teaching and interdisciplinary work. For example, when students are working on long-term research projects for which they are making use of online resources (such as artwork, scientific data sets, or historical documents), they may need more than a daily 30- or 40-minute period to find, explore, and synthesize these materials for their research. As schools continue to acquire more technology for student use and as teachers are able to find more ways to incorporate technology into their instruction, the problem will no longer be not enough computers but not enough time (Becker, 1994). Back To Top 4. Technical Infrastructure and Support Increased use of technology in the school requires a robust technical infrastructure and adequate technical support. If teachers are working with a technology infrastructure that realistically cannot support the work they are trying to do, they will become frustrated. School districts have a responsibility to create not only nominal access to computers and electronic networks but access that is robust enough to support the kinds of use that can make a real difference in the classroom. Teachers also must have access to on-site technical support personnel who are responsible for troubleshooting and assistance after the technology and lessons are in place. Back To Top 5. Evaluation Ongoing evaluation of technology applications and student achievement, based on the overall educational goals that were decided on, helps to ensure that he technology is appropriate, adaptable, and useful. Such evaluation also facilitates change if learning goals are not being met. Administrators can acknowledge and recognize incremental improvements in student outcomes as well as changes in teachers curricula and practices. Gradual progress, rather than sudden transformation, is more likely to result in long-term change. Baker (1999) emphasizes that besides being a means to collect, interpret, and document findings, evaluation is a planning tool that should be considered at the beginning of any technology innovation. She adds that the overall focus of evaluation is student learning. Heinecke, Blasi, Milman, and Washington (1999) note that multiple quantitative and qualitative evaluation measures may be necessary to document student learning outcomes. To ensure that evaluation procedures are adequately designed and carried out, administrators and teachers may wish to consult evaluation sources such as An Educators Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms. All of these issues are important in using technology to improve student achievement. Educational technology is not, and never will be, transformative on its own. But when decisions are made strategically with these factors in mind, technology can play a critical role in creating new circumstances and opportunities for learning that can be rich and exciting. At its best, technology can facilitate deep exploration and integration of information, high-level thinking, and profound engagement by allowing students to design, explore, experiment, access information, and model complex phenomena, note Goldman, Cole, and Syer (1999). These new circumstances and opportunities—not the technology on its own—can have a direct and meaningful impact on student achievement. When educators use the accumulating knowledge regarding the circumstances under which technology supports the broad definition of student achievement, they will be able to make informed choices about what technologies will best meet the particular needs of specific schools or districts. They also will be able to ensure that teachers, parents, students, and community members nderstand what role technology is playing in a school or district and how its impact is being evaluated. Finally, they will be able to justify the investments made in technology. To help states, school districts, and school personnel plan ways to measure the impact that technology is having on classroom practices and academic achievement, Dirr (2004) in partnership with the Appalachian Technology in Education Consortium and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Edu cation Consortium, identified the following evaluation strategies: Encourage SEAs and LEAs to set aside 10 percent to 15 percent of funds to evaluate their technology grants. Provide a model comprehensive plan for states and districts to consider as they design their own evaluation plans to include a statement of purpose, identifies clear objectives, demonstrates valid approaches to research design, and specifies appropriate time frames for analysis and reporting. Support efforts to develop shared instruments and sets of common data elements. Develop a database of best practices for technology programs and applications that have shown to support student achievement in scientifically based research studies. Develop a list of highly qualified researchers and evaluators from whom SEAs and LEAs can obtain guidance. Explore the development of validated instruments that could be shared across states. Back To Top ACTION OPTIONS: Administrators, the technology planning team, and teachers can take the following steps to improve student achievement through technology. Administrators and the Planning Team (comprising teacher representatives, technology coordinator, students, parents, and interested community members): Review a range of national and state educational standards for student learning (such as those listed in Developing Educational Standards). Seek out content standards that articulate the goals for students to achieve. Determine key aspects of national and state student learning standards for the school or district to focus on as educational goals. Involve teachers in this process to ensure that their expertise and opinions are considered. Charge cross-disciplinary groups of teachers and technology coordinators with finding new ways that technology can help students to achieve those learning goals. Collaborate to create a technology plan for the school. (Refer to the Critical Issue Developing a School or District Technology Plan. ) Set one-, three-, and five-year goals for improving student learning through technology. Identify specific curricula, practices, skills, attitudes, and policies that can be enhanced through the use of technology to foster significant improvement in the character and quality of student learning. For example, if the district is interested in improving students writing performance, word processing with an emphasis on revision and editing should become a salient part of the curriculum across disciplines. ) Identify classrooms in the district where students are already producing exemplary work using technology; or visit virtual classrooms by viewing CD-ROMs (such as the Captured Wisdom CD-ROM Lib rary produced by the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium), videotapes of echnology use in schools (such as the Learning With Technology videotapes), or Internet sites relating to technology integration in content areas (such as lessons using the Amazing Picture Machine and the Handbook of Engaged Learning Projects). Build a database or other resource that allows the school to share these best practices with school staff and the community in general. Be aware of state technology plans, district technology plans, and related policies. Ensure that the school is in compliance. Become familiar with factors that affect the effective use of technology for teaching and learning. Learn about research studies conducted in real school settings that describe how technology use is influenced by teachers experience with technology, adequacy of release time, professional development opportunities, and length of class periods. Ensure that teachers are aware of the value of technology for all students, especially those considered at risk of educational failure. (Refer to the Critical Issue Using Technology to Enhance Engaged Learning for At-Risk Students. ) Ensure that all students have equitable access to effective uses of technology. Develop strategies for addressing access inequities, strategies for addressing type-of-use inequities, and strategies for addressing curriculum inequities. Provide ongoing, extensive, and research-based professional development opportunities and technical support to help teachers use technology to develop meaningful instructional strategies for students. (Refer to the Critical Issues Realizing New Learning for All Students Through Professional Development and Finding Time for Professional Development. ) Ensure that new, research-based approaches to professional development are consistent with the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) standards for staff development. Provide incentives, structures, and time for teachers to participate in highly effective staff development (such as study groups and action research) to help them integrate technology into their teaching and learning. Find ways to make app ropriate structural changes in the school day and class scheduling to support engaged learning with technology. Consider block scheduling as a possibility. Educate parents about new assessment methods that enable teachers and administrators to make judgments about the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learning. Use appropriate evaluation procedures and tools to determine the impact of technology use on student achievement based on the learning goals that were set. Consult evaluation sources such as An Educators Guide to Evaluating the Use of Technology in Schools and Classrooms. Share findings with the community. Teachers: Determine the purpose of using technology in the classroom, as determined by the specified educational goals. Is it used to support inquiry, enhance communication, extend access to resources, guide students to analyze and visualize data, enable product development, or encourage expression of ideas? After the purpose is determined, select the appropriate technology and develop the curricula. Create a plan for evaluating students work and assessing the impact of the technology. Coordinate technology implementation efforts with core learning goals, such as improving students writing skills, reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Collaborate with colleagues to design curricula that involve students in meaningful learning activities in which technology is used for research, data analysis, synthesis, and communication. Promote the use of learning circles, which offer opportunities for students to exchange ideas with other students, teachers, and professionals across the world. Encourage students to broaden their horizons with technology by means of global connections, electronic visualization, electronic field trips, and online research and publishing. Ensure that students have equitable access to various technologies (such as presentation software, video production, Web page production, word processing, modeling software, and desktop publishing software) to produce projects that demonstrate what they have learned in particular areas of the curriculum. Encourage students to collaborate on projects and to use peer assessment to critique each others work. In addition to standardized tests, use alternative assessment strategies that are based on students performance of authentic tasks. One strategy is to help students develop electronic portfolios of their work to be used for assessment purposes. Ensure that technology-rich student products can be evaluated directly in relation to the goals for student outcomes, rather than according to students level of skill with the technology. Create opportunities for students to share their work publiclythrough performances, public service, open houses, science fairs, and videos. Use these occasions to inform parents and community members of the kinds of learning outcomes the school is providing for students. Learn how various technologies are used today in the world of work, and help students see the value of technology applications. (Pertinent online information can be found in the 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Information. ) Participate in professional development activities to gain experience with various types of educational technology and learn how to integrate this technology into the curriculum. Use technology (such as an e-mail list) to connect with other teachers outside the school or district and compare successful strategies for teaching with technology.