Sustainable Urbanisation Challenges that Paralyze the Development of Rural Communities

Introduction The challenges of urbanisation are no longer something that urban dwellers have to contend with alone. In the contemporary society, communities living in rural areas can feel the effects of urbanisation as well.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sustainable Urbanisation Challenges that Paralyze the Development of Rural Communities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The scarcity of clean fresh water is just one example of how the urban population is exploiting natural resources, resulting in the destruction of the ecological balance of both urban and rural areas. As environmentalist would readily tell, the rising demand for water is among the major reasons responsible for the scarcity of the commodity. This is especially because the increasing urban population is demanding more water for drinking, and general sanitation requirements, while the rural population requires huge supplies of water for farming-related requirements, and human settlement development (Eric et al, 2010, p. 1; Gleitsmann, Kroma and Steenhuis, 2007; Sanusi, 2010, p.1). Today, the renewable supply of water is no longer guaranteed since the unquenchable demand for the commodity may soon outstrip nature’s capacity to replenish water sources. According to Power (2008, p.1), â€Å"fresh water is the ultimate renewable resource.† However, humankind is using and polluting water faster that the hydrologic cycle is able to replenish the resource. The water situation is even worse with the unpredictable weather conditions, which have seen to crops failing, groundwater disappearing, and rivers trickling much less with each passing year. The situation is so bad that some rivers that used to drain to the sea no longer do so (Power, 2008, p.1). Unfortunately, the water crisis is replicated in all the world’s six continents. This paper will specifically evaluate how water scarcity has affected com munities in Kinshasa, Congo and Colleambally, Australia. The author was encouraged by the FOP group members to pursue this communication project on the belief that it would make a significant contribution to existing knowledge on water management. Sustainable urbanisation challenges: Kinshasa, Congo Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo is today an example of what most cities have had to contend with in the pursuit of sustainable urban development. Tucked in one of Africa’s resource-rich countries, Kinshasa has experienced an extraordinary urban growth, which has led to urban housing deficit, increased demand for water, electricity, and basic services such as roads, hospitals, and schools (Eric, Shuoyo Qin, 2010, p.242). The extent of urbanisation’s effect on water does not just end with its increased use; rather, Eric et al. (2010, p. 242) note that the expansion of informal settlements around Kinshasa is being done on riverbeds and forests a reas, something that complicates the water situation even further.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The destructions of forests lead to less rainfall and extended drought periods. Consequently, the rain-reliant agriculture in the country suffers. In addition, the urban population’s invasion of wetlands and riverbanks block the natural waterways, thus causing upstream floods when the rains eventually fall (Eric et al., 2010, p.242). Considering the effect that urbanisation in Kinshasa has had on the bigger ecology of the Congo, it is little wonder that international organizations are focusing on improving the basic infrastructure in the city, and other similar cities in the larger Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, Eric et al. (2010, p. 244) observe that the World Bank, UNDP, UNFPA, and UN-Habitat are among agencies that seek to develop urban infrastructure ta rgeting the enhancement of water supply, water drainage, sewerage and urban roadways in the region. The overall objective of such initiatives is to ensure that Kinshasa’s water supply is safe, and that urban settlement does not create conditions for floods, gullies, soil-erosion, and landslides for the agricultural land in the rural areas. Sustainable urbanisation challenges: Coleambally, Australia Opened in 1968, Coleambally is arguably the newest town in New South Wales, Australia. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (2007), the town, which is located at the fringes of the Coleambally irrigation area, had 658 people in the 2006 census. With the prevailing scarcity of water, Coleambally has to suffer water shortages, and this has had negative effects on the irrigation fields. Notably, even a city with a small population like Coleambally has to face water use restrictions as two-thirds of the area’s water supply is directed to agriculture (Power, 2008, p. 7). When water use priorities between human sustenance and agriculture have to be made however, the latter always takes a backseat. This in turn affects agriculture because as Power (2008, p.8) observes, â€Å"The economics of food production have always been based on the ready access to cheap water.† In Coleambally, the limited water supply is not an entirely new concept. As Power (2008, p.8) observes, farmers in the irrigation sector in the area now realize the need to grow more crops for every drop of irrigation water spilt. Moreover, farmers in the area are ready to check for leakages, seepages and faulty meters, which have in the past contributed to a significant amount of water loss. Provision of water in recent years The world has about 360 quintillion gallons of water, which â€Å"evaporates, coalesces in clouds, falls as rain, seeps into the earth and emerges in springs to feed rivers and lakes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ( Power, 2008, p. 1). Unfortunately, 3 percent of the worldâ₠¬â„¢s water is fit for human use.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sustainable Urbanisation Challenges that Paralyze the Development of Rural Communities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The remaining percentage is salty water found in the oceans hence rendering it useless to humankind. According to Gleitsmann et al. (2007, p.5), rain and groundwater have acted as the primary water sources for most people. In the arid and semi-arid areas, sources such as boreholes, wells, and streams are considered vital water sources (Sanusi (2010, p.8). Notably urban development is partly to blame for the water scarcity as aquifers, rivers, dams and lakes are drying up because of the increased water demand from the largely urban water requirements. Specifically, Power (2008, p. 1) notes that urban areas have â€Å"more homes, more businesses, more water-intensive products and processes†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and all these coul d simply surpass the water supply available in the world. Infrastructure and its relation to the water problems Proper planning and implementation of infrastructure projects affect the management of water resources in both urban and rural areas. In Indonesia for example, Guggenheim (2010, p. 23) notes that a contractor’s ignorance to design requirements for the construction of culverts made farmers on both sides lose their crops. Guggenheim (2010, p.23) observes that the road created a barrier in the natural waterways, which led to floods on one side, and drought on the other. If the culverts were in place however, the water would have flowed from one side of the road to the other, thus creating suitable conditions for the crops to grow. In Kinshasa, the situation is not much different. In fact, Kinshasa could be much worse considering that the city’s infrastructure lacks bridges, sewers, and water mains that can support the more than 10 million people (Eric et al., 20 10, p. 246). The lack of such facilities makes rainwater turn the city into a flood zone. Even worse is the fact that the rainwater that drains into rivers from the city is useless for human because it is infiltrated with different kinds of urban waste. Problems and Challenges Facing Rural Areas Seeing that water supply is at the essence of everyone existence, the main problem comes up because quite a significant number of the world’s population does not play any role in water conservation or proper management. Most people carelessly use water without knowing the impact that their actions have on the sustainability of the resource. It is for such reasons that Eric et al., (2010, p.1); Guggenheim (2008, p.4); and Sanusi (2010, p.1) cite the lack of individual and community participation in sustainable water management as the biggest challenges facing the sustainable provision of clean water.Advertising Looking for research paper on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, Sanusi (2010, p.22) note that the low use of technology in water supply systems hinder the provision of clean and safe water to rural populations. Overall, governments are supposed to be the custodians of the citizenry’s welfare. However, they in some cases fail to play their rightful roles. In Kinshasa for example, poor city planning (which is the responsibility of government departments) has compromised urban development and by extension compounded the water problem in the rural areas. Solutions If the water management problems and challenges facing rural areas are to be managed, the urbanisation challenges that lead to them must be addressed. Specifically, in cities like Kinshasa, all stakeholders must work together to formulate and implement sustainable urban policies. Specifically, urban planning should be done in a manner that will uphold the integrity of waterways and other natural resources. As Eric et al. (2010, p. 249) aptly note, planning is essential for sustainable land use. The use of information technology is also a probable solution, which can provide affected stakeholders with efficient ways of obtaining, transmitting, storing, and retrieving relevant data (Eric et al., 2008, p.249). A case in point is the use of computer technology in Coleambally irrigation farms to monitor the water flow, temperatures, and water salinity in the paddy fields (Power, 2008, p. 9). The active involvement of all stakeholders should also count as a viable solution (Eric et al., 2010, p. 249). This is especially essential because sustainable water use concerns all people. As such, every person should be sensitized about the dire water shortage situation that the world is facing, and encouraged to use the resource in the most conservative manner possible. Conclusion There is little doubt that some of the water problems experienced in both the urban and rural areas can be overcome with proper planning and engineering solutions. By aping what Coleamba lly’s approach to planning 21st century urban areas, both developing and developed countries can preserve waterbeds, aquifers and natural freshwater bodies, while encouraging their respective populations to adopt sustainable water usage systems. After all, the world is now more than any other time in the past hard-pressed by the twin realities of a drier climate, and increased water demands. References Australian Bureau of statistics (2007) 2006 census quick stats: Coleambally (L) (Urban centre/ locality). Web. Eric M. M.N., Shouyu, C. and Qin, Z. (2010) Sustainable urbanisation’s challenge in democratic republic of Congo, Journal of Sustainable Development, 3 (2), 242-254. Gleitsmann, B, A., Kroma, M. A., and Steenhuis, T. (2007) Analysis of a rural water supply project in three communities in Mali: Participation and sustainability. Natural Resources Forum, 31, 142–150. Guggenheim, S. (2008) Crises and contradictions: understanding the origins of a community de velopment project in Indonesia. Web. Power, M. (2008) Peak water: Aquifers and rivers are running dry. How three regions are coping. Wired Magazine, 16 (05), 1-11. Sanusi, Y. A. (2010) Water, sanitation, and human development in urban fringe settlements in Nigeria. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 8 (17), 1-17. This research paper on Sustainable Urbanisation Challenges that Paralyze the Development of Rural Communities was written and submitted by user Uriah R. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

10 Essay Topics on History What Is Known About Aztec Culture

10 Essay Topics on History What Is Known About Aztec Culture The Aztecs are undoubtedly one of the most unusual cultures that ever existed. For centuries people have been thinking with horrified fascination about these people that combined complicated social structure, educational system and impressive scientific and cultural development with human sacrifice on massive scale, cannibalism and constant wars of conquest. Here are some Aztec culture facts that can make an awesome essay. Human Sacrifice Was the Basis of Aztec Culture and Religion Probably the first thing everybody thinks hearing about the Aztecs is human sacrifice – and for a good reason. All pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures practiced it to this or that extent, but the Aztecs took it to a completely new level. Gods Sacrificed Themselves for Humans’ Sake According to Aztec mythology, gods sacrificed their lives to sustain the fading sun and save humankind, and this made humans indebted to them for all eternity. Moreover, the sacrifice of gods was not a single act, but more of a continuous process, which required constant reenactment. The power of gods kept the sun alive, and to give gods this power, they had to give them blood and hearts, which were considered to be fragments of the sun’s heat. The Purpose of Wars Was to Get More Captives Aztecs divided time into 52-year cycles and fearfully ended the end of each – if the gods didn’t receive enough sacrifices throughout the cycle, the sun would go out and the world would end. The main reason for Flower Wars the Aztecs constantly waged on their neighbors was to provide enough captives to fill the sacrifice quota. Even Aztec war strategy and tactics were mainly devised to wound and capture rather than kill as many enemies as possible. The Aztecs Sacrificed 20 000 People per Year Human sacrifice was an extremely important part of everyday life in Aztec society – it was carried out during each of their many festivals and for special occasions and was accompanied by elaborate rituals and done by various methods according to which god it was intended for. The most popular method was the extraction of the heart, but victims were often burned, flayed, drowned, starved and decapitated. Afterwards priests would often wear their skins (they were considered holy relics and symbolized rebirth) and cannibalize their corpses. And there were a lot of them – during the opening ceremony of one particularly big temple, as reported in their codices, they slaughtered between 10,000 and 80,400 people in the course of four days, while normally settling for about 20,000 per year. The Aztecs Capital Was among the Biggest Cities of Europe Despite their extremely warlike nature and penchant for torture and human sacrifice, the Aztecs were far from being uncultured, which probably made them a great deal more disturbing and frightening. At the zenith of its glory their capital, Tenochtitlan, housed between 200,000 and 300,000 people, by far eclipsing most European cities of the time, with possible exceptions of Constantinople and Venice. The Aztecs Were the First to Introduce Universal Education The Aztecs were also probably the first nation in the world to ever establish the system of universal mandatory education – it took place before the age of 14 and was carried out by parents under supervision of authorities. Among other things, children had to learn the so-called â€Å"sayings of the old† – a collection of statements that embodied the Aztec ideals and conditioned them for future service. After 14 children attended more advanced schools, divided into two types: the ones dedicated to theoretical sciences like astronomy, writing, mathematics etc., and the ones dealing with military and practical education. All Aztecs Were Warriors Aztec civilization was based on domination over the surrounding peoples and aggressive expansion, and the Aztecs themselves were a nation of warriors from the outset. Being initially a small and insignificant migratory tribe, the Aztecs managed to conquer almost the entire Mesoamerican region in a little more than a century, and warfare occupied one of the central positions in their lifestyle and social arrangement. Aztec empire had a relatively small standing army for its size – only the members of elite warrior societies which were extremely hard to get into, served as full-time military forces. However, military training was an integral part of basic education, and every male Aztec was prepared to the role of a soldier since childhood. Therefore, during military campaigns large numbers of warriors were drafted from commoners. They Took Prisoners to Climb the Social Ladder Warfare was also the only way for a man of low birth to improve his station in life – through showing bravery on the field of battle and, in particular, through capturing enemy warriors alive for the further use as sacrifices. After taking four prisoners, one was accepted into one of elite warrior societies, like Eagle and Jaguar warriors. Taking six prisoners and more led to the greatest possible honor – to be accepted into the most prestigious society, Cuachicqueh, or the Shorn Ones (called so because they shaved their heads except for one braid over the left ear), who served as elite shock troops and swore to kill any of their number who makes a step back during a battle. The Aztecs Used Cacao Beans as Currency Trade was an important component of Aztec everyday life: their merchants travelled all across Mesoamerica and beyond and were united into exclusive guilds, and every large settlement had regular market days on which all kinds of merchandise exchanged hands. Basic currency for all transactions was cacao beans which had to be exported from lowlands. They were used mostly for small purchases; for large transactions the Aztecs used standardized lengths of cotton cloth of varying quality and value (from 65 to 300 beans). The Aztecs Had Some Rather Unusual Laws Aztec empire had a code of laws that regulated everyday life and meted out punishments. However, by our standards these regulations and punishments sometimes look rather bizarre. For example, death penalty (usually through strangulation) was common for serious crimes, which included murder, theft and public drunkenness (unless you were over 70 years old). The most usual punishment for less serious offences was to have your house demolished. These included, for example, petit larceny and wearing of clothes too lavish for your social status. The Aztecs will undoubtedly continue to intrigue us for many years to come. Fortunately, the body of evidence telling us about them is rather large compared with other Mesoamerican cultures, which means that you will have a lot of material for your history essay! References: A. Caso, The Aztecs, People of the Sun (tr. 1958, repr. 1967). Berdan, Frances F., Richard E. Blanton, Elizabeth H. Boone, Mary G. Hodge, Michael E. Smith and Emily Umberger (1996) Aztec Imperial Strategies. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC. Brumfiel, Elizabeth M. (1998) Huitzilopochtlis Conquest: Aztec Ideology in the Archaeological Record. Cambridge Archaeological Journal. Durn, Fray Diego (1964) The Aztecs: The History of the Indians of New Spain. Translated by Fernando Horcasitas and Doris Heyden. Orion Press, New York. Kellogg, Susan (1995) Law and the Transformation of Aztec Culture, 1500-1700. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. Leà ³n-Portilla, Miguel (1963) Aztec Thought and Culture: A Study of the Ancient Nhuatl Mind. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman. Smith, Michael E. (2003) The Aztecs. 2nd ed. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford.

Issues in Financial Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Issues in Financial Reporting - Essay Example According to the article, the off–balance sheet financing and pension fund accounting disclose only net liability and asset which lean to misrepresent the balance sheet and create confusion for the investor. Finally there is an issue of electronic accounting. The article states that traditional financial reporting system must move to electronic database format for making analysis easy and correct. Stage 2: Substantive Issues Credit Crisis In the year 2008, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) took a series of steps towards resolving the problem of credit crisis. IASB has identified the need to concentrate on new market development to simplify the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IASB mainly targeted the proposal of Financial Stability Forum (FSF). IASB directly observed the development of US accounting standards to avoid pointless contradiction in accounting in IFRS and GAAP (IASB, 2008). IASB has assigned the following steps: 1. Fair Value Me asurement: IASB has drafted guidelines on fair value measurement of financial instrument in market that are not active anymore. In the process of fair cost measurement IASB has formed a panel which includes expert advisors who will examine the fair cost measurement application. The expert advisors are selected according to practical experience of current market environment. The panel formed by IASB helps to review the valuation process. IASB requested the panel to judge the probable development to the regulation on ‘valuation and disclosure of financial instruments’ but in the mean time not to disclose the aptness of fair value as an approach to evaluate a particular type of financial instruments (IFRS Foundation, 2008). 2. Disclosure of Financial Instrument: IASB worked directly with FASB (Financial Accounting Standards Board) to formulate a common approach which was related to the issue of valuation of financial asset and liability. IAS 32 provides guidelines of the d isclosure about financial instrument, including information of fair cost are shown below: I. The financial asset should be disclosed at fair cost through profit or loss and must be shown separately (Ellis, 2007). II. The financial liability should be considered at amortized cost. In case of loan, the liability must disclose the maximum exposure to credit risk of any loan taken, or similar exposure to credit risk. Liability should disclose the amount of change in fair value of any associated credit or related instrument that has happened during the period when the loan was designated (Ellis, 2007). III. Financial instrument also disclose held–to–maturity investments, available– for – sale financial assets and receivables (Ellis, 2007). 3. Reclassify Financial Instrument: IASB has identified the need to scrutinise the accounting principles of IFRS for financial instruments. IASB has published a report which reflects on the possible alteration of IAS 39 stan dards (IASB, 2008). In the year 2008, IASB published a discussion paper which reflexes public statements about reducing complexity in

Learning Theories and Emergent Theories of Learning Essay

Learning Theories and Emergent Theories of Learning - Essay Example Starratt (2008) posit that decontextualized and depersonalized learning method in instruction posed an inauthentic, dishonest, disrespectful, and, hence, do not a virtuous learning approach (p. 1). Learners should be taught to discover the relevance and goodness of dialogue between learners and the relation of intelligible realities to their mutual interdependence (Starratt, 2008, p 1). These learning processes need learning-centred and extensive monitoring of their academic progress, as well as, diagnose the learning difficulties of students (Masters, 2005). Standard academic development is relevant to meet the needs and teachers must be constructivist broad-based leaders inside every classroom as a strategy (Lambert, 2003). The learning-centred approaches refers to the nurturing of students for clarity of knowledge, skills, and understanding including the academic design, diagnosis, and monitoring of individual progress (Lambert, 2003). Hence, it’s important that teachers po ssess quality teaching materials for effective teaching strategies (Lambert, 2003).Gross (2004) observed that numerous educators and schools are not quite supported by the government and hence, confront serious disruption in their roles as educators and expert managers of educational institutions. With lacking supports, educators are pulled from completing and achieving their targets hence, demoralizing students, teachers and managers (Gross, 2004). Education can only be successful when institutions are supported by the government to make it an effective and efficient service institution. This value-oriented education will put all learners within the positive tract and will motivate them to become pro-active stakeholders in a community that is struggling to remove the vestiges of poverty, illiteracy, social inequities, and ecological-related problems (Starrat, 2005). This can bring about the highest form of commitment and leadership in all endeavours and context. Teachers therefore play a crucial role in nurturing values and principle-centred knowledge for learners to genuinely and authentically live their lives in a deeply meaningful and value-centred sense of purpose. But these ideals can only be undertaken with support for change management; curriculum-instruction assessment; professional development practices; innovative pedagogical approach; and, education management (Gross, 2004; Wehlage, Newmann, & Secada, 1996). The learning process should be innovative and motivating for an authentic outcome using learners and instructors’ skills and ability to innovate means to elicit or generate the authentic outcome of education (Parens, 2005; Glendinning, 2005) Module 3: Learning Theories and Emergent Theories of Learning Teachers must develop a curriculum that is supported of an environment where students are allowed full participation, dialogue, inquiry, reflection, and rediscovering of the transformational models to revive their sense of purposiveness in this world (Tuana, 2007; Wehlage, Newmann, & Secada, 1996; Ornstein & Hunkins, 2004). Everybody has the notion that teachers are there to engage learners to improve their crafts, to make them action and result-oriented, and to inculcate on learners to be adaptive to changes and to possess such disposition of assuming responsibility to question falsities. It’s also from this notion that those who’d found the need to rise up from challenges brace themselves to respond to perplexed and multidimensional concerns on civilization, poverty, lack of access to quality education, conflicts and war, excessive human rights

Resource Directory Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Resource Directory - Coursework Example Sonya Stanton is the university student academic advisor who provides students with academic advices. He can be contacted through sstanton@argosy.edu. Solutions within this regard are found in 214.459.2203. Karen Wilkerson is the Student Finance Associate Director of Student Finance, and he provides advices regarding disbursement of loans among other financial issues. He can be contacted via kwilkerson@argosy.edu. Solutions within this regard are found in 214.459.2215 (Class Template, 01). The university administration also helps students in changing their personal information or contact. These changes also engulf changes in marital status. Brigit Mattix is the Director of Student Services who helps in ironing students’ personal information issues, and he can be contacted through bmattix@argosy.edu. Solutions within this regard are found in 214.459.2244 (Class Template, 01). Dallas University is an academic institution; thus, students may sometimes need to access library personnel or some academic materials. Jennifer Hostutler is the Learner Support Specialist, and she handles Library and Academic Resource Center; therefore, students with literacy information needs can contact her through jhostutler@argosy.edu. Solutions in the information literacy are found in 214.459.2215. Finally, most of the information in the university is in technology form; thus, students with problems of accessing online information including class site and email should contact the Tech nology support team through campus_support@argosy.edu. Technology problems’ solutions are found in 1.866.848.0776 (Class Template,

Movement, Environment and Community Memory Reflection

Movement, Environment and Community Memory Reflection In this paper, I will be sharing two different memories which are significant to me where I remembered learning about movement, environment and community in an integrated way. Then, I will be analysing these two memories which stimulate and making connections in the areas of movement environment and community. The two memories which are significant to me where I remembered learning about movement, environment and communicate has to travel back when I was about six years old and when I was twenty two years old. Both experiences occurred outside of school. The first experience took place at the playground, which is located on the ground floor of my block. My siblings, my brother and my sister and our childhood neighbour will always get together on weekdays for playtime after school. Our most favourite game of all time will be playing hid and seek followed by catch. We were always on the move, running to hide at the places which we shall not be seen. Speed was really crucial for us as we would run away from the catcher and at the same time we had bend our body low so that the catcher will not see us. Sometimes, we had to run very quietly to make sure that no one would spot us. Once we found a safe place, usually we would be hiding behind bushes, we would stay still until the catcher came nearer, we would begin running until we were ‘caught’. The environment was part of the experience as it provided the space for us to move about and hide. As we ran across rows of shops along the corridor, the community forms part of the experience in the game of hide and seek and catch. The neighbours were friendly and accommodating to let us play and running along the corridor and playground. This forms the big issue every time we wanted to play hide and seek as we were concerned how we shall not disturb our neighbours and shops while we enjoyed our game. The second experience which was significant to me happened when I was in sun moon lake, Taiwan. My friend and I took decided to rent scooter to ride around sun moon lake. The movement we had in this experience was the going on a scooter ride. It was specially challenging for us as it was my very first time riding on a scooter. While practising riding on the scooter, I had difficulty balancing the vehicle. Moreover, the direction was different from Singapore thus it took us quite some time to familiarise with the direction. When we were more familiar with the scooter, we began our adventure. At the beginning, we rode extremely slowly as the direction of the road is different in Singapore, and gradually picked up the speed along the journey. The ride added to its difficulty level when it only allows a single lane on each road direction and there were frequent tourists buses and cars on the opposite direction. During the journey, we stopped by at each attraction, which forms part of the environment. The lake was breath taking and it was the reason why we wanted to ride around the lake. We spent some time with the lake and its scenery. On our way back to the rental shop, we had to recharge our scooter. The people, which were part of the community, were helpful in replacing a scooter for us. They also provided the directions when we were not sure about the way to return to the shop. The big issue in this experience was to be able to ride on a scooter so that we were able to visit the lake. Without the help of the residents staying at sun moon lake, we would not be able to appreciate the beauty of the nature. In my first memory, I feel that my family have influenced me greatly. We spent most of the time together, thus we would play together. The community also influenced me and it provided us the space for our activity. In Singapore, due to the safety, some parents may not allow their children to play out of their sight. Families have expressed concern of safety even though they have preferred these places for play (Derr Lance, 2012). However, I am grateful that my parents allowed us to play at the playground with my siblings and neighbours while they are in the house. As we build on relationship with the neighbours in our neighbourhood, we looked out for each other and we get to enjoy this experience. My peers had encouraged and influenced me in my second memory. They had given me the moral support that I need and I picked up my courage to ride on the scooter. The people were also very friendly and patient to give me the time to practice on the scooter. Even though I had encouragement and support from my peers, I would not have accomplished if I were given the knowledge on how the scooter functioned. As an educator, we should focus more on the knowledge rich experiences so that environmental education can be translated into meaningful learning experiences than relying on the concept of teaching which relies on nurturance and empathy with young children (Fleer, 2007). The two chosen memories were both experiential and placed-based learning. The first memory would contain more of experiential learning as we are constantly looking for a new location every time we hide and we learn a new hiding place by doing it. We would often hide behind the bushes and pretended that the bushes are the wall that nobody would see us. Children use these places as â€Å"remarkably responsive with a fantastical mixing of the material and the imaginary† (Derr Lance, 2012, p. 118). On the other memory, sun moon lake is a place-based learning environment as my peers and I explored the place together through moving around the lake on a scooter together with the help of the people at sun moon lake. The nature was there for us as we appreciate it. This made me reflect on how I can understand better how children perceived between nature and environment. Further research on how notions of nature and environment are socially constructed would define the home context with the available resources including play sites and family involvement such as gardening or visits to the gardens (Payne, 1998). The growth of an individual profile will encompass significant life experiences and this would be an important contribution into the research issues of how time and place impact the conceptions and values of nature (Payne, 1998). Relating it back to my experience at the sun moon lake, it did influence me on how I perceive nature and it develops me as a person. In my first memory, the gross motor skill was featured. It was prominent that as we have to run, and hide against the time was we did not want to be ‘caught’ apart from that, we also did squatting and tip-toeing in our hide and seek activity. As for the second memory, my body and eye-hand coordination have to work concurrently as I rode on the scooter. Reflecting on my physical movement made me feel that I had the freedom to move around in the environment. As a teacher, I feel that I have to be conscious on how children have the ability to create space and social affordances. Initial findings suggest that all children have the ability of discovering affordances and forming their classroom environment (McLaren, Ruddick, Edwards, Zabjek, McKeever, 2012). When we are engaged in play, it improves motor and cognitive skill and as well as attention capacities (Derr Lance, 2012). Safety procedures were considered when I was engaged my scooter ride in at the sun moon lake. The rental shop owner briefed us through the safety precautions that we need to know in case of emergency. Helmet was provided during our ride so ensure our safety and we were given emergency contact numbers just in case our scooter broke down. As for my first memory, even though we had the freedom to run around the playground and along the shops, we were aware that we should not be tampering the environment and disturbing the people around us. We also had to be considerate not to run into shops to hide as that would disrupt their business. As I looked back on my past experiences, I see that movement, environment and community are closely inter-related to each other and how each area complement and influenced each other. I feel that there is a need to advocate parents and children to be engaged in movement, environment and community through spending quality time and interactions together. They could be spending time at the picnic, or taking a walk in the park. As an educator, we play a vital role as a facilitator and support when children are engaged in the processes of discovery and exploration (Young Elliot, 2010) and we have to act on it display positive attitudes and learning towards movement, environment and community. References Derr, V., Lance, K. (2012). Biophilic Boulder: Childrens Environments That Foster Connections to Nature. Children Youth and Environments, 22(2), 112-143. Fleer, M. (Ed.). (2007). Young children: Thinking about the scientific world. Watson: Early Childhood Australia. McLaren, C., Ruddick, S., Edwards, G., Zabjek, K., McKeever, P. (2012). Children’s Movement in an Integrated Kindergarten Classroom: Design, Methods and Preliminary Findings. Children, Youth and Environments, 22(1), 145-177. Payne, P. (1998). Childrens conceptions of nature. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 14, 19-26. Young, S. Elliott, S. (2010). Just Discover! connecting young children with the natural world. Croydon, Victoria: Tertiary Press. Name: Loo Si Hui

Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah Plain and Tall - Comparing Book and Movie :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah Plain and Tall - Comparing Book and Movie The beginning of the movie begins with the exact same scene between Anna and Caleb that appears in the book. However, the movie, Sarah Plain and Tall has a variety of differences from Patricia MacLachlan’s children’s novel Sarah Plain and Tall. Essentially the movie had to go to a deeper level in order to attract adults to the story. Every event that is in the book happens in the movie. However, the movie adds scenes and complicates the relationships between the characters. The complication between characters is especially shown in Anna and Sarah’s relationship. In the movie Anna is mad about Sarah coming to stay for a month. However, in the book she says â€Å"I wished everything was as perfect as the stone. I wished that Papa and Caleb and I were perfect for Sarah† (21). In the book Anna has no trouble liking Sarah, but in the movie Anna has a hard time letting go of her real mother and will not let Sarah get close to her. It is not until Sarah comforts Anna after a bad dream and tells her â€Å"when I was ten my mamma died† (which was not told in the book) that Sarah and Anna have a close relationship. After Sarah and Anna reach an understanding, Sarah tries to help Anna remember her mother by putting her mother’s candlesticks, quilt, a painting, and her picture back into the house. They also put flowers on her grave together. However, Anna and Sarah’s relationship is not the only one that takes a while to develop. With the exception of some small problems with Sarah’s strong will, MacLachlan makes the relationship between Sarah and Jacob seem easy. However in the movie, Jacob also has a hard time letting Sarah get close to him because of his love for his dead wife, Katherine. For example, in the movie when they fight about putting Katherine’s possessions in the house and going to visit the grave Sarah says â€Å"I cannot make a difference until you make peace with Katherine’s death†. Jacob does not make that peace until Sarah goes to help Maggie deliver her baby. The delivery brings back memories of Katherine’s death since she died giving birth to Caleb. It is here that Jacob realizes â€Å"I never stopped long enough to tell her that I missed her†. Once Jacob realizes this he has room to love Sarah.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 2

The phone jolted me to consciousness the next morning. Dim, murky light filtered in through my sheer curtains, signifying some freakishly early hour. Around here, however, that amount of light could have indicated anything from sunrise to high noon. After four rings, I finally deigned to answer, accidentally knocking Aubrey out of the bed. She landed with an indignant mhew and stalked off to clean herself. â€Å"Hello?† † Yo, Kincaid?† â€Å"No.† My response came swift and certain. â€Å"I'm not coming in.† â€Å"You don't even know I'm going to ask that.† â€Å"Of course I know. There's no other reason you'd be calling me this early, and I'm not going to do it. It's my day off, Doug.† Doug, the other assistant manager at my day job, was a pretty nice guy, but he couldn't keep a poker face – or voice – to save his life. His cool demeanor immediately gave way to desperation. â€Å"Everyone called in sick today, and now we're strapped. You have to do it.† â€Å"Well, I'm sick too. Believe me, you don't want me there.† Okay, I wasn't exactly sick, but I was still sporting a residual afterglow from being with Martin. Mortals would not â€Å"see† it as Duane had per se, but they would sense it and be drawn to it – men and women alike – without even knowing why. My confinement today would prevent any foolish, lovesick behavior. It was very kind of me, really. â€Å"Liar. You're never sick.† â€Å"Doug, I was already planning on coming back tonight for the signing. If I work a shift today too, I'll be there all day. That's sick and twisted.† â€Å"Welcome to my world, babe. We have no alternative, not if you really care about the fate of the store, not if you truly care about our customers and their happiness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're losing me, cowboy.† â€Å"So,† he continued, â€Å"the question is, are you going to come here willingly, or do I have to walk over there and drag you out of bed myself? Frankly, I wouldn't mind the latter.† I did a mental eye roll, chiding myself for the billionth time about living two blocks from work. His rambling about the bookstore's suffering had been effective, as he'd known it would. I operated under the mistaken belief that the place couldn't survive without me. â€Å"Well, rather than risk any more of your attempts at witty, sexual banter, I suppose I'll have to come over there. But Doug†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice turned hard. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"Don't put me on the registers or anything.† I heard hesitation on his end. â€Å"Doug? I'm serious. Not the main registers. I don't want to be around a lot of customers.† â€Å"All right,† he said at last. â€Å"Not the main registers.† â€Å"Promise?† â€Å"I promise.† A half hour later, I stepped outside my door to walk the two blocks to the bookstore. Long clouds hung low, darkening the sky, and a faint chill touched the air, forcing some of my fellow pedestrians to don a coat. I had opted for none, finding my khaki slacks and brown chenille sweater more than sufficient. The clothing, just like the lip gloss and eyeliner I'd carefully applied this morning, were real; I had not shape-shifted into them. I enjoyed the routine nature of applying cosmetics and matching articles of clothing, though Hugh would have claimed I was just being weird again. Emerald City Books & Caf? ¦ was a sprawling establishment, occupying almost a full block in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. It sat two stories high, with the cafe portion dominating a second-floor corner viewing the Space Needle. A cheerful green awning hung over the main door, protecting those customers waiting for the store to open. I walked around them and entered through a side door, using my staff key. Doug assaulted me before I'd taken two steps inside. â€Å"It's about time. We†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused and did a double-take, reexamining me. â€Å"Wow. You look†¦ really nice today. Did you do something different?† Only a thirty-four-year-old virgin, I thought. â€Å"You're just imagining things because you're so happy I'm here to fix your staffing problem. What am I doing? Stock?† â€Å"I, er, no.† Doug struggled to snap out of his haze, still looking me up and down in a way I found disconcerting. His interest in dating me was no secret, nor was my continual rejection. â€Å"Come on, I'll show you.† â€Å"I told you – â€Å" â€Å"It's not the main registers,† he promised me. What â€Å"it† turned out to be was the espresso counter in our upstairs cafe. Bookstore staff hardly ever subbed up here, but it wasn't unheard of. Bruce, the cafe manager, popped up from where he'd been kneeling behind the counter. I often thought Doug and Bruce could be twins in a mixed-race, alternate-reality sort of way. Both had long, scraggly ponytails, and both wore a good deal of flannel in tribute to the grunge era neither had fully recovered from. They differed mainly in their coloring. Doug was Japanese-American, black-haired with flawless skin; Bruce was Mr. Aryan Nation, all blond hair and blue eyes. â€Å"Hey Doug, Georgina,† heralded Bruce. His eyes widened at me. â€Å"Whoa, you look great today.† â€Å"Doug! This is just as bad. I told you I didn't want any customers.† â€Å"You told me not the main registers. You didn't say anything about this one.† I opened my mouth to protest, but Bruce interrupted. â€Å"Come on, Georgina, I had Alex call in sick today, and Cindy actually quit.† Seeing my stony expression, he quickly added, â€Å"Our registers are almost identical to yours. It'll be easy.† â€Å"Besides† – Doug raised his voice to a fair imitation of our manager's – † ‘assistant managers are supposed to be able to fill in for anybody around here.' â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, but the cafe – â€Å" † – is still part of the store. Look, I've got to go open. Bruce'll show you what you need to know. Don't worry, it'll be fine.† He hastily darted off before I could refuse again. â€Å"Coward!† I yelled after him. â€Å"It really won't be that bad,† Bruce reiterated, not understanding my dismay. â€Å"You just take the money, and I'll make the espresso. Let's practice on you. You want a white chocolate mocha?† â€Å"Yeah,† I conceded. Everyone I worked with knew about that particular vice. I usually managed to take down three of them a day. Mochas that was, not coworkers. Bruce walked me through the necessary steps, showing me how to mark up the cups and find what I needed to push on the register's touch-screen interface. He was right. It wasn't so bad. â€Å"You're a natural,† he assured me later, handing over my mocha. I grunted in response and consumed my caffeine, thinking I could handle anything so long as the mochas kept coming. Besides, this really couldn't be as bad as the main registers. The cafe probably did no business this time of day. I was wrong. Minutes after opening, we had a line of five people. â€Å"Large latte,† I repeated back to my first customer, carefully punching in the information. â€Å"Already got it,† Bruce told me, starting the beverage before I even had a chance to label the cup. I happily took the woman's money and moved on to my next order. â€Å"A large skinny mocha.† † Skinny's just another word for nonfat, Georgina.† I scrawled NF on the cup. No worries. We could do this. The next customer wandered up and stared at me, momentarily bedazzled. Coming to her senses, she shook her head and blurted out a torrent of orders. â€Å"I need one small drip coffee, one large nonfat vanilla latte, one small double cappuccino, and one large decaf latte.† Now I felt bedazzled. How had she remembered all those? And honestly, who ordered drip anymore? On and on the morning went, and despite my misgivings, I soon felt myself perking up and enjoying the experience. I couldn't help it. It was how I worked, how I carried myself through life. I liked trying new things – even something as banal as ringing up espresso. People could be silly, certainly, but I enjoyed working with the public most of the time. It was how I had ended up in customer service. And once I overcame my sleepiness, my inborn succubus charisma kicked in. I became the star of my own personal stage show, bantering and flirting with ease. When combined with the Martin-induced glamour, I became downright irresistible. While this did result in a number of proffered dates and pickup lines, it also saved me from the repercussions of any mistakes. My customers found no wrong with me. â€Å"That's all right, dear,† one older woman assured me upon discovering I'd accidentally ordered her a large cinnamon mocha instead of a nonfat, decaf latte. â€Å"I really need to branch out into new drinks anyway.† I smiled back winningly, hoping she wasn't diabetic. Later on, a guy came up carrying a copy of Seth Mortensen's The Glasgow Pact. It was the first sign I'd seen of tonight's momentous event. â€Å"Are you going to the signing?† I asked as I rang up his tea. Bleh. Caffeine-free. He studied me for a pregnant moment, and I braced myself for a pass. Instead the guy said mildly, â€Å"Yeah, I'll be there.† â€Å"Well, make sure you think up good questions for him. Don't ask the same ones everyone else does.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Oh, you know, the usual. ‘Where do you get your ideas from?' and ‘Are Cady and O'Neill ever going to get together?' â€Å" The guy considered this as I made change. He was cute, in a disheveled sort of way. He had brown hair with a reddish-gold gleam to it, said gleam being more noticeable in the shadow of facial hair crossing his lower face. I couldn't quite decide if he'd intentionally grown a beard or just forgotten to shave. Whatever it was, it had grown in more or less evenly and, when combined with the Pink Floyd T-shirt he wore, presented the image of a sort of hippie-lumberjack. â€Å"I don't think the ‘usual questions' make them any less meaningful to the one doing the asking,† he decided at last, seeming shy about contradicting me. â€Å"To a fan, each question is new and unique.† He stepped aside so I could wait on another customer. I continued the conversation as I took the next order, unwilling to pass up the opportunity to discuss Seth Mortensen intelligently. â€Å"Forget the fans. What about poor Seth Mortensen? He probably wants to impale himself each time he gets one of those.† † ‘Impale' is kind of a strong word, don't you think?† â€Å"Absolutely not. The guy's brilliant. Hearing idiotic questions must bore him to tears.† A bemused smile played across the man's mouth, and his steady brown eyes weighed me carefully. When he realized he was staring so openly, he glanced away, embarrassed. â€Å"No. If he's out touring, he cares about his fans. He doesn't mind the repetitive questions.† â€Å"He's not out touring for altruism. He's out touring because the publicists at his publishing house are making him tour,† I countered. â€Å"Which is also a waste of time, by the way.† He dared a look back at me. â€Å"Touring is? You don't want to meet him?† â€Å"I – well, yes, of course I do. It's just, that†¦ okay. Look, don't get me wrong. I worship the ground this guy walks on. I'm excited to meet him tonight. I'm dying to meet him tonight. If he wanted to carry me off and make me his love slave, I'd do it, so long as I got advance copies of his books. But this touring thing†¦ it takes time. Time that would be better spent writing the next book. I mean, haven't you seen how long his books take to come out?† â€Å"Yeah. I've noticed.† Just then, a previous customer returned, complaining he'd gotten caramel syrup instead of caramel sauce. Whatever that meant. I offered a few smiles and sweet apologies, and he soon didn't care about the caramel sauce or anything else. By the time he left my register, the Mortensen fan guy was gone too. When I finally finished my shift around five, Doug came to meet me. â€Å"I heard some interesting things about your performance up here.† â€Å"I hear interesting things about your ‘performance' all the time, Doug, but you don't hear me making jokes about it.† He bandied with me a bit more and finally released me to get ready for the signing, but not before I'd made him humbly acknowledge how much he owed me for my kindness today. Between him and Hugh, I was accruing favors all over the place. I practically ran the two blocks home, anxious to grab some dinner and figure out what I wanted to wear. My exhilaration was growing. In an hour or so, I'd be meeting my all-time favorite author. Could life get any better? Humming to myself, I took the stairs two at a time and produced my keys with a flourish that only I noticed or appreciated. As I opened the door, a hand suddenly grabbed me and pulled me roughly inside, into the darkness of my apartment. I yelped in surprise and fear as I was shoved up against the door, slamming it shut. The lights burst on suddenly and unexpectedly, and the faint smell of sulfur wafted through the air. Although the brightness made me wince, I could see well enough to recognize what was going on. Hell hath no fury like a pissed-off demon.

Role of the Unconscious in Personality Theories

Role of the Unconscious in Personality Theories Introduction In the discussion of how the unconscious mind influences personality, one cannot negate the role of psychoanalysis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of the Unconscious in Personality Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Kihlstrom, Beer, and Klein, psychoanalysis refers to the â€Å"aspects of Freud’s work and research, including Freudian therapy and the research methodology that he used to develop his theories† (2002, p.68). In the formulation of the personality of theory, Freud largely depended on case studies conducted on his patients together with direct observations of the behavior of the patients. According to Freud, the human mind is organized into two chief parts: the conscious and unconscious mind. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the role of the unconscious in personality theories using two perspectives of the course. These perspectives are psychoanalytic and social cognitive approaches to the construction of personality. Before this section, an effort is made to discuss the conscious and unconscious minds in terms of how they help to construct the personality of people. Functioning of Conscious and Unconscious Mind Conscious Mind The conscious mind carries the information that people can comprehend. People can freely and precisely talk about these aspects of their mental processes in a robust and rational way. Part of the conscious mind involves human memory. However, as Matt (2011) notes, not all information that is held in the conscious memory forms part of people’s consciousness although the information is retrievable easily so that it can be introduced into their awareness (p.81).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From Freud’s theory of personality, this reminiscence is referred to as the nor mal recall, or simply the preconscious recollection. Freud used the analogy of submerged ice to describe how the human mind is divided. According to him, the conscious mind constitutes the smallest portion of an individual’s mind. Freud argued that most of the memories and feelings that help to construct the personality of an individual are hidden from the conscious mind (Matt, 2011). Hence, the many feelings and memories that are displayed in the personality of an individual constitute the province of â€Å"the unconscious mind, which he divided into superego, ego, and id† (Matt, 2011, p. 81). Unconscious Mind The unconscious mind is the second part of the human mind from the perspective of the Freud’s theory of personality. It acts as the principle storage for all thoughts, memories, and feelings together with urges that exist outside people’s conscious awareness. With regard to Kihlstrom, Beer, and Klein (2002), most of the contents of unconscious memo ry are unpleasant and/or unacceptable under normal circumstances (p.73). They include the feeling of conflicts and pain together with anxiety among other things. In his analysis of Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality, Matt (2011) argues, â€Å"unconsciousness continues to influence our behaviors and experiences, even though we are unaware of these underlying influences† (p.43). Consequently, the unconscious mind is part of the human mind that people have no direct control over in any way.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Role of the Unconscious in Personality Theories specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unlike the conscious mind, the unconscious mind is a store of instinctual wishes, needs, and actions relating to ghosts and the dead. It is also a store for desires, shocking and upsetting memories, unpleasant emotions, and social ideas, which are not removable from the mind. The process of action of the unconscious mind is described by the term psychological repression. Recollections and opinions from the earlier periods can be removed from the instantaneous consciousness. These memories give rise to emotions together with thoughts that people have in their conscious memories. Since the personality of an individual is permanent and that these memories are removable, it is arguable that they do not influence the personality of an individual. A person does not obtain ideas directly in the unconscious mind for ordinary examination (Fleeson, 2004). However, emotions and ideas from the unconscious mind can become conscious by use of methods such as analyzing dreams, verbal slips, hypnosis, and free association of people with same interests. These methods are carefully examined and done during psychoanalysis. Psychotherapy is a process, which aims at inhibiting emotions and ideas into a mindful state for relieving the tolerant person of suffering from recurring untrue thoughts. According to Freud, the unconscious part of the mind is referred to as the id.It is composed of people’s basic needs and wishes. The id behaves in accordance with a principle known as pleasure principle that prevents pain. Freud also defines ego as a component of the unconscious mind.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He says that ego constitutes the conscious whole character and natural aspects that intervene between the unconscious portion of the mind and reality (Matt, 2011, p.48). Comparing and Contrasting the Roles of the Unconscious in Personality Theories Types of Personality Theories Several theories can be used to explain personalities of individuals. They include behavioral theories, trait theories, social cognitive theories, psychoanalytic theories, and humanistic theories. In these theories, the term personality is used to refer to â€Å"dynamic and organized sets of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influence his or her cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations† (Fleeson, 2004, p.84). Arguably, the various classifications of theories for personality are based on this definition. For instance, emotions and motivation give rise to the psychoanalytic theories of personality while the behavioral aspects in the definition of the term p ersonality give rise to the behavioral theories for personality. Behavioral hypotheses hold that people’s qualities emanate from their relations with the surroundings. In advancing their argumentations, behaviorists study the various measurable and observable behaviors of people to explain the nature of personality portrayed by individuals (Matt, 2011). Behavioral theorists such as John Watson reject various theories that suggest that personality of individuals is a function of feelings and the thoughts that form part of the conscious and unconscious mind. Trait theory argues that the personality of individuals comprises various broad traits. In the context of discussions of this theory, traits refer to characteristics, which are stable within an individual, which guide the course of actions of such persons. One of such theories is the five-factor theory (Matt, 2011).The origin of personality characteristics is a major concern to biological personality theorists. This group o f theorists argues that personality originates from the genetic characteristics of an individual. In fact, according to Kihlstrom, Beer, and Klein (2002), â€Å"researches on heritability suggest a link between genetics and personality traits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p.73). Examination of these links drives research in biological personality. Apart from the two main paradigms of personality theory considered in this paper, another important group of theories that attempt to explain personality comprises the humanistic theory. This theory pays incredible attention to the significance of the free will of people together with the individual experience in fostering the development of personality. Central to the discussion of the humanistic theories is the concept of self-actualization. This concept emphasizes that personal growth is an important aspect that influences or motivates the behavior of people (Matt, 2011). Behavior is an important aspect that affects the personality of an individual f rom the perspective of social cognitive and psychoanalytic personality and theoretical paradigms. Abraham Maslow is one of the well-known advocates of humanist personality theory. Since the purpose of this paper is limited to the discussion of roles of the unconscious mind in personality theories from only two perspectives, the remaining part of the paper considers psychoanalytic and social cognitive perspectives only. Roles of Unconscious Mind in the Social Cognitive Theory of Personality From the perspective of psychoanalytic and social cognitive theories of personality, consciousness forms the phenomenal substance, which helps to guide the mental functioning in the life of a human being. It forms the foundation in which contextualization of events, construction of courses of action, and even planning of various actions are made (Bandura, 1995). Arguably, after the environmental learning experience, a mental effort is not required to perform various tasks. Rather, the unconscious mind functions as the constant reminder of the appropriate course of action whenever one encounters a situation requiring actions that have been executed before in response to a given environmental stimuli. The manner in which one responds to certain stimuli through a given set of behavioral actions that are peculiar to a particular individual constitutes the personality of such an individual (Bandura, 1995). From the perspective of social cognitive theories, the responses to certain environmental stimuli in automated ways are attributable to the information stored in the unconscious mind of an individual. The main challenges of social cognitive theorists are to develop an explanation of how these cognitions are developed. Addressing the above challenges constitutes the main points of departure on the role of unconscious from the perspective of social cognitive and psychoanalytic theorists. For instance, while the psychoanalytic perspective holds that some characteristics of an indi vidual that constitute the personality of him or her are owed to the functioning of the unconscious mind, the social cognitive paradigm argues that â€Å"consciousness cannot be reduced to an epiphenomenon of the output of a mental process realized mechanically at unconscious lower levels† (Bandura, 1999, p.7). From the basis of this assertion, social cognitive theory emphasizes that it is important for a distinction to be drawn between functional properties of the brain of a person and the physical processes for thoughts that are deployed by the given individual. While a psychoanalytic subscriber would incline to the position that the human unconscious mind is responsible for reactions involving negative experiences, the social cognitive theoretical paradigm maintains that people’s unconscious mind is essentially generative, proactive, and creative, apart from being self-reflective or reactive (Bandura, 1999, p.3). This argument implies that practices leading to cogni tions that are held within the unconscious mind are not only developing behaviors but also determinative manipulations. The unconscious mind is viewed from the perspective of social cognitive as the storage of information that must be activated to help in reacting towards the determination of the required course of action. Additionally, socials cognitive theorists emphasize that, in the expression of the personality of individuals, people must actuate certain brain processes so that selected intentions can be realized. These intentions define the personality of a given individual. Hence, for the expression of the characteristics of a person that make him or her unique from other people, certain schemas within the unconscious mind must be excited. Such schemas are made up of socially cognized and/or generated experiences. The central argument here is that the memories stored in the unconscious mind are acquired from the environment. The social cognitive theory on personality holds th at people display certain behaviors due to four main key factors: rewards, cues, drives, and responses (Bandura, 1999). In case an individual is motivated for learning a given behavior, he or she uses the observation technique to learn the behavior. This behavior defines the personality of the individual once its schemas are developed in the unconscious memory. Once a person observes behavior, it is solidified through learning. Therefore, the individual does not have to put any effort mentally to recall it and/or display it in a phenotypic manner. In this perspective, the personality of an individual is a function of the learned behaviors from the environment. Roles of Unconscious Mind in the Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality As argued before, social cognitive theory emphasizes that the personality of an individual is constructed by the social experiences through learning of behaviors from the environment. Once these behaviors are fully learnt, the unconscious memory serves the p urpose of automatically retrieving the memories that call into action the appropriate behaviors once stimuli, which demands reaction by a certain behavior, is experienced (Bandura, 1995). This purpose of the unconscious mind is opposed to the purpose of the unconscious mind in the formation of the personality of an individual from the perspective of psychoanalysis as stipulated and discussed by Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that one of the amicable mechanisms of uncovering the personality of his patients was through the free association with them. According to Matt (2011), patients were requested to describe what appeared in their minds whenever a discussion of certain topics was initiated. Additionally, Freud also conducted scrutiny of dreams of people in the attempt to establish a link between the unconscious mind and the personality of his patients. Via an intensive analysis of the preconscious mind together with the unconscious mind of patients, Freudian school of thought implie s that the personality of an individual is possible to evaluate. Consequently, a psychotherapeutic treatment of mental ailments can be conducted. Based on this psychoanalytic approach to personality, it means people have no control over their personality. Rather, it is controlled by the unconscious mind, which under the normal functioning of a person, is difficult to unveil. This argument perhaps explains why the Freudian approach to the determination of personality of an individual over dwells on the analysis of dreams as opposed to social cognitive perspective. While dreaming, an individual is not under control of his or her thinking process (Fleeson, 2004). However, in the dreams, an individual reminiscences situations, which are encountered in real life by attempting to respond to them depending on the acquired experience on some of the effective means of tackling such situations. This argument underlines the significance of considering socio-cognitive theoretical perspective in the determination of the roles of the unconscious mind against the psychoanalytic perspective. This case is significant since it is arguable that the dreams discussed by Freud as proactive means of determining the role of the unconscious mind in the construction of personality have the possibilities of being based on the information acquired through social interactions between the dreamer and other people within the environment. Social cognitive theory of personality provides an account of the personality of people based on the cognitions acquired by their interaction processes. Psychoanalysis approach argues, â€Å"The unconscious is the storehouse of instinctual desires, needs, psychic actions, and a repository for socially unacceptable ideas, wishes or desires, and traumatic memories† (Kihlstrom, Beer Klein, 2002, p.74). The unconscious mind is also the storage of painful emotions. Social cognitive theorists criticize this assertion by arguing that the psychoanalytic app roach to personality emphasizes the negative experiences of an individual in influencing his or her personality. The issue that remains is to know the roles of the unconscious mind in influencing positive personality traits that are expressed by people. Seeking a response to this query gives rise to other theoretical paradigms of explaining how the personality of an individual is constructed such as the behavioral theories and humanistic theoretical paradigms. Conclusion People’s actions and behaviors are attributable to several factors. Such factors include cultural beliefs and processes of social interactions. From the psychological perspective, people’s behaviors are also influenced by the conscious and unconscious mind. Psychoanalytic theorists advance this school of thought by contending that people have inner forces, which act outside their cognitions. Such forces influence the manner in which people behave. As discussed in the paper, this school of thought is at tributed to Sigmund Freud, who is regarded as the origin of psychotherapy. The arguments raised by Sigmund Freud were criticized, with people considering them strange. Hence, they attracted much debates about their applicability in real life situations. They also give rise to alternative paradigms of theorizing the personality of people. However, Freud’s work continues to influence a number of disciplines that are concerned with the studies of human behaviors such as sociology, anthropology, and psychology among others. Reference List Bandura, A. (1995). Social Foundations of Thought and Action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Bandura, A. (1999). A social cognitive theory of personality. New York: Guilford Publications. Fleeson, W. (2004). Moving personality beyond the person-situation debate: The challenge and the opportunity of within-person variability. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(2), 83–87. Kihlstrom, J., Beer, S., Klein, B. (2002). Self a nd identity as memory. New York: Guilford Press. Matt, F. (2011). The Foundation of Unconscious: Schelling, Freud and the Birth of the Modern Psyche. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

15 Last Minute SAT Tips You Should Remember

15 Last Minute SAT Tips You Should Remember SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You only have a couple days before the SAT (or maybe less than a day!), and you’re determined to ace this test! Whether you're looking for last-minute study tips, advice on how to prepare the day of the test, or test-taking strategies to maximize your scores, I've got you covered. Here are a bunch of handy last minute SAT tips that will help you stay focused and raise your scores. General Last Minute Studying Tips Ideally, you'll want to start studying for the SAT long before your test day in order to be well prepared for the exam. However, last minute studying can also be useful for learning some final pieces of information and being fully prepared.If you're studying right before the SAT, you should spend your remaining time wisely.Follow these tips to ensure that the extra effort pays off! Tip 1: Focus on Your Weak Spots It’s tempting to just â€Å"study† by taking a bunch of practice tests, but that can only help your scores so much.Now is the time to drill down into your mistakes and analyze the reasons why you made them. Make sure you understand the route to the correct answer and why your answer choice was incorrect.Even if you just do this for one section, you should start to see major score improvements. Tip 2: Be Time-Conscious You don’t want to be taken by surprise when you hear â€Å"time’s up† on the SAT, and you haven’t gotten to all the questions.Don’t take a whole practice test, but do a few questions and experiment with estimating how much time you’re spending on each.This will help you get a sense of how long 30 seconds or a minute feels so you'll know when you need to skip questions on the real test. You shouldn't be spending more than a minute on SAT Readingquestions or more than 30-45 seconds on SAT Writing questions. On the Math section, I also recommend initially spending no more than a minute on each question in both portions. You technically have more time per question on the calculator part than on the no calculator part, but it's better to be safe than sorry. If you linger too much, you won't have the chance to answer easy questions later in the section! Day of the Test Follow these tips on the morning of the SAT to ensure you start the test prepared and on the right foot. Tip 3: Sleep Strategically Go to bed early, and try to sleep at least seven hours the night before the test. Plan to wake up an hour earlier than you have to;if you just roll out of bed, you might still be sleepy when the test starts. You should be totally alert by the time you get to the test center. Tip 4: Don’t Take the Test Hungry Unless you’re one of those people who gets nauseous if you eat breakfast, you should try and eat before the test.Don’t eat too much (you don’t want to get sleepy again), but snack on something small and high in protein so your brain has something to work with, and visions of waffles don’t start dancing in your head during the test.Also,bring a couple of filling snacks that you can eat during breaks if you end up getting hungry again (nuts and granola bars are good). As for whether you should drink coffee...that depends on the person. If you're already a coffee addict, then you're probably fine with drinking a cup or two before the SAT. Don’t drink it if you’re not used to it because the caffeine could make you anxious and less focused on the test. Tip 5: Dress for Success You want to dress as comfortably as possible.Bring layers so you don’t get distracted by being too hot or too cold. You should also pack up everything you need for the test the night before to ensure that you don’t forget anything. Here's a list of what you should bring to the SAT in case you don't know: Admission Ticket Photo ID Two #2 pencils (non-mechanical) and an eraser Calculator Watch (there will be a clock, but it's easier if you can check the time on your wrist) Water and snacks Wear whatever is most comfortable for you. The testing room is a judgment-free zone. But you might want to take off the mascot head so that you have enough peripheral vision to see your answer sheet. During the Test You'll want to be on your "A" game for the entire SAT. Follow these tips to get the best test-testing experience. Tip 6: Don’t Freak Out It’s much easier said than done - sometimes the more I try to get out of my own head the less successful I am.But really try and shut out anxious thoughts that arise during the test. Do a little mini mindfulness session where you focus on your breathing and nothing else for a couple of seconds. This will lower your blood pressure and clarify your thinking. Remember, the most productive thing you can do right now is to keep on going even if some of the questions scare you.Don’t let yourself fall victim to the vicious cycle of anxiety - lost focus - less efficient test taking - can’t finish sections - MORE ANXIETY. Tip 7: Skip It If you come up against a difficult question, don’t spend a ton of time on it.Already spent a minute looking at a math or reading question and don’t know how to answer it? Skip it.Spent more than 30 seconds looking at a writing question with no success? Skip it. You can circle the questions you skip and come back to them at the end if you have extra time.If you let yourself get bogged down, you might not make it to future easier questions that could earn you more points. Tip 8: Always Guess There's no penalty for wrong answers, so make sure to put something down for every question. Even if it's a completely random guess, there's a chance you'll get it right and earn the point. Tip 9: Take the Breaks Even if you don’t feel like it, take advantage of breaks.They can help reduce your stress and remind you that there's a whole new world that exists outside the testing room.Eat a snack, use the bathroom - you’ll probably feel much more refreshed and prepared to take on the rest of the test. Tip 10: Check Your Answers! Have a few minutes at the end of a section?I know you’re tired, but go back and check your answers.Dumb mistakes are frustrating, and usually they can be corrected if you just look over the questions again. You can also use this time to make sure you filled out the answer sheet correctly and didn’t accidentally skip a question and bubble in the wrong answers. Tip : Use Evidence in Your Essay If you're planning on taking the (now optional) essay portion of the new SAT, you'll have to read a passage and analyze the author's argument. Make sure that you use direct evidence from the passage to back up your points and show the validity of your analysis. As you're reading the passage, underline any sentences or phrases that you think you might use in your essay to explain how the author builds an argument. Tip 12: Use Everything the SAT Gives You, and Take Shortcuts This applies to all sections of the SAT. If youthink you couldn’t possibly figure out the answer to a question, make sure you exhaust all resources at your disposal before guessing (although as I said, you can skip it on your first pass through the section!). Remember that this isn’t like a normal test. No one cares if you show your work or use the â€Å"right† method to solve a problem, so take shortcuts to solutions if you can find them. Here are some relevant things to keep in mind about each section: Reading On reading, don’t be intimidated by an unknown word. Especially on the new version of the SAT, you can almost alwaysuse context cluesto approximate its definition. Save time by skimming the passages in the reading section when you first get to them. If you need to you can read certain sections more closely later to answer specific questions. Take reading passages at face value.If the answer isn’t DIRECTLY supported by what you read in the passage, don’t choose it. Writing Watch out for the â€Å"no change† answers. If you notice you’re getting a lot of them (more than a quarter of your answers to questions that have "no change" as an option), check those questions again to make sure you didn’t miss something. Study thegrammar rules that are on the SAT, follow them, and don’t overthink it. Math Sometimes math problems will give you a diagram of a shape, and you're supposed to find an area, angle measurement, or other dimension. Usually, the most logical answer based on what you see is correct. For example, if you're trying to find the measurement of a tiny-looking acute angle, you can rule out 80 degrees as an answer. On the calculator portion of the Math section, use the computing power of your calculator to its full advantage. If you come across questions about graphs of equations, use the graphing function. At the same time, don't overuse your calculator to the point where it's costing you more time. Be smart about when you need it and when it's faster to just do things the old-fashioned way. And if you haven’t already, reviewthis list of formulas you should know for the SAT. If you start to do something crazy and complicated for a math problem, you’re probably going down the wrong path! The SAT tests simple concepts that are sometimes presented in weird formats. Above all, remember that multiple choice is a gift; the answer is right in front of you even if you don’t see it right away. Oh boy, I hope it's Multiple Choiceâ„ ¢! After the Test Even after you've finished the SAT there are still some important tips to keep in mind. Tip 13: Be Aware: You Can Cancel Your Scores If you're concerned about your scores because you know something went horribly wrong on the test, you are allowed to cancel them. You must submit your written request for cancelation to the College Board by midnight on the Wednesday after the test. For advice on whether you should cancel your scores and how to go about doing it, read this article. Tip 14: Taking the Test Again? Consider the Question-and-Answer Service or Student Answer Service If you know you're going to take the SAT again, you should think about ordering one of the services the College Board offers for you to review your scores in more detail. These can be very useful studying tools because they will show you your weak spots in a real test environment. For more information on these services, read this article. Tip 15: Don't Get too Stressed It's important to give yourself time to decompress and relax after the test! Try not to stress out too much about what may have gone wrong. It’s out of your hands now, and your time and energy are much better spent doing other things that you enjoy for the rest of the weekend. What's Next? Are you trying to decide whether to retake the SAT? This guide will help you make a decision. Then you can start planning when you'll register for the test again. If you want to get a head start on studying for your next test date, check out these study plans for sophomores and juniors, rising seniors, and our complete plan for all students. You should also figure out your target score so you can plan accordingly. Also, check out our guides for how to get an 800 on each section of the SAT to get more specific tips for raising your scores! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Data Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Data Mining - Essay Example What differentiates KXEN from other vendors is text analytics, sentiment analysis, social network analysis, time-series analysis, support for respectable range of statistical algorithms and support for a wide range of model quality metrics and variable selection techniques. Management Intelligenter Technologies GmbH : its main product is Data Engine which is an Interface to Lab View and Bridge View. Data engine software deals with fuzzy rules, fuzzy clustering, neural networks and fuzzy neural systems are offered in combination with mathematics, statistics and signal processing. With a wide use of computers in the industrial field, a lot of data related to industrial processes is being generated every day. In respect to this bulky data there is an urgent need for developing new mathematical methods related to modeling, optimization, decision, and scheduling that fully exploit the data. Data mining software has greatly come in handy to help engineers in the industries solve this problem through current mathematical fundamentals and algorithms of data

History of each instrument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of each instrument - Essay Example The standard flute had six holes and one key divided into three sections. This changed when Theobald Boehm changed the flute in the 1830’s. He developed a cylindrical flute with 15 tone holes, 23 keys, and levers. Keys were also arranged where almost all holes opened naturally. The Boehm Flute has remained unchanged and is used to this day. The oboe is also in the woodwind family. The first reed instrument was made by Egyptians. Initially barley straws pressed flat and then placed into a small pipe were the first oboes. Romans had instruments of similar make. By the 12th century, a short double-reed instrument made its appearance. The 14th century saw the instrument change. Finally in the 17th century the instrument was made into the modern oboe. The Hotteterre family made the first oboe with three sections and six keys and hole. This oboe was improved on with more key mechanisms, with the used of nine keys. Another woodwind is the clarinet. One of the first instruments resembling a clarinet was found in Greece, Persia, and India. It was a round pipe with one reed. The Celts made a clarinet out of animal bones with seven holes. These instruments evolved into the 16th century to instruments with eight finger holes/two keys called a chalumeau. John Christopher Denner changed upon the instrument in the late 17th century by adding a special key. More keys were added through the Boehm system of keys in the 19th century. This version is still used today. The Bassoon is in the woodwind family. The forerunner of the bassoon was created by B.C. Egyptians. Barley straws were pressed flat, and then placed in a small pipe. Later holes were added. The Romans had a similar instrument called a tibiae. The shawm was formed in 12th century Europe. This was a short double reed with a conical bore and a wide bell. This came from the East to Europe. The 16th century was when Alfranio Canon of Ferrara