Educational Technology Essays - Education, Distance Education

Educational Technology The best method for improving educational standards is to utilize every tool available, including state-of-the-art technology. Computers and the Internet have expanded the way in which information can be delivered to the students of today. Today's networking technologies provide a valuable opportunity to practice new learning techniques. Educators are discovering that computers are facilitating learning. Computer based communications, or Telecommunications, can offer many educational opportunities; therefore, educators will need to adapt current teaching methods to incorporate this new media into the classroom. Computers have made a fundamental impact in most industries, providing a competitive advantage that has come to be essential to many businesses. Therefore, schools must also use technology to improve the educational process. School systems often consider purchasing a computer network, and justify its purchase by applying it to routine administrative tasks, such as attendance records and grading. While these tasks are very important, they only show a small part of what technology can do for a school. Technology must go further than simply keeping attendance; it must focus on keeping students interested and productive. Since computers and the Internet have expanded in such a way in which education can be delivered to students, it is currently possible to engage in "distance education through the Internet. Distance education involves audio and video links between teachers and students in remote areas. Video conferencing allows groups to communicate with each other. Desktop video conferencing promises to bring students together from geographic and cultural distances, face to face via computer. Not only will the teacher talk to the students, but the students will be able to interact with each other. This will make students more interested and fascinated with learning. Not only does the Internet and video conferencing help education, but new programs designed for educational purposes are being developed. Dictionaries, encyclopedias and atlases that a student can access from his own computer can be a definite advantage. For example, instead of looking for a particular country and simply finding out where it is in a regular atlas, that can type in the name of that country, and not only will they find out where it is faster, but they will obtain more information about that particular country. Instead of having volumes and volumes of heavy encyclopedias, technology has enabled companies to place all of these massive books onto one small CD. This CD is much simpler than the unpleasant job of flipping page by page just to read about an uninteresting topic, such as history. Writing reports on a type-writer was a displeasing method to write term papers; especially if that student runs out of white-out. Certain programs offer a spell-checker, thesaurus, and other helpful features, which make writing that term-paper easier. These particular programs are only a few of the educational resources available to students. Most educational boards should be open to any new idea that technology has to offer. It would not be fair for a student in a particular city to receive a better education than another student in a different city. Technology is not meant to replace teachers, but is there to serve students to make tedious tasks easier. Therefore, this technology should be available to every student, wherever they may live. In doing this, it not only needs the support of teachers and educators, but it also requires support from communities. However, technology can not work by itself. Teachers must take a position in designing a tech-powered classroom curriculum, devoting time to become familiar with the new available resources. Technology can also improve writing with the use of new word processing programs that provide easy to use tools that are not normally available in the classroom. Technology is able to help students in a variety of ways. By making learning more enjoyable, students will want to learn and will not see education as such a difficult responsibility.

How to Use Graphics in Technical Writing

How to Use Graphics in Technical Writing In technical business writing, the graphics – such as engineering drawings, tables, and process diagrams – complement and are integrated with the text, to inform or even to entertain the reader, depending on the writer’s objective.In this post you will learn how to correctly and incorrectly use graphics in your technical business writing. Integrate Graphics with Text Integration is bidirectional: An effective graphic enhances the text, and effective text enhances the graphic. In other words, we want to go beyond simply pointing to the graphic in the text, which we would not consider â€Å"integration.† We also want to explain the graphic to the reader in the text. Indeed, depending on the subject matter, it’s a good practice to create the graphic first, to bring together some of the relevant concepts, and then walk the reader through the graphic to make sure all readers will have a common understanding of the graphic and its significance. Using this technique, we can instantly create pages of explanatory text that helps the reader understand and helps us tell the story. (Please note that we are not talking about how to choose among various kinds of graphics, e.g., organization charts, flow diagrams, and the like; that issue could be a subject for another blog. We simply want to explore the relationship between the graphic and the te xt.) hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(41482, '2355e67d-04bb-46d6-b8a7-b271b3acdfe9', {}); For example, suppose we are writing a contribution to a business blog. (Where did that idea come from, I wonder?) Figure 1 shows an overview of the blog writing process. Figure 1: Blog Writing Process. The figure answers several questions for the reader: What are the steps in the writing process? What is the sequence of steps? What are the respective responsibilities of the writer and publisher? At the same time, many questions that could be raised are left unanswered: For example, what activities are involved in â€Å"pre-write† or â€Å"pre-publish†? The figure doesn’t say; the narrative needs to describe the activities. Alternatively, we could have listed the component activities of each process step in the process box. We could have added the following to the pre-write box in the graphic: Audience analysis Article objective Preliminary research Of course, instead of simply listing the activities, we would also expect to elaborate, so that the reader ultimately understands the scope and objective of each activity. This elaboration is certainly not advisable in the graphic under any circumstances; it’s too much detail. A good default practice is to provide just the big picture in the figure, as shown, and then provide details in the supporting narrative, thereby integrating the graphic and the text. Indeed, in the given example, because of the missing detail, the reader, looking at the graphic, is implicitly encouraged to ask questions and to look to the text to fill in the blanks. For the writer, the high-level graphic is a wonderful organizing mechanism. Given Figure 1 as a starting point, the writer is now in a position to rattle off the details in the supporting text. Without the figure, the task of describing the flow in words, and then adding detail, is substantially more difficult. You may be interested in beginner guide:How to Become a Technical Writer Integrating Tables and Text The question of level of detail may be answered differently for a table, which is inherently a text-intensive form of graphic. You should strive to make the table fairly self-explanatory, leveraging the table structure for showing the reader relationships among data elements. As with other graphics, the table is intended to augment the narrative – typically to strengthen an argument or to illustrate a relationship among data elements. You still need to make the connection for the reader between the table and the argument, or between the table and the relationship being illustrated. For example, consider Table 1a and Table 1b. Let’s suppose we are a contractor bidding on a government solicitation, requiring three labor categories, with the minimum experience and education levels for each category shown in Table 1a. We want to show that our proposed candidates for each category meet the experience and education thresholds, as shown in Table 1b. It may be evident to the reader who examines the two tables carefully that each candidate meets the minimum education and experience requirements of the appropriate category. However, we want to make that point explicitly in the narrative, to make sure the reader understands it. Again, we are integrating the table with the narrative. Report formatting is one of the skills we teach in our technical writing course [Learn More]. Avoid Decoration A decoration is defined as a graphic that seems to have a vague relationship to the subject of the given article, but is actually content-free – it adds absolutely nothing to the reader’s understanding of the subject at hand. For example, in an article discussing the job description of a software developer, an illustration like Figure 2, taken from a free imagewebsite, would be considered a decoration. Figure 2. A decoration is a content-free graphic. (Incidentally, such a decoration could do more harm than good in today’s politically fraught environment. For example, does the photo imply that women and persons of color don’t qualify as developers? Is that a message that we want to convey?) Make Sure the Graphic is Legible Figure 3 is actually a copy of Figure 2, but very hard to read. The gray text on the light blue background offers insufficient contrast; the type size is only seven points (vs. 10 points in Figure 1); all of the text is in upper case (vs. upper and lower case in Figure 1). You can ruin a good piece with poorly designed graphics. Figure 3. A poorly designed graphic. This issue of graphic legibility is particularly significant when the graphic is a screen shot. How often do you see a screen shot illustrating use of some software tool, or showing the result of a user action, that is totally unreadable? One way to solve the problem is to zoom in on a portion of the screen, so that the text is large enough to be legible. Another is to replace the screen shot with a drawing of the screen that has readable text. What other methods would you use to make your screen shots legible? Let us know in the comments section below!

Media Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Media Campaign - Essay Example With the continuous technology advancements and subsequently altering as well as widening reach of mass media campaigns today, non-profit organisations have also taken a footstep ahead to use the communication tool for channelising their messages to the targeted audiences. In many instances, mass media campaigns have proved as beneficial in persuading the audiences to believe the message communicated and thereby alter their behaviours accordingly (Johnston, â€Å"Can Mass Media Change Behavior†). Contextually, there are various factors associated with a media campaign designed to promote a public service goal, which tend to impose significant influences in determining the success of the organisation in effectively conveying the intended message. Based on this particular learning, the discussion henceforth will focus on identifying, discussing and evaluating the influencing factors associated with a planned campaign intended towards the attainment of a public service goal of Co rporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to â€Å"promote an educated and informed civil society through high-quality content and services delivered across multiple platforms† (CPB, â€Å"CPB's Goals and Objectives†). Thesis Statement The discussion will begin with a brief overview of the planned campaign moving forth towards the identification of the most important elements or factors associated with its overall designing, construction and execution. With this objective, the discussion will address the most pertinent factors associated with the planned campaign with adequate rationalisation on the basis of the role played by mass media. The potential disadvantages of using media campaigns, both from a generalised perspective and specific viewpoint in relation to the planned campaign will also be studied in the essay. Before concluding on the key specifications of the essay, moral and ethical considerations attached to the media campaign will also be elaborated in the d iscussion. Overview of the Media Campaign CPB is renowned internationally as a non-profit private organisation which was established in the year 1967 by Congress. Since then, it has been serving the worldwide communities with various services, rendering praiseworthy support to mitigate various issues. Stating precisely, the broadcasting organisation intends to ensure high-quality journalism and reporting transparency with the aim to aid contribution from the society in facilitating the overall growth of the economy and prosperity of the mankind. In its course of strategic executions, the organisation has been focusing on various objectives amongst which, one particular public service goal can be considered as quite crucial which focuses on the promotion of an educated, liberalised and adequately informed society based on multiple platforms for the applications of high-quality contents as well as services. The objectives determined by the organisation for the attainment of this parti cular goal further emphasises on satisfying the public needs for education and information, especially among the diversified cultural groups in particular, which can be attained

Film review The Little Mermaid Movie Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Film The Little Mermaid - Movie Review Example She just laughs at the dangers, sings like a seraph and displays adoration for man-made creations and objects, with an utmost desire to read, to understand and to learn. The character of the father, King Triton, has been portrayed as realistic, being overprotective, like the normal human father for their daughters, forbidding the talent of his young daughter and appoints a crab, Sebastian as a bodyguard of her daughter. Ariel specks the moving ship and confronts her father, rather swim to examine and gaze Prince Eric, the love at first sight. It is beautifully animated and viewers could understand the expressions and have a feel of the story. As in any thought, with every happiness a taste of bitterness occurs, Ariel witnesses a sudden storm which rips off the ship, but Ariels courage rescues the Prince. Depicting the kind of determination desired in todays contemporary world or human beings. The movie has made Ariel as an ideal for young teenagers. Further, the story takes a turn and Ursula, the witch, man hating sea beast, marks the presence. Grasping Ariels desire, Ursula grants Ariels wish for legs, but this also displays the plot behind the intention, the mal-intention to destroy Tritons kingdom. The role of friends and their friendship comes into picture, as all the friends of Ariel stood beside her in her difficult time. This is the best message that was given to the audience of the movie, a moral value which is greatly desired in the present scenario, even after more than twenty years, the message holds value and meaning. It is one of the finest creation in terms of the positive characters, the heroic deeds and accomplishments to protect the real values. The movie highlights the emotions involved between the father and daughter as well as between the boy and the girl. Their love affection and also the devotion towards each other is highlighted in a very artistic and magnificent manner, besides the glorious world of colors

How do you define violent crime illistrate with examples Essay

How do you define violent crime illistrate with examples - Essay Example It also looks into the social reaction and impacts of crime (Newburn 2007). The study looks at the criminals themselves. The term criminology is borrowed from R. Garofalo, an Italian law scholar. Criminologists are involved in the study of criminals’ mindset. The aim is to understand what motivates the criminals (Nexis UK 2003). Certain things may be crimes in one society but legal in another. A criminologist explains these social and cultural variances. Criminology explores the various types of punishments and why some societies opt to have them (Newburn 2007).This study includes a study of that suggest why crimes are committed. This is necessary in understanding violent crimes. Some of the violent crimes theories include classical, individual trait and positive theories (Singer & Gardner 2003). Classical theory suggests the reason why people commit a crime is because they are satisfied that the benefits of the crime outweigh the cost. When the punishment is harsh, then crimi nals fear committing the crime according to this theory (Nexis UK 2003). According to the positive theory, crime happens out of both internal and external factors. The social and biological factors contribute to the positive theory (Singer & Gardner 2003). Some of the social factors that contribute to crime include poverty and illiteracy. Individual trait theory suggests that the psychological and biological factors contribute directly to criminal behavior. According to this theory, biological factors help to distinguish between non criminal and criminal traits (Newburn 2007). Crime, therefore, is a result of natural instincts arising from innate behaviors according to individual trait theory. Therefore, this theory suggests that some people have a natural desire to do violent crimes. According to individual trait theory, such people love to be violent genetically. As a result, no amount of punishment can control their violent tendencies (Nexis UK 2003). Limiting interaction with th ese violent criminals becomes the only way to prevent these crimes. According to individual traits theory, violent criminals should be alienated from the society. Violent crimes can result from extreme emotions like rage or hate. These extreme emotional states can be directed to both people and animals. Sometimes it is demonstrated through kicking a dog. According to Weiner and Sagi (1990), a violent crime can be defined as any threat or attempt to use physical force by a single or many people resulting in non physical or physical harm (Nexis UK 2003). The definitions of violent crimes tend to include the cause of the crime. Violent crimes are thought to be actions directed to other people in a face to face confrontation. Many believe that there has to be physical contact for violent crimes to occur. Violent crimes may result from frustrations (Singer & Gardner 2003). However, violent crimes may be purposeful and intentional. Violent crimes can stem from socially acceptable and appr oved activities. Sports violent crimes are legal given the environmental circumstances in which they happen. According to Atyeo, the pain inflicted in sports is not perceived to be a real pain. Yet it fully falls under the definition of violent crimes (Newburn 2007). Boxing is seen as fun while the players injure each other leading to death in extreme cases. There is an observation that legitimizing violent sport crimes can cause athletes to be violent

Role of Neutral States on CFSP Development

Role of Neutral States on CFSP Development Introduction The topic of my master essay is The role of the EU neutral states (Austria and Finland) in the development of CFSP, their impact on the elaboration of the European Union. Even today, it is a very actual issue for the Union, because it is connected with the integration process, security and defense problems of this organization. The main object of my research is to identify the impact of the neutral states (in my case, Austria and Finland) to the common security of the European Community, whether its pacifist or â€Å"neutral†. It should be noted that the issue of security and defense of the EU, its ability not only to protect its member states, but also to resolve the conflict situations is very significant. I decided to write about such representatives of the neutral states like Austria and Finland. First of all, these countries have more similarities than differences, which I will try to describe and characterize during the writing of my thesis. The aim of my work is: Describe the foreign policy of Austria and Finland and identify their similarities and differences; Identify the contribution of the neutral states towards a resolution of the international crises; Describe the opportunities of the CFSP to be a full-fledged superpower during the international crises and its effect on the policy of neutrals; The research question of my master thesis is If the European second pillar CFSP has had any effect on the development of the neutral states (Austria and Finland) and whether emerging these neutrals has had an effect on the Common Foreign and Security Policy? Hypothesis: a) The admission of the neutrals in 1995 did not significantly affect the trajectory of the development of the CFSP by making it more pacifist or neutral. b) The CFSP had a significant impact on the development of its neutral Member States (Austria and Finland). What I am proposing is basically in line with Alex George and Andrew Bennets method of a focused structured comparison. So, I will write two country-case study chapters asking the same questions and using the same set of CFSPrelated events or documents to answer them and then sum up your findings in the concluding chapter. So, the master thesis consists of 5 chapters. I. Foreign Policy of Finland The first country which I will touch upon in my research paper is Finland. I will illustrate and represent the foreign policy of this state from 1970, i.e. 2-3 decades before becoming the European Union member and will describe the foreign policy of this state. But first, it is necessary to note that for the long period of time Finland was under the yoke of the Soviet Union, this period covers from 1809 to 1917 and declared its independence only since 1917. If we compare with Austria, Finland due to its geographical position has always had a close relationship with Russia and could remain unoccupied during the Second World War because of this fact. In 1948 Finland had signed the Treaty of Friendship[1], Cooperation and Mutual Assistance with the Soviet Union. On the basis of this agreement both countries had agreed not to participate in any military actions against each other, and Finland, in turn, couldn’t be involved in the allied relations with the opposingsides of the Sovi et Union. Finlands neutrality was not implemented on the basis of the international law. In 1955 the state became a member of the Nordic Council and the United Nations. And after 4 years it was successfully signed an Association Agreement, and also an agreement with EFTA, which could guarantee the economic priorities for Finland (export of forest products). Later in 1971-1972, Finland, as a member of EFTA started the trade negotiations with the European community, but as a result Finland had to delay the ratification process because the Soviet Union showed their doubts and fears about such cooperation. It could be achieved only in year. The Soviet Union actively involved not only in the developing of the foreign policy of Finland, but in the internal as well. The proof of this is the reelection of the Finnish president in 1973, as Urho Kekkonen was a faithful ally of the USSR. I should also add that Finland had signed free trade agreements with the East European States. Finland economy was dependanton theSoviet Union, which was it’s the main oil supplier and then the finished products were exported to the Eastern European countries. From all of this I can conclude that economic development and influence has always been a valuable factor of the development of foreign policy. These all explain the reason of such a close cooperation with the Soviet Union. From the middle of the 1980 Finland began rapprochement process with the European Community, and in 1988 Finland submitted the White Paper to the European Parliament, EFTA must play the role of direct intermediary between Finland and the European Community. The White Paper contained the willingness and readiness of Finland of joining the European Community and also the economy compatibility of the state (four freedoms). Till 1990, Finland was entirely dependent on the Soviet Union, but after the destruction of the Berlin Wall, the situation began to change drastically. The West was used as the benchmark for Finland, the proof of this was the EEA negotiations. The neutral state began the preparation for the new report to the Parliament, in this time it covered not only the economic relations, but also the foreign affairs and considered the international aspects, namely, the issue of safety and concluded that the decision-making process should be based on a national basis, without prejudice to the rights of the state†. Since 1991, Finland started talking about the entering EU, it was first mentioned by Petti Paasio, the Chairman of the Social Democrat Party. This politician declared that the country needed to begin the process of accession to this Union, also noted that the country should not be involved in any military action. The Finnish Center Party was ready to consider Finlands membership if the security issue of the country would be accepted based on the national decisions of neutral country. In November 1991, Finland began the negotiations with the Soviet Union about a signing of new treaty the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, but which was interrupted due to the prevailing circumstances, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of an independent communist country. Further Finland continued the negotiations with the newly formed Russian Federation. It recognized the Russian state as a successor to the Soviet Union. In December 22, 1991 Finland and the Soviet Union issued a new agreement The Agreement on the Foundations of Relations, which did not contain the military obligations like in the Treaty of 1948, it certified non-aggression and nor allowing third countries to entry into its territory and use the military force. In March 18, 1992, the Finnish Parliament on the basis of the choice of the majority vote, decided to join the European Community. Similarities and Differences between Austria and Finland During the WWII Finland and Austria were the proponents of Germany, and Austria was under its full control. Major role in their abstention from further participation in military blocs played the USSR, which withdraw Finland from the war, defeating it. Austria was also occupied by the USSR army. These countries paid for their freedom by receiving the neutrality status. Austrias neutrality was prescribed by the international law. These two states do not use a term such as neutrality, they always mentioned about the non-alignment. That is, the non-participation in military alliances and the opportunity to participate in military conflicts. This ambiguous phrasing had ceased to have meaning in 1995, after the three countries joined the European Union. By the laws of all countries of the Union are obliged to help other members of the EU in the event of any military conflicts and operations. These countries outside the EU, but wishing it different from other members were special. They belong to the Alliance, but remain neutral. Finland and Austria are in invariable cooperation with NATO; participate in the joint exercises and programs. However, the states considered the opinion of the population which is crushingly against of joining NATO. Austria and Finland are observers of the WEU. 2. Security Policy and the Military capability of Finland From a military aspect, Finland was out of the superpowers’ interest; the state doesn’t have the rich natural resources, has the harsh climatic conditions, and belongs to the northern Europe. In 1947 Finland signed a Peace Treaty and tried to hold on to the policy of neutrality before the Second World War. Because of its geographical and strategic position Finland had a close relationship with the Soviet Union, which helped to protect the integrity of Finland and escaped from the occupation. The neutral state was able to return Porkkala, the territory which had been in the possession of the Soviet Union for 40 years. According to the Treaty of Friendship, Assistance and Mutual Cooperation, the two countries agreed on mutual assistance in case of danger, so this treaty can be regarded as a Mutual Pact. According to this pact Finland was prohibited from using its territory as a transit pass, in other words it provided the protection for the USSR from invading its territory with the armed force of the warring parties. Therefore Mutual Pact was the guarantee for contribution peace in the northern Europe. Finland had a close relationship with other Northern European countries, Sweden like its neighbor is a neutral country, and Norway and Denmark are relatively political weak countries of the Northern Europe. Finland tried to keep the discharge between the states; thereby it joined the CSCE, in the final act of which is mentioned about the country’s right in choosing a neutral policy. Country with a small population (4.7 million people) could not protect its own territory and keep sovereignty. Finnish Defense Forces have been gradually developing; it was emphases the role of naval air weapons, which because of extreme domestic shortages had to be imported from abroad. Finland since 1956 began to take part in the UN peacekeeping operations and its officers were the military observers in the two organizations of the United Nations. Finland is the only EU Nordic country, which did not become a member of NATO. During the Cold War, the Finnish Government adopted a decision of increasing the countrys defense. These led to the commissioning of several new weapon systems and strengthen the defense of Finland, while establishing new garrisons. And in 1968, the Finnish government has adopted the doctrine of territorial resistance, which covering the large territories in case of extreme military emergency. If we assume approximately 16,000 Finnish soldiers were participating in the various military operations of the United Nations, whose purpose was to maintain peace in regions. I will discuss latter about the valuable Finnish peacekeeping operations. According to statistics, in 2003 the Finnish army consisted of 27,000 soldiers, 435,000 reservists who participated in annual military exercises, weapons were presented by battle tanks (235), a marine fleet force consisted of patrol vessel and coastal battalion, landing craft. 3. Populations opinion As in the case of Austria, the population of Finland endorsed the EU membership. Such positive attitude connected with the difficulties in the Balkan, especially the Yugoslavian crisis, which broke out in 1994, the Finnish population began to think about the security and defense issues and becoming the member of the EU. What were the main benefits for the country’s joining this organization, first, it became a part of the EEA, i.e. obtained the corresponding advantages as a member (the four freedoms), and the second and the most important, became a part of a unified decision-making process. But the main Finnish opponents of the EU membership were the Finnish Central Union of Agricultural Producers, and among the political parties Left-Wing Alliance and Christian Union. In January 1994, due to the presidential elections, the population had changed the viewpoint and increased the number of voting in favor (almost 50%), both leaders of the presidential candidates (Paavo Vayrynen and Martti Ahtisaari), were the pro-European orientation. In the same year, it was designed a  «national package » for the Finnish farmers. And so, according to the referendum, which was celebrated in October 16, 1994 , 56.9 % of the population voted in favor , 43.1% voted against. If we compare with Austria Finnish youth was set up much skeptical about membership. Increasing number of the private sector workers voted in favor, while the public sector workers â€Å"against†. Social Democrats endorsed the pro-European orientation. National Coalition Party strongly sustained the EU membership. Center Party – voted â€Å"in favor† by 40%. Greens voted voted â€Å"in favor† by 20%. South votes in favor, in contrast to the North. Internationalists voted in favor, in contrast to the nationalists. 18 % of people worried about the future of the Finnish language. Among the main issues disturbing the population were the future economic development of Finland, the reduction of unemployment rate, security problem, and resolving all these issues according to the status of â€Å"nor war involvement†. 4. Peace-keeping operations Finland, as well as Austria, in order to conducting the anti crisis struggle became an active member of the UN, participated in the peace settlement in Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yugoslavia. Latter, I will describe the most significant of them. Lebanon crisis was one of the severe crisis of the 1990-s, during which two neighboring countries, Israel and Lebanon. The conflict described a series of military clashes, when the states weren’t able to share their borders. Since 1978, Finland became interested in this conflict situation. Finland endorsed Lebanon’s position and its purpose was restoring peace and security in the Southern Lebanon, assist the Lebanese government for creation the fair and democratic government. In this context, Finland actively required from Israel to withdrawing its military forces from the occupied territory. [1] 1400

Public Libraries Essay -- Library Science, American Library Associatio

My Library: Celebrate the County Public Library Public libraries play a pivotal role in the lives of many Americans, from early education to senior services. The majority of Americans believe their local library improves their community (94%), and an equally significant number (65%) have visited at least one time in the past year (American Library Association, 2010). Residents of Connecticut are no exception. As of 2007, Connecticut boosts 195 public libraries containing a circulation of approximately 15.5 million books, and enjoys the third highest rate of per capita library visits in the nation, at 6.5 visits per capita (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). The West Hartford Public Library, bests the state average, with approximately 10.5 library visits per capita and a circulation of almost 1 million books, a significant slice of the total state circulation (National Center for Education Statistics, 2009). As the birthplace of Noah Webster and mere miles away from the former homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beec her Stowe, West Hartford has a rich literary history that continues to this day. American libraries have suffered financial blows in recent years (American Library Association, 2010), with Connecticut libraries suffering a 15 year operating income low in 2010 (CT Library Community); however, in the current state of the nation, public libraries are experiencing a resurgence in popularity, as individuals hurt by the recession flock to public libraries (Rooney-Brown, 2009). Residents of communities across the country are taking advantage of the free services public libraries offer, such as dvd rentals, computer usage, social groups, workshops, lectures, and countless other benefits (Rooney-Brown, 2009).... ...ion Statistics, 2009). If residents were aware of the numerous services offered by the library, presumably they would visit the WHPL at a greater frequency. The primary tactic of the campaign will be to leverage each service as an argument for visiting the library. The campaign will present a significant number of arguments and in turn, boost My Library’s credibility. The services presented may range from free Internet and computer usage to free mediation sessions. The diversity of the services in addition to the sheer number of services will provide a strong argument, as each service provides a unique benefit to library patrons. Equally important, the act of visiting the library requires a strong degree of motivation and effort. Research shows that several robust arguments significantly supplement the power of a message if the recipient is highly involved (Petty &

Existence of God Essay

Descartes applies the ‘Cogito ergo sum’ (‘I think therefore I am’) argument from the second meditation to prove another foundational truth, which is the existence of God. He uses his personal Christian belief and definition of God to build upon this proposition and tries to prove that something besides him exists by contemplating his idea of God. This essay will explain and assess Descartes’ aetiological and cause of existence arguments for the existence of God by identifying the meaning of existence in this context and the clear and distinct rule, as well as examining each premise and conclusion of the proofs. Finally, this essay shall attempt to evaluate Descartes’ arguments. The Third Meditation begins with Descartes’ affirmation of his own existence. He is a thinking thing which exists by clear and distinct perception, and it is therefore impossible to be doubtful of knowledge that he completely understands. Certainty and truth are equated. In order to establish the clear and distinct rule, Descartes must prove the existence of a perfect and undeceiving God: â€Å"Since I am a thinking thing, and have in me an idea of God, whatever finally the cause may be to which my nature is attributed, it must necessarily be admitted that the cause must equally be a thinking thing, and possess within it the idea of all the perfections that I attribute to the divine nature.† Descartes has an idea of God and perceives that God would not deceive him since deception would mean imperfection, and God is infinite and perfect. Descartes also presents the idea that with God’s perfection comes His existence. This can be summarised as: |(P1) |Descartes exists because he thinks. | |(P2) |He exists by clear and distinct perception of things. | |(C1) |Descartes exists as a thinking thing. | |(P3) |As a thinking thing, he has an idea of an infinite and perfect God (which is clear and distinct). | |(C2) |God is infinite and perfect in his idea. | |(P4) |Existence is perfection. | |(C3) |An infinite and perfect God exists in his idea. | This is an argument considering the idea of God alone and does not rely on experience to prove his point. This relies on the ‘Casual Adequacy Principle’[1]. Descartes argues: â€Å"There must be at least as much reality in the efficient and total cause as in its effect.† He claims that his idea of a perfect God must itself be caused by something perfect. Descartes also defends this argument by insisting that: â€Å"†¦.certainly not nothing, and so it cannot come from nothing.† For example, the existence of a stone (which previously did not exist) must be produced by something which contains the components of a stone. The cause must have more reality than its effect. The flaw here is that there is no definite connection between the cause of an object (something perfect) and its effect (idea of a perfect God). If there were, then it would follow that perfection created God, and that perfection must have been caused and created by something else, and so o n and so forth, which would lead to an infinite regress. This idea therefore, does not have a straightforward cause and is false. Hume argues that we can conceive of something perfect without any bearing on its actual and immediate existence. It is logically possible that some ideas have no cause. If the idea of God has no cause, Descartes’ proposition is false and the argument fails. Another variation of this argument is that the idea that God cannot exist in Descartes’ mind unless God Himself put that idea there, and that God must have brought about Descartes’ existence; not himself, his parents or something else less than God, which does not have a power and perfection to cause this, neither could an infinite series of events, each causing the other but not able to cause the idea of God: â€Å"Altogether then, it must be concluded that the mere fact that I exist and I have within me the idea of the most perfect being, that is, God, provides a very clear proof that God indeed exists.† This can be summarised as: |(P5) |If the cause of Descartes’ idea of God must not come from himself, his parents, something else or infinite series of | | |events. | |(C4) |Then the cause of Descartes’ idea of God is God. | |(C3) |An infinite and perfect God exists in his idea. | |(P6) |Neither himself, his parents, something else, nor an infinite series of events causes Descartes’ existence. | |(C5) |Descartes’ existence is caused by God. | |(P7) |If God created Descartes. | |(C6) |Then God exists. | This argument depends more on assertion than logical progression, but Descartes goes on to try and prove through the ‘aetiological’ or ‘trademark argument’ that the presence of the idea of God in our mind means that God has stamped it there. It is innate and cannot be explained by experience. Descartes’ idea of God is clear and distinct, and by God he means infinity and perfection. This can be summarised as: |(P3) |Descartes has a clear and distinct idea of God. | |(P8) |Only something infinite and perfect can create something infinite and perfect. | |(P9) |The only infinite and perfect being is God. | |(C7) |The idea of God must be created by God (the same as C4 but reworded) | |(P3) |Descartes has a clear and distinct idea of God. | |(C8) |God exists clearly and distinctly in his idea (the same as C3 but reworded) | If both P3 and C8 are true, Descartes is guilty of circular reasoning (begging the question fallacy). This argument relies upon its conclusion. It also follows God exists only as an idea. However, Descartes claims that there are different kinds of clear and distinct perceptions; one that could be subjected to doubt, for instance: 1 + 1 = 2 is a judgement (which corresponds to things that exist independently of him) and can be doubted unless God confirms it, and, therefore, potentially doubtful. The other is that his clear and distinct perception that God exists is an idea with no judgement attached and somehow immune from doubt (he cannot be wrong about the contents of his own thoughts/ideas). This makes me think that Descartes awards himself the prerogative of distinguishing ideas that can be clearly and distinctly perceived from those which cannot. In this essay, and in Descartes’ meditation, the word ‘idea’ has come up numerous times. This leads me to conclude that the only proof that Descartes manages to establish is that God exists as an idea. He does not have to build the reality of God’s empirical existence into an idea that is already clear and distinct. However, it does not follow that anything represented by such an idea actually exists, except, of course, in the case of God (again, probably one of Descartes’ prerogatives). For example, within my reasoning, I possess the concept of God but do not have to believe that He exists; but as a believer, I may argue that God exists for reasons which our intellect cannot grasp. This requires a ‘leap of faith’ rather than hard evidence. Similarly, someone may argue that they can conceive of there being dragons. We all understand what dragons are, but do not necessarily believe they exist. It is probably therefore necessary to build empirical, actual existence into the argument to prove that anything exists in a concrete and meaningful way. Apart from the flaws identified in Descartes’ arguments, much of his reasoning seems sound and valid. He has established two fundamental truths: ‘I exist’ and ‘God exists’ to be logically necessary, clear and distinct ideas. So, as a matter of logic, it does not make sense to doubt the existence of the idea of God. However, Descartes’ argument does little to endorse my residual belief in God, which results from a convent education. The idea of God made in man’s image is comprehensible to most people. Indeed, â€Å"The idea of God is central to religion, and without it, religion would not exist.† (Mary Warnock). This is a perfectly valid argument but no proof of God’s existence outside the mind. Bibliography Burns, E. and Law, S. 2004. Philosophy for AS and A2. Oxon: Routledge Cottingham, C. 1996. Descartes Meditations of First Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Thornes, N. 2008. AQA Philosophy. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd Vardy, P. 1999. The Puzzle of God. London: HarperCollins Publisher Warnock, M. 2010. Dishonest to God. London: Continuum International Publishing Group Online Textbook Pecorino, A (MD). 2001. Philosophy of Religion. Queensborough Community College, CUNY Website http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-meditations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causal_adequacy_principle Word Count 1,346 ———————– [1] CAP is a philosophical claim made by Descartes that the cause of an object must contain at least as much reality as the object itself, whether formally or eminently.

Melanie Phillips Essay Example

Melanie Phillips Essay Example Melanie Phillips Essay Melanie Phillips Essay Melanie Phillips article is about how she feels about violence on T.V and video. The article contains Melanie Phillips strong opinions and views on video violence and how she is against it. She wants everyone to be aware of what is going on on T.V and video and warning parents to protect their children.The headline is designed to attract attention because it makes you think. The word mediocrity has 2 meanings, middle state or second rate and it doesnt say which one she means so that is there to confuse you. It also gives you the idea of mediocrity fighting which is quite surprising. The mediocrity is supposed to be the masses who are governed by the powerful so if they rebelled against the powerful leaders it would be a surprise.The violent truth part seems to contradict its self because the truth isnt usually violent which would puzzle the reader but what Melanie Phillips means by violent truth is the truth about violence on T.V and video. She is against violent movies, videos and t elevision programs and children being able to view them. She doesnt like children mimicking the violence they see on T.V and video that are being broadcast early in the afternoon so that the children can watch it.The headline could also mean that people who wont accept the truth are mediocre.In the opening paragraphs Melanie Philips uses a conversational tone to entice you into reading her views. She also uses rhetorical questions to make it feel like she is talking to you.Well, are you for video violence or against it?Melanie Phillips actually opens her article with a rhetorical question which makes you feel involved and that your opinions are valued. Rhetorical questions and conversational tone are effective because it makes it feel like Melanie Phillips is having a conversation with the reader and it gives the text a natural feel.No one would actually answer her second rhetorical question:Do you think children should continue to be exploited for commercial profit by amoral film m akers etc.Which also gives the reader a chance to think about their views on video violence.Melanie Phillips answers most of her own rhetorical questionsYou do?You dont?At the start Melanie Phillips makes a shocking contradiction when she pretends to congratulate the people who agree with video violence and insults the ones who dont which shocks the reader because what they have read so far sounds like she is against it.Another technique that Melanie Phillips uses is emotive language that is meant to disgust the reader. Using strong words like explicit degradation is meant to alarm the reader and helps put across her powerful views.Amoral film-makers selling images of sadism, gratuitous violence and explicit degradation.She also uses slang expressions, which also adds to the impression she is talking to you personally.Come on now dont dodge the question.Melanie Phillips uses sarcasm when she talks about Michael Winner and Dr Guy Cumberbatch. She calls Michael Winner an exploiter, wh ich is her real opinion of him but she sarcastically corrects herself and calls him a creative artist, which is his opinion of himself. And again for Dr Cumberbatch, she says he uses exploitation, which is what she thinks it is and then sarcastically corrects herself and calls it artistic freedom which they say it is.It is a clever way of putting across her views and not getting into trouble.Melanie Phillips starts off with quite long sentence and using only small words but as the article wears on she starts to use clever long words that mean the same as a long sentence of small words. This illustrates her large vocabulary. Short, complicated sentences are more effective than long, simple ones because it puts across her views and makes her look intelligent at the same time but long, simple sentences dont have the same effect that short, complicated one do because they waste time and dont make the writer sound as intelligent.Crime is a complicated matrix of causes.The sentences lose their informality after the first few paragraphs and start to use more formal language. The words get longer and more difficult which replaces the slang at the start of the article. It stops sounding like she is talking to you and more like a complaining letter to a television company.The content says all the way through that violence does affect children but it lacks evidence and it sounds like she spends more time sneering than finding proof and proving her point. She doesnt give the reader any proof so it is really only Melanie Phillips own opinion, which is ineffective. If she had given the reader a life story of a child who had copied something off T.V and said what he/she had done then her point would have been put across more effectively and it would be more interesting to read. She also failed to say what the American research had found out if anything. The article is disappointing in that respect.The picture is effective because of its boldness. It has a hint of humour in i t with the clapboard sound of music 2 maniac nun.The fat director has aggressive body language, and evil look, trying to look young by exposing his hairy chest and his money-shaped medallions and looks to have a very loud voice even without his megaphone. He looks like he is splattered with blood which signifies that he makes his money from violence and the contence in his cup looks more like a potion and not a drink. The picture emphasizes Melanie Phillips views on amoral filmmakers.My opinion is that there is a lot of violence on T.V and video now and some impressionable children might copy what they see on T.V but it is really up to the parents to decide whether or not they want their children to see it or not. If parents dont want their children watching the violence then they shouldnt buy the videos, or they should change the channel and not ruin it for the people who dont mind the violence with their whining. If they were to cancel all things violent then they would have to ca ncel the news and most cartoons.The article has a very effective opening that draws in the reader with a rhetorical question and conversational tone but as the reader reads on it starts to get more serious and less effective. When the conversational tone stops and she starts to try and prove her point, the lack of solid evidence doesnt convince the reader. So, overall the article has a very effective opening but loses its impact at the end.

Jeffersons Party essays

Jeffersons Party essays The view that many believe while studying our countrys political history is the Federalist Party was a dedicated supporter of a strong central government. They believed that the Constitution was a document that needed to be molded and amended in order to meet the needs of the country. The traditional view of the Democratic- Republican party is that they support states rights and feel that most of the governing of the country should be done on the state level. The Democratic- Republicans, or Jeffersonian Republicans, also believed in reading the Constitution fundamentally and grant the government powers that were addressed in the document. These views are the basic principals that each of parties are based upon. It can be seen in Jeffersons statement to Gideon Granger that it, is surely best that the states are independent and to everything within themselves, and united as to everything respecting foreign nations. Contrary to traditional characterization of both the Federalist and Democratic Republican parties, politicians would break away from the conventional party platforms and support issues that they felt strongly about. For instance, Daniel Webster, a Federalist from New Hampshire spoke out against an overly aggressive government with the issues regarding drafting citizens into the military. The typical Federalist would feel that a draft was necessary in order to defend the country, and although the Constitution did not specifically address the situation, amendments should be made for our national interest. Jefferson himself was a prime example of an idealistic politician who put the good of the country over his Republican values. The Louisiana Purchase was performed in a manner with which many conventional Democratic Republicans would argue against. Jefferson bent and shaped the Constitution into a document that allowed him to double the size of the country. He was willing to compromise w...

Deutsche Bank is a global universal bank. What are the advantages and Essay

Deutsche Bank is a global universal bank. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a global universal bank and what are som - Essay Example The Deutsche bank holds a record for being the only bank that has strived to achieve omnipresence. Evidently, universal banks exhibit multiple benefits to the clients, but a closer analysis reveals that they have certain disadvantages. This paper will highlight the advantages and disadvantages of universal banks. Moreover, the paper will analyse the issues that arise when handling tasks in the compliance department. Advantages of Universal Banks Universal banks offer their clients a diverse range of services to different clients having the opportunity to receive personalized services that conform to their banking needs. Usually individuals, groups, organizations, states and multi-national organizations exhibit varying financial needs. The fact that universal banks have the capacity to offer tailor-made services, they surpass other banks by offering each client service that conforms to personal financial needs. This is the reason why universal banks offer a high level of convenience t o the clients (Heller, Meaney & Murphy 2001, p. 78). They serve as a single-stop banks where one can access all the required financial needs. Evidently, such convenience receives emphasis from the presence of most universal banks in different regions, affording the clients an increased banking flexibility even beyond the borders. Recent research reveals that universal banks serve as critical contributors to the economy. This is because they have the capacity to support a diverse range of investments in different parts of the globe. Universal banks exert their effect on the entire economic system, altering the economic trends by providing financial breakthroughtwo different types of clients. Universal banks serve private household clients, offering arrange of appealing service packages appropriate for them (Palepu2007, p. 87). Moreover, universal banks offer a range of services to institutional clients empowering them to receive the required the financial boost to achieve their goals . This factor has served as a reliable solution to the financial problems of many institutions as they can form investment partnerships with universal banks. These services are offered at a relatively lowered funding cost compared to other banks. Evidently, universal banks register a low level of profiling costs, placing them in a better position to offer services at the lower funding cost compared to other banks. Moreover, these banks exhibit a lower funding cost themselves, explaining further why they favour all types of clients. Universal banks have served to increase the willingness of credit borrowers, a factor that has contributed to the rising returns for clients who wish to save. This has been especially advantageous to governments that exhibit financial needs that require borrowing. Moreover, this proves to be highly beneficial to other clients, and contributes to a surging growth. This has given rise to an evident rise instability of the economies by causing as the spread of innovations in different regions in the globe (PadoanBrenton & Boyd 2003, p. 34). Disadvantages Although universal banks exhibit all these benefits, they face a surging pressure to satisfy all the clients in different regions.These banks face the compulsion of maintaining a high quality of their services (Lambert&Ioma2005, p.98). They have to ensure that they are responsive; clear in communication, prompt, and a high level of integrity in offering

The Matching Hypothesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Matching Hypothesis - Essay Example The Matching Hypothesis proposes that people of similar levels of physical attractiveness gravitate toward one another (Weiten & Lloyd, 2003). For the sake of testing the validity of the Matching Hypothesis, this research study was conducted to witness whether married couples (or romantic partners) form relationships based primarily on physical attractiveness. This researcher hypothesised that there would, indeed, exist a positive correlation between couples of the same average level of physical beauty being rated on similar levels in a 1-10 scale; or that both variables representing each partner in a romantic relationship would co-vary in the same direction; thus a directional hypothesis. In a correlational research study, the correlational coefficient will vary between 0 and +1.00 (if positive) or between 0 and -1.00 (if negative). In some studies, attractiveness levels of long-term spouses have correlated above .50. (Manstead & Hewstone, 1999). Walster & Walster (1969) conducted a n experiment which indicated a .89 correlation (high) between physical attractiveness and the subsequent perceived desire for another individual. This researcher chose to analyse the results of this study using a correlational method as part of verifying the directional hypothesis. The concept of the Matching Hypothesis was offered by a professional researcher in psychology, E. Walster, who, in conjunction with various researchers, established high correlation coefficients that supported the theory. Walster and Walster (1969) conducted an experiment where participants in the study were randomly paired in a "computer dance" scenario and then issued a follow up survey to rate the acceptability of their partners. It was found in this study that physical attractiveness Further, Berscheid & Walster have conducted research studies which have supported the view that people tend to prefer partners who are more similar to them in terms of attractiveness (Harvey et al, 2004). With this