Capstone Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Capstone Project - Essay Example Identify a problem, issue or educational deficit upon which to build a proposal for change. Several children have been repeatedly brought to Kansas Hospital due to incidents of frequently repeating infections such as pneumonia, pyelonephritis and soft tissue infections to name a few (Zarbock, 2005). Symptoms of polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss, fatigue and increased frequency of infections were also observed from the young patients (Banaga-Perez, 2008). The children were taken to undergo a more accurate assessment for the possibility of having diabetes. Indeed, most of them go back and forth to the hospital because they are positive with Type 1 Diabetes. This incidence has been increasing for the past years. Parents of the patients have been agitated on the medical condition that their children are facing. They also have learned that Type 1 diabetes or Juvenile Onset Diabetes has put their children in a delicate condition that it is actually life-threatening if not prope rly treated. Since there is no known cure yet for diabetes, its management, especially when implemented in a home setting, is critical. However, more Type 1 Diabetes patients have been diagnosed in the hospital. Families of patients have become stressed and worried on the fact that it is a serious disease that have made the children suffer and some had near-death experience. The nursing team of Kansas Hospital has then decided that Type 1 Diabetes patients and their families need more assistance aside from the medical attention they require. They knew that because of the prevalence of the disease, it can affect many people in various settings. That whether a patient has been hospitalized for another case, they cannot just administer any medicine or treatment if the patient is diabetic. Thus the nursing care they provide becomes more complex specializing on the needs of a diabetic patient. To address more appropriately the needs of increasing diabetic patients, the nursing team decid ed to initiate a Diabetes Clinic within the hospital. The Diabetes Clinic aims to provide and disseminate more information to the patients and their families, and also other people who may be concerned about this disease. It aims to educate its stakeholders on proper management of Type 1 diabetes so home care can be done effectively especially that diabetes is largely a patient-managed disease (Zarbock, 2005). The Diabetes Clinic also aims to provide motivation to the patients and their relatives about the perseverance to care for their health and that all their efforts will produce good results. The nurses will inform them about the new medicines, intervention programmes and treatments available and, how this can be appropriate their specific cases. Importantly, being able to help patients handle diabetes management in a less stressful manner is also the goal of the team. They understand that diabetes complications include emotional shifting as well leading to anger, frustration an d fear and this affects the

How it Relates to Greek Religion and Culture Essay Example for Free

How it Relates to Greek Religion and Culture Essay Ancient Greeks believed in a series of myths, which explained nature, set the moral code for the Greek people, and some were just entertaining stories. These myths turned the Greek world from a world of fear into a world of wondrous beauty. Many of these gods and goddesses were associated with a particular task or activity (Buxton). The Greek people believed that the gods were incorporated into every aspect of their lives. The Ancient Greeks, being a polytheistic culture, created many extravagant myths regarding 12 gods and goddesses that they believed to rule all aspects of their lives. These myths were an early science. They were the result of the Greeks trying to explain the world around them. The Greek people created their gods in their own image, naturally making heaven an enjoyable and familiar place (Hamilton). In Greek mythology the Gods did not create the universe, but instead, the universe created the gods. The mythology of the people of Greece begins with Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey. It is in these epic poems that Homer tells the stories of the many gods and hero’s of Greece. We now know who and what the Greek gods were, but how are they relevant to the Greek Religion? It is important to know that the Greeks did not have a word for religion. Also they did not have any written text or scripture. When we talk about Greek religion we mean their ritual behaviors and their beliefs in sacred items, beings, and places (Cline). We also must remember that Greek mythology is not the same as Greek religion, though they are closely intertwined. The only requirement of the Greeks for their religion was to believe in the gods and perform sacrifices to them. These sacred acts, sacrifice and festivals, were the root of the Greek religion (Buxton). This seems to be a rather relaxing way to carry on in life, but not so. The Greeks attributed anything good happening to the gods being happy with them, also when something bad happened, for example, an earthquake, famine, or the loss of a battle, it was attributed to the gods being displeased with the Greeks (â€Å"Ancient Greece†). The Ancient Greeks were an extremely religious people, who spent their lives trying to please the gods through their sacrifice, festivals, and unwavering belief in them. Sacrifice was one of the most important ways to please the gods; they were thought to be gifts to the gods. The people of Greece would give a sacrifice not only of animals, but also bloodless sacrifices, such as food, grasses, grains, and incense (Christman). Each city had a temple erected to their patron god. In Athens they had built the Acropolis, with its main temple being the Parthenon, which was dedicated to Athena (which whom Athens was named after). Athena was Zeus’s daughter, and it is said in the myths that she was born from his head. Athena is known as the Goddess of war and the defender of the towns. She is usually shown in art dressed in full armor. Also associated with her is Nike the symbol of victory (Hamilton). These temples were not for worship, but they were believed to house the gods for which the temple was built. The only people who were allowed inside were the priests and priestesses, and that was only to keep it clean and take care of the god’s statue (â€Å"Ancient Greece†). The focus of the temple was no only the god or goddess but the sacrificial alter. Each temple had an alter outside for the worshipers to place their offerings. The sacrifices the Greeks made to their gods were their way of ensuring that they would be allowed to lead a normal happy life. The Greeks also took part in religious festivals and for further reassurance of their pleasing the gods went to oracles. We know that the Greek people participated in many religious festivals, but the details of these festivals are unknown. The main festival that the Greeks partook in was the Olympic games, in honor of Zeus. Zeus was the most powerful of all the gods, his power alone was greater than all of the other gods combined. He was the God of the Sky, bearing his thunderbolt, at which he would throw to earth striking anywhere he wished. His faults, however, entertain the idea that he is a man. Zeus is portrayed as falling in love with many women and trying to hide his infidelity from his wife Hera (Hamilton). The Olympic game festival occurred every fourth summer. Throughout Greece a truce was proclaimed so that all Greek citizens could come and participate (â€Å"Greek Religion†). The exception to this was women, they not only could not participate, but they could not even watch (Buxton). The Olympic games were held at the Stadium of Olympia, and the main event was the pentathlon, where the participants competed in five different events. This arena was also the very first monument of Greek Classical art (Kleiner). Another part of the Greek religion was the oracles. The most famous oracle was the Oracle of Delphi. The oracles were believed to be the messengers of the gods. But not any normal person could understand their messages, only the priests and priestesses could. The Greeks believed that the gods spoke in riddles, because the gods were more complex than the humans, and so the could not reply as the humans did (â€Å"Ancient Greece†). The festivals and the oracles were an important part of the Greek life. The Greek gods even found a place in the everyday life of a Greek citizen. Hestia, Zeus’s sister. She plays no part in the myths but was very important to the Greeks. She was the Goddess of the Hearth. Every home in Greece had a hearth dedicated to her where the fire was not allowed out go out, along with each city (Hunt). When a new town was founded the people would light a torch from the mother town and carry its fire to the hearth in the new town. Sound familiar; this is the proposed beginning of the Olympic torch. Also, when a child was born the family had to walk the newborn baby around the hearth before it was to be accepted into the family (Hamilton). Also, according to Hunt, boys were trained to have healthy strong bodies, not only to fight in the armies, but to be strong competitors in the Olympic games. Boys and girls were taught from very early ages about the gods and goddesses. They were taught how to respect and please them in their daily lives (â€Å"The Ancient Greeks†). Also most Greeks made some sort of sacrifice to the gods daily. This was to try and keep the gods happy and bring good fortune to themselves. There were many different ways that the people of Greece tried to keep the thought of their gods present in their daily lives. Religion impinged on the warfare of the city-states in a number of ways. The commanders frequently saw themselves as walking in the footsteps of their gods and heroic predecessors (Buxton). No where in the Greek city-states did they go into battle without first sacrificing. To do this was unthinkable. The soldiers of Greece usually sacrificed to either Ares or Athena. Ares was the God of War, but isn’t mentioned much in the myths. He has no distinctive attributes and is difficult to identify in art. Hamilton says this is probably because the Greeks thought of him as â€Å"hateful†. Again, Athena is known as the Goddess of war and the defender of the towns. But then on the opposite end was the honoring of Aphrodite, who was the Goddess of Love and Beauty, but also revered for pleasure and procreation. Women of the towns and city-states would honor and sacrifice to Aphrodite, to ensure the safe delivery of a baby, or to be pleasing to their future husbands (Atsma). I Greece all marriages were arranged to keep or raise a family’s social status, so many brides did not ever meet their husbands-to-be until the wedding day. Whatever men or women did in their daily activities was relevant to the influence of the gods. The Greek mythology played an important role in the every day lives of the Greek people, and even more important one in the development of their religion. Greek mythology was a way for the people of Greece to explain the â€Å"why’s† and â€Å"how’s† of their world. Their religion and their mythology were very closely intertwined. This was shown through their various ways of honoring their gods through festivals, sacrifice, and using the oracles. Also through the passing of the beliefs from one generation to the next. The importance of the gods was shown in their magnificent temples also. These Myths for the Greeks changed their world from the unknown to kind and beautiful. Works Cited â€Å"Ancient Greece. † Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2008. Sept. 14, 2008. . Atsma, Aaron J. â€Å"Theoi Greek Mythology: Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature and Art. † The Theoi Project. 2008. Sept. 14, 2008. . Buxton, Richard. Ancient Greece. Ed. Paul Cartledge. United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press, 1998. Christman, Zachary and Alfred Hanssen. â€Å"Greek Religion: Religion and Death. † 2002. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Sept. 14, 2008. . Cline, Austin. â€Å"Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art† Sept. 14, 2008. . â€Å"Greek Religion. † Encyclopedia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Sept. 21, 2008. . Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. New York. Back Bay Books, 1942. Hunt, Dr. Patricia. â€Å"Roles of Men, Women, and Children. † Richmond University. Sept. 16, 2008. . Kleiner, Fred and Christian Mamiya. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. 12th ed. volume 1. California. Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2005. â€Å"The Ancient Greeks. † 2002. Sept. 16, 2008. . Wilkinson, Philip. Dictionary of Mythology. New York. DK Publishing, 1998.

The Three Elements of the Female Athlete Triad Essay -- Athletics Wome

The Three Elements of the Female Athlete Triad For an increasing number of women in the United States, a concern or preoccupation with body weight and size is a constant pressure. Female athletes, like most women in our society, are also often pressured to conform to certain ideal body sizes and shapes, as dictated by the entertainment and fashion industries. Female athletes, however, face a twofold pressure. They face the burden that our culture places on all women to be thin, but they also face the burden from coaches, parents, and other athletes to succeed in sports and look good doing so by maintaining an unrealistically low weight. When weight gain means removal from a team or elimination from competition, many female athletes turn to dangerous food restriction and excessive exercise. This pressure to achieve or maintain unrealistically low body weight underlies the development of a syndrome recently named the Female Athlete Triad. First identified by the American College of Sports Medicine in 1992, the Female Athlete Triad consists of three medical disorders commonly found in female athletes: disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Alone each disorder is dangerous; in combination the triad disorders are potentially fatal. Eating Disorders in Female Athletes Before evaluating the available studies on the prevalence of disordered eating among female athletes, it is necessary to recognize the many limitations and problems that arise with such studies. First of all, there are a limited number of studies on this segment of females and their eating patterns. Also, many of these studies rely on self-reporting surveys, which inherently may be flawed due to the fact that many athletes may deny disordered eating b... ...74-1475. Smith, A. (1996). The female athlete triad. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 24, 67. Weight gain does not increase bone density in women with eating disorders. (2000) International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27, 29-35. Wiita, B.G., Stombaugh, I.A. (1996). Nutritional knowledge, eating practices, and health of adolescent female runners: a 3-year longitudinal study. International Journal of Sports Nutrition, 6, 414-425. Williams, N.I., Young, J.C., McArthur, J.W., Bullen, B., Skrinar, G.S., Turnbull, B. (1995). Strenuous exercise with caloric restriction: effect on luteinizing hormone secretion. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 27, 1390-1398. Yeager, K., Agostini, R., Nattiiv, A., and Drinkwater, B. (1993). The female athlete triad: Disordered eating, amenorrhea, osteoporosis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 25, 775-777.

Educational stages Essay

Education is the process of learning and knowing, which is unending. It is so significant in the lives of every people living in this world and it would not be an exaggeration to say that the existence of human being is fruitless without this. Education helps us to gain knowledge, think scholarly and apply knowledge into logical action for us to cope up with the problems, issues and challenges that our country is encountering in this present time, hence it is a holistic process and it continues through our life. The Philippines is facing various problems including high unemployment and low economic rate and at the same time the Educational System in the Philippines. Thus, the government is trying their best to improve the quality of education because they believe it is one of the solutions to solve this problem that is why Department of Education tries new strategies to improve the quality of education delivered to the students. The Department of Education had done so many surveys an d reports so that they will be able to deal with the needs of the people and society. In 1925, the Monroe Survey was passed to Department of Education stated that the secondary education cannot prepare students for life that is why they suggested students to have training in agriculture, commerce and industry. In 1930, the Prosser Survey was passed to recommend improving vocational education such as 7thgrade shop work, provincial schools, and practical arts training in the regular high schools, home economics, placement work, gardening, and agricultural education. In 1970, the Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) suggested the implementation of 11-year program to improve the state of education in our country. They recommended the program to have a compulsory 6 years for elementary education and 5 years for secondary education or for high school. In 1991, the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) Report (1991) was passedsuggested if one year would be added to our education program, it would either be 7 years for elementary and 4 years for secondary education or 6 years for elementary and 5 years for secondary education. This report supported the survey of Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE). In 2000, the Presidential Commission on Educational Reforms suggested the establishment of one year pre-baccalaureate system. In 2008, Presidential Task Force on Education discussed our education program should add two more years that other countries are implementing it and because of this discussion the K-12 Education Program was formed. In 2012, the government is now implementing this program offered to Grade 1 and Junior High School Students. K to 12 means Kinderga rten and the 12 years of elementary and secondary education. This model involves Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high school (Grades 7 to 10) and two years of senior high school (Grades 11 to 12). The two years of senior high school intend to provide time for students to consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies (DepEd, 2010). The study was designed for readers to cope up with the current issue and to have a clearer understanding on the implemented K-12 Education Program. This study is important for readers to have a knowledge why the DepEd implemented this program and to compare it with the previous program consisting of 10 years. Fortunately the researchers have come up with this study because this is the latest issue and many editors and writers argue about the effectiveness of K-12 on the newspapers and magazines. This study intends to know the Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude of the parents of Pedro E. Diaz towards the K+12 pro gram Implemented by the Department of Education recently. Background of the Study Nowadays Philippines is considered as one of the countries that has already low standard of education. Lack of budget and resources are the primary reasons on why the education system in our country was considered poor. Among other reason why a group of public school teachers remains critical of K+12. Due to this phenomena DepEd pursued a program that is believed to put the Philippines’ education system to higher grounds – the K+12. The K+12 Program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship. (Retrieved from discussion paper on the enhanced k+12 basic education program.pdf) The K+12 curriculum aims to enable every child â€Å"to achieve mastery of core competencies and skills† and develop tracks based on the student’s interests and competencies. The focus of K+12 is twofold: curriculum enhancement and transition management. With the K-6-4-2 model, the 2 years for senior high school is aimed to giving the student time to strengthen competencies and academic skills. The curriculum will also provide specializations in the following: science and technology, music and arts, agriculture and fisheries, sports, business and entrepreneurship, etc, depending on the occupation or career that they intend to pursue. These two years will build on skills that are essential to their chosen field. DepEd is preparing a carefully sequenced implementation plan to ensure smooth transition with the least disruption in the current program. (Retrieved from discussion paper on the enhanced k+12 basic education program.pdf) Every graduate of the enhanced K+12 basic education program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and one’s self. (Retrieved from discussion paper on the enhanced k+12 basic education program.pdf) The adoption of the program is in response to the need to improve the competitiveness of our country’s graduates as the ten-year basic education cycle is seen as inadequate for work and higher education. In fact, overseas Filipino workers are not automatically recognized as professionals in other countries that view the ten-year education program as insufficient. The Philippines is the only country in Asia and is one of only three countries in the world with a ten-year basic education cycle. (Retrieved from Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.htm) The K+12 education system is the public education system that most of us are familiar with today. Comprised of thirteen grades, kindergarten through 12th, the K+12 education system refers to all school system in the Philippines. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact history of education, as education has been occurring in some from for centuries in all parts of the world. For the purposes of this article, we will explore the history of K+12 education system we know today as it applies primarily to the Philippines. Also, we would like to know the sides of the parents who are financing their children’s education. And in accordance to this the researchers expect that by the end of the study they could produce an instrument for the awareness of people in this K+12 project. Thus, this study gives importance on education, specifically on the part of mostly parents regarding on their awareness, knowledge and attitude on the k+12 program of the Department of Education. Theoretical Framework This study entitled â€Å"A Study on the Level of Awareness, Knowledge and the Attitude of the Parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School on the K+12 Program of the Department of Education† will be using Input Process Output. Input Process and Output Model is defined as the graphical representation of all the factors that make up a process. An input-process-output diagram includes all of the materials and information required for the process, details of the process itself, and descriptions of all products and by-products resulting from the process. Elements of Input Process and Output Model * Input- The information, ideas, and resources used. * Process- Actions taken upon/using input * Output- Results of the processing. Input Process Output Model Conceptual Framework This study entitled â€Å"A Study on the Level of Awareness, Knowledge and the Attitudes of the parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School on the k+12 Program of the Department of Education† will aims to quantify the Awareness, knowledge and attitudes of the respondents. Moreover, in order to have a deeper indulgent in this study the researchers logically applied the study on the Model – Input Process and Output Model. To meet the researchers objectives cited here, a step-by-step procedure would be first considered: First is the Input Element. The Input of this study are the following: Demographic  Profile of the respondents, Respondent’s Socio-Economic Profile, Level of Respondent’s Awareness, Respondent’s Knowledge, Attitude(s) of the respondent and the relationship of the respondent’s Educational Background, Family Background and Socio-Economic Profile to their Identified Attitude(s) regarding on the k+12 Program of DepEd. These Inputs would b e process, in the process. Second is the Process Element. This element or the process element processes the said input(s) of this study. In the process the researchers will conduct survey and analyze the collected data in order to come up a reliable and productive result. The last one is the Output Element. The output of the study would come from the processed data. The outcome of the processed data would be the Awareness, Knowledge and Attitude of the respondents. Application of IPO – Input Output Process Mode Statement of the Problem The researchers designed this paper to know the Awareness, Knowledge and Attitudes of the Parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School regarding on the K+12 Program of the Department of Education. The main problem of this study will focus on in the question: What are the level of awareness, Knowledge and the Attitude of the parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School on k+12 Program of the Department of Education? Objectives of the Study General Objective: To know the level of awareness, Knowledge and the attitude of the parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School on the k+12 program of DedEd. Specific Objectives: 1. To lay down the Demographic Profile of the respondents, in terms of their: a) Respondent’s Profile a1) Name a2) Age a3) Gender a4) Civil Status b) Respondent’s Educational Background b1) Elementary Graduate b2) High School Graduate b3) College Undergraduate b4) College Graduate 2. To know the respondent’s Socio-Economic Profile; in terms of their: a) Monthly income of parent(s) a1) 5000-10000a2)10001-15000 a3)15001-20000a4) 20001-25000 b) Respondent’s State of work or source(s) of Income: b1) Employmentb2) Business Owner 3. To determine the Level of Respondent’s Awareness regarding on the K+12 Program of the Department of Education. 4. To know the Respondent’s Knowledge on the K+12 Program of DepEd. 5. To identify the Attitude(s) of the respondent toward K+12 Program of DepEd. Hypotheses: 1. The researchers hypothesized that most of the respondents are married and ages 45-55 years and most of them are college undergraduates. 2. The researchers hypothesized that most of the respondents are unemployed since on the first hypothesis of the researchers is that most the respondents are college undergraduates so that they weren’t able to have a work whether Private or Government. 3. The researchers also hypothesized that most of the respondents of this study are living on apartment type or boarding house as their nature of occupancy since it is really hard to have or to own house and lot especially in commercial or in urban places. 4. The researchers hypothesized that most of the respondents have monthly income which ranges from P5000-10000 because most of them are college undergraduates. Even though they’re belonged on the lower part of the social strata their children are still studying. It is because that Filipinos believed on education that is the only key to success. 5. The researchers hypothesized that most of the respondents are aware on the K+12 program of the Department of Education due to the easy access on the information from TV, Radio, Internet or Newspapers. 6. The researchers hypothesized that a big number of respondents are insufficient on the knowledge about the k+12 Program of the Department of Education though there is an easy access to information that information is inadequate to give knowledge on the part of the respondents, the researchers believed that face-to-face communication is better than mediated means. 7. The researchers hypothesized that a great number of respondents are unfavoured on the k+12 program of DepEd because the researchers believed that the respondent’s capability such on financial state on the sudden implementation of this program is not enough. Significance of the Study K to 12 Curriculum is an innovative education system. This area of education has a dominance over the usual educational systems as it puts more weight on thinking and reaching own self-explanatory conclusions. To the Readers This study is primarily for the concern of the readers especially the parents who will shoulder most of the saddles of this new education program. But parents should be motivated of what this K to 12 education plan could offer to their children’s future. This is important because parents play a major role in providing for their child’s allowances, supplies and other fees in school. Add to that, the support and effort of teaching and guiding their children. Since K to 12 offers a more balanced approach to learning that will enable children to acquire and master lifelong learning skills, therefore, K to 12 graduates will have higher earning potential since they will be more competent and skilled compared to graduates of the current 10-year system. Aside from the parents, it will be the students who will benefit a lot from this new education system. Students will be free to pursue their passion. They will be given enough attention and will be given the chance to choose ele ctives that will suit their needs. Students will be more equipped, enriched and ready enough to face reality – the career world. To the Researchers As researchers, we get to be aware of the advantages of this program on how it can help and improve the quality of life of the country as a whole. Through having this research, it can change your wrong intuition about K to 12. And this will serve as a future reference. To the Educators Educators will also take a big part on this program. They will be playing bigger roles towards the students. Primary need of teacher education programs is to design and implement powerful uses of technology that will provide the students with more effective and challenging experiences. Educators would undergo different seminars and programs in relation with the K to 12 education system. It will help teachers to be more equipped in teaching and it will be a professional development tool that boosts their confidence to integrate the latest technology in the classroom. To the Filipinos Once this new program succeeds, it is best hoped that Filipino students would be more literate, capable, and competitive to be able to find jobs more easily and contribute to the country’s pride as well as the country’s economy. The Philippine education system will be at par with international standards. K+12 will facilitate mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries. Lastly, a better educated society provides a sound foundation for long-term socio-economic development. The Enhanced K+12 Basic Education system will contribute to the development of emotionally and intellectually mature individuals capable of pursuing productive employment or entrepreneurship or higher education disciplines. To the Department of Education This would be a great assist on the institution with the data and results that would be gathered and prepared by the researchers, the Department of Education would have an information based material that will be useful in developing the said program. Scope and Limitations The researchers limit the study on the level of awareness, knowledge and the attitude(s) of the Parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School about K+12 education program. This study looked into the discernment of parents regarding the issue of K+12, as well scrutinizes the benefits they assumed to be develop from this issue. The researchers limited its study into 50 respondents via random sampling technique. Only parents from Grade 7 students of Pedro E. Diaz High School were involved. The study will be conducted from the month of July to the month of October year 2012-2013. Definition of Terms *Attitude- it is a manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc., with regard to a person or thing; tendency or orientation, especially of the mind: a negative attitude; group attitudes. Position or posture of the body appropriate to or expressive of an action, emotion, etc.: a threatening attitude; a relaxed attitude. (Retrieved from www.attitude.org.nz/) Awareness -is the state or ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of events, objects, or sensory patterns. In this level of consciousness, sense data can be confirmed by an observer without necessarily implying understanding. More broadly, it is the state or quality of being aware of something. In biological psychology, awareness is defined as a human’s or an animal’s perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event. (Retrieve from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awareness) * Curriculum-In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum came from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults. A curriculum may also refer to a defined and prescribed course of studies, which students must fulfil in order to pass a certain level of education. (Retrieved from www.ibe.unesco.org) * Dominance-superior development of one side of the body, the power or right to give orders or make decisions. (Retrieved from dictionary.reference.com) * K+12-are a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Philippines and Australia. P–12 is also occasionally used in Australia. The expression is a shortening of Kindergarten (K) for 4–6-year-olds through twelfth grade (12) for 16–19-year-olds, the first and last grades of free education in these countries. (Retrieved from wikipedia.org) Knowledge- it is Human faculty resulting from interpreted information; und erstanding that germinates from combination of data, information, experience, and individual interpretation. A information that changes something or somebody—either by becoming grounds for actions, or by making an individual (or an institution) capable of different or more effective action. ( Retrieved from www.businessdictionary.com/definition/knowledge.html#ixzz21sSOrnbY) * Motivation- is a process that elicits, controls, and sustains certain behaviours. Motivation is a group phenomenon that affects the nature of an individual’s behaviour, the strength of the behaviour, and the persistence of the behaviour. (Retrieved from dictionary.reference.com) Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter includes some related literature and studies of foreign and local researchers which are presented in the following paragraphs. Foreign Literature Regarding knowledge, Palmer (1998) emphasized that people should acquire appropriate range of knowledge, understanding, and concepts about the environment so that critical judgment can be achieved. Further, experiences and reflection in the environment should be allowed to refine â€Å"environmentally focused skills, further relevant knowledge, and development of appropriate attitudes and environmental awareness† (p.146). Orr (1992) reflected upon the concept of forming attitudes in order to build on ecological literacy. This ecological literacy should not be interpreted as the knowledge of facts and concepts only, but â€Å"the knowledge necessary to comprehend interrelatedness, and an attitude of care or stewardship† (p.92). Therefore â€Å"knowledge, the attitude of caring, and a practical competence are the basis of an ecological literacy† (Orr, 1990, p.51). Madsen (1996) emphasized the concept that awareness is the ultimate driving force that stimulates know ledge. The acknowledgement that an environmental problem exists entails being more cognizant of the facts about the state of the environment. â€Å"This degree of environmental awareness involves a personal commitment to work to solv/e environmental problems† (p.72). He emphasized the power behind the awareness factor by categorizing three levels of awareness as: basic belief of an environmental problem, factual and scientific knowledge, and a commitment to solve environmental problems. Athman and Monroe (2000) stated that awareness and knowledge of environmental processes and systems play an important role in EE. However, these are not the only factors affecting the behavior outcome. Behavior is what people do, whether it is environmentally appropriate or inappropriate (Hernandez & Monroe, 2000).Behavior in general is supported by knowledgeand attitude but there is not a direct cause-and-effect progression from knowledge to attitude to behaviour (Monroe, Day, & Grieser, 2000 ). Awareness was studied along with environmental knowledge and concern by Hausbeck, Milbrath and Enright (1992).In this study the authors concluded that awareness and concern scores were significantly higher than knowledge levels.They linked this result with the fact that a primary source of environmental information is electronic media (NEETF, 1998, p.14), where as awareness and concern can be picked up with little substantive knowledge (p.31). Some predictors of environmentalism using the NEP 2000 instrument were: age, education, and political ideology (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig, & Jones, 2000). Rovira (2000) concluded in an evaluation of parents, that environmental consciousness might be influenced by social factors such as social position, age, and level of education. The awareness, knowledge, and attitude of the parents can de influenced with the socio-economic and educational factors. Morrone, Mancl, & Carr (2001) included socioeconomic status (SES) as one of four factors in a st udy related to ecological knowledge. Respondents from low SES did not perceive environmental threats as seriously as did other respondents. Low SES respondents also rated themselves as more informed about the environment than did students and minorities. â€Å"Parents play a vital role in the development and education of their children. Parents and families have the primary responsibility for the development of their children’s character, with the support of their school and community. In addition, research clearly indicates that good schools become better schools when there is a strong connection with parents as part of the learning community. Thus, parents play an important role within the school community, but also through the attitudes they help to shape, and the direct supports they provide to their children.† The researchers want to conclude that the knowledge, awareness and attitude of parents can have an impact on the acceptance of K+12 Education system that ou r government has now implemented. Local Literature The researchers would want to focus now about K+12. It has long been a popular notion that any attempt to lengthen the required number of years in basic education will be faced with a howl of protests, particularly from parents who will bear the brunt of additional expenses and students who will have to spend more years in school. I’m really searching to actively engage them towards a consensus because it would be pointless to come up with the program that is good objectively but is not acceptable to people. â€Å"So I always feel it’s important that we engage people. I think it’s a matter of explaining to them, but also engaging them because I’ve gotten some very good inputs and suggestions from people. So I think our task is to respond to their concerns and anxieties. K+12 program pg 9 K+12 aren’t meant to be the pill that cures the illness that pervades Philippine education. The most obvious component is the additional two years that will be added to the basic education cycle (that and the inclusion of universal kindergarten). For President Aquino, k+12 will give public schoolchildren â€Å"an even chance at succeeding.† In the long run, it is the educat ion initiative that supposed to open doors for economic advancement to young Filipinos. This envisioned becoming one of the Aquino administration’s most significant accomplishments towards producing a highly-skilled and educated citizenry and building a more robust economy. If substantial improvements in the quality of public basic education can be introduced through k+12 the department argues, our country’s gross Domestic product can increase by 2 percent. It has also been pointed out that k+12 can help spur the entrepreneurial climate in the country. Ultimately, therefore, K+12 hopes to go beyond lengthening the basic education cycle. It hopes to empower our students, allowing them to complete more effectively for jobs abroad, have their academic credentials recognized automatically in other countries without the benefit of tertiary education. Among the 115 Unesco member-states, the Philippines os said to be one of only three countries (the other two being Djibouti a nd Angola) that maintains a 10-year pre-university education system. Proponents argue that shifting to a 12-year basic education cycle will give more time for teachers to teach a subject and for students to absorb what is being taught in school. The introduction of k+12 is thus envisioned to help solve some of the most pressing problems facing Basic education: low achievement test scores, a congested curriculum, and the inadequate preparation of high school students for work and college. Deped has pointed out that our 10-year basic education system produces graduates below the age of 18, which means they are too young to eitherenter the labor force or start a business on their own. K=+12 program pg.11 By 2020, the Philippines will join the APEC Trade Regime. Before these two events happen, we have to prepare our graduates to be globally competitive. There are no other alternatives but to align our degree programs with those of other countries.† This is the main reason that the members of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE), particularly CHED, are rushing the addition of at least one more and even two more years to our education cycle. All other countries in the world have 15 or 16 years of education from Grade 1 to undergraduate graduation. The Philippines has the shortest education cycle in the world (only 10 years of public basic education and usually only 4 years of undergraduate education, for a total of 14). European countries have 12 years of basic education and 3 years of undergraduate education. The United States and Asia-Pacific countries have 12 years of basic education and 4 years of undergraduate education. (Myanmar is an exception because it has only 11 years of basic education before 4 years of undergraduate education. India is also an exception, because it has only 3 years of undergraduate education after 12 years of basic education.) Mutual recognition of qualifications and degrees will be undertaken by ASEAN countries and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Thus, HEIs [Higher Education Institutions] must prepare for it now. The qualifications of our graduates must be improved to meet our development goals. Isagani R. Cruz pg.103 A good example of how equivalencies work is the Washington Accord (1989), an international agreement that specifies that a professional engineer must have gone to school for at least 16 years if she or he wants to practise in another country. With only 10 years of public basic educat ion and even with 5 years of engineering, we are still one year short. Another often-cited international agreement is the Bologna Accord (1999), which specifies that professional accountants, pharmacists, physical therapists, and so on should have at least 3 years of undergraduate education in addition to 12 years of basic education. Again, our 14-year education cycle is one year short. In fact, since most Filipinos want to live and work abroad anyway, there is no reason to think that ensuring employment abroad through equivalent local education will be met with resistance. The answer is simple: students and parents cannot afford the extra year of food, clothing, shelter, and lost income. Isagani R. Cruz pg.104-105 Fortunately,we have a Philippine best practice to guide us in this matter of length versus content. When De La Salle University shifted from a semestral to a trimestral system in 1981, teachers had to rethink their syllabi. It was not just a matter of teaching 18 weeks’ worth of material in 14 weeks. That would have been not just impossible, but pedagogically unsound. The expected learning competencies per subject, and therefore the entire curriculum, had to be revised. It is, therefore, not just a matter of saying that there should be a Grade 7 or a Fifth or Sixth Year High School or a Pre-Univ ersity Year in college. Just as important as the decision on when to add the missing year or years is the decision on how to change the entire curriculum to make it rational and effective. Isagani R. Cruz pg.108-109 It is also clear that we cannot add the missing year to elementary school, because we would have to wait 7 years for a Grade 1 student to finish Grade 7, 4 more years to finish high school, and 4 more years to finish college. Isagani R. Cruz pg.111 CHED wants to solve a problem (the lack of years) of basic education through higher education. That, of course, seems inappropriate, because CHED is not supposed to worry about basic education. The second thing is to understand that the extra year should focus on subjects that will prepare the student for college work (â€Å"college† as defined by Harvard and Oxford). Isagani R. Cruz pg.112-113 The Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE) has hit upon the correct solution to this mismatch. It recommends that we shou ld not expect everybody to go to college. The PTFE recommends that high school graduates be streamed into either college or technical-vocational (tech-voc) programs. For tech-voc, our current ten-year basic education cycle is enough. With some improvements to be brought about by moving some college General Education Curriculum (GEC) subjects down to high school, the public school system should be able to prepare students to go into a tech-voc program that may take anywhere from one to three years. Everybody goes through six years of elementary school and four years of high school (plus preschool and kindergarten, where feasible). This is the DepEd cycle as we now have it. After high school, everybody takes an exam. Those that pass the exam may go to the university stream. Those that do not pass the exam may go to the polytechnic stream (polytechnic sounds much better than tech-voc). The Final Report of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE) contains several recommendations to reform our educationalsystem. Many of these recommendations are not new, but were widely discussed and agreed upon in earlier surveys, such as the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM, 1992) and the Presidential Commission on Educational Reform (PCER, 2000). (Isagani R. Cruz pg.114-115) There are numerous questions concerning the issues and problems existing in the Philippine Educational System as to how we can resolve it the best way we could to attain that kind of quality of education we have been searching and longing for. Where do we begin and how do we respond to such? Public schools are the building blocks of our societies. They can be considered our foundational instruments. Although these venues o f learning play significant roles, they are unable to provide the best they can, due to their numerous flaws. As I’ve gone through different readings and researches, questions were arising in my mind as to what solutions are applicable in addressing the problems about the quality of education, affordability, budget, mismatch, integration of sex education in the curriculum, R.A. 9710 (Magna Carta for Women) and other concerns which are somehow related to it. I will always stand for what I believe in according to my observations that we have good guidelines and policies on education but what is lacking is the ability to implement such in accordance to the needs of every school, majority of which belong to the public education system. Generally, Philippine Education aims to provide quality and free education both for the elementary and secondary public schools but again this have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the students and parents. www.essays.se/†¦/Local+literature+about+educ†¦ Foreign Studies The researchers would want to focus on the outcomes of the K-12 education system to other countries. In fall 2005, 757,116 students wereenrolled in grades K-12 in Colorado’s public schools, ranking 22nd in the country in terms of total state K-12 public school enrollment (NEA 2005). Researcher Tom Mortenson of Postsecondary Education Opportunity calculates a ninth-grade student’s â€Å"chance for college† by age 19 in each state and nationwide by combining high school graduation rates with rates of student college-going. In Colorado in 2004, a ninth-grader had a 42.2% chance for college by age 19. Nationwide, the chance for college is just 38.1% Colorado ranks 15th on this indicator. Of the peer states used in this report, only Minnesota ranks higher, with a chance for college of 54.6% (Mortenson, 2006).In 2002, 57.3% of high school graduates in Colorado continued directly on to post-secondary education. This is slightly higher than the national average of 56.6%. In a study conducted for the Department of Local Affairs, researchers convened directors of Colorado’s regional Workforce Investment Boards. These officials reported difficulty finding qualified applicants for both entry-level and skilled positions, and concerns about a lack of basic skills in the workforce (Blansett and Gershwin, 2005). According to the conclusion of Learning Together: Assessing Colorado’s K-12 Education System conducted by Center for Education Policy Analysis at the Graduate School of Public Affairs and University of Colorado at Denver And Health Sciences Center, Colorado could and should be doing better in educating K-12 students. Notably, t heir state’s struggles with educating traditionally at-risk students has resulted in student achievement and high school graduation gaps that are among the largest in the country. If they were to make substantial progress on closing these gaps, their achievement statistics would quickly rise to the top. Many of their peer states face greater challenges than they do in terms of state-wide poverty and diverse student populations, yet they have managed to find greater success with closing gaps. Until Colorado finds the collective will, the leadership, and the resources to solve this problem, they will continue to be average when they could be outstanding. Local Studies The 1987 Philippine Constitution puts special premium on education and accords it with the highest budgetary priority. Article XIV, Section 1, in particular, explicitly provides: â€Å"The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels.† Article XIV, Section 5(5) clearly mandates the State to â€Å"assign the highest budgetary priority for education.† However, despite these constitutional guarantees, current performance indicators showed a dismal picture of the quality of education in the country. Participation rates have worsened; dropout rates remain high and the Philippines continue to perform poorly in both national and international assessment tests (Policy Brief, 2011). As a response to this issue, the DepEd is pushing for the passage of a law that will implement the so-called K to 12 program, which will institutionalize pre-school and add two more years of high school in the country’s basic education cycle. However, in light of the tight fiscal situation and the mounting demands coming from all other sectors, the increasing cost of living and the additional burden that this measure will entail particularly for households, it is important to determine whether K to 12 is a viable and critical program that needs to be pursued (Ibid, 2011). Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), a group of top businessmen who are pushing for education reforms, welcomed government’s strong resolve to finally put in place a decades-old proposal for a K+12 basic education cycle. â€Å"The K+12 gives to the masses the extra years of schooling that for many years has only been available in private elite education institutions. Studies have shown that every additional year of schooling improves the income potential of a student as she/he enters the world of work† (Malipot, 2010). The government wants to improve the quality of education not only for private education institutions but also for the public education institutions in the Philippines and as a result of that, the country will have higher employment rate. However, the problem that can arise from the implementation of K+12 education system is the acceptance of the parents. It has long been a popular notion that any attempt to lengthen the required number of years in basic education will be faced with a howl of protests, particularly from parents who will bear the brunt of additional expenses and students who will have to spend more years in school (Educator Magazine, 2011). The government is trying different strategies on how the parents will have awareness and knowledge on the K+12 Education Program. â€Å"[Former DepEd Secretary] Br. Andrew Gonzalez used to say, ‘I’m reall y searching to actively engage them towards a consensus because it would be pointless to come up with a program that is good objectively but is not acceptable to people. There should be political will, but it’s not like we ram things down people’s throats. You have to win them over, you have to explain-that’s a very long process† (Ibid, 2011). Luistro qualifies. â€Å"So I always feel it’s important that we engage people. I think it’s a matter of explaining to them, but also engaging them because I’m gotten some very good inputs and suggestions from people. So I think our task is to respond to their concerns and anxieties† (Ibid, 2011). After two months of regional consultations, Education Secretary Armin Luistro revealed that the proposal was able to get support from 1,274 out of 1,417 participants or 77 percent in the 17 regions. Among the stakeholders, DepEd found that the most supportive group is the students. The program got 100 percent support from Regions IVA, IVB, V, VII, VIII, XI, and XIII (Caraga).But Luistro admitted that there are still many sentiments against it. Stakeholders in Region IX, for example, presented a lot of concerns and reservations. Out of 45 attendees, only six or 13 percent showed support to the program. In the NCR, the K+12 Education program was able to get support from 67 out of the 94 participants or a grade of 71 percent (Malipot, 2011). CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the research design, sample and sampling technique, instrumentation and statistical treatment of the data used in the development of this study; the most convenient and precise methods were used that enabled the researchers to obtained functional information. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHOD For this study â€Å"A Study on the Level of Awareness, Knowledge and the Attitudes of the parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School on the k+12 Program of the Department of Education†, the researchers used Quantitative approach. In Quantitative research, the process is formal, objective and systematic in which numerical data are utilized to obtain information about the world. Moreover, this study is descriptive in the manner of interpreting the data. As pointed by John W. Best, in descriptive research, the variables and procedure are described as accurately and completely as possible so that the study can be replicated by other research. Thus, the researchers used the Quantitative – Descriptive Approach and Design since it lent itself to the identification of the actual conditions relative to the K+12 curriculum and the relationship of the respondents with the recurring situation. The research method used in this study was Survey Questionnaire Method. Survey Questionnaire m ethod according to Cruz et.al. (2011) is a set of questions, which is intended for the problem to be answered by the respondents. This is usually accompanied by clear and concise directions, which are sent to the respondent by mail or hand carried. This method is relatively simple and inexpensive for it requires small staff to handle it. A standard set of questions can be prepared and the respondents may feel a greater sense of freedom to express views and opinions because their identities are not known. For this study the parents of Pedro E. Diaz an answer the questionnaire with privacy at their own convenience. Sample and Sampling Technique For this study, the group used probability technique specifically the random sampling in deriving or in determining the sample of this study. In random sampling, this is done by getting a certain percentage of the population to be included in the study. In this research 25 % of the total population is used. In relation to this study, the parents of Grade 7 students, randomly selected, from Pedro E. Diaz High School were the Study sample. Research Instrumentation The instrument that was used in this study to gather pertinent data needed in this study is survey questionnaire. The survey questionnaire was developed by the researcher anchored with the research objectives. The items were organized based on the Level of Awareness, Knowledge and the Attitudes of the parents of Pedro E. Diaz High School on the k+12 Program. The survey questionnaire consists of the following: Demographic Profile, Respondent’s Socio-Economic Profile, Level of respondent’s Awareness on k+12, Respondent’s Knowledge on K+12 and Attitude(s) of Respondent on K+12. Data Gathering Procedure The researchers asked permission to administer the questionnaire checklist from the school authorities concerned which included the Principal of Pedro E. Diaz High School. After the approval of the authorities concerned, the researchers distributed personally the questionnaire to 50 parents on July 2012. The questionnaire checklists were therefore administered to all 50 parents. The retrieval of the instrument was through one week after the questionnaires have been distributed. With the fully cooperation extended to the researchers by the teachers the 100% of the distributed instrument was retrieved. Statistical Treatment of Data The researchers used the random sampling technique to the get respondents. The 25 % of the population is used, thus: Population = 200 parents Population x 25 % = 50 respondents The data was obtained was tallied and tabulated. Tables and figures were used to illustrate the data gathered for presentation, interpretation and analysis. All data obtained from the responses to the questionnaire-checklist were collected and tabulated after which they are statistically treated using this percentage and weighted are on rank order. Chapter 4 PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This chapter shows analyzed and interpreted tables of the information gathered. 1. Demographic Profile Table 1.1 Age (Class)| Frequency| Percentage| 29-32| 2| 4%| 33-36| 7| 14%| 37-40| 5| 10%| 41-44| 12| 24%| 45-48| 12| 24%| 49-52| 9| 18%| 53-56| 1| 2%| 57-61| 2| 4%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The respondents’ percentage of ages 41 to 44 is 24 %, same with ages 45 to 48. The least percentage is 4 % which falls on the respondents aging 57 – 61. Table 1.2 Gender| Frequency| Percentage| Female| 42| 84%| Male| 8| 16%| | Total=50| Total:100%| There are 42 females which is 84 % of the respondents, wherein there are 8 males which is 16 % of the respondents. Table 1.3 Civil Status| Frequency| Percentage| Separated| 3| 6%| Widowed| 2| 4%| Married| 44| 88%| Single| 1| 8%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The 88 % of the population is married. The least percentage is 8 % which belongs to single respondents. Table 1.4 Respondent’s Educational Background| Frequency| Percentage| Elementary Graduate| 3| 6%| High School Graduate| 32| 64%| College Graduate| 12| 24%| Others: (College Undergraduate)| 3| 6%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the educational background of the respondents. 64 % of the respondents graduated from High School, 6 % is Elementary graduate same with College Graduate. 2. Respondent’s Socio-Economic Profile Table 2.1 Respondent’s Monthly Income| Frequency| Percentage| 5,000- 10,000| 30| 60%| 10,001-15,000| 11| 22%| 15,001-20,000| 3| 6%| 20,001-25,000| 6| 12%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the respondents’ monthly income. The 60 % of the respondents have an income ranging from 5,000 to10, 000. The 22 % has an income ranging from 10,001 to 15, 000. The least 6 % has an income ranging from 20,001 to 25,000. Table 2.2 Respondent’s Source of Income| Frequency| Percentage| Employment| 41| 82%| Own Business| 9| 18%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the respondents’ sources of income. The 82 % of the respondents are employed privately while the 18 % of the respondents have their own business. 3. Level of respondent’s Awareness on k+12 Table 3.1 Respondent’s Awareness| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 38| 76%| No| 12| 24%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the level of awareness of the respondents. The 76 % of the respondents are aware of the K+12 Program while 24 % of the respondents do not know exactly the program. If Yes, Table 3.2 In Media| Frequency| Percentage| Radio| 8| 21.67%| Newspaper| 9| 24.17%| TV| 13| 33.33%| Internet| 4| 10.83%| Others:| 4| 10.83%| | Total=38 | Total:100%| The table shows where the aware respondents acquired the information. 33.33 % of the respondents get the information from television; 24.17 % get the information from newspaper; 21.67 % from radio; 10.83 % from internet and 10.83% get the information from other ways. Table 3.3 Awareness of Respondent’s on Additional 2 years in Basic Education| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 39| 78%| No| 11| 22%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the awareness of respondents on the additional 2 years in the basic education. The 78 % of the respondents are aware of the additional years while 22 % of the respondents are not aware of the additional years. Table 3.4 Awareness of Respondent’s on Required Kindergarten on Education | Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 40| 80%| No| 10| 20%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the awareness of the respondents on required kindergarten on the education. The 80 % of the respondents are aware of the required kindergarten while 20 % of the respondents are not. 4. Respondent’s Knowledge on K+12 Table 4.1 Respondent’s Knowledge on Required Junior and Senior High School before Entering College| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 32| 64%| No| 18| 36%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the respondents’ knowledge on required Junior and Senior High School before entering college. The 64 % of the respondents know about the required years while 36 % of the respondents do not. If yes, Table 4.2 Respondent’s Knowledge on technical and minor course in Senior High School| Frequency| Percentage| Yes| 26| 81.25| No| 6| 18.75| | Total=32| Total:100%| The table shows the respondents’ knowledge on technical and minor courses in Senior High School. The 81.25 % of the respondents know about the courses while 18.75 % of the respondents do not. 5. Attitude(s) of Respondent on K+12 Table 5.1 Respondent’s Attitude on K+12| Frequency| Percentage| Yes | 35| 70%| No| 15| 30%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the respondents’ attitude on K+12 Program. The 70 % of the respondents agreed on the Program while 30 % of the respondents do not. Table 5.2 Degree of Favorableness| Frequency| Percentage| Strongly Agree| 7| 14%| Agree| 26| 52%| Neutral| 17| 34%| | Total=50| Total:100%| The table shows the degree of favourableness of the respondents who agreed on the K+12 Program. The 52 % of the respondents agree on the said program while 14 % f the respondents strongly agreed and 17 % of the respondents are neutral. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter shows the conclusions and recommendations of the researchers. Conclusions After doing the survey to the selected respondents, the researchers arrived at the following conclusions: 1. Most of the respondents are aware of the K+12 Program regardless of their educational background. 2. The main source of the information to the program is through television and many from the respondents are aware of the additional 2 years to the basic education curriculum. 3. Most of the family of the respondents is having an income that is not enough to sustain and support the additional years for education. Recommendations: The researchers recommended the following: 1. The respondents for the future researches should be more than on this previous study. 2. The respondents must be categorized properly to get a reliable information from Filipino families. 3. The survey should be improved in scope and in reliability. 4. A longer duration of study is commended to achieve more accurate results. BIBLIOGRAPHY Athman, J., & Monroe, M. (2000). Elements of effective environmental education programs. Retrieved July 27, 2012 from Recreational Boating Fishing Foundation: http://www.rbff.org/educational/reports.cfm Blansett, S.P. and M.C. Gershwin. (2005). â€Å"Developing a Statewide Work Readiness Credential in Colorado: A Preliminary Assessment.† Report to the Colorado Workforce Development Council. Denver CO: Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Center for Education Policy Analysis, Graduate School of Public Affairs,University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. (2006). Learning Together: Assessing Colorado’s K-12 Education System. Denver CO: Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Colinares, Nilo E. (2010). 21st Century trends, issues and challenges in Philippine Education keynote speeches/public policy statements/opinionated pronouncements by CHED.Philippines. Dunlap, R., Van Liere, K., Mertig, A., & Jones, R. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the new ecological paradigm: a revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56, 425-442. Hausbeck, K., Milbrath, L., & Enright, S. (1992). Environmental knowledge, awareness and concern among 11th grade students: New York state. The Journal of Environmental Education, 24, 27-34. Hernandez, O., & Monroe, M. (2000). Thinking about behavior. In B. Day & M. Monroe (Eds.), Environmental education & communication for a sustainable world. Handbook for international practitioners. (pp. 17-22).Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development. Cruz, I. (2010). Education Reform in the Philippines. Century trends, issues and challenges in Philippine Education keynote speeches/public policy st atements/opinionated pronouncements by CHED. Madsen, P. (1996). What can universities and professional schools do to save the environment? In J. B. Callicott and F. J. da Rocha (Eds.), Earth Summit Ethics: toward a reconstructive postmodern philosophy of environmental education. (pp. 71-91). NY: Albany State University of New York Press. Malipot, I. (2010). K+12 Program Supported, Manila Bulletin. (pp.8) Malipot, I. (2010). Are you ready for K+12, Manila Bulletin. (pp.8) Monroe, M., Day, B., & Grieser, M. (2000). GreenCOM weaves four strands. In B. Day & M. Monroe (Eds.), Environmental education & communication for a sustainable world. Handbook for international practitioners. (pp. 3-6).Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development. Morrone, M., Mancl, K., & Carr, K. (2001). Development of a metric to test group differences in ecological knowledge as one component of environmental literacy. The Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 33-42. Mortenson, T. (2006). â€Å"Chance for College by Age 19 by State, 2004.† Postsecondary Education Opportunity, no. 169. Oskaloosa, IA: The Mortenson Research Seminar on Public Policy Analysis of Opportunity for Postsecondary Education. National Education Association. (2005). â€Å"Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States 2004 and Estimates of School Statistics 2005.† Washington DC: Author. NEETF (1998). The national report card on environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviors: the seventh annual survey of adult Americans. National Environmental Education and Training Foundation. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED433214) Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). Parents in partnership: A parent engagement policy for Ontario schools (draft).Toronto: Author. Orr, D. (1992). Ecological literacy. Education and the transition to a postmodern world. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Palmer, J. (1998). Environmental education in the 21st century: theory, practice, progress and promise. New York: Routledge. Rovira, M. (2000). Evaluating environmental education programs: some issues and problems. Environmental Education Research, 6, 143-155. Senate Economic Planning Office. (2001). K to 12: The Key to Quality Education?. Philippines: SEPO Policy Brief. Teves, G., Nilo, A. & Valarao,C. (2011). K+12 in Focus. Educator Magazine. (pp. 8-25)

Critical Thinking Experience Template Essay

Expert critical thinking strategies are integral to successfully completing your college course work and advancing in your career. The purpose of this first assignment is to have a framework of focus that will assure success with the upcoming course activities. Specifically, reflecting on previous critical thinking experience can be a powerful way to get the stage set for successful completion of this course. As you complete this assignment, avoid performing research and using citations. Internet research is not needed because you are reflecting on your own experience not that of another author. There is no right or wrong answer—have fun! Choose a Situation Think back to a personal or professional situation when you used critical thinking strategies to solve a problem and make a decision. Example situations are: making a computer purchase decision; deciding which cell phone best meets your needs; choosing a school for your bachelor degree program; or another situation of your choice. As you think about a situation when critical thinking strategies were used, reflect on the ideas in the next section to guide the composition needed for this assignment. Required Composition of 400−600 Words To ensure your composition meets the 400−600 word requirement, consider some of the following ideas as you compose your reflection. In the chosen situation, which of these common critical thinking strategies did you use: describing the problem, breaking the problem into manageable parts, laying out potential solutions, weighing the potential outcomes of the various solutions, choosing the best approach, implementing the decision, and evaluating the outcome? Explain how you used the strategies and what you learned from applying them to your situation. Did you enjoy the critical thinking strategies? Explain why or why not. In what ways were your strategies satisfactory or unsatisfactory? Were the strategies you used successful? Explain why or why not. How much time did it take to use the various strategies? Were there any of the strategies that you would not use again? Would you consider experimenting with a different strategy in future situations? Until being asked to reflect back on my personal use of critical thinking strategies I didn’t realize how often I use variety of strategies in different ways in my everyday life. The decision to come back to school to pursue my bachelors was definitely fueled by my utilization of various strategies. I had to evaluate the long term positive affect obtaining my degree would have on my future and the potential initial financial burden. This was huge decision for me and I felt it was going to be a very daunting task at best. However, breaking down this concern into more manageable parts made it less intimidating for me to progress. This strategy provided me a road map to making a decision. Breaking down my concerns into more manageable parts was a fairly simple task for me that did not require much time. I wrote all my concerns in different columns allowing me space to write the information I obtained about each concern. This visually helped me stay on track. Choosing the best approach and weighing the potential outcomes of the various solutions was a much more lengthy process. Even though the process was lengthy it was immensely enjoyable. Getting my mind working toward processing all the information I was receiving was exhilarating for me. Each step of the way I felt more and more accomplished. All of the strategies were successful for me. They were so successful that they got me here on this new journey in life. The assistance they provided me in clarity definitely makes me inclined to use them again. However, my success also has sparked my intrigue to experiment with different strategies. I can see the potential that other situations may require different or additional strategies. I think it would be beneficial to use the strategy that appropriately fits to what I was trying to accomplish. I do believe that being good at critical thinking is a tool that will help me progress down the road professionally. I may have to go through some trial and error in my strategies selection and utilization until I get the solution whether it’s desired or not. I am grateful that this assignment has opened my awareness of being a critical thinker. I will work on making a conscience effort to realize when I am using critical thinking so I may analysis myself on how I am using strate gies. Thus, I can work on growing my skills and work on being a better critical thinker and in turn a better decision maker.

Identification of the Callery or Bradford Pear

Identification of the Callery or Bradford Pear Bradford is the original introduction of Callery pear and has an inferior branching habit when compared to other flowering pear cultivars. It has many vertical limbs with embedded or included bark packed closely on the trunk. The crown is dense and the branches long and not tapered, making it susceptible to breakage. However, it does put on a gorgeous, early spring display of pure white blossoms. Fall color is incredible, ranging from red and orange to dark maroon. Basic Information Scientific name: Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’Pronunciation: PIE-rus kal-ler-ee-AY-nuhCommon name: ‘Bradford’ Callery PearFamily: RosaceaeUSDA hardiness zones: 5 through 9AOrigin: not native to North AmericaUses: container or above-ground planter; parking lot islands; tree lawns; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; screen; shade tree Native Range The Callery pear was introduced into the United States from China in 1908 as an alternative to native pears that were subject to severe fire blight. These pears tended to be blight resistant and would grow in nearly every state with the exception of those on the northern and southern fringes of North America. This tree has become invasive over portions of the area of introduction. Physical Description Height: 30 to 40 feetSpread: 30 to 40 feetCrown uniformity: symmetrical canopy with a regular (or smooth) outline, most individuals having identical crown formsCrown shape: egg-shaped; oval; roundCrown density: denseGrowth rate: fast Flower and Fruit Flower color: whiteFlower characteristics: spring flowering; very showyFruit shape: roundFruit length: .5 inchFruit covering: dry or hardFruit color: brown; tanFruit characteristics: attracts birds; attracts squirrels and other mammals; inconspicuous and not showy; no significant litter problem; persistent on the tree Trunk and Branches Trunk/bark/branches: bark is thin and easily damaged from mechanical impact; stems can droop as the tree grows and will require pruning for vehicular or pedestrian clearance beneath the canopy; routinely grown with  or trainable to be grown with multiple trunks; not particularly showy out of season; no thorns.Pruning requirement: requires pruning to develop a strong structure Other Callery Pear Cultivars Aristocrat Callery PearChanticleer Callery Pear In the Landscape The major problem with the ‘Bradford’ Callery pear has been too many upright branches growing too closely together on the trunk. This leads to excessive breakage. Use the recommended cultivars above for better landscape management. Pruning Bradford Pear Prune the trees early in their life to space lateral branches along a central trunk. This is not easy and a skilled pruning crew is needed to build a stronger tree. Even following pruning by a skilled crew, trees often look misshappen with most of the lower foliage removed and the lower portions of the multiple trunks showing. This tree probably was not meant to be pruned, but without pruning has a short life. In Depth Callery pear trees are shallow-rooted and will tolerate most soil types including clay and alkaline, are pest and pollution-resistant, and tolerate soil compaction, drought, and wet soil well. ‘Bradford’ is the most fireblight-resistant cultivar of the Callery pears. Unfortunately, as ‘Bradford’ and some of the other cultivars approach 20 years old, they begin to fall apart in ice and snow storms due to inferior, tight branch structure. But they are certainly beautiful and grow extremely well in urban soil until then and probably will continue to be planted because of their urban toughness. As you plan downtown street tree plantings, remember that in downtown sites many other trees succumb before this one due to a variety of reasons, but the Callery pears seem to hang on pretty well despite the problems with branch attachments and multiple trunks.

Tyranny In The Lord of the Fli essays

Tyranny In The Lord of the Fli essays The ancient Greeks are well known for many things, including art, poetry, mathematics and most important mythology. When most people here mythology the automatically think that Greek mythology and Roman mythology are the same thing. There not the same thing the Greek people where a peaceful and unique bunch of people. The Greeks believed that as long as a person obeyed the laws they where free to pursue there dreams. Greek people where a very religious group. People believed in gods and goddesses. These gods represented the daily aspects of geek life. The people loved there gods so much that temples where built for theses gods. Temples where made of marble, granite and limestone. Greek myths are all that is left of ancient Greece. About twelve thousand b.c residents of Greece and parts of Asia all believed in one common group of deities that came to be known as Olympians. Greek mythology goes way back in time. This period was known as the classical Greece. These stories behind the myths are so old that they where not written into text until much later. The most widely followed myths where of the Olympians. Olympians where descended from the primal self-created gods, begging with Kaos. The king of gods Zeus rules the Olympians. He is the strongest of the gods. Without him the other gods would not have been freed from their father Kronos. They Olympians are not they only immortals theyre a small portion of family that rule the earth and the sky. There bodies which are the rivers, mountains and forces of nature must be shown proper respect if a person whishes for a safe trip. The oldest myths can be traced back to men known as homer, Hesiod. That means that by the time these stories where written down. They had served years of additions and retellings. These stories that exist today are know as they authentic. Theyre where six Olympians there were Zeus, Hestia, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon and Hades. ...

The Principles of Possessives

The Principles of Possessives The Principles of Possessives The Principles of Possessives By Mark Nichol The rules about forming possessives can seem confusing, especially because forms differs according to which style manual a publication is following. But the primary styles are relatively simple. In this post, I will refer only to the two prevalent styles in mainstream publishing: that of the Associated Press Stylebook, the resource of record for American newspaper publishing, as well as some magazines, many websites, and various other forms of written communication, and The Chicago Manual of Style, the bible of American book publishing, as well as many general-circulation periodicals. Guides for certain academic and scholarly subjects may differ. AP Style Newspaper style is simple and minimalist: To form a possessive construction from a singular common noun, add an apostrophe and the letter s: â€Å"The girl’s hair is red.† However, if the noun ends in the letter s and the following noun begins with an s, add an apostrophe only: â€Å"The waitress’ smile was infectious.† Treat a proper noun the same as a singular common noun: â€Å"Jim’s car ran out of gas.† But if a proper noun ends in s, add an apostrophe only: â€Å"Lewis’ training regimen is impressive.† If a plural noun ends in s, use an apostrophe only: â€Å"Cats’ claws are retractable.† If the plural does not end in s, use an apostrophe and an s: â€Å"The men’s room is to the right.† If the possession applies jointly to two singular nouns, apply the apostrophe and s only to the latter noun: â€Å"Green eggs and ham’s popularity has declined.† (In this sense, â€Å"green eggs† is plural in construction but singular in meaning; it’s a menu item, not a grouping of eggs.) But if the two nouns are distinct, apply the appropriate possessive form for each noun to that noun: â€Å"My hat’s color and my shoes’ color match.† Chicago Style Book style is simultaneously more complex and more consistent: No exception is made depending on whether singular nouns preceding and following the apostrophe end and start with s, respectively: â€Å"The waitress’s smile was infectious.† (However, all plural nouns are treated the same as in AP style.) Some ambiguity occurs, though, with traditional expressions following the â€Å"for (blank) sake† form: When the noun ends in an s, an apostrophe alone is employed (â€Å"For goodness’ sake, put on some clothes!†), while expressions with singular nouns follow the normal style: â€Å"For expedience’s sake, I faxed the form.† Better yet, in this case, relax the expression: â€Å"For the sake of expedience, I faxed the form.† The primary difference in style between the two resources is that singular proper nouns are always followed by an apostrophe and an s, even if they end in s (or x or z). For plural forms of proper names, however, if the name ends in one of these letters, add an es and an apostrophe: â€Å"We saw the Thomases’ house.† Otherwise, add an s and an apostrophe only: â€Å"We found the Smiths’ cat.† In the most recent edition of the manual, the style for two special cases has changed: Words ending in an unpronounced s are treated the same as words with a normal s sound (â€Å"Dubois’s translation is better†), as are words ending in an -eez sound (â€Å"Xerxes’s defeat was definitive†). However, common nouns plural in form but singular in meaning take an apostrophe only: â€Å"Economics’ complexities are daunting.† The same is true of proper names: â€Å"The Rocky Mountains’ discovery by European explorers prompted exploitation of mineral and other natural resources.† However, many writers find these constructions awkward, and prefer to relax the constructions: â€Å"The complexities of economics complexities are daunting†; â€Å"The discovery of the Rocky Mountains by European explorers prompted exploitation of mineral and other natural resources.† The distinction in AP style between joint possession and separate possession (see the last paragraph in the previous section) also applies to Chicago style. Some other special cases include possessives with the genitive form (â€Å"Three hours’ delay made all the difference†); a possessive form of a phrase that appears attributive (â€Å"The farmers’ market has a wide selection of tomatoes,† but â€Å"I have a Diners Club card†); and plurals of publication and composition titles. In the case of such titles, if it is italicized, add an apostrophe and an s (â€Å"I read the New Yorker’s article about it,† but, because the following title ends in an s, â€Å"The New York Times’ editorial supports the bill.†) If quotation marks are called for, relax the construction: â€Å"The first line of ‘My Life in Verse’ appropriately describes her birth,† rather than â€Å"‘My Life in Verse’’s first line appropriately describes her birth.†) Possessives followed by a gerund a present participle (a type of verb ending in -ing) acting as a noun should use an apostrophe and an s if singular (â€Å"The doctor’s telling of the story was interrupted†) and an apostrophe alone if plural (â€Å"Doctors’ taking on of more responsibility are a factor†). It might be better, however, to revise the sentence in such cases: â€Å"The doctor’s account of the story was interrupted†; â€Å"Quality of care is affected when doctors take on more responsibility.† Also, this grammatical structure should not be confused with the similar participle form, which is not possessive: â€Å"Doctors taking on more responsibility are likely to offer a lower quality of care.† The apostrophe is optional when a noun (or a pronoun) follows a preposition: â€Å"They thought of their friends moving away as a personal affront† could also be rendered â€Å"They thought of their friends’ moving away as a personal affront,† where moving refers to an act of moving that â€Å"belongs† to their friends. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases15 Types of DocumentsPersonification vs. Anthropomorphism

International Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

International Human Resource Management - Essay Example The world of internÐ °tionÐ °l business mÐ °y, of course, not involve IHRM: it is not relevÐ °nt in, for exÐ °mple, the spreÐ °d of frÐ °nchising operÐ °tions Ð °nd the growth of conglomerÐ °tes which hÐ °ve no strÐ °tegic objective of mÐ °ximizing their internÐ °tionÐ °l operÐ °tions. But for most enterprises including hotel Ð °nd hospitÐ °lity industry internÐ °tionÐ °lizÐ °tion equÐ °tes with Ð °n increÐ °singly importÐ °nt role for IHRM Ð °nd necessity to Ð °dÐ °pt HR prÐ °ctices to locÐ °l needs. Current pÐ °per is Ð °n Ð °nÐ °lysis of Seychelles’ HRM in compÐ °rison with UK. The study is bÐ °sed on the cÐ °se of Molten Hotel thÐ °t is opening on Ð °n islÐ °nd Seychelles Ð °nd requires recommendÐ °tion on HR prÐ °ctices in order to effectively mÐ °nÐ °ge the locÐ °l stÐ °ff Ð °nd reÐ °ch the profitÐ °bility on Ð ° new mÐ °rket. Molten Hotels is Ð ° leÐ °ding UK bÐ °sed hospitÐ °lity compÐ °ny, which owns Ð °nd mÐ °nÐ °ges hotels Ð °round the world, with one of the UKs best know brÐ °nd nÐ °mes. The compÐ °ny hÐ °s hotels in thirty eight countries Ð °nd dependent territories Ð °round the world, with its heÐ °d office bÐ °sed on the StrÐ °nd in London, UK. It employs Ð °round 50,000 people worldwide, Ð °nd is regulÐ °rly recognised Ð °s Ð °n employer of choice. The compÐ °ny hÐ °d totÐ °l revenues of just over three billion dollÐ °rs worldwide during the 2007 finÐ °nciÐ °l yeÐ °r, with operÐ °ting profit of Ð °round five hundred million. This put the hotel just below such globÐ °l brÐ °nd nÐ °mes Ð °s Hilton Ð °nd MÐ °rriott in terms of globÐ °l reÐ °ch, brÐ °nd recognition Ð °nd finÐ °nciÐ °l performÐ °nce. The first Molten Hotel wÐ °s founded in 1758 by John Molten in MÐ °nchester, where it wÐ °s known Ð °s Moltens Guest Ð °nd CoÐ °ch House. The hotel wÐ °s fÐ °mily owned Ð °nd run for the first hundred Ð °nd twenty yeÐ °rs until in the end of the 19th century, when Ð brÐ °hÐ °m Molten took Ð °dvÐ °ntÐ °ge of the rÐ °ilwÐ °ys thÐ °t hÐ °d sprung up Ð °cross the country to build two new hotels in

Gone With The Wind Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gone With The Wind - Research Paper Example Authority/Credentials of the Author The author of the article, Neil Netanel is a professor at the UCLA School of Law where he has been since fall 2004. Prior to that, the author was a member of fuculty at University of Texas Austine School of Law for a decade. Here, the author was the White, Durkee and Arnold Centennial Law Professor. The author practiced law between 1981 and 1984 at Loeb and Loeb located in Los Angeles, as well as in Tel-Aviv at Ygal Arnon & Co. between 1985 and 1992. Concerning educational background, Netanel holds B.A. from Yale university received in 1976, J.D. received in 1980 from UC Berkely Boalt Hall School of Law and J.S.D. received in 1998 from Stanford University. Hence, Netanel is well educated making information that he provides reliable. With regard to experience, Netanel has authored and co-authored several texts used in learning institutions among other institutions today. He is mostly an expert in teaching and writing about free speech, copyright, te lecommunications law and policy, and international intellectual property. Some of the most recent books authorted by Neil include 2008 Copyright’ Paradox, The Development Agenda: Global Intellectual Property and Developing Countries (2008), From Maimonides to Microsoft; The Jewish Law of Copyright Since the Birth of Print (2011)Â  both published by Oxford University Press. From the evaluation of author experience, credentials and educational background, it is clear that he is well vast in this area of law and other isues sorrounding legality of copyright and free speech. Therefore, article is written by an experienced author, thus, the credibility of the information is trustworthy. Validity of Research The information provided in this research is of high quality because it achieves almost all the parameters that determine the validity and credibility of a research article. For instance, the article refers to several other sources of information, which are all referenced thro ught the article. Furthermore, since it is dicussing fair use, which is related to court issues, it also refers to several past court cases. These cases, especially landmark cases, provide adequate evidence for the argument that the aauthor puts across in this article. The references used and cited inside the text are also listed at the bottom of every page in the form of footnotes, which enhances the quality and validity of the information provided in the article. Evaluation of the evidence presented by the author in this article clearly indiactes that it supports the author’s claim about fair use. Moreso, the author refers to variuos sudies and research to draw his conclusion about this issue. The major conclusion from this research is that the courts have embraced tranformative use doctrine more that they did ten or twenty years ago, and this contributes to high win rates of defendants with regard to fair use. In addition, the author uses objective research to support his claim as opposed to personal opinion or narrative. This is because he draws information from several books, and in addition, uses emphirical data to as evidence to support his cl

The five to seven most important things about computer networks that Essay

The five to seven most important things about computer networks that should be understood by everyone who uses one - Essay Example Every computer user should have a basic understanding of the 'Error Message'. The man that got his first computer with AOL spent most of his afternoon running down his driveway when the computer kept announcing that, 'You've got mail'. It took almost as long as the user who spent hours looking for the 'Any' key when the message said "Press Any Key To Continue". All this time could have been saved by requiring new computer users to take a short course in computer messages. Understanding the error messages is almost as important as learning to communicate with the technical people. An important time saving tip for computer users would be to invest in a tech support to English dictionary. Learning the basic lingo of the geek squad would be invaluable in improving communications (Strange user requests, 2006). Users may tend to interpret tech support literally and confuse the meaning of everyday words such as 'frozen', 'mouse', or 'boot'. Who knows what 'LAN', 'OS', or 'USB' stands for A quick reference card placed near the computer screen could help the user decode the special language of tech support. Reducing calls to tech support could also be accomplished by giving computer users a basic course in hooking up a computer and eliminating static electricity. If a keyboard does not respond, there is some likelihood that the cable has come disconnected. The simplest and most common cables are the power cord, mouse, LAN cable, and keyboard. It would be a simple task to check these before using the scarce resources of tech support. In addition, static electricity has been cited a primary cause of computer lockup or failure (Miastkowski, 2002). A few minutes of instruction on reducing the risk of static could potentially save thousands of dollars worth of computing equipment. While some computer knowledge will save time and money, there are other things that a user should know to keep their information secure. Using passwords on key information is mandatory, but is of little use if the password is given out to fellow employees or friends. In addition, the password should be something that is not easily deciphered. It is also critical to know what to put a password on. Network users will often be unaware that many of their personal files may be accessed by any user on the network. Users should have an understanding of how a basic network operates and where the information is stored. This would help users understand just how vulnerable their private information can be on a network. Simple passwords and a basic understanding of computer networks can eliminate the threat from prying eyes. However, it can do little to dissuade the dangers posed by the malicious hacker. Users need to be fully aware of the threat posed by viruses, spyware, and other forms of 'mal-ware'. Security software needs to be installed and updated regularly. Out of date security software is vulnerable to attacks from the latest version of a virus. Users also must be sure that the software is active and the firewall is turned on. Hackers that take advantage of systems that are not running security software can do irreparable harm to an individual or a corporation. In conclusion, the tips listed for basic computer skills may seem blatantly obvious to any intermediate level user.

Language and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language and Identity - Essay Example Though all three writers express initial disgust for having to give up part of their heritage, Rodriguez makes it clear throughout his essay that there should be no shame in embracing one’s native tongue, nor should it be thought of as a sin to accept another. Richard Rodriguez’s â€Å"Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood† follows the writer’s journey from his discovery of the English language when he was a young boy, to being encouraged to learn it while attending Catholic school, and then to completely appreciating its uniqueness from his native Spanish. When he first heard English, Rodriguez remembers being intrigued by the sounds of the words, noting how different and less impersonal the seemed compared to Spanish. These profound differences prompted Rodriguez to regard English as a public and sociable language and Spanish as more intimate and familial based. As a result, Rodriguez felt that his inability to speak English separated him from those who could, and until he was forced to learn English, he was at ease with this distinction. Learning English had been tedious for Rodriguez, who claimed that the Spanish kept his family together and that a new language, one from the outside world, might cause a rift to form between them. As such, Rodriguez was reluctant to accept English as his choice language. He went through school in silence, not keen to open his mouth and speak the words of outsiders. He watched on in interest as his parents used minimal, disjointed English in the public, but pure Spanish within the home. The presence of the familiar Spanish kept Rodriguez from learning English until nuns from his school encouraged his parents to speak English at all times around their children. His parents obliged, and it was not long before Rodriguez fully grasped the English language and began speaking aloud in class. Rodriguez’s perspective of his native Spanish varied throughout his life, and the changes before and after he learned English were the most prominent. Spanish was a language that Rodriguez valued, especially since, according to him, the language kept his family close. He believed that Spanish was not only a secret code that English-speakers could not understand but felt that it was a cornerstone to him belonging to his family, a feeling that was reinforced primarily because his family spoke and shared with one another in Spanish. Everyone outside of the home spoke English, which meant that everyone understood each other; Rodriguez and his family, though, were in their own special circle of Spanish-speakers. Spanish was part of his heritage and a vital component to Rodriguez’s very being. When Rodriguez learned English, he did not necessarily lose his appreciation of Spanish and all that it offered his family but learned to accept the advantages that came with also knowing English. Harder than Rodriguez actually learning to speak English, though, was him speaking a language that di d not involve his parents. As previously mentioned, Spanish was a huge part of Rodriguez’s identity among his family members. When his parents began speaking English for the sake of their children, Rodriguez noticed that the intimacy between his family members had evaporated. They were still a close and loving family, but English caused them to have fewer words to say. When Rodriguez fully accepted English as his primary language, his parents were approving of the change, but other family members were not as open to him embracing a culture other than their own. Aunts and uncles, and even Spanish-speaking strangers on the street and in grocery stores would tease Rodriguez for abandoning his heritage (Rodriguez 321).     Ã‚