How to Learn from Your Math Mistakes

The most powerful learning experiences often result from making mistakes. I usually address my students with the above phrase after handing out marked papers, tests and exams. I then provide time for my students to carefully analyze their errors. I also ask them to keep a running record/journal of the patterns of their errors. Understanding how and where you go wrong will lead to enhanced learning and improved grades—a habit often developed by strong math students. Its not unlike me to develop my next test based on a variety of student errors! How often have you looked over your marked paper and analyzed your errors? When doing so, how many times have you almost immediately realized exactly where you went wrong and wished that if only you had caught that error prior to submitting your paper to your instructor? Or, if not, how often have you looked closely to see where you went wrong and worked on the problem for the correct solution only to have one of those A Ha moments? A Ha moments or the sudden enlightening moment resulting from the newly discovered understanding of the misconceived error usually means a breakthrough in learning, which often means that youll rarely repeat that error again. Instructors of mathematics often look for those moments when they are teaching new concepts in mathematics; those moments result in success. Success from previous errors isnt usually due to the memorization of a rule or pattern or formula, rather, it stems from a deeper understanding of why instead of how the problem was resolved. When we understand the whys behind a mathematical concept rather than the hows, we often have a better and deeper understanding of the specific concept. Here are the three common errors and a few remedies to address them. Symptoms and Underlying Causes of Errors When reviewing the errors on your papers, its crucial that you understand the nature of the errors and why you made it (them). Ive listed a few things to look for: Mechanical errors (transposed number, sloppy mental math, hurried approach, forgotten step, lack of review)Application errors (misunderstanding of one or more of the required step(s)Knowledge based errors (lack of knowledge of the concept, unfamiliar with terminology)Order of Operations (often stems from rote learning as opposed to having a true understanding)Incomplete (practice, practice and practice, this leads to having the knowledge more readily available) Success Is Failure Inside Out! Think like a mathematician and learn from your previous mistakes. In order to do so, I would suggest that you keep a record or journal of the patterns of errors. Mathematics requires a lot of practice, review the concepts that caused you grief from previous tests. Keep all of your marked test papers, this will assist you to prepare for ongoing summative tests. Diagnose problems immediately! When you are struggling with a specific concept, dont wait to get assistance (thats like going to the doctor three days after breaking your arm) get immediate help when you need it, if your tutor or instructor isnt available - take the initiative and go online, post to forums or look for interactive tutorials to guide you through. Remember, problems can be your friends!

The Process of Writing - 1075 Words

The Process of Writing Throughout my whole life I have been taught to write many different ways and on how I should approach my writing assignments in and outside of class. But there was one particular method that was taught a lot more than others such as the five paragraphs method. Some assignments were very easy that I could write off the back of my head and some of the harder one’s I have think a lot more critically. All I ever did was follow the five paragraph process and nothing more. This is what I led to believe be my downfall in my writing skills because I was unable to use any other methods. So throughout my essay I will explain the steps of my writing process such as finding my personal space, understanding the difficulties, and†¦show more content†¦There are a couple of ways on how I want to expand on my writing skills as a new college student. One way I want to change my writing process is that I want to be able to think more critically about what I am writing. When I mean more critically I mean about like putting a lot more thoughts and explain more in detail in what I really want the reader to understand, such as the main ideas that I want the readers to learn or grasp. I think that’s one of my other biggest weaknesses which is not being able to give enough detail into what I am writing. Sometimes when writing I get that â€Å"writers block† where I can figure out what to write anymore and I want to get passed that. I also really want to expand beyond the five paragraph process because this just won’t do for college at all well that’s what I believe. The amount of research paper that will be thrown at me in college I really need to go â€Å"Above and Beyond† if I want an A or B in the class, a little phrase I learned from my government teacher in high school. So I need to be more open and try out some other type of styles of writing. There is one way I think is a good way how to expand on my writing skills is by reading a little more. So I can see how authors write articles, books, or even online. By doing this I can learn how the authors write and get ideas on their writing process from the beginning of where they started and how theyShow MoreRelatedWriting Process : Writing And Writing862 Words   |  4 Pages Composing Process Essay As a writer, I can adopt a system of writing that I can use most of the time. To be involved through all the composing process, I need to gather all the tools that I need such as paper and a pen, a typewriter, or a computer. I must also choose a suitable writing environment or place, and then apply my writing techniques and skills. The writing process has different ways and steps, allowing each writer to develop his or her writing in his or her own way. By describingRead MoreWriting A Writing Is A Process911 Words   |  4 PagesOption A Writing is a Process Writing had always seemed so calculated. Since fourth grade I was taught that when you write a paper for school it should be a five paragraph essay with an opening paragraph, three supporting paragraphs, and then a closing paragraph. If you wrote in this exact format then you were sure to get a good grade. Up until college writing had always lacked creativity for me and seemed more like formula that was to be followed. Writing had always seemed dull to me and moreRead MoreProcess Of Writing : Writing1232 Words   |  5 PagesProcess Of Writing It s not complicated; we are doing this since young age. Think about it, the first thing we learn when starting the path of learning is listening. A long time ago, my grandfather used to say for me, â€Å"Do you listen to learn something or do you listen just to reply?† If you think about it, it’s true, and I believe most of us just listen to reply. Writing skills can never be separated from important skills such as quotation, citation, grammar and spelling. If a writer can establishRead More The Writing Process996 Words   |  4 Pagescomposition instructors agree that writing should be taught as a recursive process, rather than a liner process, and they also agree that most writers employ certain writing strategies as they produce drafts. Sandra Perl’s article, Understanding Composing† shares these beliefs because she states: â€Å"writing does appear to be recursive, yet the parts that recur seem to vary from writer to writer and from topic to topicâ⠂¬  (142). Perl explains that throughout the writing process, writers employ a â€Å"forward-movingRead MoreThe Process Of Writing : My Personal Writing Process1316 Words   |  6 PagesThose that write always have a writing process whether they know it or not. A writing process can be defined by the way an individual gears up for the project at hand. It can be as simple as finding a favorite chair to write in or the act of planning out the writing beforehand. My own personal writing process varies from task to task with a few constants. I generally start my writing process by first reconciling my project; figuring out the best way to express the needs of the work. I do not writeRead MoreMy Writing A Writing Process848 Words   |  4 PagesA writing process is the way in which someone goes about writing. Everyone has his or her own way of approaching a prompt. Mine is to use my smartphone. With the advanced used of technology is the classrooms today; it is easier to obtain info rmation needed to write an appropriate paper for the prompt given. With the use of the Internet at our fingertips, it makes one’s writing process go a lot smoother and allow one to create a paper that is well above what is expected. My writing process is slightlyRead MoreEditing And The Writing Process1512 Words   |  7 PagesLiterature Review In examining recent literature on the topic of â€Å"editing† in the writing process, three areas appear to be of some concern in dealing with this issue: 1) The true definition of editing and the editing process, 2) The perceived role and responsibilities of the teacher and students, and 3) Effective editing strategies that will increase student learning. In order to truly implement editing strategies that will impact the learner, the first two areas must be addressed. In the reviewRead More The Writing Process Essay608 Words   |  3 PagesThe Writing Process Writing a paper on the writing process is pretty hard. The writing process is different from one person to another. You come across questions like, What exactly is the writing process?; and Must you follow one persons writing process if yours is different?; This is where I came across the answer to my questions, write however you wish to write. If one person likes free write first and another person likes to write a draft first, let them do how they please. The writing processRead MoreWriting Is Not A Simple Process921 Words   |  4 PagesMy English 1301 Experience Writing is not a simple process. Sure, it is easy to write down some of thoughts, but writing properly is complex and takes some time to learn. Before I took this class I considered myself an excellent writer. Now I see that there is more to it. It took a lot of research and multiple sources but it’s safe to say that this class helped my writing skills improve. I have plenty of weaknesses, but I also have strong points that benefit my writing. Even though my strengths suchRead MoreThe Process of Writing Essay815 Words   |  4 Pagescatastrophe. I take each step with caution, slowly putting my thoughts on paper, exposing myself to scrutiny. The answers do not present themselves with the concrete certainty of mathematics and science, they are subjective and open to interpretation. Writing for me is an uncomfortable experience filled with irrational fear and trepidation. The first obstacle on my journey confronts me, the topic. It is an auspicious occasion when the topic is preselected, it is one less obstacle for me to overcome

Nazi Germany Essay Example For Students

Nazi Germany Essay GermanyOn October 3, 1990, the states of the German Democratic Republic (EastGermany) shed their last ties to their Soviet created structure and joined theFederal Republic of Germany (West Germany). The 23rd article of West Germanys1949 constitution, the Basic Law, had been drafted specifically to allow forsuch an arrival from the East. But as the 1980s drew to a close, few Germans oneither side of the border expected it to be used in their lifetime. Yet, in lessthan a year the beginning of an upsurge of popular protest came together againstthe communist regime in East Germany and the formal unification of Germany onWest German terms. At a simple level, the constitution may be seen as a representation ofthe traditional German desire for clarity and order, applied to the rights andduties of the individual. It can also be described as a way of ensuring that theevents of the 1930s, particularly the rise of facism and dictatorship, willnever recur. As a result of historical roots in West Germany and past abuses bycentral government, Germany is a federation. The powers of the states cannot bereduced. Each of the federal states and Berlin has its own constitution, ademocratically elected Parliament, a government, administrative agencies andindependant courts. However, states are binding to the federal constitution, thefederal constitution is binding upon the states and the federal parliament isresponsible for major legislation and policy. The state parliaments mainresponsibility is in two major policy areas: education, and law and order. Administration of federal legislation is mainly the responsibility of the states,allowing for greater consideration of local needs and issues. This system ofgovernment ia also intended to bring government closer to the people. In manycases, state powers are delegated further to local authorities. A further area of responsibility for the states arives from theparliamentary structure. The legislative body is the Bundestag, but theBundesrat (anupper house representing )the states must approve most legislation. Each state has between three and five votes in the Bundesrat, dependingon the size of its population. Members of the Bundesrat are appointed by thestate governments for their duration within the state government. Since stateelections are held continually during the term of federal parliament, themembers of the upper house may alter during the life of a federal government. The approval of the Bundesrat is required for certain types of legislation,Particularly the budget and those affecting the states. Differences are usuallyovercome by a joint committee from the two houses. The lower house, or the Bundestag, consists of a minimum of 656 deputies. The Bundestag has a speaker, or president, usually elected from among thelargest parliamentary group. It has three main tasks: to act as the legislativebody, to elect the federal chancellor, and to control government activity. Anychanges to the Basic Law requires a two-thirds majority in both houses ofparliament. Thus the opposition parties can prevent amendments to theconstitution through their representation in either the Bundestag or Bundesrat. The electoral system, finalized in 1956, is designed to both provide agovernmentrepresenting the wishes of the people and proportionalrepresentation. Candidates are elected by a majority vote in 328 constituenciesof roughly equal size. Each state is allocated a quota of MPs for each party,derived from the second, or party vote. The difference between these numbers andthe numbers of directly elected representatives is then made up from party lists. A party can win more seats on the directly elected segment of the vote than thenumber given by the party list results, in which event the size of the lowerhouse is enlarged. This provision was used in 1990, with the addition of sixseats. To prevent fragmentation, a party must secure either three directmandates or 5% of the total vote to be represented in parliament. This resultsin a barrier to the development of new parties, which must fullfill the 5%criteria without the help of representation in parliament. Also, when thepractice of vacancies exist in parliament the positions are filled from theparty list of the previous election rather than by a by-election, hampering newor small party formation. In the 1990 elections the small, and largely new, EastGerman parties were allowed, for on time only, to form umbrella groups, side-stepping this constraint. However, state elections occur almost always once a year allowingparties to try and gain representation in a state parliament, often byconcentrating their efforts. The lower house is elected for a fixed term of four years and earlyelections may only be called in specific circumstances. The chancellor (head ofgovernment) is elected by the Bundestag on the proposal of the federal president. In practice each of the main parties announces its chancellor candidate beforethe election, making the task of the president somewhat of a formality. Onceelected, the chancellor nominates his or her cabinet for presidential approval,but is still personally responsible to parliament. Individual ministers cannotinitiate a vote ofno-confidence. A government can only be voted out if theopposition can establish a majority for what is known as a constructive vote ofno confidence. In other words, the opposition must be able to provide a workingmajority in favour of a new government. This occurred in late 1982, when thesmall Free Democrat Party changed itsfollowing from the ruling Social Democratsto the Christian Democrats, enabling the Christian Democrats to form a coalition. The ability of a government to resign in order to call early electionsis also restricted to cirtain circumstances. When the new government of theChristian Democrats and Free Democrats formed after the events of 1982 theydecided early elections would be appropriate. However, this decision was forcedto be brought up before the constitutional court, and only because it was theparties only tactic was it allowed. Although the federal president performs some of the usual formalfunctions of a head of state, including signing treaties and following theprocedures for appointing the chancellor, the role is basically ceremonial. Allpresidential orders require the counter-signature of the chancellor or relevantminister. This obligation is concerned with the alleviating a number of theproblems which arose under Germanys constitution of 1919 which gave thepresident too much power and not enough to the parliament. The president iselected for a five-year term by the full Bundestag and an equal number ofdelegates from state parliaments. In the past the election has usually been aformality. Richard von Weizsacker, formerly Christian Democrat mayor of WestBerlin, was elected president in 1984 and re-elected in 1989. His second, andfinal, term comes to an end in May 1994. Although usually a former politician,the president is expected to stand above party politics. In the summer of 1989 the German Bundestag passed the so-called Stageone Postal Reform which came into effect on January 1, 1990. The reformsincluded a division between jurisdictional and regulatory functions andentrepreneurial functions. The reform also resulted in associated businesssectors making up telecommunications, postal services and postal banking. Theaim of these reforms was to allow for more competition, hoping this would leadto more innovation and development in the telecommunication sector. The reformsrepresented to many in Europe a tremendous liberalization of the Germantelecommunications market. Under the new structure, the Telekom branch ofDeutsche Bundespost (DBT) was granted a network monopoly. All other sectors ofthe telecommunications market, including mobile and satelite communications,which both legally belong to the monopoly were liberalized. Gradually, licenceswere sold to private enterprises in these small and limiting areas of themonopoly. Within the framewo rk of its economic capabilities, Telekom is legallybound to provide both the infrastructure and the infrastructure services. As the new Telecommunication structure was being omplemented theunification of Germany began, delaying the objectives of the postal reform. ManyMinisters used the successfull expansion of Telekom as a means of recognition,while postponing a rapid seperation of the political and entrepreneurialfunctions. At the beginning of 1990 Telekom had only just started changing froma public administration to an undertaking based on entrepreneurial basedorganization. Telekoms actions during and immediately following unification werestill largely focused on the objectives and procedures of the old Germany. Therefore, there has been no real debate between Telekom and the FederalMinister of Posts and Telecommunications (BMPT) on what gudelines Telekom shouldfollow when investing in the new federal states of the East. Telekomfrom mustdecide whether it should follow its original political standpoint or its newentrepreneurial approach, or whether the two even differ. Such a judgement isnot only desirable, but necessary to determine where the responsibilities ofTelekom lie. Why Cells Are Small EssayAs a public service, the West German telecommunications system is run bythe federal counties. The legal basis of this state monopoly is found in Article87 of West German basic law, which states that the West German PTT has to beconducted by a direct federal administration with its lower level ofadministrative offices. The right of legislation on postal and telecommunicationmatters falls exclusively on the federal county, according to Article 73 of thebasic law. The federal minister for postal and telecommunication services is thehead of the West German PTT. According to Article 65 of West German basic lawthe federal minister for postal and telecommunication services, shall conductthe affairs of the West German PTT autonomously and on his own responsibility. Telecommunication policy formation as well as the management of administrationis the responsability of the federal minister for postal and telecommunicationservices,. However, his power is is restricted and controlled by the PostalAdministration Council (Para 1, Art 1 of the postal administration law). Themembers include the West German Bundestag, the West German Bundesrat andrepresentatives of the different areas of the economy as well as seven membersof the West German PTT trade union, the Deutsche Postgewerkschaft (DPG), andexperts from the fields of broadcasting and finance (Para 5, Art 2). All 24members of the Postal Administration Council are appointed by their nationalcouncils or by the minister for postal and telecommunication services (expertfrom the field of broadcasting) and the minister for finance (expert from thefield of finance). According to Para 12 of the postal administration law, thecouncil decides on the budget of the West German PTT. Further executive rightsexten d to conditions on the use of postal and telecomunication systems,including pricing (ara 12, Art 4), decisions on the field of activities (Para 12,Art 5), as well as changes in the technical telecommunication infrastructure(Para 12, Art 6). As an important control body, the Postal AdministrationCouncil has to approve all regulations proposed by the federal minister forpostal and telecommunication services.However, the minister for postal andtelecommunication services has the power to annul decisions of the postaladministration council (Para 13, Art 1,2). Despite this kind of veto right, the federal government as well as theBundestag have no direct control over the West German policies oftelecommunication. Yet the West German PTT is obliged to respect the principlesof the politics of West Germany, according to Para 2, Art 1 of the postaladministration law. However, the principles defined by the federal governmentare so vague that they cannot properly act as a stern basis for engaging intelecommunication policies. The influence of the Bundestag is even weaker sincethe budget of the West German PTT forms a special fund (Para 3, Art 1 of thepostal administration law), over which the West German PTT exercises its ownbudgetary rights. The influence of parliament is only by the participation ofmembers of parliament in the postal administration council as well as inpolitical positions in the federal postal and telecommunication administration. The result is that West German telecommunication policy is designed andimplemented around the postal administration council and the postaladministration. In spite of occasional accusations of opportunism aimed at thepostal administration council, its believable that the post administration hasadjusted itself to the potential compromises in the council. This can be backedup by the strong clashes in the council, and by that overruling the postaladministration council too often would likely lead to harmful campaigns againstthe council. The development of the telecommunication infrastructure within thispolitical and institutional framework became more and more criticized in the1970s. Finally it caused the demand for reform within the institutional andpolitical framework. The origins of the criticism came from the rapidtechnological developments of the 1960s and 1970s. Spectacular developments inthe realms of microelectronics and transmission technology as well as thecontinuing digitalization made merging telecommunication and data-processingpossible. This resulted in new quantitative and qualitative demands on thetelecommunication infrastructure. According to critics, the West German PTT, by not allowing competition,had not been in a position to complete these demands. This criticism, mainlyforwarded by the Liberal Democratic Party, was mostly concerned with theinternational competitiveness of West Germany. Further demands for the openingof markets were created by those countries which have already deregulated theirtelecommunication systems, for example the UK, USA, and Japan. Germany has eight main political paries: Christian Democratic Union(CDU), Christian Social Union (CSU), Free Democrat Party (FDP), Social DemocratParty (SDP), The Greens, The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), TheRepublicans, and the Deutsche Volksunion. Christian Democratic UnionThe CDU, combining Catholics abd Protestants, has been the mostimportant single party in the development of post-war Germany. Its foreignpolicy was forged by Konrad Adenauer and is based on the Atlantic alliance. Although it also accepted the opening to the east initiated in the late 1960sand early 1970s by Willy Brandt and it is currently concerned with stability inpost-communist Eastern Europe. Its leader, Helmut Kohl, has been chancellorsince 1982 and still exercises a powerful personal control over the party. TheCDUs domestic policy is based on the concept of the social market as developedby Ludwig Erhard in the 1950s. Christian Social UnionThe CSU is a sister party of the CDU. It is Catholic and operates onlyin Bavaria where it is not challenged by the CDU. Under the leadership of thelate Franz Josef Strauss, it was more openly assertive in the pursuance ofGerman interests than the CDU. Its present leader is the finance minister, TheoWaigel. Howevere, Edmund Stoiber, the prime minister of Bavaria, as a moreaggressive politician in the tradition of Franz Josef Strauss, is equallyimportant. Free Democrat PartyThe free democrats are basically a liberal party in the European ratherthan the American sense; they believe in limiting government interference in allwalks of life, including both questions like divorce and abortion, and theeconomy. On the latter they are generally to the right of the CDU. However, theFDPs most dominant personality in the second half of the 1970s, and until hisresignation in 1992, was Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who made his name as foreignminister. The present leader, Klaus Kinkel, is also foreign minister. Social Democrat PartyOnce Marxist (though always democratic), the Social Democratsestablished a programme of pragmatic reform known as the Bad Godesberg programat the end of the 1950s. This paved the way for Helmut Schmidt, two of Germanysmost influential post-war politicians. The difference between their economicphilosophy and the Christian Democrats social market is not fundamental. Atpresent, however, the SPD believes the CDU has failed to face up to the need topay for unification, and advocates higher taxes, especially on the better off. The SPDs foreign policy has always emphasized openings to the east, but not atthe expense of the Atlantic alliance or the EU. There is a strong pacifistelement which currently opposes any German military activity outside Germany,including participation in UN peacekeeping operations; however, it should besaid that there are pacifists in all major parties. The GreensThe Greens had a major influence on German policies of all major partiesduring the 1980s, having surmounted the 5% threshold needed to be represented inparliament in the 1983 elections. However, in December 1990 they just failed tomeet this threshold in western Germany, partly because of an internal divisionbetween realists and purists. They are represented in the Bundestag because ineastern Germany, where a seperate threshold was provided, they won more than 5%in alliance with Bundnis 90, a group of protest parties from the former EastGermany. They also participate in governing coalitions in some state parliaments. The Party of Democratic SocialismThis is the former SED or ruling party of East Germany. Under a moderateleader, Gregor Gysi, who was never closely associated with the Honecker regime,it has attracted the support of some of those who have lost their jobs or homesas a result of unification. The Republicans and Deutsche VolksunionThe Republicans and Deutsche Volksunion represent nationalist forces onthe far right of German politics. They have played on the immigration issue.

The Syrian Protests and American Intervention

It is now over one year since the Syrian protests, which kicked off in Dara’a, a small agricultural town in the country, begun. The Syrian police met the small uprising, which brought together a handful of people, with ruthlessness and brutality beyond the expectations of many people, thereby inciting more people to join the course.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Syrian Protests and American Intervention specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Today, barely all towns in the country have experienced violent protests against the long reigning president Bashar Assad and his family. According to the United Nation’s estimates, approximately 9000 people, most of them soldiers, have died in the violence that has continued to rock most parts of the country[1]. However, human rights groups and journalist put the estimates much higher at 30, 000 people by October 2012. They claim that governmentâ€℠¢s efforts at hiding the real happenings in the country have led to a serious clamp down on any forms of journalistic access, thereby denying the international community any chance of getting up-to-date information on deaths, property destruction, and atrocities against women and the minority. As a result, the international community has treated Syrian case slightly to the disadvantage of the country’s innocent citizens, especially women and children who are subjected to heinous acts such as rape, torture, and forced labor. Therefore, Mr. President, if your government is to make any decisions based on the recommendations provided in this letter, I will be glad if you considered the possibility of worse things happening in Syrian beyond the grainy streaming media footages who may have watched, as they do not capture even half of what is happening on the ground. As a nation founded on sound democratic principles and respect for human life and dignity, we have been drawn into th is mess by our desire to give to the people of Syria, a democratic government, and an environment free from abuse, violence, and intimidations. So far, our attempts to institute a democratic government in Syrian and to end the suffering of the people have been futile. Worst still, the rebels who have been fighting the government are ill-equipped to make any significant process towards toppling the government[2]. Their activities have remained limited to Damascus. This calls for drastic measures. Our ultimate goals in Syria are driven by both morals and concerns for the suffering civilians. We need to defend the civilians against military abuse.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More We need to assist in the creation of a democratically elected government that is representative of the people’s wishes. However, the process of instituting a democratic government ca n never be easy. In most cases, it involves war and sanctions against doctorial regimes. Nevertheless, the Syrian people have spoken boldly of their desire for change, which makes any options available, regardless of the costs involved, worth pursuing. Additionally, we need to prevent Syria’s situation from dragging it into a failed and war-ridden state like Somalia. If this trend continues unchecked, then the nation could end up in a situation like that of Somalia. Finally yet importantly, we should strive to ensure that the country’s chemical weapons do not end up in the hands of extremist Islamic groups who are known for â€Å"terrorist activities† in the world today[3]. The United States of America suffered severely in the hands of terrorists and should not spare any efforts in fighting them.[4] The 9/11 attack has and will remain in the minds of many people who lost their loved ones for many years to come. In that single attack, the U.S lost millions of dol lars and thousands of lives.[5] Given the circumstances surrounding the Syrian case, American intervention is in complete interest of the nation and its citizens. The U.S government’s principal interest is to protect its citizens. However, protecting Americans, does not only involve securing the country’s borders, but also toppling all governments that are sympathetic to terrorists and regimes that promote the use of chemicals and illegal atomic weapons. Bashar Assad’s government trades in these unfriendly territories and the U.S government should not sit back and watch from the sidelines as it furthers its monstrous activities. The people of Syria have a right to determine their own future since the country is a sovereign state[6]. However, its leadership has ignored the people’s plea for regime change, thereby necessitating external intervention. The U.S is perceived by many states as the international watchdog. Therefore, it should take a center stage in securing a solution for Syria’s problems. However, our intervention in Syria should be wise and well calculated. Considering Bashar Assad’s close association with the Iran and Russian regimes, any form of military intervention could worsen the bad situation[7]. The most viable option is the involvement of the UN Security Council to give a mandate on the issue. Our direct involvement should be through the provision of troops to secure civilian population from harm.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Syrian Protests and American Intervention specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Even though most Arab Nations are reluctant to join the Syrian debate, the U.S should try to reach out to them to seek their support in rescuing innocent civilians. The rebels fighting Bashar Assad’s government share many common interests with the United States. As such, the U.S should provide them with logisti cs to enhance their chances of overthrowing the dictatorial regime. Currently, they are ill equipped and lack experience of fighting; hence, their chances of success are thin. The decisions we make today define us as a nation. The freedom our citizens enjoy today was earned by both sweet and blood. Therefore, by assisting the people of Syria, we are showing them away to a better life. By actively championing for a regime change in Syria, we will obviously be attracting more responsibilities to our great nation, but we cannot afford to sit back and watch innocent people die in the hands of merciless and selfish leaders. The minority and the weak always look up to us for help in such times, and we cannot afford to disappoint them. Our failure to intervene will be viewed as a sign of weakness, which might encourage other regimes to cling onto power against public will. After the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the U.S. relationship with the Muslim world has not been good[8]. Therefore, many of the Muslim states cannot welcome any form of intervention in Syria. Even though military intervention can absolutely spark wide opposition, many, especially civilians, could view humanitarian aid and provision of logistics as pure and sincere assistance. Our involvement in Syria should only end when the country has attained democratic leadership. Military personnel deployed to help civilians should however, stay behind for some time to assist in the transition process. Up to now, the atrocities committed against civilians in Syrian are intolerable, but the U.S must trade carefully. However, if death toll from the uprisings continue to rise and other nations, especially Muslim nations, keep their distance, then, the U.S may be left no other choice but to intervene with a fully-fledge military battalion. This could be more involving and costly, but worth the lives of innocent Syrians used as punching bags by government soldiers and rebels. Disregard for human lives by the Syr ian government will leave us no options, but to pull together our resources, monetary, logistics, and personnel, to rescue the civilians. When it comes to such a level, the Security Council’s decisions will be of little effect to the U.S intervention in Syria. The cost of the war in Iraq has been expensive and we must avoid adding further expenses to our already burdened public. However, when it comes to saving lives, our options are limited.Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Works Cited Bowen, Jeremy. â€Å"BBC News – Syria rebels gain foothold in Damascus.† BBC – Homepage. N.p., 28 Jan. 2012. Web. Breakingnews.com. â€Å"Syrian Violence Kills 36; Arab Leaders Back Peace Plan.† VOA – Voice of America English News – VOA News. N.p., 28 Mar. 2012. Web. Celmer, Marc A.. Terrorism, U.S. strategy, and Reagan policies. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987. Print. Davies, Nicolas J.S.. Blood on our hands: the American invasion and destruction of Iraq. Version 1.0. ed. Ann Arbor: Nimble Books, LLC, 2010. Print. Goodarzi, Jubin M.. Syria and Iran: diplomatic alliance and power politics in the Middle East. London: Tauris Academic Studies, 2006. Print. Madu, Ifeanyi V.. Islamic Extremism and the West: Expounding the Negative Implications of the Clash Between Islamic Extremists and Some Western Nations. London: ProQuest, 2008. Print. Quigley, John B.. The statehood of Palestine: international law in the Middle East conflict. Camb ridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Sidhu, Surinder Singh. 9/11: The Inside Story. Washington, DC: Strategic Book Publishing, 2012. Print. Footnotes Breakingnews.com. â€Å"Syrian Violence Kills 36; Arab Leaders Back Peace Plan.†Ã‚  VOA – Voice of America English News – VOA News. N.p., 28 Mar. 2012. Web. Bowen, Jeremy. â€Å"BBC News – Syria rebels gain foothold in Damascus.†BBC – Homepage. N.p., 28 Jan. 2012. Web. Ifeanyi Madu,  Islamic Extremism and the West: Expounding the Negative Implications of the Clash Between Islamic Extremists and Some Western Nations (London: ProQuest, 2008) 105. Celmer, Marc, Terrorism, U.S. strategy, and Reagan policies. New York: Greenwood Press, 1987. P. 47 Print. Surinder Singh Sidhu,   9/11: The Inside Story (Washington, DC: Strategic Book Publishing, 2012) 29. John B. Quigley,  The statehood of Palestine: international law in the Middle East conflict (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press , 2010) 45. Jubin M. Goodarzi,  Syria and Iran: diplomatic alliance and power politics in the Middle East, (London: Tauris Academic Studies, 2006) 11. Nicolas J.S. Davies,  Blood on our hands: the American invasion and destruction of Iraq (Version 1.0. ed. Ann Arbor: Nimble Books, LLC, 2010) 32. This research paper on The Syrian Protests and American Intervention was written and submitted by user Anna Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Influence of Consumerism on 7

The contemporary business environment is becoming very competitive, thanks to globalization and technological advancement. The increased competition is now forcing organizations to adopt powerful strategies in order to gain competitive advantage. It is for this reason that consumerism has gained popularity, with business enterprises investing heavily in promotion of their products in order to influence purchasing behaviour of target markets.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Influence of Consumerism on 7-11 Years Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, the consumer market seems to be the biggest driver of economic development in most countries, as it continues to grow as the economy and population grow. Therefore, marketing becomes an integral function in organizations, where different organizations use persuasive and manipulative techniques and strategies to convince or change perceptions of consumer s to purchase their products and services (Schor, 2004). Nowadays, most organizations are focusing on children as a niche market with potentially sustainable growth and profitability. Although this may be a move in the right direction for businesses and society in terms of commercial empowerment, there is a dark side, especially in relation to social and health wellbeing of children (Palmer, 2010). This paper will critically discuss the effect of consumerism on children aged 7-11 years. In the past generations, parents dictated children’s consumer behaviour by purchasing things (toys, sweets, clothes among other children stuff) that they felt their children needed or deserved to have. This was mainly based on necessity and affection, but there was no significant influence from outside to do so. However, social changes in recent years have allowed children to have a commanding influence on their consumption patterns, thanks to ever-increasing advertisements and pressure from p eers (Evans Chandler, 2006). Today, many organizations are advertising their products directly to children with the knowledge that children have become more empowered and their psychological faculties can easily be manipulated or persuaded to like the products offered (Hulbert, 2004). Indeed, every organization will target a market that would be positively responsive to its products.  According to Schor (2004), children are nowadays being used as the conduit for marketing products to parents, especially due to their passionate consumption behaviour, brand loyalty, and tendency to learn fast. Generally, marketers focus on children based on three key roles they play as consumers including, controlling a big niche market, influencing family purchasing behaviour and brand loyalty. However, several other factors have contributed to increased consumerism and marketing being directed to children. Children at the age of 7 to 11 have their own purchasing power due to pocket money given to them by their parents; however, they do not have mental capacity to make informed decision about wants and needs (Hill, 2011).Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, peer pressure tends to be setting in during this age, thus influencing children to purchase things that will make them compete with their peers. Moreover, families are trying to alleviate their children from threats of stigmatization and social identity by purchasing things to their children that will make them socially compatible with other children (Hamilton, 2011). Indeed, it is worth noting that modern parents have compromised their control on children’s purchasing influence (Herbst, 2005) by yielding easily to children’s pestering and giving out money (or items) to them out of guilt for not spending enough time with them due to professional engagements. Consumerism culture has adverse repercuss ions in children, especially in their social development. Importantly, since children do not have the capacity to make informed decisions, they are vulnerable to manipulation (Roche, 2009). In recent years, advertisement efforts by organizations have gone a notch higher to segment children market into age groups in order to capture more attention. Importantly, children at the age of 7-11 years are beginning to identify their true gender and tend to associate themselves with popular culture; so they will demand products that make them look cool, in reference to advertisements. Here, peer pressure plays a big role as children try to compete against each other in terms of possession and coolness (Là ¼sted, 2010). Indeed, children construct their identity by having a large collection of brands (Archer, Hollingworth, and Halsall, 2007). Moreover, children can easily identify the most endearing brands and labels, and they can skillfully use their little consumer knowledge to acquire thes e things (Pilcher, 2011). Indeed, it becomes very easy for children to participate in impulse purchases due to the amount of pocket money given to them by parents and their ability to influence parents to purchase for them. Indeed, Buckingham (2013) claims that children would influence parents and the society to accept something due to emotional connection that exists between them and the society would also respond quickly if something is harmful to the children. The social platform set by the contemporary marketers is eroding children’s values as they try to define their true self, because of bombarding them with so many products, which make them believe happiness is found from accumulation of possessions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Influence of Consumerism on 7-11 Years Children specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Indeed, this is becoming immoral, as it is not only interfering with their psycholog ical health, but also their personal growth and development, especially because they are denied important tools (such as social, spiritual and intellectual) to respond appropriately to different situations (Schor, 2004). Consumerism is also interfering with the health of children; no wonder there are increased cases of child obesity and depression (Dittmann, 2004). Nowadays, parents prefer to buy ready or easy-to-cook food from fast food shops or retail shops due to lack of time or boredom to prepare healthy food as they used to do before. Importantly, marketers are taking this advantage to promote fatty, sugary and fast foods to children with the confidence of huge sales, the result of which is increasing cases of obese children due to consumption of these foods usually marketed as fun and cool (Gorman, 2008). Moreover, cases of drug abuse among children have increased due to the advertisements aired during children shows as well as sponsorship of children concerts and events by to bacco or alcohol companies (Schor, 2004). The excess reliance on toys, especially play stations and computer games by children is eroding the social and cognitive development aspect in children. Unlike in the past where children used to play with their neighbor’s children, modern children have their play stations and television as their best friends (Piachaud, 2007). Therefore, children are focusing more on their materialist possessions in expense of family and friendship. Moreover, some video games are training children to be violent instead of morally upright individuals, and this may justify the recent cases of violence and shooting in schools, especially in the US. Unsurprisingly, cases of mental disorder and depression have increased due to exposure to advertisements that have adverse psychological effect on children. Protection of this future generation is of paramount importance, and it should be a concerted effort by all stakeholders. Primarily, there needs to be regu lations on advertisements in order to prevent children from exposure to excess material that may alter their self-perceptions or behaviour. Indeed, regulations have worked in several countries that have limited or eliminated commercials during children’s programming and events, including Greece, Norway, Italy, and Austria among others (Hawkes, 2004, p.19). Another remedy lies with the parents who must nurture their children to be morally upright people. Parents should train their children about money management and consumer behaviour, as well as control the amount they give to children as pocket money.Advertising Looking for essay on advertising? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They should know that children of this age have some knowledge about what money is, they would tend to imitate their parents’ spending habits (Pfund, 2011), and they are vulnerable to peer pressure; therefore, guidance is important. Parents would also be in a better position to control their children’s exposure to harmful advertisements that influence their consumption behaviors (Palmer Young, 2003). Finally, the society plays a big role in protecting its members from harmful effects. Primarily, children need a clean and safe environment to grow and develop, thus any advertisements that tend to be manipulative or directed to children must be thoroughly regulated. As seen above, corporations target children because they wield a lot of power in influencing consumption in families and they tend to be sustainable target market due to their brand loyalty. However, they become victims to social ineffectiveness, lifestyle illnesses, and mental disorders. Therefore, all stake holders should unite and create an atmosphere that inhibits consumerism from destroying these innocent consumers. References Archer, L., Hollingworth, S., Halsall, A. (2007). University’s not for me – I’m a Nike person: urban, working class young people’s negotiations of style, identity and educational engagement. Sociology, 41(2), 219–237. Buckingham, D. (2013). The Material Child. London, England: John Wiley Sons. Dittmann, M. (2004). Protecting children from advertising. American Psychology Association, 35(6). Evans, J., Chandler, J. (2006). To Buy or not to Buy: Family Dynamics and Children’s Consumption. Sociological Research Online, 11(2). Gorman, M. (2008). Childhood obesity statistics and facts. National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutes. Web. Hamilton, K. (2011). Low-Income Families and Coping Through Brands: Inclusion or Stigma? Sociology, 46(1), 75-90. Hawkes, C. (2004). Food to children: The glo bal regulatory environment. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Herbst, M. (2005). Advertising to Children. Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag. Hill, J. (2011). Endangered childhoods: how consumerism is impacting child and youth identity. Media Culture Society, 33(3), 347-362. Hulbert, A. (2004). Tweens â€Å"R† us. The New York Times. Web. Là ¼sted, M. (2010). Advertising to Children. Minnesota, USA: ABDO, 2010. Palmer, E. L., Young, B. M. (2003). The faces of televisual media: Teaching, violence, selling to children. New Jersey, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum. Palmer, S. (2010). Toxic Childhood: How The Modern World Is Damaging Our Children And What We Can Do About It. London, England: Orion. Pfund, F. (2011). Advertising to Children. Norderstedt, Germany: GRIN Verlag. Piachaud, D. (2007). Freedom to be a Child: Commercial Pressures on Children. London, England: Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion. Pilcher, J. (2011). No logo? Children’s consumption of fashio n. Childhood, 18 (1) 128-141. Roche, M. (2009). Children, Consumerism, and the Common Good. London, England: Rowman Littlefield. Schor, J. B. (2004). Born to buy: the commercialized child and the new consumer culture. New York: Scribner. This essay on The Influence of Consumerism on 7-11 Years Children was written and submitted by user Abr1l to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus Essays

Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus Essays Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus Paper Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus Paper Essay Topic: Literature Shakespeare has created three strong characters within the play Antony and Cleopatra. Their attitudes to death and mortality in the play have little similarities as Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus all approach the issue differently. Enobarbus, for example, acquires a broken heart after regrettably leaving the side of Antony to join forces with Caesar. He is ashamed at what he has done and feels he has acted wrongly. When the messenger sent by Antony gives Enobarbus his treasure, it makes him feel guiltier for his disloyalty to his close friend. At this point, the option of suicide becomes apparent as Enobarbus speaks of his death which would be a way of ending his broken heart. At the end of Act IV, Enobarbus feels not worthy and exits by saying; go seek / some ditch wherein to die It isnt until Scene 9 that Enobarbus carries out his suicide. He looks up to the moon and addresses it, as this is associated with mental instability and asks the moon to witness his repentance and for the forgiveness of Antony, and in line 23 he stabs himself uttering Antonys name. Enobarbus death showed his weakness to carry on with the guilt of leaving Antony. He felt so ashamed of his actions and saw the only way to fix the wrong doing was to end his life as he was the one at fault. Antony however feared death. Shakespeare gives the audience the impression that he is scared of mortality. But when he hears the news that his beloved Cleopatra has apparently committed suicide he attempts suicide himself because without her in his life, he has nothing to live for. It is Eros who kills himself first after Antony asks Eros to kill him as he cannot bring himself to carry out the act. At this point Shakespeare encourages the audience to believe that Antony is going to die using the sword, but when Antony falls on Eros sword afterwards, he fails to kill himself outright. After then asking Decretas to kill him, it becomes almost like a pantomime with Antony messing up his suicide twice. With his life as a soldier at an end, Antony becomes like a brideroom in his death and runs to it, As a lovers bed with no hesitation when he finds out that Cleopatra had deceived him by lying about her suicide. When Antony is sent to Cleopatras monument after finding out that she is still alive, there is a sense of a double irony as she was not dead and he was dying. As Cleopatra eventually gives Antony his kiss which he asked for as his death wish, he dies. Cleopatras death at the end of the play is the result of a climatic build-up. Her death is to show courage which relates to being a Roman quality. After faking her death to see what her lover Antonys reaction would be, she commits suicide to defeat Caesar and join Antony. Five minutes after he has died, she feels like she has melted away. She becomes convinced that now Antony is gone, Caesar will show her off as a trophy and she will become part of a Roman pageant. This scares her immensely and she begins to sulk. Her stubbornness, strong will and single mind comes into play and this shows her powerful side. Cleopatra is a proud woman and is not afraid to kill herself as she doesnt want to continue with her life anymore. Her actually death takes place in her monument away from the reach of Caesar. She puts on her best clothes to give the impression that she is going to do this properly unlike Antony who had done so with his suicide. She uses the asp (snake) to show the symbol that her life was about to be untangled for itself and speaks of how she is jealous of those who have already died. It is not until she is half way through a sentence that she dies. This gives the end of the play a sudden twist as there is no way of knowing what else was about to be said by the queen and shows a less traditional aspect to the end of a morality play. There is a define sense of death with honour in Antony and Cleopatra and is portrayed strongly in the suicides of all three characters in some form. However it can be argued that Antony does not have this honour because of the fact that he had already attempted two times to kill himself by falling of the sword and failed and Enobarbus can be said to be dishonourable because he stabbed himself of a broken heart and felt that escapism was the only way to end his guilt. The only argument that is clearly apparent for Cleopatra being seen as dishonourable is when she faked her own suicide to see what her lovers reaction would be. All three characters have different divisions in their attitudes to death and the death situations and this is made clear in all three separate death scenes. But none of the suicides are planned with great thought except Cleopatras who felt she must die in dignity by dressing up and using snakes as a symbolic reference to dispatch its venom rather than stabbing herself. Smaller characters in the play do not have much focus on their deaths unlike Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus who are able to conduct powerful, meaningful speeches before their deaths. Characters such as Eros and Charmian, who are close friends to Antony and Cleopatra exit with little recognition. For example, Eros is shown to be honourable in refusing to kill Antony when he asks him to. He ends his life by turning the sword on himself with his back to Antony before trying to kill Antony himself. Eros speaks of his death by saying; Thus I do escape the sorrow / Of Antonys death. This character shows his loyalty to Antony until the end of his time in the play. Charmian too shows her commitment to the queen as her maidservant by killing herself after the death of Cleopatra. She speaks of the world as vile and sees no hope for the future now Cleopatra has killed herself, so she applies an asp to herself also. Her last words resort back to showing her admiration to the queen and suggests she is most royal by stating; It is well done, and fitting for a princess / Descended of so many royal kings These few words show how Shakespeare is acknowledging her reign and her powerful impact on peoples lives, and used Charmian as an example to show this in her death even though the focus did not remain on her afterwards. Throughout Antony and Cleopatra, different characters act to the news of peoples deaths in interesting ways. When Antonys first wife Fulvia dies, His reaction to her death was to know where she had died. It meant he had back the freedom he had previously wanted and was now able to marry Cleopatra but Antony now did not want to. There is hardly any reference to Fulvia in the play apart from Act 1 when her death is announced then soon forgotten by Antony. Cleopatra however asks why he married her but chose not to love her. This question asked by the queen proved Fulvias little existence to Antony and the audience may have been surprised about this. For Caesar, the death of Antony and Cleopatra changes his attitudes and this is made apparent in the last speech which is carried out by Caesar himself. As he delivers his speech, it seems as though he is now different. It steps back on how the audience has previously perceived Caesar as a somewhat negative figure which causes friction between the two main characters. Shakespeare draws the tragedy around this last significant speech as it gives the choice of pity or terror with the idea that the world can be re-built after the deaths of a great warrior and the queen of Egypt. It also emphasises that there is no loss on their part because Cleopatra will be with her Antony for eternal life in a happier place; She shall be buried by her Antony. This part can be said to be connected with the ending in Hamlet with the funeral narration. In this play, Shakespeare creates the sense of death as going somewhere better then where they are stationed now. This was because he wrote his plays around Christian beliefs in the 1600s which meant that there was meant to be a life after death. Perhaps this idea meant that the play Antony and Cleopatra wasnt so much an emphasis into a tragedy but shown as a basis of something better to come out of their lives in Rome and Egypt after the wars and disloyalty of people throughout the story. It is noticeable to see how the beginning of the play differs to the end of the play on attitudes to death. The use of the fortune teller (soothsayer) in Act II, Scene 3 makes it seem that Antony is in control of a great force. The soothsayer tells Antony that he has a guiding spirit which is courageous and unmatchable, but fearful towards Caesar, so he should be wary of his limitations. Antony does not listen to his advice and it isnt until later when he loses the second battle he begins to struggle maintaining his successful image, which he feels is fading away. His attitudes change after this, as he goes from believing he can beat Caesar to feeling defeated in war. This is when he becomes scared of death and his earlier strong, fearless character has disappeared. The soothsayer also predicts the deaths of others. This tragedy reflects on three main criteria: war, love and betrayal which all connect with death. The men who fought for Antony and Caesar died in both battles on land and sea, Antony and Cleopatra died in the end for each other so love was the cause for their deaths, and the betrayal of friends such as Enobarbus leaving Antony to join Caesars army all contrast to create the tragedy itself. There is not one main factor that can be used to explain the suicides of each character, especially for Antony, Cleopatra and Enobarbus as they saw dying as achieving different things. The message of this tragedy has many definitions such as escapism, pain, suffering, gloom and death itself. But perhaps the main is the fall of a great man which is Antony himself. He was a great leader and was admired for his achievements. He had to be high up for it to be a tragic fall in the play. Each three main death scenes had their own purposely built moments, and Shakespeare must have deliberately chosen to do this. The death parts are built up, which starts with Enobarbus who is the first to die, and his reason for doing so was because he was heart broken, downbeat and felt guilty. The second is taken one step higher with Antonys death having two parts. The tension rises however when he dies in the middle of a line. But these two suicides are the climatic build up to Cleopatras death which is planned with props for the stage and a long death speech. It can be said that her suicide was the dramatic finale with the two suicides of the other main characters being looked upon as not as important because of how her death was prepared and ended the play. This love-tragedy by Shakespeare sees the heroine as centre of attention like many other of his plays, so this is why she deserves to die with the dignity that Antony and Enobarbus did not.

Development, Frameworks and Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Development, Frameworks and Methods - Essay Example Since 1983, cellular phones have evolved from what was Motorola DynaTAC 8000X to the current iPhone 5 (Burgess, & Burgess, 2012). Besides the initial models lacking the many incorporated features, they were also bigger in size with protruding antennae compared to the current models. The phones also weighed much compared to the current ones. From basic conversation gadgets, cellular phones were later designed to take up more tasks including multimedia functions. This was a milestone achievement in the history of phones and no one could envisage any other advancement. In that era, phones were used to take personal images and record fascinating event in occasions like wedding and parties (Burgess, & Burgess, 2012). It is true that technology never stops to evolve. After the amazing feature in the history of the phone, another functionality was invented. The phone could now be used to access internet by either mobile broadband or Wi-Fi. Again, it was astonishing that computer based services could now be accessed using cell phones. This technology made it possible for the phone users to keep track of the word breaking news and to explore the various internet social sites like Facebook and twitter (Kling, 2010). Access to information was widened and just by having a phone, one could get direct access to all the information they needed. This technology made it possible to believe that cell phones could be made to suit any human need. Currently, cell phones can be used as Global Positioning Devices (GPS) that are able to receive satellite signals. In this regard, current position and location of the phones can be determined. This technology has been used to trace stolen or missing phones (Kling, 2010). It has been used to track criminals for apprehension by providing the exact longitude and latitude where the device is on the earth surface. GPS