Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay Example for Free

Implementing Computer Technology in Secondary Schools Essay In 1999, The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) conducted a study on pedagogical practices of teachers and students of elementary and secondary schools in 30 nations, and the role of technology the said practices (â€Å"The Second Information Technology in Education Study: Module 2†, n. d. ). It was found out that as of 1999, 12% of elementary students and 3% of those in intermediate and secondary schools do not have Internet access in their schools (â€Å"Computer Technology in Schools†, 1999). Such number would considerably be large still, if the period when the benefits of the application of computer technology in education was implied, is taken into account. Computer technology for the use of students in schools started out as computer laboratories (Lynch, 2000), which until now, is continuously evolving to becoming a tool for learning. That the integration of computer technology in schools is still on process, suggests that although its advantages have been persistently advocated, there are also powerful sociocultural and developmental forces that oppose its progression. According to Meredyth, et. al. , (1999), the status quo in the mode of instruction slows the efforts to integrate computer technology in secondary schools. At first, the people who were against the implementation of computer technology in schools argue that this would result in the replacement human instructors and making them obsolete (Richmond, n. d). As it becomes clear that the this would not necessarily become so, that is, there would only be an evolution of role from plain instructor to facilitator, the problem with the implementation now centers on the lack of physical resources (Richmond, n. d. ) and the instructors’ lack of training (Lynch, 2000). This implies that the role of computer technology in the education of secondary students per se is not, today, the major consideration in its application and the need for a clear definition of its role is necessary to speed up decisions on whether there is really a necessity for the addition or retention of the number of computer hardware in schools, or should there be in need of compulsory technical training for instructors. According to Richmond (n. d.), there are two major problems in the implementation of computer technology in education: (1) the goals and purposes of implementation are unclear; (2) the implementors do not fully understand the changes necessary for the implementation of technology in education. These problems must be addressed first if success is wanted. Although both are important aspects of the implementation, this paper will focus in defining the goal, purposes or role of computer technology in student achievement at the secondary school level. To understand this critical role, it is very important to know first the basics about some theories of learning and its current application to education technology. The theory of Cognitive Constructivism states that learning happens through the learners’ active efforts to assimilation new information imposed either by the instructor or by self-discovey (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). This means that learners must be able to relate what they learn to their experiences or experience the learning itself to be able to fully understand it. One example of this is driving. In order to learn to drive a vehicle, one must not only know that vehicles are powered by gasoline, controlled using a steering wheel, has a gas pedal to move forward or backward and a break pedal to make it stop. He or she has to experience driving to know and fully understand the significance of each theory he or she is made to know. And this experience is very important if he or she is to make life-or-death decisions once he or she takes the road. Computer technology, when related to learning may be applied in a similar way, by providing a means to simulate reality to give the students a feel of what may or may not happen as a result of their decisions. Such is the function of simulations: to instill in learners goals which are similar to reality and resultant feelings that are similar to what may happen in real life because of the as a result of the decisions imposed by the program. A lot of simulation programs have now been developed for different purposes. Sim City provides the learner-gamer an experience of building a city and a feel of becoming a Mayor. The learner-gamer is subconsciously taught of the importance of planning and how each decision might give a positive effect (here, in the form of increase in the city’s revenue) or negative (in the form of rallies and decrease in the city’s revenue). Business simulations provide learners with vicarious experience of actually owning and handling investments without the need of using or losing real money. Design programs provide the learner-designer with an idea or view of the possible perspectives or outcome of each design in mind and an opportunity to manipulate or change it according to his or her desires even before actual realization of the design. There are also simulations in many different subjects like biology physics and chemistry, which can provide the learner with the opportunity to visualize the theories and manipulate situations and then see the results as would happen if the theories are applied. Simulations have been used for decades by the aviation and military industry and just until recently, the costs of simulations have prevented smaller institutions to avail its benefits (Boehle, n. d. ). Although, still not cheap, mass production, added to the said drastic improvement in learning retention rates (Boehle, n. d. ), simulations provide a very efficient tool for learning. There is a 75-80% boost in learning retention rate for students in simulations (Boehle, n. d. ) Social Constructivism believes that knowledge is socially constructed, that is, retention of information is achieved through group efforts (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † This is learning with others and through others’ input and ideas conjoined with one’s own. This theory emphasizes the importance of other’s opinion usually for the purpose of the improvement of the said work. Applied to computer technology in its role in secondary education, this allows for interaction among many different people, not limited to those in classroom but also stretches to people in different time zones. This allows for assimilation of new and varied ideas from different people from different places who usually have different ideas about different issues, strengthening ones reasoning and improving one’s knowledge about many different areas and at the same time improving one’s social skill. The most usual form of technology which applies the Social Constructivism theory is forums. A lot of forums can be found in the internet, all areas of knowledge with its own: arts, sciences, mathematics, and philosophy. The Theory of Behaviorism believes that knowledge is a â€Å"repertoire of behavioral responses to environmental stimuli (â€Å"Theories of Learning†, 2006). † According to this theory, learning happens through repetition and reinforcement, usually with the instructor speaking and the learner, listening. This learning theory is opposite of Cognitive Constructivism in that learners gain knowledge passively. This is the most common type of instructional mode used in schools. Still, this instructional mode can also be applied to computer technology. Tutorials in cd’s are now widely available in the market. These products simulate what and how teachers teach in an actual class, explaining concepts with voice recordings combined with moving pictures for visualization. It also comes with practice exercises much like what teachers would give to their students to evaluate the student’s learning. The only difference is that, these products can be used by the student alone, even at home.

Customer Satisfaction in Banking Essay Example for Free

Customer Satisfaction in Banking Essay Introduction Aiming for the customer satisfaction is the most challenging task in every organization. Through the satisfied customers, a firm an easily measure the effectiveness of the business, its potential and position in the industries, and the areas that are needed to polish and improve. Keeping the trust of a customer is not an overnight miracle but with full of patience and bountiful of effort. Background and Problem Statement The products and services that are sold in the most favorable prices can be an initial step of the firm in obtaining the trust and be included in the top list of the customers. However, because of the tight competition of various services, particularly in banks, the perception of the customers and potential customers are also divided according to the services that they want to achieve. In addition, the impact of the economic problems and financial crunches among the financial institutions creates a great challenge in the banks. With all the challenges that are ahead on the banks, how will they gather the customer satisfaction which is the same focus of the other competing banking institutions? Research Aim and Objectives The aim of the study is to determine the satisfaction on the services and products delivered by the banks towards their customers to attract other potential customer. There are three objectives that can be the guidance of the researcher/s in reaching for their goal and, in also, measuring the impact of customer satisfaction to their effectiveness in the market. First objective is to recognize the various strategies placed by the banks to achieve the customer satisfaction. Second is to determine the extent of those strategies to eliminate or at least minimize the impact of resistance and reluctance of the customers towards the bank’s offered products and services. And third is to discover the level of satisfaction from the existing customers that can contribute in the success and continuous performance of the banks. Literature Review Finding for the loyal customers is a great opportunity for the various firms and enterprises, for the corporate leaders believe that through them, the  firms can continue its business cycle. In order to keep the loyal customers, the organization should first attempt to discover the ways to satisfy the customers. Customer satisfaction is an applied term that determines on how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. It is an essential tool to see the key performance indicator within business. In banking industry, being competitive is already a given factor. Customers expect that banks should be strong enough even if there are uncertainties in the country, most especially in the financial stream. In the long run, the customer satisfaction can be the key element of the organization to prepare another strategy (Gitman and McDaniel, 2005). Every business’s mission is making the customers as their first priority. In accordance to this, the business must fill or serve the satisfaction of their customers according to what preferences that the market is demanding for. In the banking industry, there is a suggested conceptualized model of satisfaction in terms of the business-to-business level. With the aid of the path analysis, corporate customer satisfaction can be determined in the earliest time with regards to the equity, and expectations of customers (Armstrong and Seng, 2000; Hackl and Westlund, 2000). Catching the attention of the customers is the first impression of the banks in terms of promotion. However, if the banks continuously deliver the satisfaction towards to their customers, the firms will not only obtaining success but also the continuing promotion of benefits for their own customers. The most desirable outcome that the customers can gain is the improvement on their experience in banking services and products and identify that there is an increase performance. On the other hand, the firm can enjoy the benefits of minimization of the business uncertainty, maximization of profit margins and enhancement of productivity; reduce on expenses, and optimization on resource deployment (Hansemark and Albinsson, 2004). Methodology The suggested method in the study is the use of survey and interview as the primary strategy to obtain the needed information. Through the combination of survey and interview, the current position of the bank in the society can be determined. For the first process of the investigation, the survey will be conducted among the population of the customers. The first 100 customers will be the participants and through the help of the Likert Scale, the  researcher/s can view the appeal of the bank’s services and products on their customers. At the second phase of the study, the interview will be conducted among the five managers of the bank. The interview has a purpose to recognize the various strategies and their strong points to attr Read more: http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2010/06/research-proposal-on17.html#ixzz3AGEqDr4W Writing the Research Proposal Expression of Interest Research Team / Collaborations Research Guidelines Research Proposal Steps Examples of Research Proposals Good Writing Interviews Research Proposal Steps Step 1: The Title Naming your research is an important part of the research proposal. It should tell the user (In 25 words or less) what you intend to research and how you intend to do it. You may also wish to give your research project both a MÄ ori and English title. The choice is up to you, as long as your title is relevant to the research question. Step 2: The Abstract Your research proposal in its entirety may be anywhere between 5,000 to 25,000 words in length. So it is important that you give a summary of the entire document. This summary is known as the abstract, and should demonstrate to the reader the most important parts of each of the sections of the research proposal in around 200 words. It is often useful to write the abstract last, after the rest of the research proposal has been written and fully thought out. Step 3: Aims and Objectives In this section you should expand on the title of your research project to  articulate in full detail the aims and objectives of your research. You should be able to provide a detailed description of the research question, the purpose of the research, and a description of your approach (methodology and method) to the research. Included in this section should be discussion around the research problem that you intend to answer or investigate, your hypothesis, the parameters of the research i.e. what you intend to include within the research, and what you intend to leave out. Step 4: Background This section should provide detail about the background to the research question. In this section you will need to demonstrate an understanding of the existing literature and research studies within the area of your proposed research topic. This is to assist the reader to understand the significance of your research, and where it fits within the existing body of knowledge. The background section is a significant portion of your proposal and therefore should be an extensive review of the literature related to your topic (see literature review). You should be able to discuss what the existing literature is about and highlight any gaps, issues or contentions that arise. You also need to be able to show where your research fits within this literature and enter into discussions on issues that relate to your research question. The point of this background section is to demonstrate to the reader your understanding and knowledge of the research area, as well as the contribution that your research project will make to the existing research and knowledge. Step 5: Methodology and Method In this section of the proposal you will need to demonstrate how you intend to go about investigating the research question. The methodology generally refers to the theory to be used to justify the use of the particular research methods that you are choosing to use. You may use more than one methodology to inform your method of research. The method describes the way you intend to investigate the question, such as a questionnaire, a hui, in-depth individual interviews, focus group interviews, a wÄ nanga, a survey and so forth. Kaupapa MÄ ori is a methodology, that also gives rise to and guides research methods. In this section you will need to give a brief overview of Kaupapa MÄ ori theory and/or theories, why you have chosen to use this methodology and how your research question fits within thismethodological framework. If you are using more than one methodology then you will need to demonstrate why you have chosen to use another methodology alongside Kaupapa MÄ ori, and how it is relevant to the aims and objectives of your research. You should also discuss the different methods you intend to use in full detail, and provide justification as to why you have chosen to use these methods. It is also helpful to discuss how many participants you intend to involve in your research, how you intend to find or approach participants, and how they will be used in your study. Step 6: Schedule and Timeline You need to be able to demonstrate that your research is possible within a given timeframe. You may be able to define your own timeframe, or the institution for which you are writing a proposal may have a set timeframe that you will need to work within. Either way, it is important that you are able to plot the intended progress of the project from start to finish. If you intend to produce any outputs, reports, findings then they should be inserted into this schedule. Step 7: Ethical Approval Some institutions require that any research involving interaction with human participants get approval from ethical advisory committees or boards. This ethical approval is sought to ensure that the researcher conducts research in a manner that is respectful to the participants and other human beings that may be influenced by the research process. It is important that you seek out what ethical approval is required within your area of research. You may need to seek approval from more than one advisory committee depending on the institutional, financial and disciplinary context. Applications for ethical approval are obtained directly from the ethical committees themselves. Ethical considerations is a key part of conducing Kaupapa MÄ ori research. Understanding research ethics will impact on all aspects of your research, in particular, how you engage with communities to conduct your research and disseminate your research findings. MÄ ori community research organizations are also beginning to develop their own research ethics guidelines to assist both the researchers and participants to be ‘culturally safe’ during the research process. In the ‘ethical approval’ section, it is important to outline who you intend to seek ethical approval from, and/or  when ethical approval was granted and for what period of time. Step 8: Resources This section demonstrates to the reader that you are both suitable and capable of carrying out the proposed research. You will need to discuss what resources you have at your disposal that makes it possible for you to carry out this research. For example, physical resources (such as research instruments), personal resources (such as knowledge of the discipline, area or community under study), as well as any other resources that you have as a researcher (or research team) that will enable you to carry out the research from beginning through to completion. You may also need to highlight what resources you still require in order to complete the research, and also discuss how you intend to go about acquiring these resources (i.e. through funding, through research collaborations etc.) Step 9: Budget Not all research proposal require a budget (such as thesis proposals for academic institutions), however if you intend to apply for funding for research it is important that you are able to show how much money you require, and justify the amount asked for. The way to justify the amount you are asking for is to provide a detailed budget outlining what expenses you predict you will incur in conducting the research. Exactly where and how money will be spent will differ from project to project, and the size of the budget should reflect the size of the research project. Some of the main expenses that may be included in any budget could be researcher’s time, human resources (such as other research assistants, transcribers, advisory board members), technical equipment (Dictaphones, transcribers, computer hardware and software etc), stationary, koha and others.

Child development and social learning theories

Child development and social learning theories The three theories that I want to talk about are social learning theory, psychoanalytic theory, and psychosocial theory. These are three theories that have related to me in so many ways. However, there were also quite a few discussion questions, which related to some of my experiences in life. Throughout this course, I also will talk about what have learned taking this course. One assignment being experiential learning this assignment made me think about what I have accomplished and different experiences that I have a lot through over the years with my family and how I am raising my children Child development focuses on sciencetific studies and processes of stability in human children. There are many changes that children go through during development or being domains of development that consist of physical,cognitive,and psychosocial development. Psychical development is a child that may have problems with development of their motor skills, for example, a child that may not learn how to walk until they are two years old. Cognitive development a child whom has problems with speaking around others may have tendencies of being shy. Psychosocial a child that may have low self-esteem and social acceptance, these three domains are very important during child development that is why it is very important what children see and do during these stages this has a major affect on their lives. Influences on development There are many different influences on children many influences come from heredity are culture, race, and religon. The environment is also a major influence on children being raised in poverty can have a big influence on children most children think beyond and in their adult lives they become successful and many children settle for less and continue to live their lives in poverty. Culture has a lot to do with influence for example Jehovah witnesses they do not celebrate many holidays and being a child raised around this type of environment will look at the world with different perspectives. Basic theoretical issues However, basic theoretical issues many children are active and passive in their development. The English professor John Locke held that a young child is a tabula meaning blank slate at how they look at society. Children have their own internal drives and needs that influence development there are five major perspectives and theories of child development. Psychoanalytic learning, cognitive, contextual, and evolutionary, this considers evolutionary and biological underlings of how a child behaves. Psychoanalytic Psychoanalytic are views development of the unconscious forces that motivate human behavior that is referred to as psychoanalysis. The unconscious mind lies outside vague and boundaries of consciousness these things are too painful to remain in the conscious part of the mind. That are considered as repressions this is the egos defense mechanism. this could be many different things that people are unaware of these are thing that lead to serious mental behaviors in my earlier discussion question I said that these are things that trigger OCD patients they are so used to doing things like washing of the hands so much they are unaware that they are doing it too much. According to Freud2008, the ego is an aspect of the subject that emerges from the id that are biological, inherited, and unconsciousness of sexual drives and irrational impulses. The ego also develops the ids acceptation with the world. The stages of child development would include super ego is placing rules and demands of re ality. The ego demands both the id and the superego that may be called constructive acceptance that are demands made both by id and super ego these are important to mental health. Self identity and gender identity are also important stages the child realizes to identify them self of who they are and who they are going to be gender identity would be the child would be the child realizing if they are boy are a girl they are developing of self concept. Psychosocial crisis at different stages of development Crisis that develops at this stage of development would be depression the child has to much pressure to meet certain expectations and feeling to overwhelmed or the child has permissive parents that have made the child feel ashamed about what he or she is supposed to be doing. Low self-esteem child has no self worth about what he or she are doing they may also have identity crisis not really knowing who they are in this world. This is the main reason why we have so many children that commit suicide it is very important that we show our children love and support no matter what they may be doing in during this stage of development this will matter as they grow into adults. Social learning theory However,learning is very important during child development this learning comes from observing others behavior. Social learning is a transition between learning theories and cognitive learning theories. Observational learning is learning by choosing models to imitate when a child has watched someone do something for instance, my daughter has watched me fold the linen over the years now she helps me fold this is because she has learned from watching me since she has been a baby. Observational learning is very important this is a very critical time in a childà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s life they want to learn and do everything possible. Bandura makes a distinction between learning through observation and imitation of what has been learned. There are four conditions that are used before a person can model behavior paying attention being able to remember having the ability to replicate and motivation being able to show what they have learned throughout the observation process. Modeling behavior Modeling teaches new behaviors influences frequencies and encourages many different behaviors. Self efficiency plays a big role in learning the child has to be able to believe in themselves in order to have confidence to succeed towards the learning process this affects behavior because if they do not believe in their self they will not feel successful in doing certain activities. Self-regulation is also important this is when one has their own ideas of choosing what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior setting standards and goals. Self-instructions are strategy that teaches learners instructions to guide their behavior this would be cognitive modeling, external guidance, selfguidance, and self-instruction. Associative learning, and Psychosocial tools Associative learning are two kinds of learning operant conditioning, and classical conditioning classical conditioning being would be fearing something this fear would be from something that has happened to someone for instance a tornado if you have experienced something like this every time you hear strong wind this can make you become fearful that another tornado may hit. Operant conditioning would be for example, if a child is rewarded for good behavior in school, it is most likely that the child will always show good behavior to receive rewards. Classical conditioning is a natural process of learning different from operant conditioning this learning involves voluntary behavior learning from consequences. Cognitive learning theory Cognitive learning focuses on the thought process and a behavior that reflects on these processes J Piaget (1896-1980) described to processes used by the individual in its attempt to adapt assimilation and accommodation. Both of these processes are used in life as the person increasingly adapts to the environment. Assimilation is the process of using or transforming the environment and placing them in to structures. There are four stages of development in cognitive development the sensiormotor stage this is a period of development when thie child demomstrates activities and knowledge of the world. Pre-operational stage is when the child demonstrates the usage of the memory and imagination. Operational stage is when the child shows actions that can be reversed. Formal operational stage the child begins to use egocentric thoughts intelligence is demonstrated. At this stage of development it is very important that we challenge our children ablilities during this developmental stage. Infromation processing Information is a process that explains cognitive development by analyzing the mental processes that are involved in perceiving and handling information. This processs consist of usage of the brain. Vygotskys(2008) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ theory says that the brain is similar to the computer.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  This approach helps researchers to estimate the intelligence of a child. Different studies are put into place to see how much data can be stores in the brain. This is put into place to study and to put a handle on the conscious an uncouncious parts of the memory for example, the child memory is very difrrent from the adult memory for instance there is generic memory that comes from remembering basic routines that a child may do on a daily basis. Script would be from repeated or familiar events that take placethis could be a family gathering. Episodic memory are longterm memories this is a family vacation. Autobiographical memorys are events that take place in a persons life that have spec ial meaningthis could be a memory that had negative affects on the child and is always remembered because of that. Memories have a lot to do with information processing if a child is unable to remember this can affect the way that they learn, and also affect the developmental process. My experience taking this course This course has taught me a lot about child development new things that I have never thought about before. I will be able to utilize these new skills when I am done with this course. For instance, you think about things that may be going on in your everyday life you also a good understand about child development, experiential learning was one of my favorite assignments. For example, experiential learning for me is the best way to learn I am the kind of person that if you show me something one time I take it and run with it. I also enjoyed talking about Psychoanalytic perspective I learned from this perspective that there are th ings that people do on a daily basis without even realizing that this is being done this has a lot to do with the unconscious part of the brain.

Jane Eyre Essay -- essays papers

Jane Eyre The novel, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte delivers a strong feminist message. Jane was a strong woman in a time when women were not meant to be strong. She was very out spoken (even as a child) and very sure in her values and opinions. She would not change them for anyone. She did not even let men control her, which is what was expected of women in this era. Jane’s father died when she was a little girl, leaving her basically on her own. The only kin she had that she knew of was an aunt that saw her as nothing but a burden and treated her cruelly. Her three cousins were just as bad, which further distressed her situation. Jane’s only escape from living with these awful people was the solitude she found in books. Any time she had spare time she would read. It is Jane’s love for reading and the knowledge she gained from them that gives her the power to finally stand up to her aunt. Her aunt ultimately gets rid of Jane by sending her to a very strict boarding school designed for orphans called Lowood. At Lowood Jane befriends a girl by the name of Helen Burns. When she first meets Helen, she sees her being punished in front of her entire class for virtually no reason. After witnessing this incident, Jane talks to Helen about it because she does not understand why she did not resist the teacher she says: You are good to those who are good to you. It is all I ever desire to be. If people were always kind and obedient to those who are cruel and unjust, the wicked people would have it all their own way: they would never feel afraid, and so they would never alter, but would grow worse and worse. When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we sho... ...he now has complete financial independence which I believe makes her more secure in returning to Thornfield because she is in need of nothing but peace of mind in knowing that Mr. Rochester is alright. When she gets to Thornfield she finds it burnt to the ground. Mr. Rochester has gone blind and is very deformed after he went into the fire to try and save his wife from the burning house. His attempt had failed and his wife died. So in the end, Jane can now be with the person that she loves - Mr. Rochester. The irony of their marriage is that Jane will be the one taking care of Mr. Rochester instead of the other way around. Throughout the novel, Jane stands up for what she believes in even though in some cases it hurts her very badly. By her not being scared to do what it takes to follow her beliefs she went from a girl who had nothing to a woman who had it all.

Marcus Brutus as a Tragic Hero in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essay

Marcus Brutus as a Tragic Hero in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar In the play Julius Caesar, the tragedy of the play was directed mainly at one specific character, Marcus Brutus. Brutus was the tragic hero of the play, because of his idealistic and pragmatic qualities. The mindset that Brutus possessed only allowed him to see the world and its people from one point of view. This point of view allowed him to make judgments that assumed only the best of people. This tragic weakness resulted in many errors throughout the play. The major incidences such as decisions made during the orchard soliloquy, the discussion with Cassius and the conspirators regarding decisions about Antony and the oath, his speech to the commoners after Caesar's assassination and finally the outward circumstance regarding Titinius and Cassius in act 5. Brutus was too idealistic and lived in fantasy world in which he made all his decisions simply by expecting that all were as honourable as himself. Brutus' idealism was displayed when he was reviewing his decision to kill Caesar while in his orchard. While evaluating his feelings towards Caesar, he stated, " I know little personal cause to spurn at him, But for the general". Brutus felt that Caesar had not done anything incorrect, but was afraid of what might occur. He compared Caesar to a snake, which has the ability to sting. Just as one might step on the snake and be stung, Caesar might defeat anyone who interfered with his course of action. Brutus thinks about what Caesar could become and do, if he was given the power of the crown. A very descriptive metaphor was used to illustrate Brutus' reasoning for killing: That lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face... ...t. Shortly after, Brutus too realizes that he fighting a battle that can not be won. His honour forces himself to run upon his sword, rather than to be captured by Octavius. Brutus made errors because he was an idealist, who thought that all men, including Antony were honourable. Brutus was a tragic hero in this play, because he was too idealistic. He often fell into negative circumstances that were beyond his control. His decision making was often affected by this, because he made all his decisions by expecting that all were as honourable as himself. The tragedy can be well outlined by reviewing his orchard soliloquy, discussions made with the conspirators, the speech to the commoners and the outward circumstance in the conclusion of the play. Brutus died because of his idealism, and did so because others were not as honourable and trustworthy as he was.",,,,

Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. DAdamo :: Health Diet Essays

Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo Eat Right 4 Your Type, by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo, was one of many diet books that hit the bookstores in 1996. This diet program uses the four blood types as a premise for what foods one should eat, what type of exercise one should do, and to what diseases one is susceptible. After careful review of the scientific literature, I was unable to find any studies that evaluated the validity of the book’s claims. There are numerous scientific studies that examine the roles of certain foods on health and diet, and there are plenty of studies that focus on the correlation between blood type and disease. However, there seem to be no studies devoted to the entire D’Adamo program itself. Dr. Peter D’Adamo and his father, Dr. James D’Adamo, worked in the field of blood type analysis. His father noticed that many patients from European Spas who were on strict vegetarian diets or low-fat diets did not lose weight. Some patients actually worsened. Dr. James D’Adamo eventually suspected that blood type might be the cause. Since blood is the fundamental source of nourishment to the body, perhaps some aspect of the blood could help identify the differing results. The study was successful in that blood type was correlated with the patients’ successes or failures on specific diets. Type A did poorly on high-protein diets, but did very well on vegetable proteins such as tofu and soy. Type A benefited from lighter forms of exercise, such as yoga. On the other hand, Type O did well on high-protein diets and benefited from intense physical activity. This led Dr. Peter D’Adamo to expand upon his father’s findings. The result was Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer, and Achieving Your Ideal Weight (D’Adamo XIV). Eat Right 4 Your Type begins by explaining why blood type is important to a person’s diet. The human body has unique chemical markers called antigens that can identify foreign substances that enter the body. One of the most powerful antigens in the body is the one that determines blood type. The different blood type antigens are so sensitive that they are the immune system’s best defense. A person’s blood type is named for the blood type antigen that he/she possesses on the red blood cells (D’Adamo 18).

Affect the Daily Lives of Elderly

â€Å"I’ve fallen and can’t get up! † How many times have you heard and laughed at that expression? Although there are countless jokes to go along with aging, the fact is the age process brings about numerous bodily changes that can affect the lives of older adults. With such a large span of changes that may happen, not all elderly people have the same changes. This is called probabilistic aging (changes that may happen to some, but not all people as they grow older). The majority of aging changes not only cause physical disability, but mental and social setbacks as well.The ones that have the largest effects of the quality of daily life in the elderly are the loss of bone density, kidney dysfunctions, and hypertension. As we progress through the years, our bones begin to decrease in density. We all lose some bone mass as we age and it reaches its peak between the ages of 25 and 35. Our bones lose calcium and other minerals and become more porous, lighter, and le ss dense. The loss of density causes our bones to become weak and possibly break. There are many different stages to bone loss, but osteoporosis is the most debilitating.It is most commonly found in women over the age of 60 when their bones begin to break and can even cause hip and spinal fractures. In women who have experienced menopause, they can use hormone therapy to help increase bone density. Through calcium and vitamin D supplements as well as exercise (weight lifting and walking), we can also increase our bone density. Of course, the earlier we start, the healthier our bones will be when we get older. Another common ailment is kidney disease. Our kidneys have the job of removing waste from the bloodstream.As we age and have chronic conditions like: diabetes or high blood pressure, damage can be done to our urinary tract and kidneys. When poisons and toxins are not being eliminated properly, problems can range from fatigue and frequent urination to incontinence (loss of bladd er control) and the need for dialysis (blood is cleaned out) may occur. The most extreme cases would require kidney transplants. Reducing the intake of sugar and carbohydrates, maintaining a low cholesterol and fat diet, as well as drinking plenty of fluids is what doctors suggest to avoid these types of problems.The third and most significant bodily change as we age is hypertension or high blood pressure. It is a silent change that is linked to various other diseases and is the most deadly. Hypertension is caused by fatty deposits that form on the walls of the heart vessels known as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The body receives blood through arteries pumped by the heart muscles. This blood carries oxygen, carbon dioxide and nutrients to the necessary areas in the body. If there are fatty deposits on the walls of the vessels, it impedes the blood flow, resulting in the heart working harder to push the blood through blocked arteries.The effect is an elevated blood pr essure reading medically known as hypertension. Stress is one of the main causes of hypertension which is directly linked to overeating, smoking, and drinking. Research indicates that cold weather can be related to high blood pressure in older people because it is related to stress. Without treatment, it increases the risk of kidney disease, erectile dysfunction, eye problems, diabetes and more importantly heart disease and stroke which can be fatal. A proper diet, exercise and healthy choices are necessary to decrease the fatty deposits in our blood vessels.All of these bodily changes can cause some form of physical disability which in turn can cause emotional and social problems as well. When a physical body change occurs, the elderly may become depressed because they may need to rely of others to help them. They also may avoid social situations because they are uncomfortable, in pain, or have a level of embarrassment due to their disability. Although biological aging cannot be av oided, there often are many ways to prevent some of the probabilistic changes from happening or be less debilitating.A common thread found throughout the bodily changes is many of them can be avertable with a healthy lifestyle change of a proper diet and exercise. So get wiser with age by seeing a doctor regularly and begin your lifestyle changes to ensure an enjoyable aging process. Works Cited Aging. (Last modified March 21, 2009. ) In Wikipedia Online. Retrieved March 21, 2009 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Aging Bone Mineral Density. (2005-2009) WebMD. Retrieved on March 21, 2009 from http://www. webmd.com/osteoporosis/bone-mineral-density Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). (2009. ) National Kidney Foundation. Retreived on March 21, 2009 from http://www. kidney. org/kidneydisease/ckd/index. cfm Hypertension/High Blood Pressure Guide (2005-2009). WebMD. Retrieved on March 20, 2009 from http://www. webmd. com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/ Warner, J. (January 12, 2009). WebMD. High Blood Pressure Climbs in Winter. http://www. webmd. com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20090112/high-blood- pressure-climbs-in-winter