Intramedullary Spinal Cord Tumors Health And Social Care Essay

In this essay I will discourse a patient who had been enduring from Amyotrophic Lateral induration a signifier of Motor Neurone Disease which is a progressive, chronic and debilitating disease. I will discourse the consequence this disease has on the organic structure, look at differential diagnosing, the cardinal status impacting the organic structure by this disease, epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology and the associated pharmacological medicine that are all prevalent with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Motor Neurone Disease is a general term for a few differential discrepancies of the diseases which are combined under the one umbrella ( see appendix A ) the specific disease I will discourse is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ( ALS ) . From this point Motor Neurone Disease will be known as MND and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis known as ALS. The patient I attended was a 53 twelvemonth old who had been enduring from ALS. The patient when we arrived had died but had been in the terminal phases of the disease. In speaking with the household and acquiring a good societal and household history it became evident that this patient had led an active life style until she was diagnosed with ALS. In the early phases this patient managed herself but rapidly became unable to pull off her daily attention and required aid, due to the ALS the patient was known to us but I had ne'er attended to them before. In treatment with paramedic who I was on with they gave me a brief history of the patient so I was prepared when I went in. ALS comes under the umbrella of MND which affects the nervous system ( see Appendix B ) and can be divided into two countries the lower taking to muscle weakness/wasting ( wasting ) and the upper taking to stiffness, abnormally active physiological reactions by and large nonvoluntary and each impacting different countries of the organic structure in changing grades. The forecast for ALS is Death, as it affects the upper and lower nervous system ( see Appendix B1 ) . MND It is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease, nevertheless depending on countries affected it may take a few old ages or it can take longer. There is no remedy for MND and the pharmacological medicine is restricted. The pharmacological medicine for the patient was Riluzule in the early phases can decelerate down the devastation of the motor nerve cells as it is a neuroprotector, Baclofen is prescribed as a musculus relaxer which is used to handle the cramps and stiffness caused by the musculuss, Dantrolene is prescribed to handle long term musculus cramps and stiffness though it can besides do liver harm, Diazepam ( diazepam ) is prescribed for its ataractic consequence and helps command the musculus cramp and stiffness these along with other general medicines and with the aid of psychological and emotional support signifier household, friends and other bureaus all assisted the patient with get bying with their ALS. This patient was in ventilatory failure which is the terminal phase of the disease. On Arrival the patient was still on the ventilator and the Patients ‘ household were around her they stated that she had been experiencing ailing different signifier the disease itself and that she had non been herself, the patient was still able to pass on utilizing her eyes although this was going a strain on her and was now passing greater lengths of clip asleep. The patient had retained her sense of temper throughout the disease. The household managed all the daily patient attention themselves as they stated that they knew her best and as the disease progressed and the patient was unable to vocalize any longer they were still able to understand what was wanted. On Examination the patient had no bosom beat and remained in cardiac arrest, patient students were fixed, all marks of life were negative apart from the ventilator. The household knew that the patient had died but we had to repeat that and do certain as they had requested us to go forth ventilator switched on at that clip which meant that there were breath sounds although false reading as it was mechanical aided airing and there was no existent external respiration attempt from the patient it was explained to the patients sister and hubby that although the ventilator is still on it may be confounding for any of the other relations that were coming to understand and particularly for the patients kids as there were no marks of life but the noise of the ventilator might intend they got confused. Dr was called one time we had arrived and we explained what was go oning and as it was the GP that usually attended to the patients ongoing attention we requested that they attend the house. Dr pronounced the patients ‘ decease and was able to exchange off the ventilator as this was what the household wished, during this clip asperity had begun. The household and Dr stated that the patient was cognizant of the result of the disease and that the patient had a DNAR in topographic point which the Dr brought with them as it was a new issue and the one the household had was out of day of the month. I realised through speech production with the household that the symptoms of this disease were similar to other nervous system diseases and that I knew really small about this I decided I would read up on the disease and larn how these types of neurological diseases affect people. Differential Diagnosis: In order to derive the right diagnosing of any disease you must first regulation out several other different diseases that affect the organic structure in a similar manner. In making so you are able to name and handle the disease efficaciously utilizing the right pharmacological medicine, psychological science, or external aid. This is sometimes hard as they frequently present in this instance with muscular blowing particularly of the upper limbs which is the initial presentation in MND and ALS. Some of the differential diagnosing for ALS and MND are: Intramedullary tumour – See Appendix B. Cervical spondylosis – Cervical myelopathy – see Appendix B Peroneal muscular atrophy- see Appendix B Chronic polymyositis- see Appendix B Cervical rib- see Appendix B Peripheral nervus lesions- See Appendix B ( General Practice Notebook, 2012 ) Once all the differential diagnosing information has been correlated and ruled out it is so clip to look at the factors of MND and it variants that prevarication within the MND umbrella. There are assorted types of MND with ALS being the most outstanding and besides the 1 that appears to be speedy in oncoming therefore a rapid diagnosing eases the patients anxiousness and will besides give the patient the right pharmacological medicine and psychological science with support groups and healers to understand the forecast and the disease and its effects on the organic structure although everyone can bring forth different symptoms and no one individual has the same patterned advance through the disease it is in a sense individualised. MND has changing types under its umbrella some affect specific site and others whole countries of the nervousnesss. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ( ALS ) , both upper and lower motor neurone harm. Primary Lateral Sclerosis ( PLS ) , upper motor neurone harm entirely, Bulbar Palsy, the bulbar paralysiss Progressive Muscular Atrophy ( PMA ) , lower motor neurone harm entirely Epidemology of ALS ALS normally occurs between age 40 and 70, and 90 % of instances represent some signifier of MND disease. The incidence of the disease increases with each decennary, the mean age at oncoming is 63 old ages. The surveies of the addition of the disease are predominately due to one factor that we are all acquiring better wellness attention and that we are in the chief life thirster. Recent information has suggested that there may be some cultural variableness to the disease nevertheless there is still a lower incidence in non-whites or persons of assorted ethnicity. The male to female ratio is 1.3 in the ages between 40-70 but approaches equality at ages older than 70 old ages. ( Sharon M. Valente RN, 2007 ) ( Carmel Armon, n.d. ) The highest rate of ALS in the universe is Finland. There has been a recent survey in Finland to happen out why they have such high rates they found that a mutant in chromosome 9p21 as the major cause of familial ALS. Finland is non the lone state with a high rate Guam has a prevalence of 70 in every 100,00 this they believed was due to the toxins in the Cycad nut and the rhythm it went through to free it of the toxins. The nut was besides consumed by the Flying Fox ( a chiropteran ) which used to be portion of the diet. The toxins in the nut may hold been much more concentrated and as it was consumed it released the toxins. This statistic has been reduced as alterations in diet have occurred the people of Guam now have a prevalence of 7 in every 100,000. ( Sharon M. Valente RN, 2007 ) ( Carmel Armon, n.d. ) Aetiology of ALS: Between 5-10 % of instances are familial. 90-95 % of instances are sporadic. The mean oncoming for people with familial ALS is 10-20 old ages younger. The balance are sporadic. Diagnosis for this disease are blood trials, Electromyogram ( EMG ) , Magnetic Resonance Imaging ( MRI ) and one time every other neurological disease has been rejected so the diagnosing will be of MND so depending on clinical presentation a unequivocal diagnosing of what type of MND will go on next. Pathophysiology of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosiss: ALS is a disease of the Motor Neurones it is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative disease and it is fatal. There is no remedy for this disease and pharmacological medicine is limited to handling the symptoms as they occur. Famillia ALS is caused by a familial defect on chromosome 21 which is an enzyme ( an enzyme allows a cell to transport out chemical reactions really rapidly ) and helps destruct free groups ( Free groups take negatrons from the cells and do a batch of harm ) It is nevertheless non necessary to hold the faulty chromosome to develop ALS as non all bearers of the faulty chromesome contract the disease and people can contract the disease without a faulty chromesome. Sporadic ALS is mostly unknown in its cause nevertheless at that place have been links in the alterations to the organic structures nucleic acid through smoke have been shown to trip the disease oncoming. In ALS progressive musculus wasting predominately is found on the Lower motor neurones which reside in the anterior Grey horn of the spinal cord and in the encephalon root ( corticospinal ) . The upper Motor neurones predominately cause marking on the sidelong column of the spinal cord which may bring forth stiffness or abnormally active physiological reactions. There are instances although rare where the loss of prefrontal neurones may hold caused signifiers of cognitive damage. Although this is non typical in ALS as by and large there is no devolution of the five senses and these nervus cells remain integral. Nerve cell organic structures of the lower and upper motor neurone control the musculuss. The motor axons die by devolution and the larger motor neurones are affected to a higher extent than the smaller motor neurones. Equally long as the regeneration and devolution remains changeless so the nervus cell has the ability to maintain the motor neurones within normal bounds hence no symptoms will be evident, merely when the demand for regeneration of these cells can non fit the devolution it is so the first symptoms of ALS becomes apparent. The axon interruptions and the environing Schwann cells catabolise the axon ‘s medulla sheath and steep the axon interrupting it into fragments. The breakdown causes ovoids which are little compartments which contain the fragments of the axon the ovoids are so ingested and destroyed by the macrophages the hungry white blood cells who come en mass to clean up. This nevertheless leaves a grade on the country and if supply and demand for regeneration are non met this procedure so causes the wasting of the motor nervousnesss go forthing them denervated and unable to execute. There are as with all types of disease clinical manifestations in which we are able to name certain conditions non all of them present at one time and all varying in badness depending on the length of clip the patient has had the disease. Muscle failing is the primary mark of ALS with the musculus cramp and stiffness associated with musculus wast ing active nonvoluntary jerking a weakend clasp, slurred address, there is by and large no redness of the musculuss but the changeless vellication and contraction can do a batch of hurting. ALS begins in one limb before impacting the other limb. This disease can distribute through multiple sites on the organic structure and can impact the critical variety meats as they are made up of musculus tissue this is the terminal stages where the patient is unable to take a breath without the aid of a ventilator and as life anticipation for ALS is between 2-5 old ages it can be swift in oncoming. The pharmacological medicine for the patient was Riluzule in the early phases can decelerate down the devastation of the motor nerve cells as it is a neuroprotector, Baclofen is prescribed as a musculus relaxer which is used to handle the cramps and stiffness caused by the musculuss, Dantrolene is prescribed to handle long term musculus cramps and stiffness though it can besides do liver harm, Diazep am ( diazepam ) is prescribed for its ataractic consequence and helps command the musculus cramp and stiffness these along with other general medicines and with the aid of psychological, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy and emotional support signifier household, friends and other bureaus all assist the patient with get bying with their ALS. As ambulance service there is small that can be done to assist the patient apart from doing them comfy. We can utilize Professional-Professional calls to the necessary adviser and inquire for advice as to the best attention for the patient and if we need to set up for the patient to be admitted into infirmary or whether organizing another carepathway would be suited. The carepathway could besides be used and was in this instance a call to the patients ‘ ain GP bespeaking them to see as this was the want of the patient and the household explicating what had happened. The usage of any analgetic drug for the hurting would hold to be discuss ed with the adviser as this may hold inauspicious effects on status or may hold contraindicators to drugs regime the patient was already on. Following the Care program that is in topographic point meant that although the patient had died we could still follow their wants. Pg1.APPENDIX A- The Nervous System The nervous system is the organic structure ‘s communicating web. It plays a critical function in keeping homeostasis and consists of a immense figure of cells called neurones. The nervous system can be split into two different divisions the Central Nervous System ( CNS ) which controls the encephalon and the spinal cord and the Peripheral Nervous System ( PNS ) which controls all the nervousnesss outside of the spinal cord and encephalon. The peripheral nervous system can be sub-divided into the motor or motorial tract and the sensory or afferent tract. The motor map is divided once more into- voluntary- controls motion of the musculuss and involuntary- which is portion of the autonomic nervous system that controls the cardiac musculus and its secretory organs, this system can be divided into two once more the sympathetic and parasympathetic. The nervous system is predominately made up of nervous tissue which consists of two types of cells- nervus cells or nerve cells and neuroglia, it besides includes the blood vass and the connective tissue. Nerve cells Nerve cells specialise in responding to physical or chemical stimulations from the alterations within their milieus. Nerve cells send and receive nervus urges. The construction of a nerve cell is like an arm with thenar and fingers. Dendrites are like your fingers projecting from the thenar of your manus they are little projections coming from the axon APPENDIX B INTRAMEDULLARY SPINAL CORD TUMORS Pain and failing are the most common presenting symptoms of intramedullary spinal cord tumours. Pain is frequently the earliest symptom, classically happening at dark when the patient is supine. The hurting is typically local over the degree of the tumour but may radiate.Progressive failing may happen in the weaponries ( cervical tumours ) or legs ( cervical, thoracic, conus tumours ) . Impaired intestine, vesica, or sexual map frequently occurs early. Patients may hold hapless balance. Rarely, symptoms of subarachnoid bleeding may be present. Examination may uncover a combination of upper and lower motor nerve cell marks. Lower motor marks may be at the degree of the lesion and may help in localisation. Other marks apparent upon physical scrutiny may include spine tenderness, stiffening of pace, trophic alterations of appendage, centripetal loss, hyperreflexia, clonus, and scoliosiscervical spondylosis – Cervical myelopathyCervical myelopathy occurs when terrible cervical spondylosis causes narrowing of the spinal canal ( besides known as stricture ) and compaction of t he spinal cord. When the spinal cord is compressed, it interferes with the signals that travel between your encephalon and the remainder of your organic structure. Symptoms can include: a deficiency of co-ordination, for illustration you may happen undertakings such as buttoning a shirt progressively hard, heaviness or failing in your weaponries or legs, jobs walking, less normally, intestine and urinary incontenance, centripetal loss is normally present but the upper limb failing and lower limb spasticity may be unusually similar to MND. MND has a more rapid myelopathy and cervical phonograph record bulge will be absent on X-ray. Occasionally, MND may co-exist with cervical spondylosis. cervical rib – fasciculation absent, hurting prominent, centripetal loss normally present, characteristic radiology peripheral nervus lesions – localised cachexia, normally accompanied by centripetal loss. peroneal muscular wasting – centripetal loss of the peripheral nervousnesss become damaged it can do the undermentioned symptoms: numbness and prickling in the pess and custodies a combustion, knifing or hiting hurting loss of co-ordination in the affected organic structure parts musculus failing chronic polymyositis – The history of patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis typically includes the followers: Symmetrical, proximal musculus failing with insidious oncoming Muscles normally painless Myalgias occur in fewer than 30 % of patients. Dysphagia ( 30 % ) and aspiration, if pharyngeal and oesophageal musculuss are involved Arthralgias may be associated Trouble kneeling, mounting or falling stepss, stepping onto a kerb, raising weaponries, raising objects, combing hair, and originating from a seated place Weak cervix extensors cause trouble keeping the caput up Engagement of pelvic girdle normally greater than upper organic structure failing Cardiac engagement may do symptoms of pericarditis or myocardiopathy Characteristic roseola of face, bole, and custodies seen in dermatomyositis merely Patients with polymyositis normally present with symmetrical, proximal musculus failing in the upper and lower appendages. Weakness of cervix flexors besides occurs. Patients with polymyositis may describe musculus hurting and tenderness, which may be confused with symptoms of polymyalgia rheumatica. The disease may be for several months before the patient seeks medical advice, and all of the musculuss of the thighs, bole, shoulders, hips, and upper weaponries are normally involved. Muscle failing may fluctuate from hebdomad to hebdomad or from month to month. Fine motor motions that depend on the strength of distal musculuss, such as buttoning a shirt, run uping, knitting, or authorship, are affected merely tardily in the disease. Dysphagia secondary to oropharyngeal and oesophageal engagement occurs in approximately one tierce of patients with polymyositis and is a hapless predictive mark. Dysphonia is besides a hapless predictive mark but is much less common. Ocular musculuss are ne'er involved in generalised polymyositis. However, stray orbital myositis, an inflammatory upset affecting the extraocular musculuss, is good described. Facial and bulbar musculus failing is highly rare in persons with polymyositis. A household history of neuromuscular disease, endocrinopathy, or exposure to myotoxic drugs or toxins is absent. differentiate by electromyography and musculus biopsy myasthenia gravis – bulbar marks but seldom muscular cachexia ; responds quickly to anticholinesterase

Is Illegal Immigration Harmful to the United States Essay

â€Å"The mighty tides of immigration†¦ bring to us different languages, opinions, customs, and principles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Immigration opposing views 26). Immigrants from all over the world contribute to the United States by revitalizing cities, building the economy, and bringing their energizing culture to the bland society of America. About 12 million people in the United States are living illegally (scholastic, New York Times Subtitle) only because of the U. S code title 8 1325, which states that you have committed a federal crime if an improper entry has been attempted by an alien (legal information institute par. 1). Illegal immigration should not be considered harmful to the United Sates; hence, it molds society into a multi cultural and prosperous country. The current immigration policy brings tension to family ties and tears them apart. About one million spouses and children wait daily for visas in hopes of reuniting with their families (immigration opposing views 138-139). In some cases children are left behind in the care of their grandparents or uncles, while their parents go in search of a better job and a new life in order to support their family, or go back to their home country to resume their lives while their children get a better education, which causes many children separation anxiety. A reporter interviewed a 23 year old who now is in the process of becoming legal because of the Dream act. From now on she will be known as subject A. She first came here from Nicaragua legally with her mother on the year of 2001 to spend Christmas with her family. She has an older sister (Subject B) who was already here when subject A arrived. Subject B came to the United States from Nicaragua legally in the year of 1998, as her 15th birthday present, as she was visiting a category 5 Hurricane, known as hurricane Mitch struck all of Central America and the Yucatan peninsula but Honduras and Nicaragua were especially hit hard, on October 22 of 1998 (history par. 2 & 3), which did not allow her to go back to Nicaragua. As a result of all the damage done by the deadly storm the United States lend a helping hand to those countries in need by granting TPS (temporary protected status) to migrants of those countries. Subject B was eligible to receive TPS on January fifth 1999; she was given an employment authorization document (EAD) and was granted travel authorization if it was needed, as well as the reassurance that she could not be removed from the United States. Subject B was not able to fly out, so she had to stay with her mother’s sister also subjects B aunt (subject D). Subject D as very close with subject A and B; they even sometimes saw them as their second parents. Subject A and C had to fly back home, as Subject A had to return to her regular life, as Subject A approached the age of 13 she was told she had a colon disease which could not be treated in Nicaragua because of the lack of technology advancement. She quickly returned to the United States with her mother. As she stayed for about 3 months, her medical conditions worsened, Subject A’s family came to a mutual decision that she should stay in the care of her aunt (subject D) her uncle and her older sister (subject B). Soon after her mother flew back, and subject A was getting accustomed to the fast pace American life. The validity of her visa card came to an end, and she was now an illegal immigrant. She felt comfortable for only about two to three months, little by little she started to shut down and talked less and started to have pessimistic thoughts about life. Growing up as an illegal immigrant Subject A did not fell indifferent, only because she did not now situation she was in. Everything changed once she entered high school; she did not have the ‘normal teenage’ experience. But as she got older she grew to understand and started to have hatred feeling towards her mother for what she called ‘abandoning’ her and her sister. She grew jealous of certain family members because they growing up with both parents and they were able to go to parks with their dads while she went with her sister or aunt. As other kids were learning how to drive and taking the streets on their own, she was not able to, she had no driver’s license and that’s when she was seen as the ‘weirdo’, both Subject A and B had different responsibilities than just the normal chores. Subject B, while in high school worked because she was given the TPS, but she didn’t have the luxury to spend her pay check on herself, she was to send it to her mother back home in Nicaragua. She was starting to have ideas of wishing her mom would supply her financially instead of her, as she saw her teenage friends buy the trendiest clothes while she used thrift shopped clothing items. Subject B had a different experience than her younger sister besides everything, because she was older and was able to build a mother daughter relationship. In school Subject B would be bullied and sometimes harassed, what she saw as jokes because of her lack of understanding for the English language were actually meant as hurtful remarks, which lead her to become insecure about herself and her life. Subject A saw it as betrayal from her mother’s side, and she would have wished her mom was there to experience her first date, prom and several other high school milestones. Not only that but she was rejected from several colleges and universities because she was an undocumented immigrant. She grew frustrated, because she was brought up into a family that saw education as the only thing the government or your peers can’t take away from you, so she was always the top of her class, graduating with a 3. 97 GPA. Just to know that all those study halls, sleepless nights, and put down hangouts with her friends were in the end worth nothing. She was not able to qualify for scholarships, as a legal immigrant would be granted with the grades she acquired. Because of her situation she was charged as an international student, when her life was very well seen as the ‘American’ one. As she saw she had no hopes in enrolling into her dream university she entered a technical school, Robert P. Morgan. She was able to study in there for a few months as a business administrator for a few semesters because of the grants the government would gift certain community colleges to help man young adults in Subject A’s situation. She was later kicked out of the school because of the many budget cuts. Subject A felt as if her hands were tied to her back and she could not do anything to further her future, while she saw her friends and family move on with their lives. Her dreams were shuttered and many doors were closed in her face until they government would pass a bill aiding many illegal young adults in the education aspect of life, which in the 90’s it was not even thought of. As a result they both look back on their experience and are thankful for it. They have grown from it to become independent. Subject A has now been eligible for a driver’s license, id, and work permit because of the Dream Act, thanks to the endless protests and inspiring words of illegal high school and college students along with their teachers, mentors and peers. Once she is done with the lengthened process she will finish school, and hopefully in the near future will open a business that will give kids a helping hand, if it is only by giving them a shoulder to lean on o someone to talk to. As when she was growing up, her community discriminated against ‘aliens’. She would like to show them and lead them through different routes other than the one which many teenagers fall into; ingesting drugs, theft. Subject B did not have as many struggles as Subject A, she was able to wok a well paying job, and did not have to use public transportation everyday to get to and from work. She is now a single parent attending school to acquire her master’s degree in business administration, with a six year old attending kindergarten, which she is proud to know she can share her story with when he reaches and understandable age. Both subject and Subject B are strong believers of the idea that even though adults are not granted a legal life in the United States, illegal children should be. Because by denying them a legal status in this country you are shutting down possible opportunities of them ever having a proper education, a well paying job, and the future they deserve, not only because children are the future for this world but because they do not decide how they are going to live at the age of six. In other cases, parents are the ones who struggle financially and emotionally. Many are willing to leave their families in stable hands to come to the United States crossing borders in dark nights where the only light seen is the moonlight, just to make sure food is being placed every night and day at the dining table, and that their children have clothes to put on their backs. Many adults face discrimination when it comes to jobs, they are given low wages because many employers are aware that their employees are desperate for a job. Furthermore they are faced with abuse and harassment, which many are scared of the consequences if they report their employers, so they tolerate the mistreatment. Others go to sleep with regrets, thinking that maybe if they would have waited they could have found better opportunities, selling illegal drugs at a local corner they would have made it out better. Not only do they face hardships once they have been ‘settles down’ but also while they are crossing borders, many immigrants running away from patrols during their crossings are beaten with batons, fists or even their feet. Others are being tortured in their jail cells by being denied water or food, and many times they are sexually abused by border patrols (immigration opposing viewpoints pg 130-131). Usually the local residents of Arizona and Texas which tend to be Native Americans or anti- immigration citizens do not agree with the ‘felony’, but even though they have committed a crime by chasing the ‘American dream’ they have heard so much about, in an illegal way because it was their only option since all their other doors have been closed, they should not be treated like animals (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 130-131). They have not taken a life away from the earth; they are only on a search for a better life. Many local residents decide to take matter into their hands and go ‘immigrant hunting’ as a recreational activity, which consists of gong late at night searching for immigrants crossing the border which they can target with their rifles (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 130-131). Many of the patrol officers are thankful for all the ‘help’ the residents of the area have given them (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 130-131) Many American citizens tend to see immigration as nothing but a disgrace to this Country. But there are others that strongly disagree. Illegal Immigrants revamp the economy by adding an extra 50 billion dollars of federal income taxes to the economy in the years of 1993 to 2003 (procon. org par. 11). A lot of citizens believe that by abolishing and making several laws to remove illegal immigrants out of this country will only make it better, but by several researches it has been proved that it will only make it worse, annually aliens contribute about 625 billion dollars, in sales tax, home rents, and utility payments (scholastic magazine par. 8). Usually the government just brings new technology to replace several problems in society but this is one is irreplaceable. Americans have to big of an ego to do jobs like clean toilets, work in construction or coal mines, all the work the call ‘scum work’, and these types of jobs are necessary, and illegal immigrants are willing to do it without complaints. Even though there are good amount of aliens that did not obtain doctorate degrees, much less are wealthy, but they do have patience, gratitude and most of all common sense, which gets the work that is looked down upon done. Many media circuits tend to believe that illegal immigrants do nothing but bring down the wages of American citizens, many are yet to be proved right. There are several statistics to prove that this is just false, also as logic and common sense when one gets a hold of something better they will not let go, they will fight for it. Some do receive low wages because they are forced to, but they will not go down without a fight. It might be hard to gain raises for them, but as they have been grown up to believe they will not give up. Sometimes America tends to forget that to empower their economy they need cheap labor. Not only that, but if you were to be unemployed all the aliens, there would still be more than 1. 4 million jobs opened, which cannot be left untaken. There are 8. 1 million illegal immigrants and 7. 5 million unemployed Americans (Houston chronicle 2008). Even if they were to build the highest walls, cannot deny that they need them, the market is talking (Houston chronicle 2008). Employers, men of affairs and industry leaders say immigrants are not a curse they are a blessing. They are still needed for industrial and commercial development, and credit should be given to them for the art they are playing in American industries. Consequently, they should be able to receive certain benefits and be able to use their gaining’s freely, even though many American that live in the immigration zone can say otherwise, it is only common sense to have equality (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 83). The idea of having open borders throughout the United States scares many, because it may open doors to terrorists and the ones who want to do harm. The rate of illegal immigration is increasing rapidly, which may cause corruption, unless immigrants keep in touch with the technology and ideas of the government (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 31). The problem seems to be keeping the wrong people out and not letting too many people in (pg. 174), that’s when the idea of putting up a wall seems comforting. â€Å"Immigrants come here to realize the American dream; terrorists come to destroy it† (pg. 174). Terrorists come from all over the world to cause harm to those living in peace, and because of the tragic event that occurred on September 11, it has ruined many opportunities of a bill passing that will legalize illegal aliens. The best thing to do is to allow immigrants into this country but stronger restrictions should come into play, that way the welfare status of the country is safe from fraud (pg. 31-41). By adding regulations it offers all (immigrants and non-immigrants) a comfortable way of living (pg. 31-41). Because certain events have given immigrants a bad representation, they are not welcomed, and the government thinks they have found a solution to their problem by building a wall keeping all the ‘unwanted’ out. The border would cost about 1. 2 million dollars per mile for it to come to life. The wall will have an annual cycle of 25 years, which will cost anywhere from 1. 64 to 70 million dollars to keep it standing (procon. org little did you know? ). Much of this money will come from taxpayers who include teachers, small business owners, and many employees with low income wages. Money will be taken out from their already invisible paycheck to set up a barrier for people who are trying to give a better life to their family by working. As seen to millions of dollars will be needed to withhold the ‘wall’ so many people are willing to put up, and these people are known to be big business owners, the ones that are well off, who don’t mind to pay for something with that high of the cost but they tend to forget about the ones that are already having a bad time as it is. Opening up the borders, will give an immense boost to the economy in the United States because of tourism, work and visitation, and as a result all the bad effects of illegal immigration will soon go away (Latino Americans and immigration laws 2006). The Idea of the U. S. being a melting pot has worn off and is now to be said it is a mosaic, because many newcomers and Natives prefer to keep their own heritages and to mix them than to give up on their traditions in order to adapt to the ‘normal American’ one (Latino Americans and immigration laws pg. 12-13). The United States of America has been known to have a foundation and to be a country of immigrants. Most seem to have been taught that the U. S. was first a British colony, when historians strongly disagree and state that â€Å"it is very clear that Spanish settlers were the first Europeans to have a colony permanently in North America† (pg. 34). Because the United States has been seen as a country of immigrants it is strange to many that there have been several disagreements on whether America should accept foreign born citizens (immigration opposing viewpoints pg. 69). Immigration from all over the world is what keeps the U. S. rowing, a regular American women has an average of 1. 93 children throughout her whole lf time with a replacement rate of 2. 1. With immigrants the U. S. population in 2050 would be 397 million without it would be 328 million. Without immigration illegal or legal the American population will shrink little by little (pg. 82-83). Denying immigrants contradicts the base this country was founded on; as a result we should extend the same welcome to them as our ancestors extended to us (pg. 139). Illegal immigrants should not be seen as harm to the United States; hence it mold society into a multicultural and prosperous country. Due to all the research there should be no doubt that immigration in general, is needed because of the mere fact that it revitalizes out cities, boosts our economy, adds an energizing culture and reinsures our basic values. If one was being persecuted because of basic right like religion and freedom of speech or equalities one should already have or just to chase the infamous ‘American dream’, would you like to be seen as criminal that has committed a felony for something anyone would do if they were to walk a mile in one of the citizens shoes that lives in a underdeveloped country? Several illegal immigrants have devoted their lives to this one country because they have hope for this country and their families, as a result they should be seen and be given equal rights especially those who have not committed any other crime than the one of entering this country illegally.

Achieving Service Excellence(Strategies for healthcare) by Myron D Essay

Achieving Service Excellence(Strategies for healthcare) by Myron D Fottler, Robert C Ford, Cherrill P Heaton - Essay Example The efforts that we put towards betterment of our employees are reflected in the sincere efforts of our staff towards our customers. Health sector is primarily a service oriented sector and hence it is imperative for the people in this industry to have a flexible mindset which is well trained for selfless servicing. At Core Medicos we follow an internal empowerment policy under which special measures are taken for upliftment of our employees in all regards. Our staff is our strength and our success is much dependent on the way they execute their responsibilities. We understand that it is through them that we can achieve what we want to achieve and hence we pay uncompromising attention to their betterment. Through our staff oriented policies we are able to achieve customer satisfaction via the satisfaction of our employees. Services in health sector require immense focus and expertise as it is literally a matter of life and death. As a responsible institution Core Medicos we pay uncompromising attention while recruiting employees and during their training. Our competent HR department follows a comprehensive recruitment policy. All the candidates are first short listed on the basis of their academic and medical qualification. Apart from a testing written examination, an exhaustive practical test is also held to test their operational skill. Candidates who not only qualify our examinations but also fit within our professional values are then recruited. Apart from appropriate compensation, we also encourage interested candidates to pursue further medical courses on company’s funding. Their growth as an individual forms the basis of our growth as an organization, and hence we do not hesitate to invest in their development, be it financial, social or academicals. We aim for complete growth, we aim to see our employees as happy individuals and their families as happy families and

Child Exploitation in War Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Child Exploitation in War - Research Proposal Example ets walking through the rubble of destruction and relatively large children carrying revolvers and AK-47s[5, page2] on their still underdeveloped shoulders. At least two million children have died in last decade as a result of wars waged by adults; many targeted as non-combatants or killed in action as soldiers. And three times that number were injured and disabled [1, page 1]. Carol in [1, page 2] discusses how the last decade (90s period has witnessed development of new laws and UN backing the cause to immune children from the ills of wars and conflicts. Irrespective of the winners of war, damage is inevitable to both sides in terms of destruction and civilian killings. She also lays importance on the education factor and its importance in reviving (and in less effect quarantine) children from war`s blow. Ethnic conflicts witnessed recently (middle east Palestine-Israel border and Afghanistan etc) and still going on in mainly parts of Africa has seen local militia enrolling brain washed children with weapons and ready to fight like a hero in the eyes of local public. In Children and War, J Pearn gives thorough insight into the â€Å"changes† that are brought into the lives of children who experience the conflicts and wars. First of all, there are injuries and even loss of body parts (mainly limbs, due to lad mine explosions, and shooting & shelling that goes on in their neighborhood). It is a common noticeable fact that elderly people and small children have relatively weak immune system, hence they can`t cope up with fatal injuries and post traumatic shock in post war scenario. Children age group between 8-18 years is a growing body and mind. Early life experiences and situations are etched in human minds for a long time and help in developing our personalities and attitudes toward life. Since the only thing that war torn areas notice is violence and blood and anger, these expressions are imprinted deep inside the psyche of small children who on growing up

Technologies in media have the most potential for the future Essay

Technologies in media have the most potential for the future - Essay Example the television media, which made passing of information be appreciated substantially since it was capable of representing the news using both sound and video (Kumar 43). On the discovery of the internet, the media became transformed immensely. The internet was appreciated in the media field since it helped in effective representation of news and enabled the mass to have the satisfaction in reliability and access of information (Kumar 28). Developments in the digital technology have changed the way individuals get information. In this paper, the use of digital technology in the media for the future generation will be discussed. The use of digital technology has the most potential for the future in the media industry. Since the development of the digital technology, the media have changed in the way they present news. For instance, with the digital technology, the media have a different way of presenting news from analog to digital. This has made the media give information in an easier and effective way than before. With the emergence of the internet, there have been tremendous changes in the way people get news. People prefer using the internet to get information rather than watching the news on TV (Winston 5). Internet seems to be a development in technology in the media, which is essential for the future generation. Various reasons have been put forward supporting why the internet has huge potential in the expectations of the media industry. One of the reasons is that; the internet is a quicker way of getting information than all other forms. People are capable of getting information that they require in a single click of a mouse. The internet remains the fastest way of getting any information needed (Uwakwe 63). Hence, a vas number of individuals will rely on the internet now and in the upcoming days, in order to get a report that is needed urgently. The internet is preferred by most individuals since it is possible to research on an item and get a wide range

Organizational Learning and Environmental Change Essay

Organizational Learning and Environmental Change - Essay Example This paper examines the various approaches to learning which an organization can adopt so that learning challenges in environment are not only recognized right in time but also ingrained into the operations of the organization and reflect in employees' learning to derive competitive advantage. This paper eamines the relevance of the Revans formula which emphasizes the importance of keeping pace in the learning process. All organizations can be viewed as offering some kind of solution to the problems of their stakeholders in the widest and deepest marketing sense. An essential blueprint for the organizational survival is derived from the writing of Revans(1980,1982) . Revans(1980) posited that in order for an organization to succeed the learning(L) within an organization must be greater than or equal to the rate of change(C)in the environment (L C). This is called the Raven formula. This concept maintains that organisations must become 'learning organisations' if they are to survive the changes in the external environment that affect the business and its' operations. Revans recommended action learning to essentially mean removing the gap between ideas and actions, between thinking and doing, action and learning as parts of each other. Revans coined the phrase," "helping each other to help the helpless" .Revans philosophy is based on three concepts of honesty about self, all knowledge ought to be ac tion oriented and most action should lead to camaraderie. An immediate example can prove Revans theory in relation to stakeholders of any organization. Organization like airlines -offering the services of air travel-were faced with a new and emerging niche of customers who were upwardly mobile professionals with high spending powers in early 1990s.This new niche of customers which emerged from the airlines environment was a result of prosperity brought about by globalization and opening up of economies and international markets. These travelers did not merely have an expectation of basic air travel need from airlines but expected a host of value additions in terms of menu, behaviour, off board facilities etc.Successful airlines that read into the trend and honestly went about implementing the necessary marketing plan reorientation through concrete actions like altering inflight menus, increasing airport facilities, changing the seats and space ,training the employees and above all i nstilling a team spirit while bringing about this overall change emerged as the best airlines of the world while others lagged behind. A living example is Singapore Airlines. The Revans formula worked secretly behind these success stories in that such airlines ensured that the rate of the organizational learning process was greater than that posed by the changes in their environment. Thus the employees of the organizatio

Compare and contrast the depiction of Muslim men to that of Muslim Essay

Compare and contrast the depiction of Muslim men to that of Muslim women in orientalist discourses - Essay Example im scholars try to disprove the oppressed and inferior position of Muslim women and state that such opinion was necessary for West to keep the opinion about the East as about the backward part of the world. The orientalism in the broadest sense is the description of the East and Islam from a certain point of view, which carries a fair share of subjectivity and not always reflects the true state of affairs, but often distorts the reality. The orientalism considers Islam and everything connected with it – a culture, a civilization, a geographical area as something that contradicts with rational human principles of the West. â€Å"Whether they are televised or printed, it is not surprising that Western media reports maintain a constant distorted image of Arabs and Muslims. Fabricated stereotypes of Islam are omnipresent in Western media through all means of communication. What is lamentably odd is that Arabs and Muslims are seen as one and unique entity with the aim to be arbitrarily regarded collectively as anti-rational, barbaric, anti-democratic, etc. To achieve this aim the western media deliberately distort many Islamic concepts† (Ridouani, 2011). If to look at a question with the eyes of orientalists, the following picture appears: Muslim women didnt make any contribution to history, they either were sold on the markets or were kept in harems as sexual objects. â€Å"Stories about Muslim women living in non-Western countries were often stories about political violence where they were represented as victims of violence and Islamic practices. Representations of Muslim women were also marked by a continual obsession with the veil. Muslim women were often portrayed as victims in need of Western liberation† (Mishra, 2007). Men on the contrary are depicted as tyrants and oppressors, who are humiliating women, and if to look at the issue from the point of view of the West, the East, especially Islamic world, was a huge harem. Ð ¡ertainly, there are certain reasons

Drug Usage Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Drug Usage - Article Example Marconova is also one such offshore company that is concerned about the health and drug usage among employees of Heerema Marine Contractors. Marconova is handling its first project on Heerema Marine Contractors, so it wants to take extreme care of the fact that employees work efficiently. Marconova had conducted similar kind of test last year on the employees of Heerma Marine Contractors, which were conducted at three different locations and included all employees working under Heerma Marine Contractors. Marconova has an experienced team of doctors and nurses, who offer their services worldwide. They are usually responsible to conduct test and present reports and suggestions to the employees. The person who is responsible for testing makes an announcement one hour before the test and then urine samples of the employees are taken for the test. These tests try to find out the usage of drugs and narcotics among employees. Drug usage develops addiction of the substance used, and the empl oyee or individual is forced to use the substance again and again. This addiction is very problematic for the employees as they lose control of their self. It also deviate attention from the work and reduces the effectiveness of employees. It is important to note that the drug usage among people and employees have been increasing significantly in past few years. It is important that the problem is assessed and strict measures are taken in order to prevent future problems. According to the results of the test taken by Marconova, 2% of the samples were found positive, showing usage of drugs. It is learned that one of the causes of Exxon oil spill is the usage of drugs by its employees, which led to negligence of different operational aspect.

Free

Freeway Congestion Essay The economy of a country may be determined by several factors . the growth of country’s wealth is coupled to factors such as the people population, availability of natural resources, their proper usage and general environmental management. During early time of our fore father, people enjoyed better environment due to low populations of all sort things. Peoples’ population was low and many of them lived in remote areas. Occupational space was never an issue to think of, as there was plenty of land available for any particular use. They preferred rural areas as most of them were gatherers and pastoralists. While others were substance farmers and hunters, they had the freedom to use select the site to carry out any activity of their wish anywhere. Land ownership was generally belonging to the community but not an individual as it is nowadays. The present system of individual land ownership has brought a lot of discrepancies in the distribution of people populations, infrastructure and other community amenities of paramount importance. Due to above reason different kinds of congestion has resulted leading to stresses and tensions in today’s global world. This has leads me to think of economic urban areas in term traffic congestions. (Schrank and Lomas, 2002) The interdependence between transportation and land use has long before been recognized m. Land use strongly affects transportation patterns, and the properties of the transportation network strongly affect the land use. This is well understood in a homocentric city with only commuting travel of the central business district. Most cities have become increasingly polycentric and job locations increasingly dispersed. (Anas and Small, 1980) It is also evident that noncom muting trips have become increasing important with the choice of residential location less strongly tied to workplace location. So these changes in land use are likely to continue to affect traffic volumes and patterns even more so. It is certain that the problem of traffic jams is so often to a point of describing it as a curse of the modern life. It is obvious that people must interact with one another through social life and that they have to travel long distances for purposes of business transactions. Motor vehicle transportation is one of the common methods used all over the world. Many major cities are fed and connected to each other by means of roads . so roads makes a very useful means of communication. People and cargo transport is a usual activity. Although this has proved very valuable to many developing and developed countries, it has also turned out to be one of the most embarrassing ways of travel and cargo transportation means. This is exactly due to traffic congestion in major towns and cities; which are also over burdened with all other types of congestions. Traffic congestion result out to be a miserable waste of time . Traffic congestion is the build up of traffic preventing efficient movement . it is one of the most significant problems faced in modern cities today. The products of this are other major problems such as air pollution, noise pollution, visual pollution, parking problems, destruction houses and increased risks of vehicle accidents. (Schrank and Lomas, 2002) It is not unreasonable to call up severe visions of traffic jam by the year 2050 with angry motorists hooting their horns, distressed not to be even later in picking children from school or making critical appointments in the developed countries. Many people living in developed countries continues to buy more vehicles, hence household vehicle ownership rates continue to rise evenly (Hu and Young 1994). The trend of continuous increase in incomes and falling costs of car operation, vehicle miles traveled per licensed driver continue their seemingly inexorable rise. Several transportation institutes have reported alarming increases in the traffic congestion in metropolitan areas over the last two decades (schrank and Lomas, 2002). The average number of hour that most people have suffered in a traffic jam is seven. At the same time, the travel hours to work have been increasing too, nonetheless dramatically. However, there are equal countertrends, such as rising of urban street surfaces and traffic management which includes the synchronization of traffic light, improved urban freeways and highways being added and expanded, production of new automobiles with advanced technologies not forgetting the increasing proportion of urban travel from one suburban location to another. The above trend is being offset or balances out due to increase in travel under severe congestion conditions. (Schrank and Lomas, 2002) The traffic congestion situation looks to a forgotten or a blind eye sight in most experts and this raises a weak presumption that the new improvement being under taken are leading to traffics moving more faster than twenty years ago. The fact remains that the future holds worse urban traffic congestions hence there is great need to find ways of alleviating urban traffic congestions. This can be thought in many ways as a cost that is voluntarily incurred in order to enjoy the higher incomes, amenities, increasing variety of consumer goods, enlarged scope for social interaction, and generally more stimulating and vibrant lifestyles the living in cities provides. Due to fully inefficient economy of many countries, which entails among other thing the efficient pricing and provision of transportation, traffic congestion is of paramount importance than the increase the price of any other commodity competitive in the market. Urbane economy should therefore in any way be ignored, but people should be focused out the failure to charge drivers for the external congestions they impose. Several traffic controls have been put in place for which some have worked well in some countries while other are void. Land use controls on a macro scale have been practiced in Northern Europe; this has proved very effectively in reducing the overall travel and congestion . it is noted that land use control on micro scale being practiced in the U. S where by residential are separated from non residential land uses, encourages car travel while mixing land uses at local level. (Schrank and Lomas, 2002) Another method that can be applied to the reduction of traffic congestion is the application of mass transportation mostly by focusing on cars. Many personal cars within the cities carry individual drivers with all the other seats remaining empty. this is quite uneconomical because of fuel consumption and the space utilization on the roads (Mohring, 1972). there is need to explore basic economic principles of mass transit that are likely effective in lowering transit cost function and traffic jams. This is one major factors leading congestion because people have valued comfort more than time and cost. Economists should come up with ways that consider vehicle size, comfort, acceleration of buses and subway cars, the length of subway trains and station platforms, the service frequency and density of buses and subway trains, procedures to mitigate bus grouping, expedite passenger entry and exit reducing the external marginal congestions imposed by buses on cars, and repair and maintenance rolling stock together with the design of fare collection systems. Pedestrian are nevertheless left out as they really cause and act as obstacle during road crossing. it is very important to accord the due respect to pedestrian at the zebra crossing . but such crossing areas bring inconveniencies to drivers hence causing jams. Traffic congestion will be alleviated if pedestrians and travelers’ walkways would be provided with fly over instead of zebra crossing. Thus pedestrian –car congestion should be given anew design and construction. Many developed countries suffer from traffic congestion due to restriction of shopping hours. such policies restring shopping periods should be ban to allow more shopping time and reduce congestion this may seem less conceivable as result oriented of target but many people take one shopping trip rather than having separate shopping trip. Liberalized shopping has desirable outcomes. (Schrank and Lomas, 2002) Considering that often accidents do occur, they are not only costly to the direct damage but also for the non recurrent congestion they induce. The involvement of engineers on the construction of roads is necessary to include economists. An Example of work done by Newbery (1988) gives valuable contribution of freeway and high way design ,construction, and maintenance, if sound cost- benefit analysis were practiced in all aspects of urban road engineering, substantial cost saving would be achieved . Urban transport economists make valuable contributions through analyze of sound cost benefit by state and local government. In conclusion, traffic congestion is a major concern in modern society . it affects our environment with environmental pollutions through the emission of fumes. People are put at risk from the danger of excessive vehicles which results from increased car ownership and commuting to fat residential places. Generally the solution to traffic problems is by widening the roads, creation of bypasses in the inner ring roads and outer ring roads . creation of more motorways and bus lanes to provide more space. Another way of improving the means is banning personal vehicles through imposing heavy levies on fuels and import duty. This can also be incorporated by banning cars from the central business districts and overcharging those with special cases on parking places. Reference: Abbott, J. (1990): the key role for public transport funding boost in Stockholm’s road pricing plans. Urban transport International Anas, A, and Small, K. (1998): Urban spatial structure: journal of economic literature Dupree, H. (1987): Urban transportation: New town solution. Organization for Economic co-operation and development, (1973): Effect of traffic and roads on the environment in urban areas: Paris Kanemoto, Y. (1980): theories of urban externalities. Amsterdam.

Apache Corporation Essay Example for Free

Apache Corporation Essay Apache Corporation was formed in 1954, based on the idea of becoming significant and prosperous in the oil industry. The company took $250,000 of investor capital, paired it with fierce determination and now Apache Corporation is considered one of the top independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the world (Apachecorp.com, 2012). Apache Corporation operates in both domestic and international markets exploring for, developing, and producing natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids (Apachecorp.com, 2012). On December 31, 2011, the Company had production in the United States, Canada, Egypt, and Australia. Offshore production exists in the United Kingdom, the North Sea, and Argentina. Looking into the future Apache plans to continue to explore other countries for new discoveries and development opportunities (Apachecorp.com, 2012). Environment The success of any business depends on the ability to adapt to the environment it operates in. As part of the oil and gas industry Apache Corporation operates in a global business environment known for its competitiveness. The company has shown growth in production thirty one of the last thirty three years and throughout those years change has been a constant companion. Wide swings in oil prices have become commonplace in the world today, the price of a barrel of oil changes almost daily. Operating in other countries means that political unrest and changes in government policies must be addressed, as well as oil industry regulations that are constantly evolving. Apache Corporation has withstood the changes in business environment for 57 years and remains committed to successfully embracing the changes yet to come. Technology Over the last 10 years the most significant technological advance for the industry has been the coupling of horizontal drilling with hydraulic fracturing techniques. This new method allows the development of resources that are trapped in shale and other areas that have been nearly impossible to mine in the past. Apache Corporation now applies this technology worldwide (Apachecorp.com, 2012). This method is also used by nearly all other companies in the industry including the comparison companies Devon and Anadarko. Financial Health According to the 2011 Apache Corporation Annual Report the company showed a profit for the year and the debt ratio is 0.22. One top competitor Anadarko Petroleum located in San Antonio Texas has a debt ratio of .65 and showed a loss for the 2011 year (Hoovers, 2012). A second top competitor Devon Energy located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma had a better year in 2011, this company did show a profit and their debt ratio is 0.48 (â€Å"Hoovers†, 2012). Within the gas and oil industry the overall financial status of Apache Corporation is sound. Working in a high risk industry the production risks are balanced by both geographic diversification and a mix of high and low risk properties in the portfolio (Hoovers, 2012). With approximately 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserve Apache Corporation is positioned to maintain their current momentum. The natural gas product is sold most often at current market prices while the crude oil is marketed directly to integrated marketers and refineries. Contract terms are generally 30 days with automatic renewal until canceler at current market prices which change almost daily (Apachecorp.com, 2012). Apache Corporation has been exploring for and producing oil and gas products for over 50 years. The company has been successful and appears to be a sound investment. In this analysis we have reviewed the business environment, financial health and use of technology for Apache Corporation for the purpose of deciding whether or not to invest in the company. References http://www.apachecorp.com/Resources/Upload/file/investors/Apache_AR_2011.pdf Hoovers. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.hoovers.com/company/Apache_Corporation/rfrtif-1-1njea3.html Hoovers. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.hoovers.com/company/Devon_Energy_Corporation/rrxkxi-1-1njea5.html

Mystery And Suspense In Conan Doyles Work English Language Essay

Mystery And Suspense In Conan Doyles Work English Language Essay Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh and was educated at Stonyhurst College and the University of Edinburgh. He was a very religious man who was brought up in a Catholic family. He divided his time between medicine and writing the famous stories he is known for today. Arthur Conan Doyle was an eminent author and wrote many successful science fiction stories, historical novels, plays, romances, poetry and his detective Stories which he is most celebrated by today. Conan Doyle made his first appearance in A Study of Scarlet. This was his first Sherlock Holmes story, which was published by Ward Lock. Later he continued to write many successful Titles including; the lost world, the memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, The land of mist and one of his most renowned novels The Hound of The Baskervilles. The Hound of the Baskervilles is set in London and Devonshire, The mystery and suspense is enhanced by having 2 main settings, the contrast of them shows a city and a mysterious empty countryside, this creates atmosphere. The story begins in London when Sir Henry comes up to visit and receives the message warning him not to go to Baskerville hall, which was written in the manuscript. Then many mysterious happenings occurred like Sir Henrys stolen boot and the news paper cuttings; warning him to avoid the moor which read, As you value your life of reason, keep away from the moor. When Holmess attempts at solving the case in London turn out to be dead-ends, they go out to the moor. Later, in Devonshire Baskerville hall is set in the grim melancholy moor, nearby the Grimpen Mire, and it is believed that a spectral hound haunted the Baskerville Family; as each heir to Baskerville hall has experienced a shocking and terrifying death, one by one. After the death of his uncle, Sir Henry mov es into Baskerville hall to claim his family fortune, however his life may be at stake as the hound was said to be loose. The Baskervilles believe that the immortal hound was because of a curse within the family, due to ancestors behaviour. Events in the moor include meeting the neighbours; hearing the sound of the hound; interviews with Mrs. Lyons and Seldens death. The action happens mostly at night, this adds to the mystery and suspense in the story as it emphasises the eerie setting. Arthur Conan Doyle was very successful at creating an atmosphere of mystery and suspense in The Hound of the Baskervilles. He used many different and well crafted techniques to do this. Such as; the use of supernatural and superstition, red herrings, personification, the use of cliff hangers, his creation of settings and his use of metaphors and similes. He kept each chapter more mysterious and exciting as the book went along, and Im positive that others who have read the book would agree with me. In the opening of the story, Watson discovers a walking stick which had been forgotten by Dr. Mortimer from the previous night. Watson tries his best to work out the evidence from the appearance of the walking stick. He notices the engraving on the silver band at the top which read, To James Mortimer, MRCS, from his friends of the CCH. Little does he know, Holmes is using all of his resources at his disposal, he is using a well polished silver plated coffee pot. to see Watsons reflection, and to find out the mystery of the walking stick. As the scene develops Watson couldnt quite work out what the initials meant Whereas Holmes knew there exact meaning. Holmes uses deductive reasoning to find out every detail which builds up the atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The way how Conan Doyle uses his characters really creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Arthur Conan Doyle completely misleads you into believing that Stapleton is an innocent naturalist, who catches butterflies, A small fly or moth fluttered across our path, and in an instant, Stapleton was rushing with extraordinary and speed in pursuit of it. This makes the readers automatically think that he is blameless. However, Stapleton turns out to be the villain in the story. This creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense as it throws the reader off their initial prediction. Conan Doyle involves the mind of the reader, with the mind of the character; this technique is very effective in The Hound of the Baskervilles as it creates even more mystery and suspense. Throughout the book, Conan Doyle used many examples of red herrings, which created an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. One of the largest red herrings in the novella is Selden, the escape convict. As the reader, I connect ideas together, believing that he must be involved in the murders. However, Selden didnt happen to be involved in any of the mischief; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another example of the use of red herrings is the false link between Barrymore and the London stalker. This increases the drama and tension within the story. Later in the book Barrymore has been seen signalling the convict late at night; yet this also turns out to be innocent. This made the story very intense and I found myself wanting to sit on the edge of my seat. The contrast of the two settings enhances an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Conan Doyle cleverly incorporates the two settings in one story; the buzzing city and the forbidding moor. The mystery in London is formed by the spy following Sherlock Holmes every move, the newspaper cuttings and the disappearance of Sir Henrys boot. By thunder if that chap cant find my missing boot there will be trouble. This quotation in particular creates anticipation because it makes the reader question the purpose of taking only one boot, because one boot is of no use to anyone, whereas in Devonshire, the drama builds up to a crescendo more. The eerie settings along with the mysterious events make the atmosphere of mystery and suspense at its climax. Trees moaned and swung in a rising wind. This quotation uses personification which emphasises the ghostly surroundings. Stapletons description of the Grimpen Mire gives the reader a picture of the hostile environment around Baskerville hall. That is t he Grimpen Mire; a false step yonder means death to man or beast. This quotation gives both the reader and Watson a warning concerning the ghastly surroundings. Holmes used deductive methods to solve the mystery in The Hound of the Baskervilles; it was very practical in the story line as it added further mystery and suspense. He revealed one clue at a time; this kept the reader on the edge of their seat, wanting to read on to the next page in the book. Holmes took particular attention to minute details in order to fit all of the information together and for it to make sense, like a jigsaw puzzle. Watsons narrative technique was very important. In the novella as Holmes was absent for most of the story, Watsons opinions and views were shown in a diary, extracts, letters and written accounts that explained how his investigations were developing. This was a key part of the story as it made the reader understand the progress in his investigations. The use of myth and legend in the hound of the Baskervilles adds more mystery within the story. According to the manuscript, the Baskerville curse was brought upon the Baskerville family due to the behaviour of Sir Hugo. From that time, the family had experienced strange deaths and it is believed that these deaths have been caused by a spectral hound. The sound of the Hound created even more drama in the story, The creature gave a hideous howl. This creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, particularly so for a Victorian readership because; as you can imagine the Victorians would never of heard of anything so terrifying. Conan Doyles use of cliff hangers also creates an atmosphere of mystery and suspense. Like his other magazine stories; Arthur Conan Doyle finished every chapter with a cliff hanger in The Hound of the Baskervilles. This made the book more exciting and interesting to read and carry on with. Although his book wasnt serialised; he uses the same technique to further the creation of suspense. By ending each chapter in a Cliff Hanger, the reader has to wait to hear what happens; this carries on an atmosphere of mystery and anticipation onto the next chapter. The use of dangerous situations heightens mystery and suspense in the story. Particularly when Holmes and Watson were waiting for Sir Henry in the treacherous moor, this adds more suspicion to the plot of the story; especially when a mist is covering the path and Holmes and Watson can barely see in front of them if he isnt out in a quarter of an hour the path will be covered. In half an hour we wont be able to see our hands in front of us. The Mystery and suspense is created as the reader, we know what can go wrong. Suspense is increased more by the amount of light used to set the scene. Another dangerous situation that creates tension and drama in the story is when Watson discovers a hut amongst the moor, Watson uses his five senses to discover what is happening, and this creates additional mystery and suspense. When Watson was in the hut, he heard a noise and more tension and suspense was created by getting his pistol out of his pocket, I shrank back into the darkest corner, and co cked the pistol in my pocket. This created a sense of danger to the reader because the fact that he has his pistol at the ready makes the reader nervous because Watson may be in danger. The ending would have pleased a Victorian Readership, as it ends happily. However tension is not resolved as we are unsure whether Stapleton truly died on the moor; even Watson and Holmes do not know for sure if he died: But more than that, we were never destined to know, but there was much more which we might surmise. The ending remains satisfying (particularly to a Victorian audience) because the villain is out of the picture, even if not dead. In conclusion, Arthur Conan Doyle creates mystery and suspense in the Hound of the Baskervilles in many ways, which certainly lures the reader onto the next chapter. The superstition created an excellent opening to the story which created many possible routes for the book to follow, this added more suspense. The Hound of The Baskervilles was a Victorian stylised first person narrative novel, this was suitable for a Victorian Readership as it comprised of a happy ending. Conan Doyle used many effective techniques, using cliffhangers at the end of each chapter carried on the suspense further. The use of personification and similes created a magical atmosphere.

Comparing the Moral Superiority of Grendel and Frankenstein :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Comparing the Moral Superiority of Grendel and Frankenstein Seeking friends, they found enemies; seeking hope, they found hate. Social outcasts simply want to live as the rest of us live. Often, in our prejudice of their kind, we banish them from our elite society. Regardless of our personal perspective, society judges who is acceptable and who is not. Some of the greatest people of all time have been socially unacceptable. Van Gogh found comfort only in his art, and with a woman who consistently denied his passion. Edgar Allen Poe was considered "different" - to say the least. These great men, as well as Grendel and Frankenstein, do not â€Å"fit† into society. Also like these men, Grendel and Frankenstein are uniquely superior to the rest of mankind. Their superiority is seen through their guile to live in a society that ostracizes their kind, their true heroism in place of society's romantic view, and the ignorance on which society's opinion of them is formed. Grendel, though he needs to kill to do so, functions very well in his own sphere. Grendel survives in a hostile climate where he is hated and feared by all. He lives in a cave protected by firesnakes so as to physically, as well as spiritually, separate himself from the society that detests, yet admires, him. Grendel is "the brute existent by which [humankind] learns to define itself"(Gardner 73). Hrothgar's thanes continually try to extinguish Grendel's infernal rage, while he simply wishes to live in harmony with them. Like Grendel, Frankenstein also learns to live in a society that despises his kind. Frankenstein also must kill, but this is only in response to the people's abhorrence of him. Ironically, the very doctor who bore him now searches the globe seeking Frankenstein's destruction. Even the ever-loving paternal figure now turns away from this outcast from society. Frankenstein journeys to the far reaches of the world to escape from the societal ills that cause society to hate him. He ventures to the harshest, most desolate, most uninhabitable place known to man, the north pole. He lives in isolation, in the cold acceptance of the icy glaciers. Still, Dr. Frankenstein follows, pushing his creation to the edge of the world, hoping he would fall off, never to be seen or heard from again. Frankenstein flees from his father until the Doctor's death, where Frankenstein joins his father in the perpetual, silent acceptance of death.

Philosophy Of Literacy Instruction Essay -- Teaching Education School

Literacy Defined Literacy embraces reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Integrating all of these into a literacy program is key. Teachers must provide endless and ongoing opportunities for their student to read, write, listen, and speak. There are many components that make up literacy. In order to effectively teach students these components the teacher must model the concept for the students. As teachers, we can't expect or assume that the student already knows what we expect of them. Modeling gives students a basis of what to go by. Modeling is the first and most important step in order for the students to gain mastery of a concept. A teacher must also undergo guided practice with the students. A teacher should always provide as much guided practice that is needed. Students should never move on to independent practice until it is evident that they are ready. For example, I was teaching a guided reading lesson in my EDU 218 classroom, in which my peers were posing as students. The lesson involved the students to complete a story map on a book that they read. Although I knew that the students would be slightly familiar with a story map I still modeled the use of it for them. I modeled the use of the story map based on a book that I knew the students were familiar with. So when the students set out to complete the story map on their own they could recall and look back to the story map that I had modeled for them. It is also important to note that not all students grasp the material at the same time. One student could be ready for independent practice, as another may still need a vast amount of guided practice. There is no need to caution if students are not at the same level, unless of course if there is a real developmental delay. Literature is a key component when speaking of literacy. Teachers need to provide students with endless amounts of practice experiences in reading to build their fluency rate. This should be done with different genres of texts and different levels. Reading a wide variety of literature help children develop rich vocabularies. Phonemic Awareness is very important part of literacy. Phonemic awareness includes sounds of a word, the breakdown of words into sounds. It includes rhyming and alliteration, isolation, counting words in sentences, syllables and phonemes, blending words, segmenting, and manipulating. Pho... ...on my students work so that they know how they are progressing. I will always be sure to hit my instructional focus on the children?s strengths before working on an area of development with the children. I will teach to the objectives and I will teach to the standards. I will make sure that my lessons are hitting on as many standards as possible. Working With Children with Special Needs In my classroom I will make sure that the children with special needs are benefiting from instruction. I will pair this student up with someone who is capable of helping. The student will be getting my instruction as well as help from one of their peers. I will be aware that this student is a learner with special needs and I will teach this student at a level in which he/she is comfortable. I will make sure I am aware of everything that I can about this student?s special needs. I will be in a tight contact with the student and his/her parent/guardian so I can be aware that they are working with him/her at home. If this isn?t the case then I will pair this student up with another student after school, with myself, or with someone else that would be willing to give this student extra time.

Education a Continous Process

Baxter and Tight (1994) noted in their research that in many countries, people are being encouraged to be â€Å"lifelong learners,† people who return to school again and again throughout their lives, rather than looking at education as something that ends with graduation from high school or college (Baxter & Tight, 1994). The â€Å"Lifelong Learning† movement believes that education should be an important part of people's lives throughout their lives instead of restricting it to childhood and adolescence. The authors interviewed people who had returned to education later in life to see what factors supported or interfered with that choice. One of the observations they made was that for many older students, especially women, returning to school represented a real juggling act with their time management. This trend was so strong that a significant number of people asked to participate felt that they could not spare the hour the interview would take. This trend of women being stressed for time to do everything they and others expected of them was so strong that they mentioned that perhaps the idea of people attending school throughout their lives might be a male view because often men do not have to juggle as many important tasks as women. The women who were interviewed noted that they had family, personal and work commitments, all of which had to come before school, with the result that when they attended classes, often there was no room in their lives for any social activities connected to their academic work (Baxter & Tight, 1994). However, Palwak (1999) points out that in an age of rapidly changing technology, it may be necessary to include education in one's career plans to the worker does not become stuck with archaic skills. The difficulty in juggling time is also demonstrated in discussions on this topic by the fact that so many articles focus on retirees who return to learning because they finally have the time to study things that have interested them for many years. Education a Continous Process Baxter and Tight (1994) noted in their research that in many countries, people are being encouraged to be â€Å"lifelong learners,† people who return to school again and again throughout their lives, rather than looking at education as something that ends with graduation from high school or college (Baxter & Tight, 1994). The â€Å"Lifelong Learning† movement believes that education should be an important part of people's lives throughout their lives instead of restricting it to childhood and adolescence. The authors interviewed people who had returned to education later in life to see what factors supported or interfered with that choice. One of the observations they made was that for many older students, especially women, returning to school represented a real juggling act with their time management. This trend was so strong that a significant number of people asked to participate felt that they could not spare the hour the interview would take. This trend of women being stressed for time to do everything they and others expected of them was so strong that they mentioned that perhaps the idea of people attending school throughout their lives might be a male view because often men do not have to juggle as many important tasks as women. The women who were interviewed noted that they had family, personal and work commitments, all of which had to come before school, with the result that when they attended classes, often there was no room in their lives for any social activities connected to their academic work (Baxter & Tight, 1994). However, Palwak (1999) points out that in an age of rapidly changing technology, it may be necessary to include education in one's career plans to the worker does not become stuck with archaic skills. The difficulty in juggling time is also demonstrated in discussions on this topic by the fact that so many articles focus on retirees who return to learning because they finally have the time to study things that have interested them for many years.

Problem †Based Learning in Teaching and Learning High School Geometry: Its Effects on Students’ Attitude and Performance

CHAPTER 1 The Problem and Its Setting INTRODUCTION Rationale New mathematics are discovered and invented everyday and there is a great manifestation of growing recognition of the need among the mathematics educators to increase the emphasis placed on problem solving for all students. (Paja 2001). Mathematics evolved over the past few thousand years in many stages. In high school mathematics in Philippine settings involve elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, geometry and advanced algebra.All of these were center in answering questions about real life. Ordinary people of all ages are endeavor of mathematics in which they constructs concepts, discover relationships, invent methods, execute algorithms, communicate and solve problems posed by their own real worlds. (Cangelosis, as quoted by Paja 2001). Often times, mathematics is a difficult subject for students who has difficulty in memorizing formulas and using logical thinking.Students learn hardly anything of what they are taught but if they learn through hands on and minds on approach (Paja, 2001) and if it will incorporate into everyday activities and in subjects like languages arts, science, social studies, visual arts, music, physical education, life skills and performing arts. Posadas, as quoted by Paja 2001 said that they will learn more meaningfully and with longer retention. Students in today’s generation are practical work learners, investigational learners and sociable learner.In relevant to that mathematics educators should explore another strategy of teaching that caters the needs of the students that we have today. According to Paja 2001 in his study on Practical Work Strategy in Teaching and Learning Plane Geometry: Its Effects on Students’ Achievement says that utilizing practical work strategy in teaching and learning plane geometry with the aid of manipulative materials has more reaching effect on students’ achievement in mathematical content and process skills than the traditional.Problem – based learning is a student centered instructional strategy in which student collaboratively solves problems and reflects on their experiences. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Problem-based_learing). Dewey proposed that education should be built on the child’s interests and experiences (Ernest, 1991). Education becomes meaningful and real to students when it is connected to them personally, as opposed to using materials that may be abstract and unrelated to a child’s lived reality. (Douglas, 1994).In today’s world of education, lots of researches that conducted promoting and encouraging active learning in mathematics. But still we are searching for other methods in teaching mathematics. In a particular University of Cebu – Main High School Department focuses merely on the tasks of improving students’ competence on conceptual knowledge. In teaching mathematics is usually it is a teacher – centered because less at tempts for students to be involve in every class interaction, performing mathematical processes through investigation and discovery thus enhancing mathematics procedural skills.This study aims to determine the effectiveness of problem – based learning on students’ attitude and performance in high school geometry in which we seek other strategy that caters the kind of learners that we have. It provide teachers with suggested teaching strategies that would greatly influence student’s motivation and enthusiasm as they develop deep understanding of the challenging topics in mathematics. This study also offers a strategy that designed for individual learning and it encouraged to take responsibility of their group and organize and direct learning process with support from an instructor.Problem – based learning is used to enhance content knowledge and foster the development of communication, problem – solving and self direction learning skills. THEORETICA L BACKGROUND Problem – based learning (PBL) is an approach to structuring the curriculum which involves confronting students with problems from practice which provide a stimulus for learning. (Buod and Feletti, 1991). They used to enhance content knowledge and foster the development of communication, problem – solving and self directed learning skills.In PBL classes, students also summarize and present their solutions in a culminating experience. The principle role of the teacher in PBL is that of a facilitator or educational coach guiding the learners in the PBL process. Educator is not the sole resource of information, but instead guides students as they search out appropriate resources. Problem – Based Learning (PBL) is a student – centered instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences, rather than learn primarily through lectures or textbooks.Problem – based learning require the develop ment of a number of component competences, such as the skills of communication, critical reasoning, logical and analytical approach to problems, reasoned decision making and self – evaluation. (Buod and Feletti, 1991). Engel sees problem – based learning as a means of developing learning for capability rather than learning for the sake of acquiring knowledge. The effectiveness of the PBL depends on the nature of student engagement and the culture of the classroom, as well as the appropriateness of the problem tasks assigned.Proponents of PBL believe that when students develop their own problem – solving procedures, they are integrating their conceptual knowledge with their procedural skills. (Gilo, 2008). In 1960’s at McMaster Medical School, the PBL approach was started wherein the approach developed by the faculty out of the perceived need to produce graduates who were prepared to deal with the information explosion and who could think critically and so lve complex problems. This institution developed its entire curriculum around PBL. (Buod and Feletti, 1991).However medicine has also been among the pioneers in the application of problem based learning as a means towards rectifying the existing situation in undergraduate medical education (Spaulding as quoted by Buod and Feletti, 1991) and post graduate medical education (Jack and Engel as quoted by Buod and Feletti, 1991). Soon after medicine schools adopted PBL as their center of instruction not later other fields will be using problem – based learning in teaching. The movement has extended into the K-12 arena as well. Camp, 1996). Educators and administrators of the institution wanted students who could think critically, solve problems and work in teams. And many undergraduate institutions began to develop PBL programs and curricula. Aalaborg has one of the most comprehensive undergraduate PBL curriculum, and Maastricnt also has a develop PBL program of study. More recent ly, in the U. S. , the University of Delaware has turned attention toward Problem – based learning, as has Samford University in Birminghan, Alabama.In addition to these more comprehensive efforts, individual faculty members at more than 300 institutions are using PBL at the undergraduate level (PBL insight, p. 7 as quoted by Gilo, 2008). Through the researches conducted in medical school, we can formulate expectations about the outcomes of problem – based learning. Medical researchers show that problem – based learning provides students with the opportunity to gain theory and content knowledge and comprehension.According to Schmidt cognitive effects of problem – based learning are the following: (a) initial analysis of the problem and activation of prior knowledge through small-group discussion, (b) elaboration on prior knowledge and active processing of new information, (c) restructuring of knowledge, construction of a semantic network, (d) social knowl edge construction, (e) learning in context, and (f) stimulation of curiosity related to presentation of a relevant problem. Constructivism and Problem – Based LearningConstructivism is a philosophical view on how we come to understand or know. It is, in our mind, most closely attuned to the pragmatic philosophy of Richard Rorty (1991) as quoted Duffy and Savery, 2001. We will characterize the philosophical view in terms of three primary propositions by Rorty (1991) as well as vonGlaserfeld (1989). Firstly, understanding is in our interactions with the environment. This is the core concept of constructivism. We cannot talk about what is learned separately from how it is learned, as if a variety of experiences all lead to the same understanding.Learning takes place only through self – activity. (Froebel 1976). Dewey proposed that education should built on the child’s interests and experiences. (Ernest as quoted by Douglas, 1994). Since understanding is an individu al construction, we cannot share understandings but rather we can test the degree to which our individual understandings are compatible. An implication of this proposition is that cognition is not just within the individual but rather it is a part of the entire context. (Savery and Duffy, 2001).Secondly, cognitive conflict or puzzlement is the stimulus for learning and determines the organization and nature of what is learned. When we are in a learning environment, there is some stimulus or goal for learning — the learner has a purpose for being there. That goal is not only the stimulus for learning, but it is a primary factor in determining what the learner attends to, what prior experience the learner brings to bear in constructing an understanding, and, basically, what understanding is eventually constructed.In Dewey's terms it is the â€Å"problematic† that leads to and is the organizer for learning (Dewey, 1938: Savery and Duffy,2001). For Piaget it is the need fo r accommodation when current experience cannot be assimilated in existing schema (Piaget, 1977; Savery and Duffy, 2001). Lastly, knowledge evolves through social negotiation and through the evaluation of the viability of individual understandings. The social environment is critical to the development of our individual understanding as well as to the development of the body of propositions we call knowledge.At the individual level, other individuals are a primary mechanism for testing our understanding. Collaborative groups are important because we can test our own understanding and examine the understanding of others as a mechanism for enriching, interweaving, and expanding our understanding of particular issues or phenomena. As vonGlaserfeld (1989) has noted, other people are the greatest source of alternative views to challenge our current views and hence to serve as the source of puzzlement that stimulates new learning.In PBL, students learn content, strategies and self – directed learning skills through collaboratively solving problems, reflecting on their experiences, and engaging in self – directed inquiry. It established principles of learning which have been explained through observation and research over the past century, principles such as motivation, relevance, practice, active learning and contextual learning operate significantly in a PBL environment, and to a much lesser extent in conventional curricula.Figure 1: Schematic Diagram of the Theoretical – Conceptual Framework of the Study THE PROBLEM Statement of the Problem The main purpose of this study was to determine the effects of problem – based learning on students’ attitude and performance in high school geometry to the third year students of University of Cebu – Main, Cebu City of the school year 2010 – 2011. Specifically, the study sought to determine the following: 1. The profile of the students’ performance in the control group and the experimental group during the pre – test in terms of their high school geometry performance. . The profile of the students’ performance in the control group and the experimental group during the post – test in terms of their high school geometry performance. 3. The significant mean gain between the pre – test and post – test high school geometry performance profile of the students in the control group and the students in the experimental group. 4. The significant mean gain difference between the control and the experimental group’s performance in their high school geometry performance. . The significant change of the attitude towards mathematics before and after the exposure to the traditional teaching among the third year high school students of University of Cebu in the control group. 6. The significant change of the attitude towards mathematics before and after the exposure to the problem – based learning among the third year h igh school students of University of Cebu in the experimental group. Statement of HypothesesHo1: There is no significant difference between the hypothetical mean and the actual mean of the control group and the experimental group during the pre – test in terms of their high school geometry performance. Ho2: There is no significant difference between the hypothetical mean and the actual mean of the control group and the experimental group during the post – test in terms of their high school geometry performance. Ho3: There is no significant mean gain between the pre – test and post – test high school geometry performance profile of the students in the control group and the students in the experimental group.Ho4: There is no significant mean gain difference between the control and the experimental group’s performance in their high school geometry performance. Ho5: There is no significant change of the attitude towards mathematics before and after the exposure to the traditional teaching among the third year high school students of University of Cebu in the control group. Ho6: The significant change of the attitude towards mathematics before and after the exposure to the problem – based learning among the third year high school students of University of Cebu in the experimental group.Significance of the Study The effects of problem – based learning on students’ attitude and performance in high school geometry to improve classroom instruction and the quality of education rendered to continuing growing population. This study will benefit the following individual in learning and teaching mathematics in different approach. Students. The students were the primary reason of this study. They would be directly affected with the benefits of the study since they were the focus of it.Students would be relieved of the conventional classroom structure which they perceive as boring and unmotivating. They are given highly appropriate learning experiences to build positive attitude and productive individual. Teachers. The findings of this study would be of great help to the teachers not only in mathematics but also in some related areas of concern. Teachers at all levels would be able to select appropriate teaching techniques that complement problem – based learning. School Administrators.School administrators would likewise be benefited by the outcomes of the study and would capture an insight and opportunity to include in the present scope of the mathematics program and help improve the curricular content to adopt students’ level of learning with the same weight, being in the position, they have the chance to persuade the teachers to adopt problem – based learning as part of students’ learning experiences. Curriculum Writers. The result of this study would also enable the curriculum writers to redesign or restructure curriculum materials which could better facilitate math ematics learning through problem – based earning. Scope and Delimitation Content Delimitation The area of the study was the level of performance in high school geometry and the attitudes towards problem – based learning of the third year high school students of University of Cebu High School Department – Main Campus in the school year 2010 – 2011. Place Delimitation This study was limited to University of Cebu High School Department – Main Campus located in corner Sanciangko and Juan Luna Streets, Cebu City. Time Delimitation The study conducted in the school year 2010 – 2011.Subject and Area Delimitation The subjects of the study were the selected third year high students of University of Cebu High School Department – Main Campus in the school year 2010 – 2011. Chapter 2 Related Literature and Studies Observed that teachers are now being encouraged to move away from a tradition of teaching methods that are mechanistic in natur e and inappropriate to the ways students learn into a constructivist approach where active learning is emphasized. (Alindada, 199 as quoted in Paja, 2001).A teaching working from a multiculture, social – reconstructivist approach attempts to create a learning environment that is as democratic and open as the power asymmetries of the classroom allow, but with explicit recognition of this asymmetry. (Ernest 1991 as quoted by Douglas, 1994). Mathematics is our general education component that entails enriching a personal knowledge of the students that includes the opportunity to develop the power to explore, make conjecture and reason logically. This component helps students to become broadly educated, creative, cultured, morally pright and productive citizens. (Paja, 2001). Mathematics as an interdisciplinary language and tool. Mathematics can be used to help represent, communicate about, and solve problems in many different disciplines. Many jobs and other aspects of responsib le adult life in our society require some mathematical knowledge and skills. Problem – Based Learning , which encourages students to work in groups to carry out research and think independently to solve problems, is growing into an international movement. Moncure, 2005). According to Stephien and Rosenthal (1992) that PBL instruction is designed to provide students with a guided experiences in solving an ill – structured problem. It orienting students toward meaning – making over fact – collecting. They learn via contextualized problem sets and situation. (Rhem, 1998). Ulmer says, this approach gives students immediate feedback. â€Å"It keeps a constant flow going between teacher and student, and you cant’t put a price tag on that. According to the study of Gilo (2008), that PBL can produce socially responsible citizens. This gives the youth a sense of awareness and participation in the community. They love the challenge being the problem solvers and it gives a sense of accomplishment for having been part of the society they belong. PBL is a motivating way to learn as learners are involved in active learning, working with real problems and what they have to learn in their study is seen as important and relevant to their own lives. (http://www. bli. org/pbl/pbl. htm). According to Spence that problem based learning gives you opportunities to examine and try out what you already know; discover what you need to learn; develop your people skills for achieving higher performance in teams; improve your writing and speaking abilities, to state and defend with sound arguments and evidence your own ideas; and to become more flexible in your approach to problems that surprise and dismay others. Despite the work and effort it requires, PBL is never dull and is often fun.Problem – Based Learning proponents emphasize that it improves thinking and learning skills and cognitive abilities in students. It has been reported that PBL à ¢â‚¬â€œ trained students are more frequent users of libraries and other information resources, which support independent learning. They acquire life long study skills, especially in their early years of study, giving rise to sustained learning. PBL educated students have a more holistic approach to their subject, more readily integrate new information, adapt to change and work well as member of a team.Generally PBL appears to increase students interest and enjoyment to the subject and enhance their professional development. (Gilo, 2008). Chapter 3 Research Methodology Methodology This study utilized the quasi – experimental method with a content group and an experimental group using the pre – post tests. The quasi – experimental method was used since the subjects in each group were matched in terms of some selected variables such as classroom setting, classroom environment, instruction and academic performance. The study conducted on the second quarter grade.The two groups were given the pre – test on solid figures and its measurements to determine the mathematical achievement of each student. Intervention took place after conducting the pre – test which lasted for two weeks. The traditional way of teaching was given to the control group and the problem – based learning for the experimental group. After four weeks of experimentation a post – test was administered to determine the changes in their performance in high school geometry specifically in solid figures and its measurements.Research Environment This research was conducted in University of Cebu – High School Department Main Campus is located at the corner of Sanciangko and Juan Luna Streets, Cebu City. It is private non – sectarian institution of higher learning. It provides the learners with the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes that allow them to improve their quality of life and increase their opportunities to participate in and b enefit from social and economic development.It aspires to provide the learners with academic, scientific, technical and vocational, knowledge, skills and attitudes essential in meeting the demands of time, enhance the individuals emotional, social – cultural and spiritual needs; deeper the learners’ awareness and willingness to be pro – active in community projects and activities including environment protection and preservation, produce graduates who are highly qualified for the world of work. And as testament of its desire to provide est education for the masses, it is now the fastest growing university, if not the most dynamic among all the universities in the city of Cebu in terms of the number of students coming from public and private schools in urban or rural areas. Research Respondents The subjects of the study were the 82 selected third year high school students of University of Cebu – Main who are enrolled in the school year 2010 – 2011. Table 1 The Population of the Study Year and Section |Total Population |Research Population | | | |Sample (n) |Percent (%) | |III – Sapphire |41 |41 |100 | |(Control Group) | | | | |III – Jade |41 |41 |100 | |(Experimental Group) | | | | As indicated in the Table 1, the sections of third year classes were the groups under treatment of the study. The III – Sapphire class with 41 students composed the control group while III – Jade class with 41 students constituted the experimental group.Research Instruments The instruments in this study were the Mathematics Performance Test and an adopted Mathematics Attitude Scale. The achievement test was a teacher – made test about the high school geometry particularly solid figures and its measurement. To measure students’ attitude in mathematics, Mathematics Attitude Scale was used. This mathematics attitude scale was adopted from the study of Ruyca, 1994. It consisted of 20 positive and negative state ments. This attitude questionnaire is a 5 – point Likert scale to which the subjects indicate SA for strongly agree, A for agree, U for undecided, D for disagree and SD for strongly disagree.For reliability of the said test, split – half method was used. A coefficient of correlation of 0. 74 described that the test was highly reliable. Research Procedures The procedures of the study were done through data gathering and treatment of data. Data Gathering The researcher secured a written permit with the approval of the high school principal of University of Cebu –Main Campus. After the written permits signed and approved by the authorities, the researcher administered a 40 – item teacher – made test to the 40 third year high school students of University of Cebu – Main who are not respondents of the study to establish the validity of the test.When the test was found to be reliable and valid, a pre – test was administered to the actual re spondents, the third years Sapphire (control group and Jade (experimental group), a week before the experimentation started. The permit is found in appendix A. The III – Sapphire and III – Jade are the target subjects of the study. The III – Sapphire as the control group, which was exposed to traditional method; III – Jade served as the experimental group, which exposed to problem – based learning. In traditional way of teaching, lessons were presented by way of lecture, discussion and demonstration. Follow – up exercises were given in a form of seatwork and boardwork every after session. In this approach, teachers play an important role in learning process.All the discussions and presentations were delivered by the teacher. The pacing of the lesson depended on the teacher’s evaluation of the students’ performance in their previous activity. Each lesson was taught for not more than two meetings. After a month of experimentation , a post – test was given to evaluate whether the students in the control group gained knowledge in solving the areas, surface area and volume of a plane and solid figures. On the other hand, the 41 III – Jade students were exposed to problem – based learning. In the PBL, the learner will be given a problem and they were attempting to answer it of the information of what they already know.They will identify what they need to learn to better understand the problem an how to resolve it. Once they have worked with the problem and identified what they need to learn, the learners engage in self-directed study to research the information needed by finding and using a variety of information resources (books, journals, reports, online information, and a variety of people with appropriate areas of expertise). The learners then return to the problem and apply what they learned to their work with the problem in order to more fully understand and resolve the problem. After they have finished their problem work the learners assess themselves and each other to develop skills in self-assessment and the constructive assessment of peers.Self-assessment is a skill essential to effective independent learning. The faculty in turn become resources, tutors, and evaluators, guiding the students in their problem solving efforts. To measure the attitude of each student towards mathematics who had some through problem – based learning and traditional method, a Mathematics Attitude Scale the level of interest, feeling, perception and trend of attitude of the student towards high school geometry in both control and experimental groups were gathered. Each student was expected to answer the questions for their Mathematical Attitude Scale. Treatment of Data The data that will be gathered will be treated quantitatively.The following statistical treatments will be utilized for appropriate interpretation: 1. To determine the profile of the students’ performan ce in the control group and the experimental group during the pre – test and post – test in terms of their high school geometry performance, the z – test will be used with the formula: [pic] where: z = z – test value AM = actual mean HM = hypothetical mean SD = standard deviation N = number of cases/students 2. To determine significant mean gain between the pre – test and post – test high school geometry performance profile of the students in the control group and the students in the experimental group, the t – test will be used with the formula: [pic] here: t = t – test value [pic] = mean of the control group [pic] = mean of the experimental group SD1 = standard deviation of the control group SD2 = standard deviation of the experimental group N1 = number of cases of the control group N2 = number of cases of the experimental group 3. To determine the significant mean gain difference between the control and the experimental grou p’s performance in their high school geometry performance, the t – test will be used with the formula: [pic] where: t = t – test for the pre – post mean gain [pic] = mean of the difference SD = standard deviation of the difference N = number of cases 4.To determine the significant change of the attitude towards mathematics before and after the exposure to the problem – based learning among the third year high school students of University of Cebu in the experimental group, the weighted mean will be used with the formula: [pic] where:[pic] = weighted mean f = frequency n = number of cases Level of Significance A 0. 05 level of significance with a two – tailed test of statiscal significance for rejecting or accepting the hypothesis was applied in this study. Definition of Terms This study contains terms and ideas which may vary from its definition. To facilitate a better understanding of the study, some terminologies will be defined based on h ow they are used operationally.Mathematics Attitude refers to the significant contributors of detractors of effective performance. It is the behaviour shown by the students towards performing mathematics. Traditional Method refers to the ways of teaching mathematics used by teachers who depend on the teachers’ manual or textbook. It eliminates students’ experiences that are expected to motivate and sustain interest of the children. Plane Geometry refers to a branch of mathematics dealing with the properties and relations of lines, angles, surface and solids. Problem – Based Learning refers to a student instructional strategy in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences.Student Performance refers to the academic achievement of the student specifically mathematics. Chapter 4 Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation The presentation, analysis and interpretation of data will be presented after the experimentation of the class wi ll be done and if the data is being gathered. Chapter 5 Summary, Conclusion and Interpretation The summary, conclusion and recommendation of the study will be given after the data is being presented, analyzed and interpreted. Appendix A University of Cebu – Main High School Department Sanciangko Street, Cebu City June 15, 2010 DR. AGAPITO P. PINO JR. High School Principal University of Cebu – Main Sanciangko Street, Cebu City Sir: Greetings.The undersigned has come up with a thesis concept entitled â€Å"PROBLEM – BASED LEARNING IN TEACHING AND LEARNING HIGH SCHOOL GEOMETRY: ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE† In this connection, she would like to request permission to conduct an experimental study with the third year students (III – Sapphire, Control Group and III – Jade, Experimental Group), who are enrolled in school year 2010 – 2011. Your favourable consideration and approval will be highly appreciated. Very truly yours, (Sgd. ) Judy G. Gutang Recommending Approval MARCELO T. LOPEZ (Sgd. ) President, SUC III Cebu Normal University Appendix B Mathematics Attitude Scales (Adopted from Maxima Ruyca) Name: _______________________ Year: ____ Sex: ___ Age: ____ Date: _____Directions: Each of the statement of this opinionnaire expresses a feeling, which a particular person has towards mathematics. Your answer is correct if it expresses your own opinion. This is not a test and you are not to be graded. Do not omit any item. You are to express, on a five – point scale, the extent agreement between the feeling in each statement and your own personal feeling. You are to check the better which indicators how closely you agree or disagree with the statement. The five – point scale are: SA – Strongly Agree; A – Agree; U – Undecided; D – Disagree; SD – Strongly Disagree. | |SA |A |U |D |SD | |1.I am always under a terrible strain in Mathematics | | | | | | |class. | | | | | | |2. I do not like Mathematics and it scares me to have to | | | | | | |take it. | | | | | | |3. Mathematics is very interesting to me and I enjoy | | | | | | |Mathematics course. | | | | | | |4. Mathematics is fascinating and fun. | | | | | | |5.Mathematics makes me feel scared and at same | | | | | | |time it is stimulating. | | | | | | |6. My mind goes blank and I am unable to think clearly | | | | | | |when working with Mathematics. | | | | | | |7. I feel a sense of insecurity when working with | | | | | | |Mathematics. | | | | | | |8. Mathematics makes me feel uncomfortable, restless, | | | | | | |irritable and impatient. | | | | | | | |A |U |D |SD | | | | | | | | | |SA | | | | | |9. The feeling that I have towards Mathematics is a | | | | | | |good feeling. | | | | | | |10. Mathematics makes me feel as if I am lost in a | | | | | | |jungle of numbers and I can’t find my way out. | | | | | |11. Mathematics is stimulating I enjoy a great deal. | | | | | | |12. When I hear the word Mathematics I have a feeling | | | | | | |of dislike. | | | | | | |13. I approach Mathematics with a feeling of hesitation, | | | | | | |resulting from a fear of not being able to do it. | | | | | | |14. I really like mathematics. | | | | | | |15.Mathematics is a course in school, which I have | | | | | | |always enjoyed studying. | | | | | | |16. It makes me nervous to even think about having to | | | | | | |do Mathematics problem. | | | | | | |17. I have never liked Mathematics. | | | | | | |18. I am happier in a Mathematics classes than any | | | | | | |other class. | | | | | | |19.I feel at ease in Mathematics and I like it very much. | | | | | | |20. I feel a definite positive reaction toward | | | | | | |Mathematics and it is enjoyed. | | | | | | UNIVERSITY OF CEBU HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS Examination : Performance TestSubject / Year Level : Mathematics III Number of Items : 40Teacher : Miss Judy G. Gutang |SPECIFIC O BJECTIVES |CONTENTS |TIME FRAME |% ALLOCATION |NO.OF ITEMS |LEARNING DOMAIN |ITEM PLACEMENT |TYPE OF TEST | | Apply formulas in solving problems | | | | |Applying |I. 1 – 10 |Multiple Choice | |involving areas |AREAS |4 hours |25% |11 |Solving | | | |Solve problems on surface areas of | | | | |Applying |I. 11 – 25 |Multiple Choice | |solid figures |SURFACE AREAS |6 hours |37. % |15 |Solving | |Problem Solving | |Solve problems on volumes of solid | | | | |Applying |I. 26 – 40 |Multiple Choice | |figures |VOLUMES |6 hours |37. 5% |14 |Solving | |Problem Solving | |TOTALS | |16 hours |100% |40 | | | |University of Cebu High School Department PERFORMANCE TEST Name: __________________________ Year and Section: __________ Score: ____ I. MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read each item carefully. Encircle the letter of the correct answer. Use [pic]. 1. Find the area of a circular rug with 8. 5 cm radius. a. 182. 98 cm2b. 196. 68 cm2c. 226. 98 cm2 d. 53. 41 cm2 2. Find the area of a tr apezoid whose altitude is 6 cm and whose bases are 4 cm and 2 cm, respectively. a. 18 cm2b. 12 cm2c. 10 cm2d. 8 cm2 3. A triangle has an area of 65 ft2 and a base of 6 ft. What height corresponds to this base? a. 12 2/3 ftb. 13 2/5 ftc. 18 1/3 ftd. 1 2/3 ft 4. Find the height of a parallelogram whose area is 74 mm2 and a base length of 27 mm. a. 2. 70 mmb. 2. 74 mmc. 2. 47 mmd. 2. 41 mm 5. What is the area of the base in the figure at the right? a. 12 cm2b. 14 cm2 c. 21 cm2 d. 84 cm2 6. A square garden has a perimeter of 43m. What is its area? a. 151. 53 m2b. 151. 56 m2c. 151. 26 m2d. 115. 56 m2 7. The area of the rectangle is 162 in2. How wide is the figure if its 9 in long? a. 12 in b. 16 in c. 18 in d. 20 in 8. What is the area of a 3. 2 ft square board? a. 10. 24 ft2b. 14. 20 ft2c. 41. 20 ft2d. 40. 21 ft2 9. Calculate the area of the shaded region in the figure. a. 8. 34 in2b. 9. 3 in2c. 10. 25 in2d. 11. 43 in2 10. A man is buying a lot for P5,000 per square meter. If the lot is 20 m long and 15 m wide, how much will he pay for it? a. P9. 2Mb. P8. 1Mc. P3. 5Md. P1. 5M 11. How many 4 – inch square tiles are needed to cover a floor whose length is 12 feet and whose width is 8 feet? a. 486 tilesb. 648 tilesc. 684 tilesd. 864 tiles 12. The lateral area of a pyramid is 228 ft2. Find the area of the base if it has a surface area of 372 ft2. a. 84 ft2b. 98 ft2c. 112 ft2d. 144 ft2 13. A volley ball has a diameter of 12 cm. What is its surface area? a. 425. 31 cm2b. 452. 34 cm2c. 452. 39 cm2d. 452. 49 cm2 14.The side of a cube measures 6. 1 cm. How much foil is needed to completely cover its surface? a. 223. 36 cm2b. 226. 98 cm2c. 148. 84 cm2d. 37. 21 cm2 15. The sum of the areas of the bases of a cylinder is [pic] ft2. Find its radius. a. 6ftb. 8 ftc. 10 ftd. 12 ft 16. The side of a cube has length 9 cm. Find its surface area. a. 336 cm2b. 486 cm2c. 508 cm2d. 660 cm2 17. How much plastic is needed to manufacture five plastic balls of radius 2 cm? a. 521. 38 cm2b. 512. 33 cm2c. 215. 38 cm2d. 251. 33 cm2 18. Find the amount of cardboard needed to make a birthday hat with radius 4 in and a slant height of 10 in. a. 125. 7 in2b. 162. 7 in2c. 216. 5 in2d. 261. in2 19. A right cylinder has a lateral area of 2,480 cm2. The height is 16 cm. Find the radius of the cylinder. a. 7. 03 cmb. 8. 07 cmc. 9. 23 cmd. 10. 37 cm 20. The circumference of a basketball is 40. 8408 cm. What is its surface area? a. 453. 93 cm2b. 530. 93 cm2c. 533. 35 cm2d. 563. 53 cm2 21. How much paper is needed for the label of Youngstown sardines having a radius of 2 in and a height of 4. 2 in? a. 52. 78 in2 b. 95. 56 in2c. 99. 25 in2d. 112. 12 in2 22. Which of the statements is TRUE? a. No two spheres have the same volume and surface area. b. The lateral faces of a rectangular prism have two pairs of equal areas. c.The surface area of a sphere is equal to the area of the Great Circle. d. The area of the base of a cone is lwh. 23. What is the radius of a cone whose area o f its base is 22. 46 in2? a. 7. 62 inb. 6. 72 inc. 2. 67 ind. 1. 76 i 24. Two identical cubes, whose volume is 125 cm3, are placed side by side to forma rectangular prism. Find the surface area of the new solid. a. 150 cm2b. 250 cm2c. 350 cm2d. 450 cm2 25. The sum of the area of the bases of a rectangular prism is 120 ft2. How long is the solid if its width is 5 ft? a. 3 ftb. 4 ftc. 5 ft d. 6 ft 26. The surface area of a triangular pyramid, having four congruent faces, is [pic] mm2. How long is the base if its height is [pic]mm. a. ftb. 6 ftc. 8 ftd. 10 ft 27. Which of the following statements is FALSE? a. The ratio of volume of the cone to the volume of the cylinder is 3:1. b. The volume and surface area of a sphere can be equal. c. The volume of an irregular object can be determined by water displacement. d. No two cubes have equal volume. 28. How would the volume of the square pyramid be affected if the height is doubled? a. the sameb. doubledc. tripledd. quadrupled 29. Find the volume of a cube 3 meters high. a. 9m3b. 18 m3c. 27m3d. 54 m3 30. A spherical lollipop has a radius of 1. 5 cm. What is its volume? a. 14. 16 cm3b. 17. 07 cm3c. 28. 26 cm3d. 10. 60 cm3 31.Find the amount of space contained in a book 12 in by 1. 5 in by 6. 1 in. a. 89. 01 in3b. 180. 9 in3c. 109. 80 in3d. 801. 9 in3 32. How much sand is contained in a can whose height is 5 inches and radius is 1. 5 in? a. 53. 32 in3b. 35. 34 in3c. 33. 53 in3d. 52. 33 in3 33. The volume of a pyramid is 20 m3. If its height is 12 cm, find the area of the base. a. 5 cm2b. 10 cm2c. 15 cm2d. 20 cm2 34. The height of a 7. 1 ft by 4. 2 ft waterbed mattress is 2. 5 ft. Find its volume. a. 79. 785 ft3b. 79. 857 ft3c. 79. 758 ft3d. 79. 875 ft3 35. The water content in an aquarium is[pic]. How high is it if it is 2 ft long and 1. 7 ft wide? a. 1. 8 ft b. 2. 4 ftc. 3. 1 ftd. 3. 3 ft 36.A pipeline is 1200 ft long and has a diameter of 4 ft. How much cubic feet of gas can the pipe hold? a. 15,087. 68 ft3b. 17,950. 68 ft3c. 19,057. 86ft3d. 19,571. 68ft3 37. How much greater is the new volume than the original rectangular prism if its height is doubled and its height is halved? a. twiceb. the samec. thriced. can’t be determined 38. The radius and height of an empty Nido can are 4 in and 11. 8in, respectively. How much water it contains if it is one – half full? a. 296. 56 in3b. 296. 67 in3c. 296. 57 in3d. 296. 67 in3 39. A softdrink cup is cylindrical in shape. Its volume is 628 cm3 and the radius is 5cm. How deep is the cup? a. 6 cm b. 8 cmc. 9 cmd. 10 cm 40.A stalactite in Bukilat Cave in Camotes, Cebu is shaped like a cone. It is 2. 5 ft and has a diameter at the roof of 1. 2 ft. Find the volume of the stalactite. a. 2. 83 ft3b. 3. 28 ft3c. 8. 23 ft3d. 8. 32 ft3 CURRICULUM VITAE JUDY G. GUTANG PERSONAL PROFILE Age:25 years old Birth date:March 26, 1985 Sex:Female Civil Status:Single Religion:Roman Catholic Citizenship:Filipino EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND Cebu Normal University Maste r of Arts in Education major in Mathematics Units Earned: 27 units Cebu Normal University Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics Graduated 2006 Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School (Basak National High School)Graduated 2002 Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School (Basak Elementary School) Graduated 1998 WORK EXPERIENCE University of Cebu – Main Campus High School Teacher (Math) 2007 – present Cebu Normal University Office Clerk – Accounting Department May 29, 2006 – January 1, 2007 Cebu Normal University Student Assistant – Accounting Department January 2003 – September 2005 EXAMINATIONS PASSED Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) Secondary Level – August 2006 SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS ATTENDED Innovations in Classroom Teaching January 31, 2009 Computer Aided Instruction Seminar-Workshop November 29, 2008 Lecture – Forum on Numerical Analysis October 11, 2008Seminar/Workshop on Strategies and Techniques in Teaching Mathematics for High School September 27, 2008 Good Citizenship Values Formation August 30, 2008 Book Launch and Seminar on Teaching Skills and Strategies December 1, 2007 Seminar on Empowering Teachers with Strategies Anchored on Learner- Centered Paradigm October 24, 2007 Lecture-Demonstration on Innovations in Teaching Mathematics August 13, 2007 Restructuring Learning Strategies and Experiences: Paradigm Reflective of the UC Secondary Education Vision-Mission-Goals (Year Three) May 16 – June 8, 2007 Wellness Seminar September 20, 2006 Living Values Education Program January 27 – 29, 2006 Basic Training Course for Unit LeadersSeptember 30 – October 2, 2005 ———————– CONSTRUCTIVISM THEORY |Post – test | |Achievement |Attitude | |Pre – test | |Achievement |Attitude | ? Understanding comes from our interaction with our environment. ? Cognitive conflict stimulates learning. ? Knowle dge evolves through social negotiation and evaluation of the viability of individual understanding. Traditional Approach Control Group III – Sapphire Control Group III – Sapphire Problem – Based Learning Experimental Group III – Jade Experimental Group III – Jade Structured Plan in Mathematics (High School Geometry)