The Effects Of The Titanic Essays - Canada, United Kingdom

The Effects Of The Titanic One of the most advertised events of the 1910s was the so-called Unsinkable Titanic and its controversial sinking on April 14, 1912. When news of this British made luxury liner, weighing 46,000 gross tons reached American shores the press went wild. The idea of an unsinkable ship was bewildering. Then when the ship sank on her maiden voyage the press had a second hay-day. The sinking of the Titanic was a national event. It effected the 1910s in several ways, 2 examples of this would be the death of American social icons, and the reforms made to ships technology and travel codes. (MSN Learning) The death of two admired Americans affected the 1910s by turning the sinking of the Titanic into a national affair. Mr. Isidor Straus, one of the American millionaires killed on the titanic, operated a company that engaged in blockade running for the confederate states during the American Civil War. After the war he moved to New York and obtained R.H. Macy s development. The country was deeply moved by his death. The decade of 1910 was effected by the loss of these and other social icons. (Astor Encyclopedia Titantica) The sinking of the Titanic directly contributed to the 1910s and subsequent years through reforms in ship policies and travel codes. When investigators of the shipwreck found that there were only enough lifeboats for about half of the passengers aboard many reforms were issued. Such as the maintenance of a full-time radio watch on each ship while at sea, and in international ice patrol. The reforms made travel on large sea vessels much safer in the years following the accident. (Titanic Disaster) A major national event, the sinking of the Titanic, affected the 1910s in many ways. Two of these ways are, the deaths of American icons, and the reforms on ship technology and travel codes. Social Issues

A Christians Experience In A Mosque Religion Essay Example

A Christians Experience In A Mosque Religion Essay Example A Christians Experience In A Mosque Religion Essay A Christians Experience In A Mosque Religion Essay I am a Christian by personal religion, genetic sciences and through circumstance of being raised in the church. I have been a Christian so long that any other faith to me is of small concern to me personally. But, I do non state this to be average because I have many friends of different faiths, beliefs and races. Whatever they believe in is all right with me and frailty versa. I decided to travel to a mosque with my best friend since 4th class since she is a Muslim. I learned a batch more than I originally thought and this is my journey. Humama and I have been best friends since 4th class. My household and hers are close despite one being Christian and the other Muslim. To each other we are people, friends, and faith does non specify our relationship. I asked Humama to come with me to the mosque business district on King Street because I would experience more comfy being with person who knew what was traveling on. We decided to travel on a Friday, which is their holy twenty-four hours. Before go forthing her house in Goose Creek, we performed ritual called a Wudu. It is rinsing of organic structure parts of import to executing formal supplications, called Salah. She said that there is a station at the mosque for it, or they use a sink for it but it would be easier to make it before we left place. She gave me a bluish outfit to have on with a fiting head covering to cover everything from our carpuss to our mortise joints for modestness and regard. On the thrust business district, bundled up in a beautiful outfit wholly out of my normal signifier of dressing, I wondered how I would be greeted and how I would be changed by this. I have walked and drove past the mosque on King Street many times. After populating business district for about a twelvemonth, you would hold to be blind non to detect it. It sits at that place on the corner of King and Romney street, quiet and non architecturally designed like the mosques I have seen in images. It is simplistic in its design for its intent. We parked and walked to the mosque and I noticed people of different races come ining the mosque which surprised me. There were Blacks, White persons, and many people of Middle Eastern descent. There were immature people, old people and all seemed unified in their beliefs of Allah. We entered the mosque and entered a speedy supplication to bless the mosque. The supplication had non started yet, so Humama introduced me to other Muslims in the hallway. My anxiousness was easing slightly talking to others that did non look to mind I was at that place, despite being a Christian. Before come ining the existent mosque, Humama and I took off our places to demo another signifier of regard. Humama and I sat confronting Mecca, after talking for a few proceedingss to the others, she said we could offer other speedy supplications while waiting for the discourse to get down. I realized for the first clip that the work forces and adult females were separated in the mosque. The work forces were in the forepart and the adult females in the dorsum, though we could still see everything. I noticed that there were two rows of chairs and I saw that the disableds or work forces of importance sat at that place. I sat beside Humama thought, this is sort of unjust holding to sit all the manner in back and non among the work forces. In my church you sit anyplace, but I pulled the idea back, to non judge but take part in her religion. To acquire my head off it, I thought to myself that I truly enjoyed non holding my places on since I am slightly Bohemian. Humama informed me we were waiting for the Imam, the sermonizer and leader of the mosque, to come out and preach which is called the Pre-Prayer. She informed that the Imam would normally come out and give a discourse on whatever he wished to or state a spiritual narrative. He would subsequently in the discourse connect the significance of it to his discourse. I became a small impatient waiting for the Imam to come out, but she reassured me that he would be out shortly. After five more proceedingss he walked out and world eventually set in that I was wholly out of my deepness. The Imam, whose existent name is Mohamed Melhem did non look like a sermonizer to me. He seemed like a regular adult male yet easy to speak to. He began the discourse by welcoming everyone to the mosque and praising Allah. He was easy to listen to and to understand. He gave a discourse on functioning Allah and fasting. That by fasting you gain a closer relationship with Allah. Allah is at that place for us and there is merely one. Prayer should be consistent ( they pray five times per twenty-four hours ) and that the Quran is at that place to steer us. He spoke of being a Muslim in the universe, that all facets of being a Muslim should be retained one time go forthing the mosque. As a Muslim, your moralss and how you stick to them in the universe shows how Allah is working through you. I noticed that everyone seemed in awe and took in every word he said. They seemed wholly devoted to listening to the Imam speak about this, because by looking at them you could state some found themselves once more by being among equals like themselves. After completing the discourse, the Adhan or Azan, did a call to prayer. Everyone listened and moved frontward face down listening to the Azan pray. After the supplication was finished, some people continued to pray and others got up to socialise. The mosque offered nutrient to us to raise money for the mosque. The nutrient was similar to what I had eaten earlier at Humama s house and it was delightful. I do non retrieve the names of the nutrient, but it did non affair at the clip. Everyone socialized for about an hr and a half and some continued to talk about Allah, others about school and work. Some people were coming in late holding merely got off work to come in at the right clip to pray. Leaving the mosque, I felt a small different. The peace of praying with others who get along despite your race. The sacredness of go forthing the universe outside and happening yourself once more when come ining the mosque. Confronting Mecca and everyone praying in one way and at one clip. They all believe the same manner and it shows why they have such a strong community. No 1 is seeking to draw off and do their ain thing. It made me experience nearer to my ain God, and that it makes life easier cognizing that basically we all have the same belief in one God, despite the different ways we worship. I gained a closer relationship with my best friend and with my God and that truly changed me.

Definition and Examples of Understatement

Definition and Examples of Understatement Definition Understatement is a  figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is. Contrast with hyperbole. Jeanne Fahnestock points out that understatement (particularly in the form known as litotes) is often used for self-deprecation on the rhetors part, as when the heavily decorated war hero says I have a few medals, or someone who has just won on American Idol observes I did OK (Rhetorical Style, 2011). See Examples and Observations below. Also, see: EmphasisEuphemismIronyLitotesMeiosisTop 20 Figures of Speech Examples A soiled baby, with a neglected nose, cannot be conscientiously regarded as a thing of beauty. (Mark Twain)I have to have this operation. It isnt very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain.(Holden Caulfield in The Catcher In The Rye, by J. D. Salinger)Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe how much it altered her person for the worse.  (Jonathan Swift, A Tale of a Tub, 1704)The graves a fine and private place, But none, I think, do there embrace. (Andrew Marvell, To His Coy Mistress)I am just going outside and may be some time. (Captain Lawrence Oates, Antarctic explorer, before walking out into a blizzard to face certain death, 1912)Vance: My, we are certainly in a good mood this morning.Pee-wee: That, my dear Vance, is the understatement of the year. Everything seems completely different to me today. The air smells so fresh. The sky seems a brand-new shade of blue. I dont think Ive ever noticed the beauty of this leaf. And Vance, have you always been so handsome?  (Wayne White and Paul Reubens in Big Top Pee-wee, 1988) This [double helix] structure has novel features which are of considerable biological interest.(Opening sentence of the Nature article announcing Crick and Watsons discovery of the structure of DNA)Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. (Anton Ego in Ratatouille, 2007)The new EU member states of Poland and Lithuania have been arguing this week for the summit to be called off, and criticizing the German preparations. For historical reasons, the east Europeans are highly sensitive to any sign of Germany cutting deals with Russia over their heads. (The Guardian, May 17, 2007)Well, thats cast rather a gloom over the evening, hasnt it?(Dinner guest, after a visit from the Grim Reaper, in Monty Pythons The Meaning of Life)The adjective cross as a description of his Jove-like wrath that consumed his whole being jarred upon Derek profoundly. It was as though Prometheus, with the vultures tearing his liver, had been asked if he were piqued. (P. G. Wodehouse, Jill the Reckless, 1922) British Understatement The British are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist bombings and threats to destroy nightclubs and airports, and therefore have raised their security level from Miffed to Peeved. Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to Irritated or even A Bit Cross. Brits have not been A Bit Cross since the Blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out.(anonymous post on the Internet, July 2007)Understatement is still in the air. It is not just a specialty of the English sense of humour; it is a way of life. When gales uproot trees and sweep away roofs of houses, you should remark that it is a bit blowy. I have just been listening to a man who got lost in a forest abroad for a week and was scrutinised by hungry wolves, smacking their lips. Was he terrified? - asked the television interviewer, obviously a man of Italian origin. The man replied that on the seventh day when there were no rescuers in sight and the sixth hungry wolf joined the pack, he got a bit worried. Y esterday, a man in charge of a home where 600 old people lived, which was found to be a fire risk where all the inhabitants might burn to death, admitted: I may have a problem. (George Mikes, How to Be a Brit. Penguin, 1986) Observations Understatement is a form of irony: the ironical contrast inheres in the discrepancy between what one would be expected to say and his actual refusal to say it.(Cleanth Brooks, Fundamentals of Good Writing: A Handbook of Modern Rhetoric. Harcourt, 1950)The use of understatement is something that satirists have a mastery of, but as a rhetorical device, we can use it to try to persuade someone by rewording a sentence in less offensive terms. For example, suppose we believe a persons idea to be in error and wish to point this out:I think there may be some additional factors that you may not have accounted for.Your analysis is far too simplistic. No one will take such an idiotic theory seriously. There are many other alternatives we could use, but consider that if we want to convince the person that they are mistaken then we need to pitch our objections accordingly. Perhaps the idea really is idiotic ... but is saying as much likely to incline them to change their opinion? For the second suggestion, it may depend on who we are talking to: a friend, say, may welcome the criticism but a stranger may not appreciate his or her thought being called simplistic, even if it is. Some people might still take offense at the first version, but the determining influences include what we want to achieve and whom we are talking to or writing for. How likely is a person to listen to our critique if they suspect we are talking down to them or dismissing them? (Heinz Duthel, History and Philosophy of Science. Lulu, 2008) Pronunciation: UN-der-STATE-ment Also Known As: litotes, diminutio

Benefits of breathing in Pilates Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Benefits of breathing in Pilates - Term Paper Example In Pilates exercises, breathing was conducted according to belief that having blood pumped to awaken all cells in the body and carry away all the waste related to fatigue. For this purpose, the blood has to be oxygenated and free of waste gases by breathing properly. Therefore, Pilate exercises demand for inhalation in preparation for a movement followed by exhalation just before execution of the movement. In any movement, one should always breath and especially in all the difficult portions of a movement. Pilate’s exercises call for breathing deeply and fully where inhalation is through the nose and exhalation is through the mouth. Breathing through the nose warms the air and filters it thus ensuring there are no toxic materials entering the body. In the process of inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and allows more air to fill the lungs (Pilates Trends, Para. 4). At the same time, the ribcage expands out to the sides and back, and as a result, the shoulders move upwards. These movements allow for the lower part of the lungs to receive oxygen thus increasing efficiency of the gaseous exchange process. In an exhale, the ribs relax and come closer to the medial plane allowing the diaphragm to relax and arc upwards in the abdominal cavity (Pilates Trends, Para. 5). As a result, air is forced of the lungs thus taking away the carbon dioxide from the body. Breathing in Pilates follows several principles that are to be followed at all times: one should always keep one’s breathe flowing and therefore, should not hold their breath. Air should be inhaled through the nose and exhaled through the mouth while exhalation should be through the mouth should be done with relaxed lips and not pursed ones. Also, exhalation should be done to flex the spine and inhalation should be to extend it. (Pilates Trends, Para. 9) Pilates exercises are beneficial to those who take part in them and have been for numerous therapies and treatments.

IBP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

IBP - Research Paper Example Under the contract, an employer, in this case IBP, was responsible for the  safety  and safety violations of another employer’s employees, DCS in this case, and had the  mandate  to prevent and  abate  such violations.  IBP had supervisory authority and control over the worksite regardless of whether DCS created the hazards or was in a position to reduce them.  In addition, IBP owned the equipment and  therefore  required to  exercise  all  control  as a contracting party and  plant  owner and ensure that no employee was at risk.   The nature of the contract between IBP and DCS required there be a daily recurring  task  that IBP employees had  previously  been doing.  The contract was on-going and the relationship between the two was a close one.  IBP constant contact with DCS also included  frequent  discussions about LOTO standards and the fragrant violations of these standards by DCS employees. While the contract held DCS responsible for LOTO standards compliance, IBP had the  mandate  to ensure DCS complied even if it meant suspending or terminating the contract. IBP could have imposed penalties on DCS and its employees at any time to  ensure  LOTO compliance. As the worksite-controlling employee, it could also have suspended and expelled employees who fragrantly violated safety

High Schools Students Essay Example for Free

High Schools Students Essay No Child Left Behind mandates placed tremendous pressure on schools throughout the country to succeed in helping our students achieve. School leaders are spending time and money to find ways to improve their schools. Many leaders have chosen to restructure their everyday scheduling format. Schools need to explore if this is beneficial or not. The purpose of this study is to determine if block scheduling has an effect on student achievement of high school students who are enrolled in block scheduling classes versus those enrolled in traditional classes. The block format will consist of four 90-minute classes. The traditional format will consist of six 50 minutes classes. To examine student achievement, the researcher will explore three critical areas. They are academic achievement, student discipline, and student attendance. The sample population will consist of students, teachers and administrators. The students of this population will be students enrolled at a high school that uses the block format and students enrolled at a high school that uses the traditional format. To examine academic achievement, only students who have completed their 11th grade year and taken the social studies portion of the Georgia High School Graduation Test will be used. To examine discipline and attendance, the teachers, administrators and some students will be randomly selected. The case study will consist of interview questionnaires and data from the students’ records to determine if there is a difference with block scheduling compared to traditional scheduling. The research will explain and explore if block scheduling versus traditional scheduling is a wise decision for school leaders throughout the country. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Statement of Problem It is no secret that schools in the United States have come under much fire lately for their failure to meet the basic educational needs of students. Globally, students in the United States lag far behind those of other countries. Education reform is a catch phrase on the lips of politicians and educational researchers alike. Dobbs reports that in a global math skills test, the United States ranked 24th out of 29 wealthy, industrialized countries. Approximately 5500 students in 262 high schools were studied; their poor performance suggests a widening gap between US students and their counterparts in Europe and Asia (Dobbs, M. , 2004). In addition an International Math Science Study reported the high school seniors were out-performed by 90% of other tested nations in math and by 76% in science (Hodges, 2003). In reading, students are equally unprepared. The Alliance for Excellent Education reports that nearly 6 million middle and high school students do not read at grade level. In addition, over half the students entering college scored at unacceptable levels on college entrance exams in reading, and these trends seem to cross gender and racial lines (Aratani, 2006). The current debate about school reform came in response to the report, A Nation at Risk (2004) which made the above statistics and their implications public to the nation. The National Commission on Excellence in Education remarked that if a foreign power had attempted to impose our current education performance on any nation, it would have been deemed an act of war. In a nutshell, schools in America were characterized as failed systems (Finn, 1997). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCBLA) by the current Bush Administration is one of the most groundbreaking educational reforms in years. Approved by Congress in December 2001 and signed into law on January 8, 2002, this legislation expanded the federal government’s role in the operation of public schools and imposed new obligations on all school districts. The NCLBA’s basic reform principles feature stronger accountability of the schools, administrators and teachers, increased flexibility and local control of funds from the federal government, expanded options for parents in choosing schools, and an increased emphasis on successful teaching methods (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001). Policymakers are also accountable not just for the enhanced consumer satisfaction of the parents who have an active role in school choice, but also for the overall improvement of opportunity and performance for students who have only a limited role in school choice (Leckrone Griffith, 2006). To combat these downward trends and to provide for the new obligations and standards in the NCLBA, public education reform has turned to a revision of the structure of the school day. This included changing the schedules from a traditional six or seven period day which consisted of 45 to 55 minute classes that met daily for an entire school year to a block schedule. Block schedules take many forms, but basically, the class times per period doubles to about 90 minutes each and the number of classes taken is reduced from six or seven to four per semester. 1. 2 Statement of Purpose Since the trend toward block scheduling began several years ago, and reports have been mixed as to whether block scheduling has been beneficial or deleterious in solving some of the problems of US high schools. Many factors are involved when it comes to student achievement. These include, among other things, school climate, teaching practices, familial support, motivation and resources. This study seeks to determine the effectives of block scheduling on the academic performance of high school students with regard to the discipline, attendance and test scores. 1. 3 Definitions For the purposes of this study, the following definitions will be used: †¢ 4 x 4 Block Scheduling – Four classes, approximately ninety minutes in length, every day for the first semester. Four completely different classes, again ninety minutes in length, every day for the second semester. Each class equals one credit (The Change Process and Alternative Scheduling, 1996). †¢ A/B Block Scheduling – Four classes, approximately ninety minutes in length, meeting every other day (A days) for an entire school year. Four completely different classes, again ninety minutes in length, meeting on alternate days (B days) for an entire year. Each class equals one credit (The Change Process and Alternative Scheduling, 1996). †¢ Combination Block Schedule A combination of 4 x 4 and A/B block schedules (The Change Process and Alternative Scheduling, 1996). †¢ Flexible Schedule A combination of 4 x 4 and A/B block schedules, but class length varies from day to day. One example: On three out of every five days throughout the school year, each class could be 90 minutes in length. On the other two days, designated as Advisement/Resource Days, each class is 75 minutes in length. An Advisement/Resource Hour is 60 minutes in length (The Change Process and Alternative Scheduling, 1996). †¢ Traditional Format – six (or more) 50-minutes classes per day †¢ FMS the Flexible Modular System designed by J. Lloyd Trump which introduced alternative scheduling options and provided for differing times for classes depending on the needs of the student and the content of the particular course. †¢ GHSGT – The Georgia High School Graduation Test which must be passed by all seniors in public high schools in Georgia. †¢ Carnegie Unit 120 hours of class or contact time with an instructor over the course of a year at the secondary school level †¢ No Child Left Behind Act – NCLBA, 2001 legislation which tightened federal control over the standards and processes of American public schools. 1. 4 Assumptions of the Study This study assumes that all schools and students and teachers polled are enrolled or teaching in schools that follow the typical formats discussed above, that they have no previously diagnosed mental disabilities or learning problems and that the school is not participating in any additional enrichment programs which may distort the results of the study. 1. 5 Significance of the Study This study is important for anyone interested in improving education in American high schools. This study is significant in that it provides to the body of research that determine a) if the block scheduling concept is perceived by teachers and students as efficient and advantageous and b) if the block scheduling concept is actually responsible for improved academic achievement based upon variable factors of attendance, disciplinary records, and achievement test scores. 1. 6 Limitations of the Study This study is limited by the existence of several variables which cannot be tested by these researchers or that cannot be completely controlled. First, the research obtained is limited to those participants who willingly elect to complete the surveys and questionnaires in their entirety. All personal data to be collected is limited by the veracity of the respondents. Because of the small scope of the research, it is difficult to statistically proportion the number of respondents from necessary categories such as gender, race, income level, and college plans. It can also not take into account existing problems in the schools unrelated to scheduling such as teacher turnover, violence, etc. 1. 7 Summary The problems faced by high schools in the United States are wide-ranging and diverse. No one change will provide an instant cure for all that ails the education system. The NCLBA mandates and the general demise of educational achievement has prompted several new methods of teaching, administrating and funding education in America. The issue of scheduling may hold promise as to improving some aspects of academic performance. CHAPTER TWO REVIEW of the LITERATURE 2. 1 Historical Background of Block Scheduling Students of the 20th century spent nearly all of their high school time in 45 to 55 minute class periods, six or seven classes a day. During the 1960s, some experimental ideas emerged, notable the model of J. Lloyd Trump, who proposed creating classes of varying lengths depending upon the course. Science courses with lab requirements could meet for 100 minutes while lectures could be scheduled for 40 minutes and tutorials for 20 minutes. This system was called the Flexible Modular System (FMS). Later, a similar type of scheduling was dubbed the Copernican Plan which resulted in a reported benefit of improved graduation rates (Carroll, 1995). The plan gives students an extra chance each year to pass a semester class that they may have failed. In 1984, John Goodlad warned education leaders that the traditional school structure spends way too much time on six or seven class changes and does not allow â€Å"for individualized instruction, for extended laboratory work, or for remediation and enrichment† (Queen, 2000). Eventually, the extreme flexibility of time produced discipline issues, scheduling headaches and teacher planning problems, and FMS’s popularity began to wane (Dobbs, W. , 1998) Nonetheless, the importance of this system has not been overlooked, and it is generally regarded as the precursor to the modern block scheduling system. Tradition has always played a role in high school scheduling. The Carnegie Unit became a standard for determining a students required yearly course load. Most critics of the traditional system likened the Carnegie Unit to simply amassed seat time (Canady and Rettig, 1995). This point was reiterated in the National Education Commission on Time and Learning’s publication of A Prisoner of Time. It states that Learning in America is a prisoner of time. For the past 150 years, American public schools have held time constant and let learning vary. The rule, only rarely voiced, is simple: learn what you can in the time we make available. It should surprise no one that some bright, hardworking students do reasonably well. Everyone else—from the typical student to the dropout—runs into trouble. Time is learnings warden. (National Education Commission on Time and Learning, 1994, p. 7) â€Å"The pace is grueling† (Irmsher, 1996). A student will spend nearly seven hours a day in seven to nine locations pursuing seven to nine different lessons and activities which produces an impersonal and inefficient approach to instruction. â€Å"The pace is grueling† (Irmsher, 1996). Unfortunately, many administrators, teachers and parents resisted any type of change to the system that they had experienced themselves. This resistance was challenged with the report A Nation At Rise was published in 1983 which revealed the American educational system was not up to par with international systems. Thus, restructuring schools became a focus in improving educational achievement (Queen, 2000). 2. 2 Summary of Current Knowledge and Theory Relevant to Block Scheduling 2. 2. 1 Overview of Perceived Advantages to Block Scheduling Several researchers (Dobbs, W. , 1998; Hurley, 1997; Zepeda, 1999; Staunton, 1997; Staunton and Adams, 1997; Pisapia, and Westfall, 1997; and Eineder and Bishop, 1997) reported the following perceived strengths and advantages by both students and teachers to block scheduling: †¢ Increased teacher preparation time (in both teams and as individuals). †¢ Double the class time for certain core subjects such as language arts and math. †¢ Half as many students for teachers per semester †¢ Additional elective class choice for 9th grade students; more choices for upperclassmen, including options of Advanced Placement and other higher level coursework †¢ More time for completion of labs, incorporating technology, class trips, and other various applications of learned material †¢ Improved school climate and decreased disciplinary referrals †¢ More time to do homework and for guided practice under the direction of the teacher †¢ Improved academic achievement by students †¢ Ability of students to accumulate enough credits to graduate early. †¢ More one-on-one time between teachers and students In general, surveyed students liked the block scheduling. They claimed to be getting better grades, to have time for more in-depth study, and got more attention from the teachers. They said their lives were less stressed and they liked having a fresh start each semester. Nearly all students asked said they would not want to return to the traditional schedule. One of the greatest effects of the 4 x 4 schedule is that students report having less homework. Of the 37 students interviewed, 20 said they had less homework, 7 said they had more, and 6 said they had about the same. If you dont like the teacher, you dont have to deal with him all year, or if you dont like the subject. When the semester ends, its like a new school year. Youre not bogged down. Clearly, these students reaped academic benefits from the change to the 4 x 4 schedule. Both college preparatory and general students reported they were learning more and receiving more individual attention (Hurley, 1997). Surveyed teachers indicated that they enjoyed lecturing less and spending more time one-on-one with students. Teachers teaching in block scheduling used more of a team approach and allowed them to experiment more in the classroom (Staunton, 1997; Staunton and Adams, 1997). Teachers also reported that their teaching methods and practices changed as block scheduling was implemented. They used a wider array of strategies and activities. In one Florida study of over forty high schools on block scheduling, â€Å"forty percent of the teachers reported less stress at school, one-third reported increased common planning time, and 80 percent noted that they preferred the block schedule to their previous schedule† (Deuel, 1999). There seem to be several perceived advantages associated with block scheduling. 2. 2. 2 Overview of Perceived Disadvantages to Block Scheduling Several researchers (Dobbs, W. , 1998; Hurley, 1997; Zepeda, 1999; Staunton, 1997; Staunton and Adams, 1997; Pisapia, and Westfall, 1997; and Eineder and Bishop, 1997) reported the following perceived weaknesses and disadvantages by both students and teachers to block scheduling: †¢ Additional costs in hiring teachers. †¢ Additional costs in adding space for teachers or the need for teachers to ‘travel’ which means he has no permanent classroom †¢ Difficulty in making up work from absences because missing one day equivalent to missing two classes †¢ Some classes clearly benefit from meeting every day (i. e. performing arts classes) †¢ Need for teachers to commit to using new teaching methods †¢ Ninety minutes is a long time to hold the attention of students †¢ Uneven schedules in which the harder classes all end up lumped into one semester making it too difficult and the next semester too easy. †¢ The possibility that there will be a long gap in between sequential courses if they are not taken in back-to-back semesters. The primary disadvantage given by surveyed students is that the classes are too long. Students particularly gave this as a weakness when their teachers lectured for nearly all of the time period. Others noted that â€Å"bad classes are really bad when they are held for 90 minutes† (Hurley, 1997). Surveyed teachers voiced concerns about interruptions of sequential material from one semester to the next and consistency issues with students. However, teacher opinion seemed to be mixed about this issue. Some foreign language teachers feared a sequential break between levels (Scheduling Foreign Languages on the Block, 1998). Other researchers found that some schools actually showed an increase in foreign language test scores because students could take level I and level II courses in back-to-back semesters (Schoenstein, 1996). Some teachers felt more comfortable with the lecture approach and had little comfort with experimentation of teaching methods (Staunton, 1997; Staunton and Adams, 1997). 2. 2. 3 Actual Advantages to Block Scheduling via Research Studies. A Temple University study found that block scheduling had distinct advantages in academic achievement. Students who made the honor roll at the three schools studied rose from 22% to 31%. SAT scores rose by an average of 14 points. In addition, the number of detentions declined while student attendance increased (Evans, Tokarczyk and Rice, 2000). Most recently, a 2006 study indicated a variety of advantages to block scheduling. Five Connecticut high schools were studied to determine what, if any, positive outcomes would result. The researchers used test scores and surveys as a means of data collection from school guidance counselors, teachers, administrators and students. The study found that gains in math rose significantly over a two year period, achievement test score averages rose in a statistically significant manner over three years, and PSAT and SAT scores increased within the first three years but then leveled off. (Wilcox, 2006). This study is one of the few longitudinal studies available. This study also stressed the importance of time as a factor in determining the success of block scheduling. â€Å"Almost all of the results which indicated significant differences were shown after two or more years† (Wilcox, 2006). Clearly some time is necessary in order for students and teachers to become accustomed to the changes. Some of the school studies Wilcox (2006) examined had been operating on a block schedule for as long as ten years. Unfortunately, not all the schools had baseline data for years before the block schedule or had opened with a block schedule. The study further stresses the level of support by the staff can be a determining factor as to the success of any type of block scheduling, which seems to correlate, at least on surface examination of the results, with training procedures and teacher confidence. 2. 2. 4 Actual Disadvantages to Block Scheduling via Research Studies A University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study studied achievement in reading and mathematics of students in a high school which ran a tri-schedule. This schedule consisted of a traditional schedule, a 4 x 4 schedule and hybrid schedules which all operated in the same single school. The NC state mandated tests in reading, language and math were used to determine achievement. For reading and language test results, there was no statistically significant difference based on the types of schedules. There was, however, a statistically significant difference in math computation subtest. The traditional schedule saw slightly higher scores in understanding and retention of mathematical computation for tenth grade students. Thus, this study â€Å"supports the importance of daily instruction and contact time to student achievement in mathematics as distinct from other academic skills† (Veal and Shreiber, 1999). Another study tested students in the Wilmington area of North Carolina. It, too, found that students on traditional schedules scored higher on tests of algebra, English, biology and history than did students on a block schedule (Lawrence and McPherson, 2000). 2. 2. 5 Studies that were Inconclusive in Determining the Efficacy of Block Scheduling in Increasing Academic Achievement. A third North Carolina study, this one undertaken by the Department of Public Instruction, compared End-Of-Course (EOC) test scores in five areas (English I, Algebra I, Biology I, US History, and Economic, Legal and Political Systems (ELP)). It sample scores from schools that operated on block schedules and on traditional schedules for 1993 to 1996. It mentions at the outset that the first schools to adopt block schedules in NC were those that had lower achievement scores to begin with. These schools’ scores were adjusted for the purpose of this study. The overall results were inconclusive. Some blocked schools showed some improvement in some years but then lower scores in other years. â€Å"At present, there are essentially no significant differences between groups of blocked and corresponding non-blocked school groups in terms of student performance in state EOC Tests† (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1997).

Toward a Dynamic Conception of ousia :: Aristotle Aristotelian Legacy

Toward a Dynamic Conception of ousia This paper is an initial attempt to develop a dynamic conception of being which is not anarchic. It does this by returning to Aristotle in order to begin the process of reinterpreting the meaning of ousia, the concept according to which western ontology has been determined. Such a reinterpretation opens up the possibility of understanding the dynamic nature of ontological identity and the principles according to which this identity is established. The development of the notions of energeia, dynamis and entelecheia in the middle books of Aristotle’s Metaphysics will be discussed in order to suggest that there is a dynamic ontological framework at work in Aristotle’s later writing. This framework lends insight into the dynamic structure of being itself, a structure which does justice as much to the concern for continuity through change as it does to the moment of difference. The name for this conception of identity which affirms both continuity and novelty is "legacy." Th is paper attempts to apprehend the meaning of being as legacy. There is perhaps no idea in the history of western ontology with a more powerful legacy than Aristotle’s conception of ousia. Traditionally construed, "ousia" stands for the primary, foundational principle of being. It can be said that ontology has historically been ousiology – the search for ultimate foundations. In this quest for ultimates, the ousia names the absolute arche, the foundational principle that reigns over and orders all being. The political tone of this formulation is intentional; it is designed to frame the ontological question concerning the meaning of ousia in ethico-political terms. The impetus behind this strategy is to suggest that western ontology has been largely determined by an authoritarian tendency that seeks to establish a single ultimate principle in order to secure a firm and certain foundation. On the one hand, this authoritarian tendency may be traced back to Aristotle, for ousia is precisely such a hegemonic principle; on the other hand , Aristotle also suggests another conception of ousia, one that can be drawn upon in the attempt to resist this authoritarian tendency. In what follows, I trace both the authoritarian and this resistant conception ousia in Aristotle. Aristotle’s Authoritarian Ontology To apply the political term "authoritarian" to an ontological account may at first seem to be a simple category mistake. However, this first impression fails to recognize that many of the terms that have come