Freedom Today free essay sample

What exactly is freedom today and how does it affect us? The Oxford English Dictionary defines freedom as The state of being able to act without hindrance or restraint, liberty of action (524). More often than not, people do not take the time to realize all of the freedoms In existence around the world today. Parabolas Mammalians states that Freedom Is the most dynamic, essential, and general factor In the problems of to-Dave (22). Take a moment and realize the Importance of freedom based upon the many struggles today and in the past for this ideal.Many major campaigns, wars, and conflicts have been driven by the conquest for freedom. The definition of freedom can be explained best using the literary concepts of description, exemplification, and negation. Freedom is a very complicated word to define in any one way. Sometimes the ideal is thought of as the driving force of the cultural process. We will write a custom essay sample on Freedom Today or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It presents many challenges in our direction (22). The concept of freedom has been fought for by many groups of people including Americans and is an ideal that is very dear to many peoples hearts.The basic word freedom Is appealing to most cultures emotionally and Is used very often in political speech (23). It can be Interpreted various ways because there are so many freedoms that are available to discuss and consult. If people were not allowed basic freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the world would be a drastically different place to live In. Mammalians wrote, Freedom is a symbol which stands for a sublime and powerful ideal. The same symbol, however, may become a dangerous weapon in the hands of the enemies of freedom (24).Indeed, freedom is quite powerful and when the wrong person possesses the power, it can become very limiting upon societys basic freedoms. Bronchial Mammalians wrote, Freedom can be defined as the conditions necessary and sufficient for the formation of a purpose, its translation into effective action through organized cultural instrumentalities, and the full enjoyment of the results of such activity (25). It is true that many prerequisites must be met to get a freedom established. Freedom has never come easily and most likely never will for anyone or any place. Many people have to Join and fight to obtain the freedom required. In the past, freedom has been thought of as a fighting word. In todays society, it is considered more of an honorific word. People with great freedom in their lives are always proud and delighted at the achievement. Many countries have large demands for more freedom, but have not been capable of acquiring it. Whether we turn toucan or Ceylon, to West Germany, Latin America, or the new African states, we find discussion regimentations not confined to words]over the tauter, meaning, implications, limits, and Justifications of freedom (Hook 2).There are certain concepts that can be compared to freedom, but are not the same in true meaning. The relationship between freedom and wisdom could be compared quite easily (13). While wisdom Is related more to Intelligence, freedom is related to independence and sovereignty. Sidney Hook states that All choice of freedoms commits us ultimately to an ethical position (13). This Is stating that once a group of people has a certain freedom declared to them, they then have a standing position bout the issue. Across the world, many people desire to have all freedom possible.It impossible to have all freedoms (10). If all freedoms were granted worldwide, civilization would eventually turn into chaos. Freedom is based upon culture and daily expectations. People cannot live without any type of freedom at all. The reason freedom is sought after so often is that not being free can be a painful and unpleasant experience. Look back at the days of slavery in the United States. Although this is something that everyone would like to forget about, freedom was ought for among our own culture.

The National Youth Leadership Forum Should You Go

The National Youth Leadership Forum Should You Go SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you heard of the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF)? Perhaps you’ve heard that attending the NYLF is a great way to improve your chances of getting into top colleges, and you’re wondering if that’s true or not.Spoiler: If you're considering NYLF because you think it's prestigious, you'd be dead wrong. Keep reading to find out why. This guide will explain what NYLF is, what its benefits and drawbacks are, and how you can decide whether or not you should participate in it. What Is the National Youth Leadership Forum? The National Youth Leadership Forum is a groupof summer programs designed to introduce select high school students to different careers and help prepare them for college and future jobs. NYLF is owned by Envision EMI, a for-profit company that creates and runs numerous other youth leadership programs, such as Lead America, the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, and the National Young Scholars Program. A program similar to NYLF is theNational Student Leadership Conference (NSLC). Like the National Youth Leadership Forum, NSLCruns programs for high school students that are focused on specificcareer fields,but NSLC has more of a focus on developing leadership skills. During NYLF, students live in college dorms at different campuses across the country such as Harvard, Stanford, and NYU. Studentsattend lectures and events on campus or nearby during field trips.NYLF marketstheir programs as a way to givestudents the knowledge and experience they need to succeed in college and their future careers.The National Youth Leadership Forumoffers seven programs for high school students in six career fields: medicine, national security, law CSI, business, engineering, and media. I've briefly described each of them below. NYLF Medicine NYLFmedicine programs are nine days long. They include lectures and meetings with prominent doctors, visits to amedical school campus, hands-on practice with diagnostic tools, and lecturesonhealth carecareers. NYLF Advanced Medicine Health Care NYLFadvanved medicine programs are ten days long. They cover the same information as regular NYLF Medicine programs but are a day longer and only take place at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. NYLF National Security NYLF programs in national security are six days long and help prepare participants for careers in defense, intelligence, and the diplomatic corps. Participants meet with members of the military and federal agencies, visit places such as the Pentagon and U.S. Naval Academy, and learn how to employ a crisis decision-making process. NYLF Law and CSI Programs are six days long and teach students about careers in legal and forensic science fields. Participants hear lectures from prominent lawyers and members of the FBI, visit a courthouse or laboratory and interact with professionals, and take part in a Supreme Court Simulation where they learn about the judicial process and how to argue effectively. NYLF Business Innovation NYLF Business Innovation programs last six days and are designed to teach participants about careers in the business world. Students take part in business workshops and compete in a corporate simulation. NYLF Engineering and Technology These programs last eight days and focus on multiple engineering fields, such as sustainable design, robotics, and web design. Students in this program develop their own digital model and learn about innovative engineering technology. NYLF Media: Advertising, Film, and Journalism During this eight day program, students are introduced to different careers that relate to digital media. Participants produce a digital newspaper or magazine and learn about digital-age reporting. How Do You Apply to NYLF? The first step to applying for an NYLF program is to be nominated ornominate yourself. You may have heard of NYLF because you werenominated as a potential candidate for the program.You can be nominated by a teacher, leader from a youth organization, counselor, or through certain talent development programs. Being nominated only means someone thought you might be a good fit for the program, but it doesn't get you special privileges, and it isn't required to attend NYLF. Ifyou haven’t been nominated, you can still nominate yourself and applyfor the program you are interested in on NYLF’s website. Applying only requires submitting some basic information about yourself and your school. Once you have entered that information you are able to reserve a spotand put down a deposit for the program of your choice. After you enroll, you will receive a confirmation e-mail that will direct you to a website withall the information you need to participate in an NYLF program, such as program updates, pre-conference assignments, and a travel checklist. How Competitive Is NYLF? The National Youth Leadership Forum markets itself as a program exclusivelyfor top students. However, there areno admission criteria for NYLF.Anyone who is currently a high school student can register for and attend an NYLF program. You don't need to have a certain GPA, extracurriculars, or leadership experience. NYLF emphasizes the fact that students must be nominated as a way to show its "competitiveness."However, these nominations are sent to thousands of students eachyear, often regardless of their academic abilities, as a way forNYLF's parent company, Envision, to increase the number of students participating in and paying for its programs. Additionally, being nominated is not required to attend NYLF. Any high school student can nominate himself or herselfand automatically be eligible to enroll inan NYLF program. Despite NYLF's claim to be a prestigiousorganization that only selects top students and leaders, the reality is that the program is open to all high school studentsas long as they arewilling to pay the required costs. NYLF programs can have benefits, which I discuss in more detail in the following sections, but it's important for students and their parents to know that neither being nominated for NYLFnor attending one of itsprograms provesany academic or leadership skills on the part of the student. What Are the Benefits of Participating in NYLF? There can definitely be benefits to attend an NYLF program, and I've listed some of the most important of them below. Benefit 1: Learn About Particular Careers One major benefit of attending an NYLF program is that you can choose a program in the field you want to work in, such as medicine, law, or diplomacy, and gain hands-on experience in that field. For example, if you participate in the NYLF Medicine program, you will observe and speak to doctors, learn about new medical technology, and participate in medical simulations, similar to what actual med students do.These experiences can help you gain skills you can use later on in college and your career, and they give you a taste for what a future career in that field might be like. You may find that you actually don’t like medicine as much as you thought you wouldbut insteaddiscovered another career field that you find really interesting. It’s much better to learn this nowthan halfway through college because switching your major can sometimes delay graduation. Benefit 2: Form New Relationships Each NYLF program includes lectures by industry professionals.These guest lecturers, who are often leaders in their field, speak with students about their career path and the industry in general.Hearing lectures from people in a specific career fieldgives program participants the opportunity to learn more about what a certain career is like and have their questions answered by someone who has a lot of relevant experience. Students also often form personal relationships at NYLFprograms.After spending several days together, many participants return home with new friends who are often interested in the same careers as they are.After the program ends, these friends can provide advice when you are looking at different colleges, majors, and jobs. Benefit 3: Experience College Life Participating in an NYLF program can also introduce you to college and the collegiate life.All NYLF conferences take place on college campuses, with students housed in college dorms. Participating in a program where you live on campus can be very helpful for students who may not know much about college and want to see what it will be like while still in high school. There is also the option of receiving up to two college credits from your NYLF experience.However, students interested in earning college credit should be aware that the credits are pass/fail, they come with an extra fee, and not all colleges will accept credits earned at an NYLF program. What Are the Drawbacks of Participating in NYLF? Despite the benefits of NYLF, they are often not the best investment. I've listed some of the major drawbacks of these programs below. Drawback 1: Programs Are Often Short All NYLF programs are betweensix and ten days long. While this may be long enough to introduce you to a subject and give you some hands-on experience, it’s very difficult to gain much in-depth knowledge in such a short time. Students looking for thorough and detailed knowledge of a particular job or career field will likely not be able to gain the amount of information they’d want from an NYLF program.The short program length can also make it difficult to cultivate strong relationships with both program mentors and other participants. Drawback 2: Costs Despite their short length, NYLF programs have high price tags.Including required program fees,an NYLF program costsroughly between $3000 and $4000 to attend, depending on the program chosen. This program fee includes two meals a day, housing, transportation during the program, and materials. It does not include lunch, transportation to and from the program site, and college credit fees.Paying several thousand dollars for a short program can be difficult for many high schoolstudentsand their families.NYLF does offer some scholarships and tips for fundraising to help offset costs; however, students should expect to pay the entire program fee. It's possible to have the same or similar experiences to those of an NYLF program for a fraction of the cost. This option is discussed in more detail in the following section. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Drawback 3:Not as Exclusive as Marketed The National Youth Leadership Forummarkets itself as a competitive program that only invites and accepts top-notch students.However, Envision, the company that runs NYLF and many similar programs, is a for-profit company.Their goal is to maximize profits, so they want as many students to enroll in their programs as possible. In 2009, Envision hosted Presidential Youth Inaugural Conferences that claimed to offer students the opportunity to attend exclusive events in Washington D.C. Over 15,000 students paid to attend this event, and many were surprised at the number of participants and felt that Envision wasn’t prepared to handle such a large number of students. Many also felt that Envisiondidn’t provide access to all the events they promised students would be able to attend. Numerousstudents and parents filed complaints, and Envision ended up settling a lawsuit and promised to pay up to $17 million in vouchers to attendees of the conference. While NYLF emphasizes the fact that students are â€Å"invited† to attend, any student can apply to NYLFwithout receiving an invitation. In fact, there is no longer any GPA, leadership or academic achievement requirement needed to attend. Any current high school student who can afford the program fee can attend an NYLF program, making it not competitive or prestigious at all. Participating in NYLF is not as prestigious as they want you to think it is. Should You Participate in NYLF? So how useful isNYLF? The short answer is that it depends on why you’re interested in attending. Some people find NYLF programs fun and useful while others see them as expensive resume padding. There are good reasons for participating in the NYLF and reasons that are not as strong. Think carefully about why you are interested in attending and read on to help make your decision. Good Reasons to Attend an NYLF Program You want to learn more about a specific career field. You want to meet students with similar interests. You want to prepare for college. An NYLF program can be a good way to learn about a specific career and gain hands-on experience in it. Attending an NYLF program also gives you an opportunity to meet other students who are interested in the same career field. Sometimes these connections can become lasting friendships. Also, if you are curious or a bit apprehensive about college and want to experience things like living in a dorm and eating in a dining hall, you can do this at an NYLF program. If you are able to afford an NYLF program and one or more of the above reasons interest you, then you may want to consider looking more seriously into enrolling. However, be aware that NYLF programs are not the only way to achieve any of the above goals. If you are unable to attend an NYLF program, there are numerous other ways to have similar experiences. Students who want to learn more about a specific career can do an internship or job shadow, those who want to meet students with similar interests can join a club or volunteer, and those who want to experience college can visit a school they are interested in. Many colleges offer overnight stays in the dorms to students who are thinking aboutattending that school. Weak Reasons for Attendingan NYLF Program While there are certainly strong reasons to participate in an NYLF program, there are also reasons that you should not use to justify attending. I've discussed severalof these weak reasons below, and, for each reason, I've given analternative solutionthat you may want to consider insteadof an NYLF program. Weak Reason 1: You Think It Will Impress Colleges The truth is that having an NYLF program on your resume or college application is not any more impressive than other extracurricular activities, such as participating in the school tennis team or math club. In fact, it may even appear less impressive because you had to pay to participate and weren't accepted based on any skills or knowledge you had. Colleges don’t need to see that you participated in the NYLF in order to decide whether you are smart or a potential leader; they can discern those things just by looking at your grades and extracurricular activities. This is especially true since there are no requirements to participate in NYLF other than being a high school student and being able to afford the program fee. Alternative Idea: Gain expertise and leadership experience through your extracurriculars.If you are looking to increase your chances of getting into college by having strong extracurriculars, choose activities that relate to your interests and allow you to obtain leadership positions. Sticking with an extracurricular, no matter what it is, and acquiring more responsibility is more impressive than a short-term NYLF program because it gives schools a better idea ofyour interests and abilities. If you need help deciding on what activities to do, we have a list of hundreds of extracurriculars for you to browse! Weak Reason 2: You Want an In-Depth Look at a Certain Career While NYLF programs can teach you more about a particularcareer and give you the opportunity to hear lectures and participate in hands-on activities that relate to it, the programs are simply too short to provide thorough knowledge of a certaincareer. Alternative Idea:If you are really looking for a way get comprehensive knowledge on a career, consider doing an internship.Internships are generally several weeks to several months long, and doing onewill give you much more time to learn whata particular job is really like day-to-day. Weak Reason 3: You Want to Network With Professionals The web pagefor each NYLF program contains a list of prestigious guest speakers who have given lectures to previous program participants.While these guest lecturers are often leaders in their field and very knowledgeable, you shouldn’t sign up for an NYLF program thinking it will give you the opportunity to network with them and potentially get an internship or job. Most of the guest lecturers simply give their presentation and answer questions afterward, with pretty much no opportunity for students to speak with them one-on-one. Alternative Idea:If you are interested in getting to know professionals in a certain career field personally, consider an internship orjob shadow. Both of these options offer more opportunities for getting to know current workers, and by working directly with them or observing them, you will be more memorable than if you were simply sitting in the audience. Thiswill make those professionalsmore likely to remember you in the future and possibly recommend you for future jobs. Weak Reason 4: You Want to Earn College Credit While it is possible to earn college credit during an NYLF program, this should not be a primary reason for you to enroll.Through the NYLF, students can earn two pass/fail college credits if they pay an extra fee of several hundred dollars. Most college classes are three credits, so receiving credit for the equivalent of less than one class will not help you graduate college any sooner or give you much of a head start.Additionally, many colleges do not accept these credits because they didn’t take place in a classroom environment and were earned over a short period of time. Alternative Idea:Take classes at your local community college or a nearby university. You can also concentrate on AP/IB classes.If you are interested in earning college credit, you can often earn more credits for much less money by passing AP or IB exams (which many colleges accept as college credit) or by taking classes at a community college. Summary In short, the National Student Leadership Forumcan provide useful and interesting opportunities for high school students, but it isnot better or more impressive than other extracurriculars. While NYLF programs can give participants the opportunity to learn more about certain careers, meet new and interesting people, and experience collegiate life, there are multiple other ways for students to achieve each of these experiences, such as by joining a school club or doing an internship. NYLF programs cost several thousand dollars and this high price tag, along with the fact that the programs last only a few days, shoulddeter people who are interested in gaining in-depth knowledge or developing close relationships.Although NYLF claims to be prestigious and competitive, any high school student can enroll in one of itsprograms, and colleges do not find participating in it to be any more impressive than a normal summer camp or extracurricular. If you can afford it and think that an NYLF program would be useful to you, then consider attending one; many past participants have spoken positively about their experience. However, if you cannot or would rather not participate, don’t worry about it hurting your chances of getting into college or finding a job.There are plenty of ways to get the same benefits that NYLF offers that are likely closer to home and much less expensive. What's Next? Why are extracurriculars so important?Read our guide to learn what extracurricular activities are and how they can help you get into your dream college. Thinking about taking AP classes?Learn which AP classes are the easiest by reading our guide. Want to know what a great extracurricular looks like? Check out these 4 amazing examples of extracurriculars for college applications. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Scholarship - Essay Example Nurses often work with patients on one-on-one basis and assist the patients in recovery and rehabilitation. Nursing also provides growth opportunities. With the rise in population, a lot more nurses are needed in USA and hence nursing provides opportunity for high level of growth. The baby boomer generation of USA is also getting old and hence the demand of our knowledge, values and idealism is likely to increase. Nursing is also an exciting and fast paced career. The nurses usually do not go through repetitive jobs and the job offers something new each and every day. Nursing career also offer flexible schedules. If someone wants to work from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M then nursing provides that opportunity too. If someone wants to work on rotational shifts or part time contract basis, there is room for that too. Knowledge is the core reason for the success in career. As a nurse one must know that diseases and symptoms of the diseases. One must be able apply the classroom knowledge along with the skills in the workplace to become a successful nurse. Another most important factor is the personal value and the belief to be a caring and compassionate person. This is something that is usually installed in a person from the family upbringing. A nurse is not only providing care to the health of the patient but also serves the emotional needs. Apart from this there are also ethical and human rights issues. Showing respect to the patients and the profession as well carrying out all the tasks with full dedication and honesty is extremely important for a nurse (Daly 10). This scholarship would make the students eligible to receive funding for the tuition fees along with other educational costs. The scholarship is a selective program that would help the students to get rid of the financial burden. In this way the students would also be able stay a lot more on the career objectives. Here it needs to be mentioned that

What impact did the Atlantic slave trade have on the nations of the Essay

What impact did the Atlantic slave trade have on the nations of the West African interior - Essay Example As the slave traders only left the old and the young behind, with the young and able bodied Africans all captured to be sold later, therefore it was very hard for those who were left behind to revive the economy and make a living for themselves, resulting, often, in starvation and more deaths. Those who were captured were transported by forced marches across the continent, further causing deaths. Moreover, not all who were captured were transported to other continents, which resulted in their displacement within the continent, which caused adverse affects to the region they were left in. There was massive relocation on the part of many communities, as they did not want to be within short distance of the slave traders’ route, which caused them to lose all advancements they had made in their present areas. Not only that, as these communities were more focused on saving themselves and trying to hide from the slave traders, they had little or no economic and technological development. As the Europeans were involved completely in the slave trade, they did not want the African states to centralize due to the adverse affects of this centralization to the slave trade. Due to this reason, the European powers did not allow much political progress to be made in the region. This also resulted in despotic rulers or elders, often if not always funded by Europeans, being placed over the people, who did not allow much interaction between the states, and who often, suppressed their own people and allowed the slave trade to go on. All of this caused the continent to be pushed back in time with little or no progress being made at any level. The African people were often disorganized with the whole continent lagging far behind in its economic, political and social growth. The slave trade was the first step, therefore one can say, in leaving the doors open for European colonialism in the African continent, which was a further cause for the problems of the

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Essay Example for Free

Evidence-Based Practice Paper Essay The evidence-based practice guideline that I chose is titled, â€Å"Myocardial Infarction,† written by the Finnish Medical Society Duodecim. The intended users for this guideline are health care providers and physicians. The target population is individuals with suspected or known myocardial infarction. The objective of this guideline is to â€Å"collect, summarize, and update the core clinical knowledge essential in general practice† and â€Å"describe the scientific evidence underlying the given recommendations.† (Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, 2008) Clarity and Researchability of the Study’s Purpose and Question According to the researchers, the purpose of the study is â€Å"to test how teaching format (factual versus storytelling) and restructuring the social norm of caring for others to caring for self affects how women learn to identify and respond to myocardial infarction (MI) symptoms. † (McDonald, Goncalves, Almario, Krajewski, Cervera, Kaeser, et al., 2006, p.216) I feel that the purpose of the study is significant to nursing because nurses need to educate patients about what symptoms to observe for and report to their primary care providers. Also, if this study could determine which teaching format would better assist patients in acknowledging significant symptoms of an MI needed to contact EMS, then nurses could possibly be better able to educate patients about those symptoms. I believe that the study title of â€Å"Assisting Women to Learn Myocardial Infarction Symptoms,† is more general than the three research questions listed in the study: (a) â€Å"Are women who are taught how to recognize and respond to symptoms of an MI using a storytelling format more likely to be able to identify symptoms and plan to get help than women who are taught the same information using a factual format?†, (b) â€Å"Does teaching women to cognitively restructure the ‘caring for others’ social norm to ‘caring for self’ make them more likely to identify symptoms of an MI and plan to call EMS than women who are not taught this form of cognitive restructuring?†, and (c) â€Å"Are women who have been taught MI symptoms and response using the storytelling format and who were taught cognitive restructuring of the ‘caring for others’ to ‘caring for self’ social norms more likely to identify symptoms of an MI and plan to call EMS than women who were provided factual information about MI symptoms and response, and who were not offered cognitive restructuring?† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217-218) The two independent variables identified in the study are â€Å"teaching format (factual vs. storytelling) and social norms (caring for others first vs. caring for self)† and the dependent variable is â€Å"the posttest knowledge of MI symptoms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) The American Heart Association (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) states that â€Å"heart disease remains the leading cause of death for women and kills over 248,000 women each year in the United States.† Mosca, Ferris, Fabunmi, Robinson (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) states that â€Å"the majority of women remain unaware that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, despite a significant increase in awareness since 2000.† While the assumptions of the researchers are not clearly stated, I would assume that the researchers believe that women need to be further educated about the symptoms of MI in order â€Å"to avoid disabling or life-ending consequences from MI.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) Adequacy and Relevance of the Literature Review I feel that the literature review is relevant to the problem because they discuss the differences in MI symptoms among genders and which symptoms were commonly reported by women. DeVon and Zerwic (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216-217) â€Å"reviewed studies on gender differences in MI symptoms and concluded that symptoms were similar across gender; however, in seven studies back pain, dyspnea, and nausea and vomiting occurred more frequently in women.† According to McSweeney, O’Sullivan, Cody, Crane (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217) â€Å"women who have experienced an MI often describe additional symptoms besides chest pain, such as weakness, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, diaphoresis, nausea, feeling flushed or dizzy, or a heavy feeling in the arms.† The literature review also discusses the possible reasons for why women delay in contacting EMS when symptoms of MI do occur. Finnegan et al (cited in McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217) states that â€Å"women might delay responding to their own MI symptoms to meet their caregiver responsibilities.† The literature review is logically organized, because it clearly talks about the differences among identification of MI symptoms among genders, along with the possible reasons for the delay among women in reporting their symptoms in order to receive immediate attention. The discussion about women not wanting to take care of themselves in order to continue assuming the responsibility of caring for their families, supports the research question of â€Å"cognitively restructuring the ‘caring for others’ social norm to ‘caring for self’.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.217) I feel that the 23 references used were appropriate for this study. The dates of the references range from 1989 to 2005, with this study being published in the May/June 2006 issue of Public Health Nursing. Majority of the references (20/23) had to deal with heart disease, while the remaining three discussed (a) theory of planned behavior, (b) story telling as a tool, and (c) applied multivariate statistics. Both, primary and secondary sources were used as references. Agreement between Purpose, Design, and Methods The study design described is â€Å"a pretest posttest full factorial experimental design with educational format (storytelling vs. factual) by social norms (restructuring the social norm of â€Å"caring for others† vs. no restructuring).† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"a true experimental design has three identifying properties: (a) randomization, (b) control, and (c) manipulation† (p.179). In the study, the researchers randomly assigned the participants to one of four groups, each group receiving a different type of informational MI symptom pamphlet. LoBiondo-Wood Haber also state that â€Å"experimental designs are the most powerful for testing cause-and-effect relationships due to the control, manipulation, and randomization components† (p.185), which I think makes the design appropriate for answering the research questions in this study. Data was collected by having participants respond in writing first to a demographic form, and then to a Heart Attack Survey, both before and after, reading an informational pamphlet about MI symptoms. â€Å"The Heart Attack Survey consisted of two questions. The first question was open ended, ‘list all of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack that you are aware of.’ The second question used a 0-10 scale, with the corresponding anchors definitely would not call and definitely would call, to measure the behavioral intention of calling 911 within 30 min if heart attack symptoms occur.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.219) I feel that their data collection procedure is logical and practical because paper-and-pencil instruments â€Å"are most useful for collecting data on variables that cannot be directly observed or measured by physiological instruments.† (LoBiondo-Wood Haber, 2010, p.274) The researchers did not clearly discuss their instruments in terms of content validity and reliability. LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) define validity as â€Å"the extent to which an instrument measures the attributes of a concept accurately† and reliability as â€Å"the ability of an instrument to measure the attributes of a concept or construct consistency† (p.286). I think that both of their instruments were valid since the demographic form only measured demographic info, and the Heart Attack Survey only measured the number of MI symptoms the participants knew along their intent to call 911. However, I do not think the Heart Attack Survey was very reliable, since the researchers did mention that many of the women did not answer the same MI symptoms on the posttest that they had mentioned on the pretest. If the instrument was reliable, I would believe that the posttest would have the same MI symptoms as listed on the pretest, along with any new symptoms the women learned from reading the informational pamphlets. Suitability of the Sampling Procedure and the Sample I feel that the researchers used a convenience sample consisting of 113 adult women. The women were recruited by graduate nursing student data collectors in shopping malls, restaurants, and other public areas. â€Å"Inclusion criteria included of (1) female, and (2) age 25 years or older, and (3) able to speak, read, and understand English or Spanish. Exclusion criteria included (1) previous MI, (2) physician or nurse, or (3) current or past EMS worker.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) Descriptive characteristics of the sample include: (a) a mean age of around 42 years, (b) majority of participants having a high school education, with about an additional 36% having higher education, (c) most women were white, with next largest racial group consisting of black Americans, (d) nearly more than half being of non-Hispanic ethnicity, (e) few women having personal history of heart disease, while around half reported family history of heart disease, and (f) half reporting having careg iver responsibilities. I think the sample size was adequate for the study. The researchers state that â€Å"a small effect size for the intervention effect was anticipated based on the REACT findings† and â€Å"the sample size needed for a four-group multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with a power of 0.80, a significance level of .05, two dependent variables, and a small anticipated effect size was n=115.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) There were an additional seven participants, but were not included in the final sample because they provided incomplete data, by not completing both the pretest and the posttest. The researchers state that â€Å"there were no significant differences between women completing the study and women not completing the study for age, ethnicity, race, marital status, education, having health insurance, a personal history of heart disease, a family history of heart disease, or responsibility for caring for others.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) The researchers state that â€Å"the study was approved for human subjects’ protection by the university internal review board.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.219) The researchers also state in their study that â€Å"each participant was provided verbal informed consent and a copy of the study information sheet.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.219) Correctness of Analytic Procedures The statistical procedures named in the study are: (a) analysis of variance (ANOVA), (b) χ2 (chi-square), (c) Pearson’s r correlation, (d) t test, and (e) analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is a statistic that measures differences among group means and uses a statistical technique to equate the groups under study in relation to an important variable† (p.574). In the study, McDonald, et al., (2006) tested the three research questions through ANCOVA: The two independent variables—teaching format (factual vs. storytelling) and social norms (caring for others first vs. caring for self)—were entered as the grouping variable. The pretest knowledge of MI symptoms served as the covariate, and the posttest knowledge of MI symptoms was entered as the dependent variable. (p.220) Since the study wanted to know the type of MI symptoms that the women could identify, the level of measurement for this study would be nominal. According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"when data are at the nominal level and the researcher wants to determine whether groups are different, the researcher uses the chi-square (χ2)† (p.326). The MI symptoms would be considered categorical variables because they could have â€Å"more than two true values†; also, since only one point was given to each symptom identified, â€Å"there was no order† to the variables. (LoBiondo-Wood Haber, 2010, p.312) The researchers listed several p values in their study: (a) â€Å"the factual information with the social norms restructured group had more White participants (26.6%) and less non-White participants (0.9%) than the other conditions, χ2(3) = 7.94, p .05†, (b) â€Å"women responding to the English instruments reported significantly more symptoms (M = 6.4; SD = 2.73) than women (n=29) responding to the Spanish instruments (M = 4.7; SD = 3.26), t (111) = 2.75, p .007†, and (c) â€Å"for the pretest the number of MI symptoms and the 911 response score were unrelated, r (113) = 0.16, p .09, and slightly related, r (113) = 0.20, p .04, on the posttest.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"the minimum level of significance acceptable for nursing research is 0.05† (p.322). Clarity of Findings The findings described under the results section state that â€Å"the women identified significantly more MI symptoms after reading the MI pamphlet.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) â€Å"Table 1contains frequencies for the entire sample of the most frequently identified MI symptoms on the pretest and posttest.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) Table 1 highlights the finding that a majority of the MI symptoms were identified more frequently on the posttest when compared to the pretest. â€Å"Table 2 contains group frequencies for identified MI symptoms, with pretest frequencies for each of the four groups preceding the posttest frequencies,† which highlights the finding that â€Å"no significant group differences emerged for storytelling and social norms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.220) While the results did show that â€Å"women generally learned three more MI symptoms to add to their previous knowledge of the commonly identified MI symptoms, chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm pain,† the results also discuss that â€Å"the storytelling versus factual format for teaching women about MI symptoms did not affect how women learned MI symptoms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.221) I feel that these results show that more research is needed in order to find a way to adequately teach women the symptoms of MI and which symptoms would require them to quickly contact 911. While I do not think the conclusions are generalized beyond the sample, I agree with the researchers when they state that it is important for everyone to know that â€Å"MI symptoms are ambiguous, and that even when people are unsure about their MI symptoms they should always call 911.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.222) The researchers state in their study that there were â€Å"several potential limitations† that could have impacted their results: (a) participants were recruited from the community and might not have carefully read the informational pamphlets, â€Å"potentially reducing the amount of information learned†, (b) the words ‘heart attack’ were not included in â€Å"the content of the factual group pamphlets,† which might have led the women in that group to not associate the â€Å"symptom information with MI symptoms,† (c) â€Å"the pretest and posttest were identical and separated only by the time taken to read the intervention pamphlet† which as a result â€Å"might not reflect symptoms that the women later remember and identify as potential MI symptoms,† (d) â€Å"many women did not include all of the MI symptoms that they wrote on the pretest, decreasing the score that they received for identifying MI symptoms,† (e) â€Å"the MI symptom score did not reflect if the same symptom was included on the pretest and posttest, or if commonly occurring but less frequently recognized MI symptoms were learned,† and (f) â€Å"the 911 scale proved to be an inadequate measure of response to MI symptoms.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.222) According to LoBiondo-Wood Haber (2010) â€Å"a research study using a true experimental design is commonly called a randomized control trial (RCT)† (p.179). LoBiondo-Wood Haber also state that â€Å"an individual RCT generates Level II evidence because of the minimal bias introduced by this design through use of randomization, control, and manipulation† (p.179). Since this study used a â€Å"pretest posttest full factorial experimental design† and â€Å"the participating women were randomly assigned, using a web-based random number generator, to one of the four experimental conditions,† I would classify this study as an RCT generating Level II evidence. (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.218) According to the evidence-based practice guideline that I chose, â€Å"instead of chest pain, acute dyspnoea may be the primary symptom† and â€Å"the diagnosis should be made without delay since early therapy improves the prognosis decisively.† (Finnish Medical Society Duodecim, 2008) I feel that the results of this study support the guideline because it is important for women to be able to recognize the symptoms of MI early on and â€Å"be aware of their risk for an MI so that they can secure immediate emergency medical care when symptoms of an MI occur.† (McDonald, et al., 2006, p.216) References Finnish Medical Society Duodecim. (2008). Myocardial infarction. Retrieved from the National Guideline Clearinghouse website. http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?ss=15doc_id=12794nbr=006596string=myocardial+AND+infarction LoBiondo-Wood, G., Haber, J. (2010). Nursing research: Methods and critical appraisal for evidence- based practice, 7th Ed. St. Louis: Mosby. McDonald, D. D., Goncalves, P. H., Almario, V. E., Krajewski, A. L., Cervera,

Technology Improves Education :: Educating Technological Papers

Technology Improves Education Many believe a revolution is taking place in education in the way people learn and they way instruction is given. The education community has been hearing of reforms and revolutions for the past few decades, but most of them have been nonexistent or without any long-term merit or real value. Some believe the method of an instructor lecturing while students listen and absorb is really the only viable way to teach or learn. About two decades ago, when personal computers started to become affordable, many thought that computers would revolutionize education, that computer-based teaching and learning would become the savior of education and the solution to falling test scores. This has never really happened. Over the past two decades, many teachers have successfully prepared students, some with computers in the classroom and some without. Teachers could avoid computers, either because they chose not to learn how to use them or because they had none in their classroom or school to use. T eachers entering the profession have not been required to understand computational technology in order to graduate from college. The internet has been in existence for almost two decades and began to extend into schools about 15 years ago, first into universities and then into K-12. Did the internet revolutionize education? Not exactly, it did provide an opportunity to expand learning options for teachers and students who were fortunate enough to have internet access, a few computers, and appropriate guidance on usage. Often this took place in only one classroom and only one school within a system and did not become systemic throughout the school. There are many factors affecting this slow implementation of computing and communications technology in schools, including administrations with no knowledge of its value or no willingness to realign school budgets to include computational technology; insufficient in service professions development programs for teachers; a lack of specific curriculum benefits or of resources for teachers to use in their courses; deficient preservice preparation of teachers in technolo gy or computation. Why do some of us believe there is now a revolution taking place that cannot be ignored by educators or administrators? In November 1993, the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) released Mosaic, the first World Wide Web browser for all three computing platforms (UNIX, PC, and Macintosh). The internet had become the World Wide Web, and now Mosaic allowed anyone who knew the basics about using a computer and a mouse to go out onto the Web and easily and quickly locate multimedia information.

In What Ways Does Euripides Explore Issues Of Race, Gender And Class?

* What do you think Euripides' views are on this issue * Would an Athenian audience agree with him? Euripides explores these fields mainly by putting forward the character of Medea. In other words, the treatment of her character in the play mainly by the other members of the society which she finds herself defines the listed issues above – race, gender and class. Euripides presents the theme of race mainly through the character of Medea. On our first acquaintance, Medea particularly points out the fact that she is a â€Å"foreign woman coming among new laws†. This makes evident where she stands in the society, as foreigners are regarded as inferior to the real Greeks. By this, Euripides presents a form of racism eminent in the life of the ancient Greeks. Also, Medea's race was believed to be barbaric or sub-human which also contributes to the reason why her character is diminished. Jason refers to her roots as a â€Å"barbaric homeland' which suggests a feeling of superiority. Another aspect in which Euripides explores the theme of race is through the supremacy of the Greeks, which makes evident the predominance of their race in the ancient times. This is exemplified by the reference to Jason's journey to the Colchis in Medea's speech, where he steals the Golden Fleece. This presents the greed and political oppression of the Greeks, which are obvious elements of racism and colonialism. This is similar to the tradition of the powerful nations of the world in the recent centuries. Through this, a satirical tone runs throughout the play, as Euripides is able to recreate the superior and dominating nature of a very powerful foreigner living in the Greek community. In my opinion, I think the Greeks would have disliked Medea due to the fact that she has a history of insubordinate behaviour, thereby standing against their very Greek norms and beliefs. Also, the relationship between Aegeus and Medea also echo the treatment of foreigners in Ancient Greece. He tells Medea that he â€Å"does not intend to take her away with him to Corinth†. This makes evident the political view regarding the banishment of foreigners. As she is exiled from one domain of Greece, she has to be snuck into another region, which portrays the unfairness of the society, brought about by the mere issue of race. Euripides presents the theme of gender as one of the most dominating and important themes which run through out the play. This is because Medea acts contrary to the perceived way by which women are to expected to behave. By this I mean to be loyal to their husbands, even if it means suppressing their views on both moral and political issues that affect them. Medea is described as a ‘wide bull' by the nurse. This simile makes us aware of her viciousness. It is important that I not that the use of the word, ‘bull† symbolizes her likeness to men rather than what is expected of a woman in the Greek context Medea is also characterized with great cleverness and wit, though she is a woman. She is able to manipulate all the powerful male characters, which are satirically presented as gullible. Creon, a very powerful character, the King of Corinth says â€Å"I fear you†¦yet nonetheless, Medea you shall have what you ask for† even though he is aware of her evil capabilities. Also, Jason, her husband, a very powerful character with a legendary history is also easily exploited and convinced, due to Medea's shrewdness. â€Å"I am pleased Medea that you have changed your mind†. Thus, Medea is characterised as a rebel in the society. In my opinion I feel that the Greeks would have found this rather annoying, as they were used to seeing women less oppressive, like Medea. Euripides might have therefore been mocking the Greek mentality of women in his society, as he presents his female characters to be more knowledgeable than the men. A contrasting opinion is however made evident in the latter part of the play, as Euripides' view on women is of a different light. In one of Medea's speeches, she says, â€Å"we women are the most wretched†. This might be interpreted as Euripides' own opinion of women in his society or one of Medea's cynical comments on the situation she finds herself in. The nature of Euripides' view on the female gender is therefore ambiguous. Another way in which Euripides explores the theme of gender is through the characters of the Chorus. These are the average Athenian women, thus they represent the view of the majority. The chorus also represent rebellion to their society as they tend to have sympathy for Medea, even in her selfish actions. This is sort of a slap in the face for the leaders of the society- Jason and Creon, as they stand views contrast with one another. They refer to Medea as â€Å"the unhappy woman from Colchis†. Perhaps, Euripides, by this means is putting forward, cry for equality in the society. The theme of class is explored by various characters in the play. Unlike, the previous themes, it involves more characters such as the nurse and the tutor, who are symbols of sympathy for Medea. â€Å"Poor woman! Has she not stopped crying yet?† The first group of people presented to us in the play are of a lower class, compared to Medea- the Tutor and the Nurse. Unlike the other characters who oppose her status in the society, these two characters condone her feelings of anger and regret. They are therefore like her only companions as Jason has abandoned her. â€Å"It was too much, I couldn't bear it†, says the nurse as if it were her that is suffering from such betrayal. Perhaps, this is what becomes of the lower class, as they get attached to their masters who employ them and have no form of power to influence the disasters that take place. Finally, Medea makes evident, a running theme of class in the play. She is obviously of a very high class, as she is the wife of a King. This thereby contributes the power she is entitled to in the society. It is however difficult to pin point exactly where Medea stands, as she is obviously respected in the society, but not shown to be of great importance to some characters, such as Creon due to the fact that she is banished by him. â€Å"I have made my mind up, you are my enemy†. Her barbaric background also contributes to her high class as she is a Princess. In my opinion, I do not believe that the Greeks would have recognized her class but not necessarily respected her character due to those grounds. I personally don't think this was particularly reflected in the play by Euripides, rather, he concentrated on building her character on more intellectual grounds such as her cleverness. In conclusion, I think Euripides is able to explore these themes in great detail giving us different opinions which maybe sometimes ambiguous, as we are not able to know what he is thinking. This, in my opinion is what makes the play a very well written work of art and I think it also would have appealed to the Greeks.