I Integrating Science and Mathematics Essay

One major concern when science and mathematic is being integrated is the way teachers will teach the two this is a continuing professional concern. Educators will have to make the efforts to direct the presentation of science and mathematics lessons In an era dominated by mathematics, science, and technology , it is essential that science and mathematics be taught in K-12 and that classroom teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach both science and mathematics meaningfully to students. However, in a test driven curriculum where students and teachers are evaluated on student performance based on reading and mathematics standardized test scores, teaching meaningful science remains a challenge (2007 Joseph M. Furner ). Because of the many benefits of integrations academic subjects this is not a new concept. The integrations of mathematic and science help students thinks about the â€Å"real world â€Å"and by doing so the NCTM standards are met. There are others benefit of the integrations of math and science it allows the students to start thinking about why things happen which in term will the students a more practical approach to learning and using mathematics with the application of science. A common question asked by students is’ are we ever going to use this when we leave school† the integration between math and science will show the students how usefulness and importance of mathematic which therefore enables them to develop new understandings and skills. Educators in all schools systems have struggled to rise students test scores one advantage that integrating math with science is to help students’ scores increate. In defining how to integrate math and science, White and Berlin (1992), and Sunal and Furner (1995) made the following recommendations: †¢Base integration on how students experience, organize, and think about science and †¢Take advantage of patterns as children from the day they are born are looking at patterns and trying to make sense of the world Collect and use data in problem-based integrated activities that invoke process skills. †¢Integrate where there is an overlapping content in math and science. †¢Be sensitive to what students believe and feel about math and science, their involvement and the confidence in their ability to do science and math. †¢ Use instructional strategies that would bridge the gap between students’ classroom experiences and real-life experiences outside th e classroom. When integrating math and science in the classroom it will encompasses a number of considerations, an example of this integrating would be if the teachers taught math entirety as a part of the science or to teach math as a language tool for teaching science, or teaching science entirely as a part of math. The teachers’ training and knowledge level will determine their confident level in teaching math and science and if the teacher lacks either this need to be addressed , for example if the teachers is confident in their able to teach math but not science some teacher may not know how to teach all require science disciplines. Beane (1995) defines curriculum integration as a way of thinking about the purpose of schools, the sources of curriculum, and the basis of knowledge. Beane believes in order to define curriculum integration; there must be a reference to knowledge. According to Jacobs (1989) and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (1989), planning and teaching interdisciplinary lessons involve two or more teachers, common planning time, the same students, teachers skilled in professional collaboration, consensus building, and curriculum development. As Robinson (1994) pointed out, the following considerations are necessary for the preparation of interdisciplinary instruction. Some state tests are being designed to reflect an integrated curriculum. In Connecticut, students take the CAPT (Connecticut Academic Performance Test) while in high school. While traditional assessments determine what students know, the CAPT test was intended to determine what students can do with that knowledge. The objective of the test is for students to be able to apply what they have learned to other situations. Another reason to consider the integration of curriculum is because it is the way people learn. Current brain research points out that the human brain looks for patterns and interconnections as its way of making sense of things. Unfortunately, in many schools students learn one subject in one classroom and then move on to the next classroom for the next subject. By delivering the curriculum in this format, subjects lack coherence and therefore students become disconnected and disengaged. Educators presume that students will miraculously make the associations between subjects by themselves and will see how the subjects â€Å"fit† together and into the real world. With an integrated curriculum, teachers do not need to guess about whether the connections have been made by students, the connections will be clear. Integrating mathematics into the curriculum can be a challenge for many teachers. It takes a great amount of time and teamwork but the benefits outweigh any possible disadvantages. Integration of subjects gives meaningful contexts for students rather than having them learn in isolation. As a result, this relevance of information better prepares all students. Teaching mathematics in isolation does students a disservice. One goal of mathematics teachers is to produce a mathematically literate nation where people can use the concepts from this subject to solve real-life problems. When mathematics is connected with other subjects, students can develop the intellectual scaffolding they need that will aid them and the nation for the future. Mathematical assessments should be more than just tests at the end of every chapter. Assessments should inform and guide teachers and enhance student learning. They should give students the opportunity to communicate mathematically and apply their knowledge. PBAs do this by providing an open-ended curriculum and can more accurately assess the skills of a diverse group of students. PBAs are a way for students to use their expertise and knowledge to â€Å"tie everything together† because the goal of acquiring knowledge should be its application. Both mathematics and science education are highly influenced by standards developed by professional organizations. For math, the National Council of Teachers of mathematics [NCTM] (2000) produced Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. This document purports six principles for school mathematics and five curriculum and five process standards. Similarly, the National Research Council [NRC] (1996) produced National Science Education Standards that provides standards for science teaching, learning, and professional development.

Evaluate the role played by money in the united states presidential Essay

Evaluate the role played by money in the united states presidential election - Essay Example Increasing presidential election costs has made it more difficult for candidates to come up with threshold resources needed for them to be competitive at every stage. Therefore, as presidential election costs rise, there is shrinkage of the candidate pool, which narrows the spectrum of perspectives and views offered to Americans to just a few individuals with access to money and subsequent resources. Spending in the modern presidential elections, in the US, rather than being dominated by contributions from average Americans, is now dominated by a minority of wealthy donors and special interests; who have the financial clout to ensure their preferred message is amplified (Anschutz, 2013: p37). These groups and individuals use their wealth in order to influence public policy, especially by funding candidates who share similar values to them. Since most of these groups and individuals are reliant on US economic and financial policies to generate more wealth, they have gained an outsized role in US elections as they fund candidates whose policies resonate with their goals. However, these issues arising from the dominance of â€Å"big money† in US presidential elections are not only theoretical. Research has proven that since the opinions held by wealthy American groups and individuals have different priorities, money allows for skewed public policies through dominance of elec tions (Anschutz, 2013: p38). Americans aspiring to be president are today spending more time fundraising than ever before, which is necessary to keep up with their election rivals (Anschutz, 2013: p43). In addition, as with the backlash from ObamaCare, candidates who may offend special interest groups and wealthy individuals by deed or word face the risk of being outspent as the latter finance their rivals. This means that they have to raise and spend

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Future Research Paper

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Future - Research Paper Example At current consumption rates, we are left with 200 years of coal, 40 years of oil and 60 years of gas. Fossil fuels, Nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants also pose a danger to the environment (Hargreaves, 2011). If we are to address the issue of global warming, brought about through carbon emissions, then we will have to use the right energy sources, and dispose of the waste produced in our day to day lives in an effective manner. The use of solar panels is leading renewable alternative energy source used globally. Solar panels work by harnessing the radiation from the sun and converting it to electricity. Its main advantage is the abundant availability of the sun’s rays and widespread accessibility across the globe. But supply can be variable and intermittent, depending on weather conditions and time frames. These factors would probably underscore why the uptake of solar panels has not been as widespread as would be expected. According to the Pew Center on Global Climate c hange (2010), solar power only produces one percent of the energy requirement of the whole world in 2008. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (2010), Americans generated approximately 2.3 million tons of waste, in the year 2009. 53% of that waste was dumped, 33.8% recycled and 11.9% burned. This would seem to indicate that only a small portion of waste actually gets recycled. According to the grassroots recycling network (grrn.org), many of the products that we think are recycled are actually â€Å"downcycled†. For example, newspapers are turned into low-value products like insulation material and cow bedding. The problem with this type of waste management system is that it leads to the continual degradation of the environment, and depletion of natural resources likes forests. A huge part of the waste is constituted by paper products, and if we are not careful how we source for more paper materials, we could end up cutting more trees, and thus furth er compounding the greenhouse effect. The best way to achieve the reduction of carbon emissions is by looking for better and more sustainable renewable energy sources and by utilizing better recycling methods. Enhanced Geothermal Systems This system generates electricity by harnessing the heat naturally generated by the earth (Blodgett & Slack, 2009). To accomplish this, you need to dig into a rock located in a cold area. The fractured network is then improved to make a basin into which supplementary wells are going be pierced in. Chilly H2O is then squirted towards the wells, through the fractured network, gripping the warm temperature from the rock as flows into the rock. The end result is, steam is captured from the resurfacing water, which is then used to power steam turbines. Afterward, it is then redirected to the fractured network to repeat the whole cycle again. This method of power generation produces zero carbon emissions and is currently in use at Copper Basin in Australi a. Smart Grids A Smart Grid is a â€Å"computerized† electricity grid. It involves adding two-way digital communication technology devices to an electricity grid (Williams et al, 2007). Each electronic device on the network can gather data, through sensors, plus two-way digital communication between the field and the utility’s network operation center. This connectivity can then allow the operator to adjust and control each individual device.

Agency theory and corporate governance Assignment

Agency theory and corporate governance - Assignment Example Involving a series of intentional fraud and corruption, the Enron, Worldcom, Northern Rock and Bank of Credit and Commerce International scandals were just a few of the biggest financial scandals ever recorded for the last two decades. Intervention of regulatory authorities and shareholders for corporate governance increased (Burton, 2000) in a way that provoked the initiation of several conventions -- particularly notable are the Cadbury (1992), Greenbury (1995) reports and the Combined Code (1998). In this light, this paper determines whether the actual and strict compliance to the code, while may not be legally binding, had in a way assisted in improving corporate governance among listed companies. The Combined Code for UK Listed Companies It was following the bankruptcy of a large UK company, Polly Peck, the defunct of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, and the fraud committed by Robert Maxwell when the Cadbury Commission was founded in 1992 and provoked the issuance of the code of best practice for corporate governance, the Cadbury Code (Davidson, 2008). The Cadbury Code clearly laid out the framework for corporate governance in the guise of accountability, integrity, or honesty (Applied Corporate Governance, 2009). The Greenbury Code, on the other hand, centered on the director’s remuneration and its lack of transparency . The Combined Code, a result of both the Cadbury (1992) and Greenbury (1995) codes (hence the name), includes the best practices for corporate governance specifically with regard to the quality of the board, division of offices of the chairman and the managing director, balance of the executives and the non-executives, remuneration of directors, and the nomination committee (Sealy & Worthington, 2007). As opposed to the previous codes, the combined code employs principles (Davidson, 2008). In the Cadbury convention, the most notable aspect which the Combined Code adopted was its approach on ‘compliance and explan ation’ in a way that the listed firms should report the extent to which they have complied with the code and/or explain any form of non-compliance (Sealy & Worthington, 2007). This approach does not only produce external impacts but also importantly internal impacts for it allows a firm to identify which parts or principles of the code worked best for the company and what did not. As a head start, regulatory authorities may now be able to determine which parts of the code are faulty or that do not yield positive results. Added to strict rules and requirements for capital and liquidity, the said approach will define the most effective method for corporate governance (Walker, n.d. as cited in Haddrill, n.d.). Although the Cadbury report and the succeeding ones do not bind companies into a legal obligation, it has become habitual among listed companies in that the Stock Exchange deems it necessary (Sealy & Worthington, 2007). The Combined Code ensures that all constituents in th e corporation incur optimal gains and minimal losses in the course of maximizing profit and reducing costs. In essence, the concept of corporate governance seems easy to apply. In practice, however, the connectedness between the shareholders and the managers for the most part creates conflicts of interests -- the agency problem. The abstraction arising from contracts allows agents (e.g. managers) to act in effort to benefit from an endeavor that may, in turn, work against the favor or interests of the principal (e.g. shareholders). Effectiveness of the Combined Code in

Observing and Learning from Nature Research Paper

Observing and Learning from Nature - Research Paper Example Edward Abbey and Annie Dillard bring out a picture of the difference of nature in its natural state and the altered state. They show us various benefits provided by nature provides to people when it is healthy and natural. These benefits are that is both necessary and enjoyable for people to acquire. These facts enable the readers to see what they will probably lose if they do not take care of their environs. In the essay Seeing by Annie Dillard, she places herself as part of nature. This is a way in which she has lived together with nature from her childhood times to the current age. She remembers the abundance of the various aspects of nature such as animals and birds that are no longer available at the current time. A nature that she used to see and relate to is no longer there. It is missing, and so are the ways of life of people in relation to their environs. She views the changed way people act towards nature. When people were friendly and nondestructive towards the various aspects of nature, so was the nature towards people and vice versa. She also talks about the evolved relationship between nature and poverty, and the increasing need by people to satisfy their wants obtaining them from nature. She wonders at leaving a quarter by the roadside and being able to find it later on in the earlier years, as opposed to the current time. In her essay, she marvels at a time where people h ad enough for their use to survive and had little interest to explore nature leading to its unsustainability. She brings out the fact that there used to be state of harmonious existence between people and nature hence both flourished. We see that the extinction of this fact leads to a weakness in the relationship between man and nature (Dillard 303). The Last Oasis by Edward Abbey is a collective story of an oasis that was alive but is now dying. He places himself as an extractor of nature.

Envalue the Auditor Independence Provisions Essay

Envalue the Auditor Independence Provisions - Essay Example The audit committee and the Charter of Audit usually offers independence of code of ethics and management of the company which assist in guiding the clients, third parties or suppliers on theories and concepts of independence (Federation of European Accountants, 2013). The independence of external auditors signifies freedom from those parties that have increase in the consequence published in the financial statement of the entity. The external auditors should be supported by the Audit committee of the company, and reference should be drawn from the public accounting codes and standards. The external and internal concerns are complicated when the nominally self-regulating divisions of the company offer consulting and auditing services. In order to solve this complication, Sarbanes – Oxley Act of 2002 is a legal solution. In case of statutory audit the most significant principle is regarded as objectivity. Before considering any non-assurance or assurance engagement, audit or en tering into any relationship with the client, the auditor should consider all the threats to their independence that might hinder principle of objectivity (ICISA, 2004). Regulations in the European Union There are various regulations within EU in relation to auditor independence. The major enforcement in case of auditor independence is directed through the Companies Act of 1985, and Companies Act of 1989. The Companies Act of 1985 states that it the accountability of the shareholders to appoint auditors rather than the directors at the annual general meeting. This theory has been stated so that the directors cannot influence the auditors by... This essay summarises the concepts, that are used today in the legal regulatory framework, and identifies the conceptual framework of auditor’s independence. Apart from this the regulations for auditor independence that also are discussed in the essay by the researcher, with respect to European Union, as this will assist in analysing how the auditors can keep their personal interest aside and focus towards an unbiased and flawless audit report. Audit firms and auditor must maintain their independence for the reports of the auditors to be free from any external, personal and organisational impairment. There are various ideas and assumptions present regarding the future development of auditing in context of independence. In US the audit control procedure states that the audit reports should be reviewed by another company once in three years. The researcher mentiones that this essay discussed all those factors which were enough to discuss how auditors can keep aside their persona l objectives and interests in order to support the quotes that have been mentioned at the beginning of this study. Auditors today are like examiners who check the annual performance of the companies in order to assist them in forecasting and decisions making. However, the researcher also concluds that if code of ethics and laws are not followed, then companies would function on wrong guidelines, and there are many examples that can be drawn from the recent financial crisis to describe how faulty judgement can lead to bankruptcy.

Film and Genre Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film and Genre - Movie Review Example This does not mean that there necessarily or fundamentally should be a huge amount of swashbuckling or gunfight scenes. A movie can well be an Action and Adventure genre movie if there is enough action or incidents happening around the main character. Another important aspect of an Action and Adventure genre movie is that it should have enough narrative formats that can be termed as simple. (Berkowitz, 189) Thus, the three movies selected for the essay falls easily between the lines of an Action and Adventure genre movie. In fact each of these selected movies occupies its unique positions. October Sky contains no physical action but the character of the movie is always on a move in the psychological context and is adventurous in nature which actually sets the essence of the movie. This movie falls in the line between a Drama and an Action and Adventure genre movie. Shaft on the other hand is a completely action packed film and could be positioned at the central position of the graph where October Sky occupies one end of the graph. The other end of the graph is 'Hero'. This movie falls in the line between an Action and Adventure genre movie and a Costume drama. But all these three movies are well bracketed within the genre Action and Adventure. The first movie in contention is October Sk... come rocket scientist.This is a movie about a teenager who observes the Sputnik, launched by the soviet space agency, racing across the sky and decided to indulge his life into rocket science. As Homer is over-showed by his older brother, a local football star, his ambition is curtained by the dust of the coal fields in the mining township of Coalwood where the ultimate destiny of every teenager is to work as a coal miner. The social structure of this locality deprives any thought process that tries to overcome the social brackets of the coal mines and Homer's father is no different. He is unable to 'think big' in the context of intellectual freedom and the procedure is just the extension of the local neighborhood, or in other words, the coal mines. As we have seen in the novel "Germinal" by Emil Zola, the local characters other than Homer tends to be engrossed by the day to day living and livelihood of the mines and are just unable to think beyond the parameters of their circumstances. (Kar, 254) In this scenario, Homer finds himself in a situation where he finds no alternative other than rockets to opt for a better living. He tries to influence other kids to help him build rockets. The two other teens who agreed to help him out in this matter appears to be no as foresighted as Homer and are generally reluctant with a tint of amusement included to it. But all is not that muted after all. As in our social life, Homer finds a supportive hand in his mother and his school teacher. This is another aspect of the movie that moves us so much and generates a sense of euphoria simply because a lone rider is never a lone rider in the real world and its societies. What ever and where ever and when ever there is a mission on its way it is the society's underlying aspect to